Only three days to go! Now’s the time to start planning out your big cooking day. Here are a few tips to ensure everything in the kitchen runs smoothly.
Prep, Prep, Prep
As much prep as you can do in the days leading up to the holiday will help. You can chop veggies, wash greens, make pie dough, and parboil your root veggies. Whatever you can fit in will make things easier. You can also make casseroles ahead of time and reheat them in the oven just before dinner.
Did you know that you can make mashed potatoes ahead of time? Make them according to your favorite recipe, then pack them in a container to put in the fridge. Before sealing the container, pour a mixture of melted butter and heavy cream over the top. This will prevent the potatoes from oxidizing and drying out. When you reheat them the next day, the butter and cream will melt into the potatoes, which can then be mixed in.
Make a Timeline
Keep organized and eat on time by creating a timeline to work from. Figure out what time you want dinner to be and work backwards. The turkey is usually the centerpiece and takes the longest. So, figure out how long your turkey will take to cook (generally expect about 15 min/lb or 20 min/lb for a stuffed turkey). Include resting time. If you want to eat at 2 pm and you have an unstuffed 15lb bird, you’ll need 3 hours and 45 minutes to cook it, and 30 minutes of rest. You’ll want to have the bird in the oven by 9:45am.
Add in your other recipes and work out when your guests are arriving and when you want to serve drinks and appetizers. If you have other traditions, like watching parades or football games, or going for a family walk, factor in those activities, as well. Then, stick to your timeline as best you can!
Get the Turkey in the Oven and Cook Cook Cook
Get your turkey in the oven on time and set a basting schedule. Usually, you baste a turkey every 30-40 minutes. Just remember, cracking the oven slows the cooking process. When the bird is in the oven, do things like making your cold appetizers and finishing any prep you need to do for other recipes. Be sure to clean up your kitchen workspace as you go. You’ll thank yourself later when you’re stuffed with turkey and potatoes. It’s also a good idea to have someone help with dishes. If there’s someone in the family who can’t cook but wants to be helpful, ask them to be in charge of keeping the sink empty throughout the day.
Remember to check the turkey’s internal temperature. A turkey is considered “done” when its internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Reheat and Make Gravy While the Turkey Rests
While the turkey rests for 30 minutes, put anything that needs to be reheated in the oven or your preferred reheating method. Use the turkey drippings and/or giblets to make your gravy.
Enjoy the Feast!
We hope that after all that work, you can enjoy a delicious meal with your friends and family (then kick your feet up and recruit someone else to pack up the leftovers and wash the dinner dishes!) Oh, and don’t forget the pie!
We hope you’ve enjoyed and found these guides helpful. If you need to reference any of the previous guides, they can be found on our website’s blog.
