From the article: Cooking Thanksgiving Turkey Questions and Answers
Cooking Thanksgiving turkey can be stressful, whether it's your first turkey or your twenty-first. Yet anybody who has done it knows a few secrets for making the process easier. Share your tips and tricks for cooking the perfect Thanksgiving turkey right here!
Don't go it alone
- When I married into a large family and sat down to my first holiday dinner with 25+ guests, I was hysterical at the idea of cooking for such a large group when it was my turn. I quickly learned from my sisters-in-law to ASK FOR HELP. Don't go it alone. In a world where most women work outside the home, it's perfectly fine to ask relatives/friends to bring a dish of their choice (as long as you don't end up with 5 green bean casseroles.) With the pressure off on some of the side dishes, then you'll be able to better concentrate on the turkey. I've also found that by asking for food contributions, most participants bring what they can eat. And with so many food allergies and food concerns, preparing special dishes for certain people can make Thanksgiving even harder. Two years ago I became a vegan, and each Thanksgiving I bring my own 'turkey' substitute so my sister-in-law doesn't have to fuss over feeding me. We've all gotten used to pitching in -- it's a family tradition now.
- —Guest LindaLowen
Get a Great Son-in-Law
- Our secret weapon for all holidays is a son-in-law who is a great cook.
- —Guest Liz
Plan WAY Ahead
- I find a fun way to keep everything coordinated (major destressor) is to plan and prepare WAY ahead. So for example, it's early September now. I am already testing recipes for dishes I want to try for the first time this year. I'll go into Tgiving knowing exactly what I'm doing and how to do it.
- —Guest Anne
Forget "Tradition"
- Everyone seems to want that beautiful roasted whole bird. Forget the Normal Rockwell scene and slice that bird up before you cook it. You'll have a much easier time controlling the cook times of each piece of the bird. It makes serving much quicker as well.
- —LizMasoner
Brine!
- This isn't so much a tip for de-stressing as it is for making YUMMY turkey. BRINE the bird. Our 2-year-old loves to stir things, and since the brine has to be in a huge bucket to hold the bird, we let him stir all the salt and spices together for us. Make sure you have a LOT of ice or if you keep it outside in near-freezing weather, make sure the bucket has a very tight seal to keep out curious raccoons. We keep the covered bucket in an ice-chest full of ice water. Our son then goes and checks it periodically - helping with the "cooking". :-)
- —Jenn
What Barb Said
- Make what you can ahead (but not the stuffing, and don't stuff ahead), and then deligate. If someone makes a fantastic pie, ask him to bring a couple.
- —Guest Kyle
Make Some of the Sides Days Ahead
- Some of the side dishes for turkey dinner can be made one or even two days ahead like sweet potato casserole, desserts, gelatin molds, etc. That definitely takes some of the heat off. The table can be set the night before and covered with a plastic tablecloth to keep the dust off, etc. Veggies can be chopped and refrigerated the day before for stuffing, mirepoix for gravy, etc.
- —Barb.Rolek
