Thanksgiving 101

You need two things: a menu and a plan. It doesn’t have to be stressful or perfect and your house doesn’t have to be big or spotless. And keep your expectations low. Thanksgiving is an event, and once an event starts, you lose all control and it takes on a life of its own. And that is okay. We have a crowd on Thanksgiving and I live in a regular ranch style home and on Thanksgiving day it will be filled with people I love and that makes me happy. This year they will be eating out of paper plates, the good ones of course, and finding a seat wherever they can. The important part is you are spending it with those you love and care about whether that be family or friends or both. I do have some fancy dinner parties with china and name places, but Thanksgiving isn’t one of those events.

Guests: Know who is coming. And know if anyone has any issues such as a shellfish allergy, gluten sensitivity or special dietary needs. You don’t have to make an entire gluten free meal but just make sure you have one or two things they can enjoy safely.  Also, guests may ask “What can I bring?”. Don’t be a martyr, you don’t get an award for making everything yourself. Tell them to bring something you know they do well. From experience- don’t ask them to bring something important, like the turkey or dressing. Because if they forget, or if they get sick at the last minute, that would be an issue.

Drinks: Being from the south, and in the heart of the Bible belt, I grew up on sweet tea and alcohol was not a part of any family dinner and especially Thanksgiving. And it is your decision to have alcohol or not at your dinners.  I always like to have a bottle of red wine and a bottle of white wine open on the bar for guests to help themselves. Some years the bottles are barely touched and some years we open lots of bottles. We just play it by ear and make sure we are well stocked. There are good expensive brands and there are good inexpensive brands, what you serve is up to you.

Appetizers: I always set something out, even if it is small. Just cheese and crackers (Brie with Fig Jam would be great) and/or raw veggies. I promise you, some of your people have not eaten all day. And if dinner is delayed, for whatever reason, you won’t have hungry, grumpy people on your hands.

Your oven:  It is important to know your oven. If you have a newer oven or a gas oven, it may have a cooling fan incorporated. This is important to know if you are doing a recipe that calls for “Bird at 500 degrees, then turn the oven off and let it continue to cook for 5 hours”. I tried this a few years ago, found out my oven had a cooling fan- on Thanksgiving Day, so that method did not work and by the time I figured out what had happened- thanks to Google- our dinner was delayed and I was in an absolute panic. You also need to plan your menu and cooking time based on the availability of space and time in your oven. Think of side dishes to prepare that do not require use of the oven.

Must haves: Meat thermometer, a turkey roaster is always handy, tea pitchers, wine chillers.

The turkey- fresh or frozen: Of course fresh is better and saves you thawing time, but fresh is not always available and there are some fabulous deals on frozen turkeys. If you are going the frozen route, incorporate your thawing time into your plan. And if you have a frozen turkey in the bottom of freezer from 2019, for goodness sakes, throw it away.

The turkey- brine, no brine, dry brine: I have done all these methods and there is no right answer, it is just about what you like. The dry brine creates an extra crispy skin. The brine creates an extra juicy turkey, no brine is just fine as long as you salt it really well. And no brine is the default method if you have no plan and are flying by the seat of your pants and short on time.

The turkey- whole or spatchcock: Whole is traditional and makes for a wonderful instagramable (is that a word?) picture. Usually, a 10-12lb whole bird will cook at 350 degrees for 2-2 ½ hours. Spatchcocking is removing the backbone from the bird, cracking the breast bone and cooking the turkey flat. This method is best done with a 12lb or less turkey. It is the quickest cooking method and works well if time is an issue. I do this method often with chicken. No matter which method you use, you have to let the bird rest after cooking. This lets all the juices redistribute and makes for the best turkey. Loosely cover the bird with foil and let it rest for 15 minutes and up to 2 hours. The longer it rests, the better it will be. No, it will not be cold. Yes, it will be juicy!

Stuffing or Dressing: Stuffing is “stuffed” and cooked in and around the bird. Dressing is in a pan, totally separate from the bird. I prefer dressing just because cook times can vary and I have a wonderful dressing recipe that works well. You can also make dressing in a crock pot, and Savannah Classics has a pretty darn good frozen dressing in a pinch. I also prefer cornbread dressing, just because that is what my grandmothers made and to me, cornbread dressing is more important than the turkey. You can also make your dressing days or weeks ahead and freeze in preparation for the big day. Just build it into your plan. Dressing needs sage. Too much sage can be overpowering. Careful with the sage. You can make your own chicken stock or purchase it at the store. Just make sure you have extra on hand for gravy and he dressing.

Make Ahead: There are so many things that can be made ahead of the big day- dressing, gravy (Ina Garten has a great make ahead gravy recipe), side dishes, bread, cakes, pies, etc. Make ahead dishes will make your day more enjoyable. And it is perfectly okay to purchase some items, not everything has to be homemade.

The MENU: The first three items are the must haves for our dinner. The rest is fluff and can be adjusted or changed.

The Plan:  I have referred to THE PLAN many times in this blog and it is really is the one thing that will help you keep your sanity in check and make for a wonderful Thanksgiving Day for you and your family. I have a Thanksgiving Day plan and a weekly plan. Here is a look at my weekly plan:

SATURDAY: Grocery shopping, wine shopping

SUNDAY: Thaw the bird. Make chicken stock.

MONDAY: Make the cornbread for the dressing. Make the brine.

TUESDAY: Brine the bird. Make the cranberry sauce.

WEDNESDAY: Let the bird set uncovered in the fridge overnight to dry out the skin. Make the cheesy mashed potatoes. Make the desserts. Cut the butternut squash. Run and empty the dishwasher.

THURSDAY: I have an entire daily plan by the hour for this day. It is where the magic happens!

BEFORE GUESTS ARRIVE: I set all the serving dishes on the buffet/island and have a note in each one as to what goes where. This way when guests arrive, they can help place things where they go, if needed. I also make certain the dishwasher is empty.

There is one rule- have fun and enjoy yourself. No one likes an uptight, stressed out hostess. Have a glass or two of wine, you deserve it.