Dylan Dreyer Shared Her Clever Trick for a Foolproof Thanksgiving Dinner—and Now's the Time to Try It
Thanksgiving is a day to gather with friends and family over a beautiful meal and count your blessings, but getting to that moment when you sit down at the table with turkey and all the sides can be stressful. There's a menu to plan, groceries to buy, a table to set and lots of other details to sort out.
Many cooks have their specific way to plan and prepare for turkey day, but Today's Dylan Dreyer has one of the most organized plans we've seen. On a recent episode of Today, she shared that she's already made her Thanksgiving shopping list and has everything broken down into what she can make or prep on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday—and the big day is still more than a month away.
But that's not all. She also shared on the Today website that she does what she calls a Thanksgiving “rehearsal” to make sure all of the dishes she plans to make are in good shape for Thanksgiving.
Related: Get to Know 'Today' Anchor Dylan Dreyer's 3 Sons
According to Today, Dreyer started the rehearsal dinner after her son was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2023 as a way to test out gluten-free recipes, which can be a little bit tricky. Things get even more complicated when you realize how many Thanksgiving staples—rolls, stuffing, the flour that you use to make the gravy—aren't celiac-friendly. The test run allows her to fine-tune where she needs to, which makes cooking on the big day much less stressful. Last year, she perfected her gluten-free stuffing after a few tests that she shared on her Instagram page.
But Dreyer isn't the only person who is calmed by the rehearsal dinner. “My husband gets very anxious because he wants dinner to be perfect because it’s his favorite meal of the year," she told Today.
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During the run-through, Dreyer, her husband, Brian, and their three kiddos try the meal and then they all share their notes. And based on what Dreyer shared with Today, the crew isn't afraid to speak up.
“The feedback on the gravy for rehearsal was it was a little too watery but the flavor was good. The stuffing was too dry, so I have to add more chicken broth. So, you know, I’m taking notes on what I need to fix,” she shared. The good news? “The apple crisp turned out perfect.”
We're not sure that we are as organized as Dreyer, but the idea of trying out any potentially tricky recipes before Thanksgiving is a really smart idea and a great way to take some pressure off the cook.
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