Uh-oh! You’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner for your family and friends and have had no time to plan the meal let alone decorate the table. Here are some quick and easy ideas to make your Thanksgiving dinner memorable … in a good way.

Thanksgiving Food

Appetizers

Crudité with dip is perfect to serve at the last minute. Slice up celery, carrot, cucumber, broccoli, and bell pepper. Serve with premade dip or baked brie.

Need something heartier to eat besides raw veggies? Toss some bleu cheese and honey on good quality bread and bake for about 10 minutes in a 350 degree preheated oven. If bleu cheese is too strong for you, try a different cheese, such as sharp cheddar or Gruyère.

Main Course

If you don’t have time to cook a large turkey on Thanksgiving Day, consider cooking it ahead of time and then reheating when you’re ready to eat. You may want to slice the turkey and cover with a sauce before reheating to prevent the meat from drying out. Definitely cover the turkey with foil if you reheat it in the oven.

An even easier option is to skip the turkey entirely. Instead, pick up a few cooked rotisserie chickens from the supermarket. Many stores now offer different flavors, from lemon pepper to classic roast.

Side Dishes

You can’t go wrong serving green beans or spinach because these vegetables cook in a flash. Plus, the lighter dishes will save you time and calories.

Steam or sauté fresh green beans with a little garlic in five minutes. Frozen green beans will take just a few minutes longer. For a healthier take on creamed spinach, brown garlic and olive oil and then add 2% milk or unsweetened almond milk. To thicken the sauce, add parmesan cheese and, if necessary, a tablespoon of flour. Make sure the cheese and flour start dissolving in the milk before adding the spinach. If you’re using frozen spinach, thaw and drain before using. Once the spinach has wilted and integrated with the sauce, you’re ready to serve.

Moving on to starches, try an unfussy but still tasty method to make mashed potatoes. After thoroughly washing small red potatoes, leave the skins on, cut the potatoes in chunks, and add them to a big pot of water. You reduce prep time by leaving the skins as is and you reduce cook time by cutting the potatoes. Once the potatoes have softened in the hot water, drain the water and mash and season the potatoes as usual.

Dessert

One of the most time-saving desserts is roasted pears. Simply cut firm, ripe pears in half and remove the core. Then, place pear halves on a cookie sheet lined with parchment, drizzle honey on the pears, and add some walnuts or pecans on top with cinnamon. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20-30 minutes until soft. The baking time will vary depending upon how ripe your pears are so check the oven from time to time. Serve the pears as is or top with vanilla ice cream or gelato. Your guests will thank you.

Thanksgiving Drinks

Beer, Wine, and Cocktails

A day or two before Thanksgiving dinner, stop at the liquor or grocery store to get beer and wine on your way home from work or from picking up the kids at school. It’s always good to have beer, white wine, and red wine around when hosting any kind of party.

Looking for a fun cocktail to serve instead? This boozy cranberry margarita takes no time to mix up. Combine ice, tequila, lime juice, cranberries or cranberry sauce, and honey. Strain and serve in a margarita glass.

The simple Moscow mule is popular again. Take this drink for a holiday spin by mixing cranberry or pomegranate juice with the traditional ingredients: vodka, lime juice, ginger beer, and ice.

Zingy peppermint hot cocoa is an easy yet decadent drink to top off the night. Make hot chocolate as you normally would and then add a candy cane or peppermint extract. The candy cane will slowly melt into the hot drink. Finally, add a cream or coffee liqueur. Feel free to garnish with whipped cream and more candy canes.

Non-Alcoholic

For anyone not imbibing, it’s easy to whip up non-alcoholic drinks using juice, sparkling water, and other simple ingredients. Try making a cran-apple hot toddy to put your guests in the holiday spirit. Heat up an equal mixture of cranberry juice and apple juice either in a saucepan or microwave. Add a little lemon juice, honey, or cinnamon to taste, and then pour the whole mixture into a clear mug.

Another festive drink is nonalcoholic sangria. Combine brewed black tea with cinnamon, sugar, juice (pomegranate, orange, and cranberry work well), sparkling water, and cut up fruit. You can really use any type of fruit you have available—a combination of oranges, lemons, limes, apples, pears, or grapes is quite tasty.

If you have grenadine on hand, you can create a Roy Rogers (ice, coke, and Grenadine), a sour (lemon juice, sugar, ginger ale, crushed ice, and grenadine), and of course the classic Shirley Temple (ginger ale, ice, and grenadine.

Thanksgiving Decorations

For your table centerpiece, group small pumpkins, pinecones, acorns, and any other fall foliage found outside of your house in a large basket or bowl. Printable placemats are also an easy way to spice up your table. Get your children involved and try these Thanksgiving dinner DIY placemats and turkey origami.

Do you have more last-minute ideas for Thanksgiving dinner? Share with us below or on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!