Help! Thanksgiving is at my house and I need ideas for turkey and dressing....

[kathsmom]

Hi,everyone!

My FIL and possibly 2 of our nephews are coming for Thanksgiving. Last year it was just DH, myself, DD, and DS. The year before that I had Thanksgiving here, but I was sick so I ordered the entire meal from the grocery store.

I don't know a thing about cooking a turkey and I have no clue about dressing. My mom makes fabulous dressing, but she doesn't use a recipe, so I don't know the amounts of the ingredients! I have 1 oven to cook everything in, so I need help on how to time stuff so that it comes out at the same time.

I am planning on turkey, dressing, homemade mashed potatoes and gravy, homemade mac and cheese, green beans, Mrs. Smith's dutch crumb apple pie, Sister Schubert's parker house rolls, and cranberry sauce.
I have made the other stuff before with good results. It's just the turkey and dressing I need help with.

So, bring on your turkey seasoning and roasting ideas, as well as recipes for dressing! TIA!

My other alternative is to take them all to a restaurant! :)

[alkagift]

Toni,
I'll email you an easy dressing recipe from my aunt in Richmond.

Love the Sister Schubert's by the way!


Allison
Mom to Matthew Clayton, 5/19/03

[kathsmom]

Allison,

Thank you so much! I really appreciate it. And I am all about things being easy, especially since Andrew always loves to be in the kitchen with me while I cook!

Take care and thanks again!

[pritchettzoo]

My mom does the turkey the day before and has it sliced and on the platter in the fridge. She sets it out to take the chill off and has warm gravy. That saves time on the "big day."

Last year, we rotisseried (sp?) a turkey breast in the Ron Popiel oven. It was the best ever! I brined it following Alton Brown's recipe (http://www.foodtv.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_8389,00.html) and then followed the time directions from the oven (and checked the temp with a meat thermometer to make sure I didn't kill anyone). I'm sure if you cooked it following the recipe it would be delicious too. It was the moistest and most flavorful turkey we've ever eaten.

Anna
Mama to Gracie (9/16/03)

[Tondi G]

My mom always buys a kosher turkey.... she is under the impression it is more juicy... maybe the way they salt it etc... who knows! Her turkey is always darn good though! She usually just puts garlic powder and lawry's seasoned salt on it for seasoning! Sometimes she will slip some butter under the skin! After about an hour or so it will begin making juices... she bastes the bird often! If you begin to find it is getting to brown on top you can always just put some loose foil over the top! she follows the cooking times based on the weight of the bird in her joy of cooking cookbook!

for stuffing she buys the Mrs. Cubbisons Dressing in the box at the supermarket..... follow the directions on the package.... I think it calls for one or 2 carrots and a few sticks of celery and a whole onion chopped fine in the food processor and browned in butter (A LOT of butter).... she does this the night before and just refridgerates it... then just pops it in the microwave to soften it and pours it over the top and mixes with her hands.... if it needs more moisture she will add some canned chicken broth! We buy these stuffing bags... made of cheese cloth... makes it really easy to stuff the bird and removes easily.... the stuffing is moist and SO YUMMY!!!! if you can't find them then just use cheese cloth... you can sew your own bag up really easily! Also buy one of those turkey lacer kits... with the pins and sew that bird up!

Mom also always makes fresh cranberry sauce.... follow the directions on the cranberry package... basically sugar, water and the cranberries.... boil until they pop!

GOOD LUCK and ENJOY!!! You can do it!

~Tondi

[peanut4us]

I don't know your preference. But I discovered that pretty much no one in my immediate family or extended cares for dark meat... so when it's my turn, I just buy a nice turkey breast... usually pre-marinaded. Then I start with Stouffer's stuffing and add goodies to it until it looks/tastes right. I cheat. And everyone always says yum anyway. Good luck.

[egoldber]

Oh, I dearly love cooking Thanksgiving dinner! There's just enough challenge and logistics to it that it appeals to the compulsive planner in me! LOL!!!!

Take a look here:
http://eat.epicurious.com/holiday/thanksgiving/?/holiday/thanksgiving/main.html There are lots of recipes and planning tools.

The key to having a sane Thanksgiving is to make everything that you possibly can ahead of time. Pretty much everything can be made ahead of time except for the turkey, stuffing/dressing and gravy. If you decide to skip gravy, your life will be MUCH simpler. I don't think there's any way to avoid that last minute scramble if you are making gravy.

Someone mentioned cooking just a turkey breast. That is MUCH easier and has the added value of probably giving you more room in the oven to cook two dishes at once. That would never fly in my family though.

The keys to getting a moist turkey are to buy fresh and not get one that is too large. A 12 to 16 pound turkey is ample. I have also become convinced over time of the value of marinating the turkey overnight in a brine solution. I use a very large canning stock pot which works well with a 12-16 pound turkey. But you can also use a cooler. It makes a very moist turkey with very little effort. I then make an herb/butter rub which I rub on the turkey. If you feel ambitious, you can also put it under the skin of the turkey. When I roast a turkey, I turn the heat up to 450 and then when I actually put the turkey in the oven, I turn it down to its roasting temperature, usually 325.

I also think its easier to cook dressing (on the side) rather than stuffing (in the bird). I've made this one before http://www.epicurious.com/run/recipe/view?id=107288 and it is scrummy.

HTH,

[kathsmom]

Thank you everyone! It all sounds just delicious! I think I will just bring my family to eat Thanksgiving dinner at your homes!

DD and I prefer white meat, but I don't think anyone else will care. I am concerned about the room I have in my oven. It is a wall oven that is small - I don't even think they make the size anymore. It is original to the house and my house just celebrated it's 30th birthday this year!

Also, I have a totally stupid question - do I need to get a roasting pan with a rack? If so, where can I find one that doesn't cost an arm and a leg? I would probably be willing to spend up to $40-$50 for it, since I could reuse it for other things as well.

Thanks everyone! I do appreciate your help in this. Now I just have to find time to clean the house so that everyone can sit at the dining table to actually eat a meal!LOL!

[egoldber]

I have an inexpensive roasting pan that I got from Bed Bath & Beyond. It was around $30. While a rack isn't strictly necessary, it does it make it much easier to get the turkey out at the end.

HTH,

[sugarsnappea]

For a really juicy bird either buy a Kosher bird or brine the turkey. The salt denatures the proteins in the meat which results in a more juicy and flavorful bird. If you are interested in the science of it http://www.taunton.com/finecooking/pages/c00169.asp. I always brine my poultry and my shrimp too!
It is possible to make ahead a delicious gravy but it is also a little time consuming. I buy Turkey necks and wings, roast them in a pan with carrots, garlic, onions (skins on), and celery. After they are nice and brown I roll a stock. I let the stock barely simmer for the better part of the day 4-6 hours. I strain the stock and either reduce it more or thicken with a roux. A roux is an equal part mix of flour and butter that is cooked over a low heat for 5 minutes. Once you add your roux to the stock it must cokk for at least 30 minutes. Make sure you mix it in with a risk to prevent "roux balls". After this you can cool your gravy, adjust seasonings and refrigerate. On Thanksgiving heat the gravy up slowly and right before dinner pour the extra Turkey juices in. MMMMmmmmmmmmm. I hope this is understandable, I have a toddler spinning my chair as i type! LOL! :)

[sweetbasil]

I got a great turkey breast just the other day at Sam's Club...it even comes with a maple glaze mix, if that appeals to you- and was really inexpensive.

[stillplayswithbarbies]

we always buy an aluminum roasting pan that they sell in the grocery stores this time of year. It's cheap and disposable so there is no clean up, just toss it out.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03

[Rachels]

Yay for epicurious! My favorite turkey and stuffing come from there, and both are easy to do. The gravy is also a cinch. Here are the links:

Roast Turkey with Apricot Glaze and Onion-Shallot Gravy:
http://tinyurl.com/uknz

New England Sausage, Apple, and Dried Cranberry Stuffing:
http://tinyurl.com/ukoe

Have fun! I made these the first time I hosted Thanksgiving dinner, and got rave reviews. The turkey is really outstanding.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[kathsmom]

Thank you for adding more suggestions! I need all help I can get!

Where would I find a kosher turkey? Can I get one at the regular grocery store? Or do I need to go to a specialty store or butcher? Yes, you can tell I don't do this kind of stuff too often!:)

I am going to check out the turkey at Sam's and the roasting pans at Bed Bath and Beyond, as well as the aluminum pans at the grocery store. All the recipe links sound just awesome. Now all I have to do is decide which one to make! Decisions, decisions!

Thanks again for all of your help everyone! I really appreciate it. Take care!

[sugarsnappea]

Edited to add another thing...

FYI- I went to BB and Beyond yesterday and they had the $30 roaster Beth mentioned w/ a $10 mail-in rebate. Also, in last weekends paper there was a $5 off $15 purchase. HTH! :)

I buy mine from the Kosher butcher but you may not have one in your area. Look for a brand called Empire, they sell poultry in most national grocery stores. Another option is a free-range, organic turkey. :)

[dogmom]

About roasting pans. Cooks Illustrated tested them and said although there were some nice expensive pans, it didn't make a difference in the final product. Just go for a basic pan. You should make sure you get a good "V" rack to hold the Turkey so it can circulate well. Adjustables are nice, but I can never find them anymore.

I ordered my Turkey from a local farm stand/grocery store that gets them from a local Turkey farm. I know that Whole Foods sell fresh ones for the holidays, but you should order them ahead. Just look under Meat-Retail or even Poultry in your Yellow Pages and you should find a good butcher.

Jeanne
Mom to Harvey
1/16/03