5 Simple Tips for Cleaning as You Cook Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving dishes for dinner

Created by: Carrie Robinson, Frugal Foodie Mama

Keep cleanup to a minimum and have more time to spend with the family with these 5 Simple Tips for Cleaning as You Cook Thanksgiving Dinner.

I love cooking Thanksgiving dinner each year for family. But what I don’t love so much is the huge mess that is left in my kitchen after the turkey has been picked clean and the pumpkin pie has been sliced and served. I mean, who feels like tackling a major kitchen cleanup while they’re in a turkey coma? Not me! While it’s impossible to 100% avoid making a mess as you cook a family holiday dinner, there are some simple steps you can take as you stuff that turkey and whip up those mashed potatoes to ensure you have less to clean up afterwards.

  1. Line any baking sheets you plan to use with Kroger Home Sense® Parchment Paper Pop Ups. Once those dinner rolls have been baked, simply toss out the parchment paper and put your clean baking sheet away. No need to wash them later!
  2. Keep one side of your sink filled with soapy water. I like to use Kroger Home Sense® Ultra Liquid Dish Soap since it’s tough on grease. Use the soapy water to quickly wash up a knife you need to use again or to wash cutting boards as you go. It’s also handy for quickly wiping up spills and splatters on your counters and stovetop.
  3. I love to use my slow cooker when cooking up a big holiday dinner because it helps free up precious oven and stovetop space. What I don’t like about using my slow cooker is the bits of food that get stuck to the sides of the slow cooker insert. To avoid hours of soaking and then lots of scrubbing, simply line your insert with a Kroger Home Sense® Slow Cooker Liner before adding in your ingredients.
  4. Nix the many trips you will make to the trash can and save time by keeping a large garbage bowl on the counter. Toss potato peels, vegetable scraps, packaging and cans right into the bowl and then toss the contents into the trash when it’s full. Make 2-3 trips to the trashcan instead of 10-12.
  5. We all know that a roasting turkey tends to splatter grease a little as it cooks. Or that the filling in a homemade apple pie could bubble over just a bit dripping to the bottom of the stove. You can avoid having to clean and scrub your oven later by lining the bottom rack with Kroger Home Sense® Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil. Once you are done baking and roasting and the oven has cooled, simply toss out the foil. No scrubbing needed.