Turkey for 12 · one oven · dinner at 4:00

Thanksgiving timeline, day by day and hour by hour

Most of Thanksgiving happens before Thursday. Make what keeps early in the week, then let the turkey's rest free up the oven for every side. This is the plan a catering kitchen would run for a classic dinner for 12 with one oven.

The menu

An 18 lb turkey with gravy, bread stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, dinner rolls, cranberry sauce and two pumpkin pies.

The week

Saturday, Nov 21	Move the frozen turkey to the fridge. An 18 lb bird needs about 5 days. Thaw dates for other sizes.
Tuesday, Nov 24	Make the cranberry sauce. Bake the pies: 15 minutes at 425°F, then 350°F until the edges are set and the center still jiggles slightly (175°F). Cool them in the turned-off oven for 30 minutes, then on a rack, and refrigerate within 2 hours.
Wednesday, Nov 25	Make the mashed potatoes. Assemble both casseroles and refrigerate them unbaked. Prep the stuffing with the wet and dry ingredients in separate containers; don't combine them until you bake. Make the gravy base from turkey or chicken stock.

Thanksgiving week countdown for 12 guests and one oven: Saturday, frozen 18 lb turkey into the fridge; Tuesday, cranberry sauce and pies; Wednesday, mashed potatoes, assemble the casseroles, prep stuffing with wet and dry kept apart; Thursday, turkey in at 10:40 for dinner at 4:00. — Save to Pinterest Download

Thanksgiving Day

9:40 AM	Turkey out of the fridge.
9:55 AM	Prep the turkey: pat it dry and season it (about 30 minutes).
10:20 AM	Preheat the oven to 325°F.
10:40 AM	Turkey in. Using frozen raw roll dough? Set it out on greased pans, covered, to rise (3 to 5 hours).
2:00 PM	Sweet potato casserole out of the fridge to take the chill off (covered, 2 hours max).
2:05 PM	Green bean casserole out of the fridge.
2:10 PM	Mashed potatoes out of the fridge.
2:50 PM	Pull the turkey at 160°F in the breast and 175°F in the thigh. Rest it under foil; it rises to 165°F. Turn the oven up to 375°F. Finish the gravy and bring it to a full boil, then keep it warm on low.
3:00 PM	Combine the stuffing, pan it and bake it covered. Sweet potato casserole in.
3:05 PM	Green bean casserole in.
3:10 PM	Mashed potatoes in to reheat, covered.
3:30 PM	Marshmallows on the sweet potatoes, if you use them.
3:35 PM	Fried onions on the green beans.
3:40 PM	Rolls in. Uncover the stuffing so the top crisps. Take out both casseroles once the centers read 165°F; keep them covered and hot.
3:50 PM	Carve. The turkey should still read 140°F or higher.
3:55 PM	Rolls, stuffing and mashed potatoes out. Stuffing and potatoes at 165°F in the center.
4:00 PM	Everything hot, on the table.
6:00 PM	Leftovers in the fridge, in shallow containers, within 2 hours of serving.

One-oven Thanksgiving schedule for dinner at 4:00: 2:50 turkey out under foil, oven up to 375°F; 3:00 stuffing and sweet potatoes in; 3:05 green bean casserole in; 3:10 mashed potatoes in to reheat; 3:40 rolls in; 3:50 carve; 4:00 everything hot on the table. — Save to Pinterest Download

Why it works in one oven

The turkey owns the oven for about four hours, then rests for an hour before carving. A rested turkey carves better, and a bird tented with foil holds well for up to 90 minutes. That rest is when every side bakes.

The sides want different temperatures: the casseroles and stuffing 350°F, the rolls 375°F. Rather than juggle the dial, everything runs at 375°F with the times shortened to match. Any dish within 25°F of the oven can share it this way. Each one still comes out by temperature: 165°F in the center.

Everything that reheats well is made ahead, so Thursday is mostly moving pans in and out. The pies and cranberry sauce are done Tuesday, so the oven is free all of Thursday for the turkey and the sides.

Your menu, your times

Different menu, different dinner time, two ovens? Oven Plan builds this schedule for your own dinner, with 40 holiday dishes built in. No recipe times to look up. The oven schedule is free.

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Questions

We eat at 2:00. What changes?

Move every Thursday time two hours earlier: turkey out of the fridge at 7:40, in the oven at 8:40. The rest of the week stays the same.

Can the turkey rest that long?

Yes. Tented with foil, a whole turkey holds well for 40 to 90 minutes. Check that it still reads 140°F or higher when you carve.

Can I stuff the turkey instead?

You can, but it adds time and the center of the stuffing must also reach 165°F. Stuff it loosely, right before it goes in. Baking the stuffing in its own dish, as here, is simpler.

How big a turkey do I need?

About 1½ pounds per guest. See the turkey size calculator.

How long does the turkey take?

About 4 hours 10 minutes for 18 lb at 325°F. Times for any weight.

Sources: USDA FSIS, Let's Talk Turkey; USDA safe temperature chart. Schedule built by Oven Plan, set by a catering chef.