Martha Stewart’s fans generally look to her for advice on how to host fabulous holidays at home, but the lifestyle expert recently caused a commotion after she named the perfect hour for Thanksgiving dinner.

“Two o’clock in the afternoon,” Stewart shared during TODAY’s Thanksgiving show on Nov. 13. “People are hungry and they’re starting to circle the kitchen if you have a bunch of guests. You don’t want to wait until it’s nighttime.”

The “Yes, Chef!” co-host explained to co-hosts Craig Melvin, Dylan Dreyer and Laura Jarrett that eating Thanksgiving dinner early in the day frees up time for other holiday enjoyment.

“You can eat and watch the big games and then have more drinks and have fun and eat dessert later,” said Stewart.

Stewart’s remarks inspired TODAY viewers to weigh in about the right time to eat dinner on Thanksgiving.

“Nah don’t show up to my house before 3pm. The Mac n cheese still baking,” one wrote.

“Unless you’re a toddler mom… that’s nap time,” another said of a 2 p.m. dinner.

Other viewers agreed with Stewart that eating earlier in the day make sense, like one who wrote, “We actually do noon. Lunch. Football. Nap. Leftovers. Two rounds is always good.”

During her visit to TODAY, Stewart answered viewers’ most pressing holiday questions and shared tips on how to prepare some of her easy Thanksgiving recipes.

The perfect holiday cocktail? Stewart suggested her signature apple cider-bourbon sour that has just three ingredients: apple cider, bourbon and lemon juice. Rim the glass with turbinado sugar, she suggested.

When it comes to cooking a juicy Thanksgiving turkey, Stewart advised using her Turkey 101 recipe that uses cheesecloth or parchment paper.

Parchment, she said, “holds all the moisture in while cooking.”

“So it’s steaming inside the parchment until the last half hour when you take the parchment of and you brown the turkey in the oven. It’s really good,” she explained.

As for her other favorite dishes to make on Thanksgiving, “It’s either a pie or I love scalloped potatoes,” said Stewart, noting that her scalloped potatoes recipe is “easy” and can be made ahead of time.

“You can make it the day before. You slice the potatoes, cook them in the milk mixture … and layer it all in with the cheese and the salt and pepper,” she said. “Wait until right before you’re going to sit down (to eat) and put it in the oven to bake for about an hour. It’s delicious.”

Stewart also revealed that every year she makes her mom’s mashed potato recipe that includes a surprising secret ingredient: “Cream cheese.” Just add the cream cheese in with butter and milk, she said.

Dylan posed a final question to Stewart about how to host the perfect holiday: “Potato chips and onion dip — does that qualify as an appetizer?”

“Yes, why not?” Stewart replied, then joked, “Add some caviar.”

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

• Elevate Your Thanksgiving With Meatballs and French Onion Pasta
• Oreo Just Dropped 6 New Thanksgiving-Themed Flavors — Including Turkey & Gravy
• Target’s Thanksgiving Meal Feeds 4 for Under $20, Its ‘Lowest Price Ever’

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Martha Stewart’s fans generally look to her for advice on how to host fabulous holidays at home, but the lifestyle expert recently caused a commotion after she named the perfect hour for Thanksgiving dinner.

“Two o’clock in the afternoon,” Stewart shared during TODAY’s Thanksgiving show on Nov. 13. “People are hungry and they’re starting to circle the kitchen if you have a bunch of guests. You don’t want to wait until it’s nighttime.”

The “Yes, Chef!” co-host explained to co-hosts Craig Melvin, Dylan Dreyer and Laura Jarrett that eating Thanksgiving dinner early in the day frees up time for other holiday enjoyment.

“You can eat and watch the big games and then have more drinks and have fun and eat dessert later,” said Stewart.

Stewart’s remarks inspired TODAY viewers to weigh in about the right time to eat dinner on Thanksgiving.

“Nah don’t show up to my house before 3pm. The Mac n cheese still baking,” one wrote.

“Unless you’re a toddler mom… that’s nap time,” another said of a 2 p.m. dinner.

Other viewers agreed with Stewart that eating earlier in the day make sense, like one who wrote, “We actually do noon. Lunch. Football. Nap. Leftovers. Two rounds is always good.”

During her visit to TODAY, Stewart answered viewers’ most pressing holiday questions and shared tips on how to prepare some of her easy Thanksgiving recipes.

The perfect holiday cocktail? Stewart suggested her signature apple cider-bourbon sour that has just three ingredients: apple cider, bourbon and lemon juice. Rim the glass with turbinado sugar, she suggested.

When it comes to cooking a juicy Thanksgiving turkey, Stewart advised using her Turkey 101 recipe that uses cheesecloth or parchment paper.

Parchment, she said, “holds all the moisture in while cooking.”

“So it’s steaming inside the parchment until the last half hour when you take the parchment of and you brown the turkey in the oven. It’s really good,” she explained.

As for her other favorite dishes to make on Thanksgiving, “It’s either a pie or I love scalloped potatoes,” said Stewart, noting that her scalloped potatoes recipe is “easy” and can be made ahead of time.

“You can make it the day before. You slice the potatoes, cook them in the milk mixture … and layer it all in with the cheese and the salt and pepper,” she said. “Wait until right before you’re going to sit down (to eat) and put it in the oven to bake for about an hour. It’s delicious.”

Stewart also revealed that every year she makes her mom’s mashed potato recipe that includes a surprising secret ingredient: “Cream cheese.” Just add the cream cheese in with butter and milk, she said.

Dylan posed a final question to Stewart about how to host the perfect holiday: “Potato chips and onion dip — does that qualify as an appetizer?”

“Yes, why not?” Stewart replied, then joked, “Add some caviar.”

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

• Elevate Your Thanksgiving With Meatballs and French Onion Pasta
• Oreo Just Dropped 6 New Thanksgiving-Themed Flavors — Including Turkey & Gravy
• Target’s Thanksgiving Meal Feeds 4 for Under $20, Its ‘Lowest Price Ever’

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Martha Stewart’s fans generally look to her for advice on how to host fabulous holidays at home, but the lifestyle expert recently caused a commotion after she named the perfect hour for Thanksgiving dinner.

“Two o’clock in the afternoon,” Stewart shared during TODAY’s Thanksgiving show on Nov. 13. “People are hungry and they’re starting to circle the kitchen if you have a bunch of guests. You don’t want to wait until it’s nighttime.”

The “Yes, Chef!” co-host explained to co-hosts Craig Melvin, Dylan Dreyer and Laura Jarrett that eating Thanksgiving dinner early in the day frees up time for other holiday enjoyment.

“You can eat and watch the big games and then have more drinks and have fun and eat dessert later,” said Stewart.

Stewart’s remarks inspired TODAY viewers to weigh in about the right time to eat dinner on Thanksgiving.

“Nah don’t show up to my house before 3pm. The Mac n cheese still baking,” one wrote.

“Unless you’re a toddler mom… that’s nap time,” another said of a 2 p.m. dinner.

Other viewers agreed with Stewart that eating earlier in the day make sense, like one who wrote, “We actually do noon. Lunch. Football. Nap. Leftovers. Two rounds is always good.”

During her visit to TODAY, Stewart answered viewers’ most pressing holiday questions and shared tips on how to prepare some of her easy Thanksgiving recipes.

The perfect holiday cocktail? Stewart suggested her signature apple cider-bourbon sour that has just three ingredients: apple cider, bourbon and lemon juice. Rim the glass with turbinado sugar, she suggested.

When it comes to cooking a juicy Thanksgiving turkey, Stewart advised using her Turkey 101 recipe that uses cheesecloth or parchment paper.

Parchment, she said, “holds all the moisture in while cooking.”

“So it’s steaming inside the parchment until the last half hour when you take the parchment of and you brown the turkey in the oven. It’s really good,” she explained.

As for her other favorite dishes to make on Thanksgiving, “It’s either a pie or I love scalloped potatoes,” said Stewart, noting that her scalloped potatoes recipe is “easy” and can be made ahead of time.

“You can make it the day before. You slice the potatoes, cook them in the milk mixture … and layer it all in with the cheese and the salt and pepper,” she said. “Wait until right before you’re going to sit down (to eat) and put it in the oven to bake for about an hour. It’s delicious.”

Stewart also revealed that every year she makes her mom’s mashed potato recipe that includes a surprising secret ingredient: “Cream cheese.” Just add the cream cheese in with butter and milk, she said.

Dylan posed a final question to Stewart about how to host the perfect holiday: “Potato chips and onion dip — does that qualify as an appetizer?”

“Yes, why not?” Stewart replied, then joked, “Add some caviar.”

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

• Elevate Your Thanksgiving With Meatballs and French Onion Pasta
• Oreo Just Dropped 6 New Thanksgiving-Themed Flavors — Including Turkey & Gravy
• Target’s Thanksgiving Meal Feeds 4 for Under $20, Its ‘Lowest Price Ever’

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Martha Stewart’s fans generally look to her for advice on how to host fabulous holidays at home, but the lifestyle expert recently caused a commotion after she named the perfect hour for Thanksgiving dinner.

“Two o’clock in the afternoon,” Stewart shared during TODAY’s Thanksgiving show on Nov. 13. “People are hungry and they’re starting to circle the kitchen if you have a bunch of guests. You don’t want to wait until it’s nighttime.”

The “Yes, Chef!” co-host explained to co-hosts Craig Melvin, Dylan Dreyer and Laura Jarrett that eating Thanksgiving dinner early in the day frees up time for other holiday enjoyment.

“You can eat and watch the big games and then have more drinks and have fun and eat dessert later,” said Stewart.

Stewart’s remarks inspired TODAY viewers to weigh in about the right time to eat dinner on Thanksgiving.

“Nah don’t show up to my house before 3pm. The Mac n cheese still baking,” one wrote.

“Unless you’re a toddler mom… that’s nap time,” another said of a 2 p.m. dinner.

Other viewers agreed with Stewart that eating earlier in the day make sense, like one who wrote, “We actually do noon. Lunch. Football. Nap. Leftovers. Two rounds is always good.”

During her visit to TODAY, Stewart answered viewers’ most pressing holiday questions and shared tips on how to prepare some of her easy Thanksgiving recipes.

The perfect holiday cocktail? Stewart suggested her signature apple cider-bourbon sour that has just three ingredients: apple cider, bourbon and lemon juice. Rim the glass with turbinado sugar, she suggested.

When it comes to cooking a juicy Thanksgiving turkey, Stewart advised using her Turkey 101 recipe that uses cheesecloth or parchment paper.

Parchment, she said, “holds all the moisture in while cooking.”

“So it’s steaming inside the parchment until the last half hour when you take the parchment of and you brown the turkey in the oven. It’s really good,” she explained.

As for her other favorite dishes to make on Thanksgiving, “It’s either a pie or I love scalloped potatoes,” said Stewart, noting that her scalloped potatoes recipe is “easy” and can be made ahead of time.

“You can make it the day before. You slice the potatoes, cook them in the milk mixture … and layer it all in with the cheese and the salt and pepper,” she said. “Wait until right before you’re going to sit down (to eat) and put it in the oven to bake for about an hour. It’s delicious.”

Stewart also revealed that every year she makes her mom’s mashed potato recipe that includes a surprising secret ingredient: “Cream cheese.” Just add the cream cheese in with butter and milk, she said.

Dylan posed a final question to Stewart about how to host the perfect holiday: “Potato chips and onion dip — does that qualify as an appetizer?”

“Yes, why not?” Stewart replied, then joked, “Add some caviar.”

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

• Elevate Your Thanksgiving With Meatballs and French Onion Pasta
• Oreo Just Dropped 6 New Thanksgiving-Themed Flavors — Including Turkey & Gravy
• Target’s Thanksgiving Meal Feeds 4 for Under $20, Its ‘Lowest Price Ever’

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Martha Stewart’s fans generally look to her for advice on how to host fabulous holidays at home, but the lifestyle expert recently caused a commotion after she named the perfect hour for Thanksgiving dinner.

“Two o’clock in the afternoon,” Stewart shared during TODAY’s Thanksgiving show on Nov. 13. “People are hungry and they’re starting to circle the kitchen if you have a bunch of guests. You don’t want to wait until it’s nighttime.”

The “Yes, Chef!” co-host explained to co-hosts Craig Melvin, Dylan Dreyer and Laura Jarrett that eating Thanksgiving dinner early in the day frees up time for other holiday enjoyment.

“You can eat and watch the big games and then have more drinks and have fun and eat dessert later,” said Stewart.

Stewart’s remarks inspired TODAY viewers to weigh in about the right time to eat dinner on Thanksgiving.

“Nah don’t show up to my house before 3pm. The Mac n cheese still baking,” one wrote.

“Unless you’re a toddler mom… that’s nap time,” another said of a 2 p.m. dinner.

Other viewers agreed with Stewart that eating earlier in the day make sense, like one who wrote, “We actually do noon. Lunch. Football. Nap. Leftovers. Two rounds is always good.”

During her visit to TODAY, Stewart answered viewers’ most pressing holiday questions and shared tips on how to prepare some of her easy Thanksgiving recipes.

The perfect holiday cocktail? Stewart suggested her signature apple cider-bourbon sour that has just three ingredients: apple cider, bourbon and lemon juice. Rim the glass with turbinado sugar, she suggested.

When it comes to cooking a juicy Thanksgiving turkey, Stewart advised using her Turkey 101 recipe that uses cheesecloth or parchment paper.

Parchment, she said, “holds all the moisture in while cooking.”

“So it’s steaming inside the parchment until the last half hour when you take the parchment of and you brown the turkey in the oven. It’s really good,” she explained.

As for her other favorite dishes to make on Thanksgiving, “It’s either a pie or I love scalloped potatoes,” said Stewart, noting that her scalloped potatoes recipe is “easy” and can be made ahead of time.

“You can make it the day before. You slice the potatoes, cook them in the milk mixture … and layer it all in with the cheese and the salt and pepper,” she said. “Wait until right before you’re going to sit down (to eat) and put it in the oven to bake for about an hour. It’s delicious.”

Stewart also revealed that every year she makes her mom’s mashed potato recipe that includes a surprising secret ingredient: “Cream cheese.” Just add the cream cheese in with butter and milk, she said.

Dylan posed a final question to Stewart about how to host the perfect holiday: “Potato chips and onion dip — does that qualify as an appetizer?”

“Yes, why not?” Stewart replied, then joked, “Add some caviar.”

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

• Elevate Your Thanksgiving With Meatballs and French Onion Pasta
• Oreo Just Dropped 6 New Thanksgiving-Themed Flavors — Including Turkey & Gravy
• Target’s Thanksgiving Meal Feeds 4 for Under $20, Its ‘Lowest Price Ever’

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.