Delegate
I know it’s tough to hand the reins over, but think of it as an investment in your sanity. Ask your friend who doesn’t cook to bring wine or a great loaf of bread. And since your oven will likely be jam-packed, an extra dessert from Aunt Mildred couldn’t hurt. Other smart things to ask people to bring are:

• Ice cream for the pies
• Undressed salad
• Beer
• Cider and other nonalcoholic drinks
• Cheese plate for predinner snacking

Make some things ahead of time
Pie crusts and bread can be made in advance and then frozen. You can make pie crusts up to two months ahead of time—the key is to keep out any freezer odor and freeze them without the filling. You can either bake the crust “blind”—filled with beans or ceramic pie weights—and freeze it, or just place the raw dough into a pie pan and freeze it. Either way, here’s what you do.

1. Place the pie crust on a baking sheet (don’t cover it) and freeze it.
2. When frozen, take it out of the freezer and wrap it in plastic wrap and a freezer bag.
3. Thaw it at room temperature. Let it defrost with the plastic wrap still on. If you remove it, you’ll end up with a wet, soggy mess.

If you’re making cornbread stuffing, you can bake a pan of it a week or so ahead of time, and then cube it, transfer it to a freezer bag, and freeze it. It only takes about an hour to fully thaw at room temperature. You can do the same thing with bread rolls, and there’s no need to thaw. Just wrap them in foil and reheat them in the oven at about 325° until warm.

Manage your expectations
If your decoupage turkey falls apart, the stuffing burns to a crisp, or the dog steals the turkey off the table (yes, this happened to me), don’t have a meltdown. Chalk it up to making memories, and keep in mind that you’re (hopefully) surrounded by family and friends who love you. Oh, and just in case you’re curious, most pizza places still deliver on Thanksgiving.