🦃 Gobble, Gobble! Five Ways to Make Thanksgiving Day a Breeze✍🏻

The holiday season can be full of joy, but it can also be a source of stress – so many parties to attend, meals to cook, and presents to buy. As the official start of the holiday season, Thanksgiving can be particularly time consuming for anyone who hosts their family feast. On average, Americans hosting Thanksgiving dinner will spend roughly 9.6 hours preparing their holiday feast. That’s enough time to watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving more than 15 times (that’s way too long!). So this year, we’re sharing five tips to give you time back to enjoy your loved ones this Thanksgiving.

Before you make your plans for Thanksgiving Day, keep these five tips in mind to save you a little time and headache:

1. Plan your menu well in advance!

The hardest part about any feast is planning what food is on the table, especially on a holiday like Thanksgiving where the stakes are high. Even worse, this year, experts are predicting that turkeys will be harder to find and more expensive than ever, so plan ahead!Luckily, Bob Evans has your back, taking the stress out of the holiday, so you can put the fun back into it. The home of ‘America’s Farm Fresh’ can take care of your loved ones this holiday with the return of Bob Evans Farmhouse Feasts, featuring three different Thanksgiving entrée options to choose from, including our signature turkey that’s slow-roasted for six hours, slow-roasted pot roast mixed with caramelized onions and roasted carrots, or hickory-smoked ham. Each Farmhouse Feast also includes handcrafted sides made from farm-fresh ingredients such as mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans with ham, macaroni & cheese, cranberry relish, freshly baked rolls and pumpkin pie. Farmhouse Feasts are available for order between now and November 22 and are available for curbside pickup, carryout or delivery. For more information, click here.

2. If guests ask what they should bring, don’t be shy (and be specific)!

If you’re hosting the feast, don’t be afraid to ask friends and families to bring any essentials needed for the day. This could be special serving ware, extra tablecloths, side dishes or anything else in-between. Guests always appreciate helping as a way to make them feel like they’re truly part of the festivities – you don’t have to do it alone!

Extra Time Saving Tip: If you need to pick up a side dish or even some extra desserts, asks your guests to pick up one of Bob Evans Holiday Pies, starting at $11.99 or side dishes starting at $8.99.

3. Clean out the kitchen prior to the feast!

A few days before Thanksgiving, take a good look at the kitchen and purge any expired items in the fridge, pantry and beyond. You’ll need all that extra space for Thanksgiving Day food, leftovers, and drinks!

4. Set the table in advance!

This may be tough if you use your dining room for everyday meals, but it could save you loads of time and stress on Thanksgiving Day. It’s a big job to set the table, so take the time to think about what’s needed and how to put all the pieces together. Then, get everything laid out and ready to go, so that the day of all there is to do is grab the food and eat.

5. You cook, I clean!

Your meal is cooked, your belly is full, and everyone is happy. But now comes the not-so-fun part: the clean-up. Simplify the process by assigning a family member to help ahead of time. Sure, everyone may be winding down and loosening their belt buckle (or two), but if you did the hosting, it’s no problem to ask for help on the other side. If you didn’t do the hosting, don’t be afraid to jump in and offer to help – the host always appreciates a helping hand.

Extra Fun Tip: If reading this made you want to enjoy turkey even before Thanksgiving, try Bob Evans NEW Thanksgiving Turkey Sandwich, featuring Bob Evans signature slow-roasted turkey and homemade bread & celery dressing, topped with cranberry relish and mayo on griddled brioche bread.

Show us how you’re celebrating Thanksgiving by tagging @bobevans on Facebook or @bobevansfarms on Instagram or Twitter.