Solution: To keep organized, create what caterers call a prep list, which lays out, in order, all the tasks that need to be done in the two days prior to your Thanksgiving dinner.
- First, figure out which recipes can be made at least one day in advance. Things like pies, blanched vegetables, and gratins can all be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated. Find make-ahead Thanksgiving recipes.
- Second, identify which of the dishes to be made on Thanksgiving Day will take the longest. Work backward from the time you want to eat, allowing 10 extra minutes per recipe.
- Third, look at cooking temperatures and see what can go in the oven at the same time. Use multiple timers to keep track of what’s in the oven and on the stovetop. Put a Post-it note on each timer so you won’t forget which dish it’s for.
Browse Real Simple’s Thanksgiving recipes.
Solution: Cook a small bird and an extra white-meat–only turkey breast. You can present the whole bird to your guests before carving, then add the additional sliced breast meat to the serving platter. “No one will know the difference,” say Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh, authors ofTalk With Your Mouth Full: The Hearty Boys Cookbook ($28,amazon.com). Smith suggests cooking the breast until it’s just underdone (about 12 minutes per pound, or 36 minutes for a three-pound breast) the day before, then finishing it with about 25 minutes in the oven the day of.
Problem: You take the turkey out as soon as the button pops, but the bird is always overcooked.
Solution: “Throw away the pop-up timer that comes with the turkey,” says Clair. These timers typically go off somewhere between 190° and 200° F, producing meat that is beyond done. (Keep in mind that the turkey will continue to cook after it is removed from the oven.)
The best way to determine if a bird is cooked is by inserting an instant-read meat thermometer into a thigh; remove the turkey when the thermometer reaches 165° F. (Do not let the thermometer touch bone or you’ll get a falsely high reading.) Since white meat cooks faster than dark meat, you may need to cover the breast loosely with foil if it darkens too quickly. Watch this video on taking a turkey’s temperature for the how-to.
If, despite all these efforts, you still end up with a dry and overdone turkey, place the sliced meat on a platter, drizzle it generously with warm chicken broth or gravy, and serve. If you have the opposite problem and are faced with a serious raw-meat crisis, Smith recommends zapping the underdone meat in the microwave on medium for one to two minutes (or longer if necessary).
Problem: The turkey took forever to cook, and now all the side dishes are cold.
Solution: Try using some of the following items to keep food hot:
- A microwave oven is insulated and will keep a hot pot warm for half an hour, says Clair. (Just don’t turn the machine on.)
- A cooler, which will also retain heat, can hold covered pots and stacked foil dishes.
- An insulated ice bucket or a Crock-Pot can keep rice or mashed potatoes warm. (You can set a Crock-Pot to low for longer periods.)
- A thermos will guarantee that the gravy stays piping hot.
- A heating pad inside a soft-sided insulated food carrier is a good way to keep a casserole steamy.
- A barbecue gas grill can double as a warming oven. Put it on low heat, place a pot or two inside, and close the lid.