Hosting Thanksgiving can seem a little daunting, so we asked our friends to help us tackle Turkey Day tasks with ease. From the flowers and cheese board all the way to the leftover sandwich the day after, our experts shared their best tips and tricks for creating memorable moments this Thanksgiving.
Setting the Table
Tess Finnegan and Liz Levin founded Bouquet Club with a desire to gather friends, make merry, and create. Experts at hosting bouquet-making parties for groups of friends, we asked Tess and Liz how to create a festive fall Thanksgiving table arrangement.
"A great Thanksgiving arrangement respects the season, bringing the outdoors inside. It is chock full of vibrant color (think burnt oranges, deep yellows, or burnished reds) and loaded with texture, whether that be in the form of dried seed pods, spiky foliage, or thistle. Play with color and depth and texture until you love what you see."
– Tess, Bouquet Club Co-Founder
The Cheese Board Appetizer
A tip from chef Ashton Keefe, "Take three kinds of cheese (a soft, a blue and a hard) and place on opposite sides of the board. Lay the meat or any charcuterie. Add fruit. Fill the holes with honey, nuts, olives or dried fruit. Add carbs- bread, crackers, etc. More is more."
What to Wear
Whether you'll be celebrating in a cozy sweater or getting a little more dressed up like Chef Ashton Keefe, Thanksgiving is a time to opt for rich fall colors like purple, sage, and cognac.
The Leftover Sandwich
After it's all said and done, Ashton shows us how to make Thanksgiving last a couple more days by combining leftovers already in our fridge into one delicious sandwich.
ASHTON'S THANKSGIVING LEFTOVER SANDWICH RECIPE
Makes 1 sandwich
INGREDIENTS:
2 slices of nutty day-old bread, toasted on one side (I do this under the broiler)
2-3 big tablespoons of mayo, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and/or stuffing (choose 2) at room temperature
3-4 big slices of white turkey meat, preferably with the skin on and warmed
A large handful of leftover salad Gravy or hot sauce
DIRECTIONS:
With the untoasted sides up, slather bread with mayo, cranberry sauce, potatoes or stuffing. I choose two, with one on each piece of bread, as to not overwhelm the sandwich.
Layer in turkey and a big handful of (dressed and slightly softened) leftover salad. Drizzle with hot sauce or gravy and sandwich.
