About
Why this exists
Holiday dinners fail in the last hour. The turkey is fine; it's the moment you realize the stuffing, the rolls and the potatoes all wanted the oven at different temperatures, at the same time, and there's one oven. Printed timelines assume someone else's dinner time, turkey and kitchen. Cooking timers count down but don't know that one oven can't be at 350°F and 425°F at once.
Holiday Dinner Planner is an iPhone app built to do that planning properly, and this website is its free web version. It's made by an independent developer. There are no ads on the site and no tracking in the app.
How the timelines are calculated
The website runs a TypeScript port of the app's scheduling engine. It's tested against the app's own engine on hundreds of generated meals — different menus, kitchens, guest dishes and temperature units — and the two must produce the same timeline, word for word. The rules are explained in how to time a big dinner.
Where the cooking figures come from
Turkey times use the midpoints of the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service roasting timetable for an unstuffed turkey at 325°F. Ham and prime rib estimates use common rules of thumb, shown alongside USDA's charts on the calculator pages. Safe temperatures, thawing, holding and leftovers guidance come from USDA FSIS and FoodSafety.gov, and each page links to the source it uses.
Every time on this site is a planning estimate. Ovens, ingredients and recipes vary. Check doneness with a food thermometer, and follow food-safety guidance from the USDA or your local authority. For questions about food safety, the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline is 1-888-674-6854.
Contact
Questions, corrections or a dish you'd like added: gpmediacontact@gmail.com or 253-338-5428.