Thanksgiving Menu and Cooking Timeline for 6, 12 or 24 Guests, Holiday Dinner Plan, Grocery List Split, Christmas Dinner

Host a holiday dinner without working out the timings yourself. This is a finished game plan for 6, 12 or 24 guests: the menu, the shopping list and who buys what, and exactly when every dish goes in the oven. Works for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving and Christmas.

WHAT YOU GET
• Three finished plans, one for 6, 12 and 24 guests, each sized for that table (12 lb, 16 lb or 22 lb turkey, plus a slow-cooker ham for 24)
• A classic turkey dinner menu with amounts: stuffing, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, green beans, gravy, cranberry sauce, rolls and pies
• Oven schedule timed back from your sit-down time, already checked so no two dishes need the oven at different temperatures, the oven is never over-full and no burner is double-booked
• Kitchen timeline: the whole day on one printable page, 15 minutes at a time
• Countdown from a week out, with the turkey thaw day, shopping days and make-ahead jobs dated for you
• Grocery list for your headcount with who buys each item, each person's fair share of the bill and who sends whom how much
• Guest list with RSVPs, diets and allergies, and what each guest is bringing

HOW IT WORKS
1. Open the plan for your headcount and type your dinner date and sit-down time.
2. Share out the grocery list and send guests the dishes they're bringing.
3. Follow the countdown through the week and the oven schedule on the day.

FEATURES
• Every time moves with your sit-down time: change 4:00 PM to 2:00 PM and the whole day shifts
• Turkey roasting times follow USDA guidance, and every plan says to go by a meat thermometer (165°F)
• Change any step and the clash check re-tests the whole schedule
• Type what you really paid and everyone's share updates; households can pay a bigger share
• Swap any dish to a guest with one dropdown
• Reusable next year: just change the date

PLANNING YOUR OWN MENU INSTEAD?
Our Thanksgiving Host Planner and Christmas Dinner Host Planner are blank tools for building your own menu and schedule. This game plan is the finished version: the menu, amounts and timings are done for you.

WORKS WITH
• Microsoft Excel (desktop or Microsoft 365)
• Google Sheets (free with a Google account)
• Apple Numbers
Best on a computer or tablet. The Kitchen Timeline tab is made to print.

WHAT YOU RECEIVE
• Holiday Dinner Game Plan - 6 Guests.xlsx
• Holiday Dinner Game Plan - 12 Guests.xlsx
• Holiday Dinner Game Plan - 24 Guests.xlsx
• A quick start guide (PDF)
This is a digital download. Nothing is shipped, and the files are yours to keep. For personal use.

HOW WE MAKE IT
Every Toast & Tally planner is designed in-house with AI-assisted tools, then every tab, formula and sample file is checked and tested before it is listed.

QUESTIONS?
Message us on Etsy. We're happy to help you get set up.