I don't care how long someone has been cooking these tips are great. There is always something to learn.
Your best Thanksgving tips?
- Thread starter InstantMom
- Start date
I always make the turkey, taters, gravy, and noodles. I am one of those that cook the turkey all night. I make the gravy and noodles the day before and put them in crock pots. Peal the potatoes the day before and cook them early on T-day, then mash and in the crock pot too. I have a menu ready when I call everyone to remind them of the time we want to eat. (It is a given that they will be at Mom's on Sunday before T-day.) When they ask if they can bring anything, I give them choices of items on the menu. It always works out great. Last year DD brought the sweet potatoes instead of DIL. We got a real treat at they were Sweet Potato Balls from Paula Deen's cookbook. Hidden marshmallow inside each one. Just be sure and have some fun yourself!!!
With a little extra planning and prep, packing things up to cook at FIL's house really isn't all that hard. I used to bake the pies a couple days beforehand and take them over, until the year FIL decided to help himself to the custard pie just because it was there! Now I try to get the day before Thanxgiving off work and prep like a mad woman. Thank goodness for those Hefty freezer bags!
I have my kids come over each year for the meal. My oldest DS27 and his family and DD19 come but my DD's only contribution is a chocolate creme pie made with pudding, and my DS makes jello. His wife brags that she does not cook and SHE DOESN'T! She even sits on her butt afterwards while my husband, DD and I clean up. I probably wouldn't even subject myself to dealing with her but for my granddaughters. I can put up with alot for those sweet babies.
I have my kids come over each year for the meal. My oldest DS27 and his family and DD19 come but my DD's only contribution is a chocolate creme pie made with pudding, and my DS makes jello. His wife brags that she does not cook and SHE DOESN'T! She even sits on her butt afterwards while my husband, DD and I clean up. I probably wouldn't even subject myself to dealing with her but for my granddaughters. I can put up with alot for those sweet babies.
Well, let me think. Two years ago DH and I decided not to go out of town for thanksgiving. And since his family never got together for Tday, he decided it would be nice if we had his family over :thud: I had never done a Tday by myself (I help at my parents, but really just make the gravy and help set the table). So I was very nervous. I actually had to look up a green bean casserole recipe! What I did was plan ahead - I figured what time we wanted to eat and "worked backward" on the timeline leaving time for the turkey to rest and to carve and plate (we don't carve at the table). On the turkey - I am a BIG fan of Good Eats so I did the brining of the Turkey all night - and everyone said it was wonderful. I also went with the smaller bird (12 - 14 lbs, if you need more get two) both for the ease of cooking and for my secret weapon - the roaster! I have two roasters, one old one (my great aunts) and a new one. They are so great for Tday as you can cook the turkey in the roaster (and I too use a cooking bag) and that frees up your oven! Yea! Plus I have a nice three season porch so the roaster sits out there on a folding table so it is completely out of my way for the day. I also use the potatoes in the crockpot. I have heard that there are recipes for stuffing / dressing in a crockpot (completely cooked in the crockpot) but I haven't tried them. I make any pies the day before. The big thing is to plan ahead and to relax. It was actually much easier than I had thought. In fact, last year DH wanted to have a Tday with his family the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Well, he was supposed to go to a comic convention on Saturday, but his friend ran late so they went SUN! :slap: I did the whole thing by myself Sun and he showed up just before everyone came over. The funny thing is, I almost think it was easier with the house all to myself! :grin: BTW, I am fairly simple with the meal. Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Turkey, Green Bean Casserole, Corn Casserole, rolls (crescent - from a can) and pumpkin pie (homemade the night before) and some other dessert (storebought - DH doesn't like pumpkin pie, but I am to worried about everything else to make a second desert!).
kmwiegand
kmwiegand
Who knew you could freeze whip cream? What a great idea if you have a large crowd.
http://www.bettycrocker.com/entertaining/all-holidays/Thanksgiving/Your-First-Thanksgiving.htm
http://www.bettycrocker.com/entertaining/all-holidays/Thanksgiving/Your-First-Thanksgiving.htm
Don't you love reading these posts, and thinking about how wonderful Thanksgiving can be? We go to a relatives house. But these posts are so inspiring, I feel like having a Thanksgiving dinner myself for good friends either before or after the actual day. There is no law against multiple Thanksgiving celebrations. :turkey:
kmwiegand - Can you share more about using the electric roaster for the turkey?
I was actually gearing up to post a question on whether or not anyone had tried that before. I was given a large roaster for Christmas last year and I want to use it for the turkey this year.
Can you use an oven bag? Or is that totally out?
Do you baste? Brine? Any info would be soooo much appreciated! I've only cooked a turkey once (in an oven bag) so I'm still a novice!
:help:
I was actually gearing up to post a question on whether or not anyone had tried that before. I was given a large roaster for Christmas last year and I want to use it for the turkey this year.
Can you use an oven bag? Or is that totally out?
Do you baste? Brine? Any info would be soooo much appreciated! I've only cooked a turkey once (in an oven bag) so I'm still a novice!
:help:
I "inherited" the roaster idea from my family - that's how we have always cooked the turkey (in fact my old roaster is the one from my Great Aunt that we used when I was a kid!). I use an oven bag, but I have heard that you can do them without -but I have no experience with that, so don't quote me! I, personally, brine the turkey the night before using the Good Eats brine recipe (available on foodnetwork.com - Alton Brown is the chef if you don't watch the show - its my favorite show!). My family does not brine as far as I know. I also put some large pieces of carrot and celery in the cavity to help flavor the broth for gravy (we don't eat the veggies). You do not have to baste with the cooking bag, although I try to bag the turkey with the twist tie up so I can take the temp of the bird through the little space and not have to put a hole in the bag! With my newer roaster (few years old) the cooking time was about what the websites call for for times / pound. But my older one cooks slightly faster - it finished up about 20 - 30 minutes earlier. I go by internal temp for the final, but the general rules will get you close - I start checking the temp about 30 min prior to the "end" cooking time.
Awesome! Thank you SOOOO much for the intel!
I am definitely going to try that method this year! I will just use the oven bag since I did okay with that method last time.
Thank you again!
arty:
I am definitely going to try that method this year! I will just use the oven bag since I did okay with that method last time.
Thank you again!
arty:
I LOVE the idea of the sweet potato balls and turkey in a bag. Thanks so much for sharing. I may be pushing it here, but I wish that Food Network or other channels would start earlier with holiday plannning shows- at least one or two a month. It helps me to have these ideas in the back of my mind a while before the holidays actually come. :grin:
StressLess,
Having Holiday shows once or twice a month sure would be nice!!! It would also help people get started sooner. Those of us here start early but so many people seem to forget the holidays happen every year at the same time.
Having Holiday shows once or twice a month sure would be nice!!! It would also help people get started sooner. Those of us here start early but so many people seem to forget the holidays happen every year at the same time.