Skip to main content

This is how much you should actually be cooking for Thanksgiving dinner

Thanksgiving dinner: We all love leftovers. But sometimes you can have too much of a good thing.

Look, don’t come for us. We all love Thanksgiving leftovers. The argument could even be made that the leftovers are even better than the big meal itself. Perhaps it’s because the flavors have had more time to marinate in the refrigerator, becoming even more delicious and complex than the day before. Or maybe there’s just less pressure when everyone has gone home and we can finally put on our sweatpants and carb-load in front of the TV without boring Uncle Ned talking about bitcoin. Either way, it seems everyone has a favorite Thanksgiving leftover preparation — be it another full plate, doused in a heavy pool of microwaved gravy, or a multi-layered, multi-textured sandwich, bursting at the seams with everything from stuffing to cranberry sauce. But there is such a thing as too many leftovers. Some years, it seems no matter how many plastic containers we send home with family, no matter how many delicious sandwiches we make in the days to come, in the end, we just made too much food.

Thankfully, Williams-Sonoma has created a convenient guide to help prevent an abundance of gluttony this year. Their helpful chart indicates the average amount people tend to eat of each popular Thanksgiving dish, and how much to make (or buy) of each item.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Most every traditional Thanksgiving dinner tends to consist of many, if not all of the following dishes: hors d’oeurves, turkey, gravy, salad, rolls, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and of course, dessert and wine. Of these dishes, it certainly surprised us to discover the average amount consumed by each person. What do you think?

  • Hors d’oeuvres: 4-6 bites
  • Turkey: 1 1/2 pounds bone-in turkey
  • Gravy: 1/2 cup
  • Salad: 1 1/2 cups
  • Rolls: 1-2 each
  • Mashed potatoes: 1/2 pound
  • Cranberry sauce: 1/3 cup
  • Stuffing: 3/4 cup
  • Dessert: 2 small pieces pie or cake
  • Wine: 1/2 – 1 bottle
Recommended Videos

Of course, no one knows your family’s eating habits better than you do. If we’re being totally honest, the thought of a mere half cup of gravy per person seems more than a little bit absurd, but maybe that’s just us. Either way, perhaps this helpful guide will make your Thanksgiving dinner plans and preparations a little easier this year. Because if there’s one thing you don’t want to stress about when it comes time to clean up the mess, it’s making room for the abundance of extra food in the fridge.

But if you ask us, maybe just make a little more gravy than the chart calls for.

Lindsay Parrill
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Lindsay is a graduate of California Culinary Academy, Le Cordon Bleu, San Francisco, from where she holds a degree in…
Here’s how I built my own box of personalized iced coffees with Frazy Bottles
Customize your iced coffee
Frazy Bottles

There's something extra fun about personalizing anything -- but especially your coffee. Perhaps this is why Starbucks fans love the detailed mobile ordering system that allows you to customize every component of your order. Similarly, Frazy Bottles enables coffee drinkers to customize every aspect of their coffee concentrate box when placing a personalized order. Building a box with Frazy Bottles made me feel like a kid in a candy store. From selecting my preferred sweetness level to fine-tuning how much caffeine is in each bottle, the whole experience is fun. Here's how I built my own personalized box of iced coffees with Frazy Bottles.
Personalizing your iced coffee

The Frazy Bottle ordering process is pretty simple. First, choose your box size: 6, 12, or 18 bottle packs. I chose the six pack to start with (just to see how I liked it). It's worth noting that the brand also has Boba tea options, but I only tried their coffee selections. After selecting your box size, you'll then move to a page to choose which flavors you'd like in your box. This is where things got especially interesting as I noticed cool and unique coffee flavors such as the Red Velvet Latte and Chocolate Chip Latte. I haven't had a chance to try all the flavors, but of the ones I did try, the Pumpkin Spice Latte was my favorite (you don't need to wait until fall for this).

Read more
Do you cut with or against the grain? Here’s the truth when slicing steak
Why you should always cut steak against the grain (and how to do it right)
Steak on cutting board

Have you ever seen someone grill a flank steak and they nailed the marinade, timed the cooking just right, and even let it rest like the patient adult we all strive to be when it's time to dig in? I have, and I thought it was a masterclass on how to get a juicy steak out of a fairly lean cut, but that brings me to where things went wrong.

When they sliced it, they cut it the long way, with the grain, and served it up. Everyone chewed. And chewed. And chewed some more. A perfectly cooked steak had the texture of a gym towel. That was the day I learned the hard truth; how you slice your steak matters. Big time. So, what does it mean to cut with or against the grain, and what does that look like if you'rer trying to achieve the most tender steak possible? Let's get into it.
What does 'cutting against the grain' mean?

Read more
Instant espresso powder vs. instant coffee: What you need to know
Are these two powdered coffees the same?
instant coffee powder

Even though I love cooking, baking, and making coffee at home, I often don't think of using coffee products in baked goods. Mainly, I think of coffee mostly as a drink. I love to whip up the occasional espresso martini at home, but I've only recently started experimenting with instant espresso powder when I bake. Recently, I've discovered that instant espresso powder and powdered instant coffee are two entirely different products, even though they look similar. Whether you're a home cook, aspiring barista, or simply a coffee lover, here's what you should know about instant espresso powder vs. instant coffee.
What is instant espresso powder?

Instant espresso powder is made by drying and grinding espresso beans that have already been brewed. Once ground and dried, the powder becomes dissolvable in water. Unlike instant coffee, instant espresso powder isn't meant to be brewed as espresso to drink, as it is too concentrated. I've tried the Dellalo Instant Espresso Powder and the King Arthur Baking Espresso Powder. I've found that espresso powder isn't as easy to find in stores as you'd think, so I'd recommend planning and ordering it online if you need it for a recipe.

Read more