Thanksgiving Planning Timeline

[lizzywednesday]

(Mods: I'll totally understand if this needs to move over to What's Cooking? - and I apologize for the extra work - but I posted in the Lounge for traffic.)

After getting irritated with DH not giving me a straight answer about what we should plan on cooking for Thanksgiving as he was still holding out hope that we'd be able to spend time with his parents (outdoors), I asked DD what she wanted to eat.

This is her list:

• Roast Turkey (it's been almost 20 years since I roasted a turkey on my own, but I can do it; would prefer fresh bird to frozen due to space constraints - I don't think I have enough fridge room)
• Stuffing/Dressing (we do not stuff the bird; it's nothing special, just a bag or two of seasoned bread cubes prepared per pkg instructions)
• AB Macaroni & Cheese
• Steamed Green Peas
• Steamed Green Beans
• Mashed Potatoes (I use waxy potatoes, like red, white, or Yukon Gold, peeled, cubed, boiled 'til tender, mash by hand with masher tool & Irish butter; also add small amount of warmed cream or half-and-half in which I've steeped 1 smashed garlic clove; add salt & pepper to taste; snip in fresh chives if desired)
• "Potato Pockets" (scrub Russet or Idaho potatoes to remove dirt & grit; heat oven to 400F; on 1 rectangle of heavy duty foil per potato, brush neutral oil; slice potatoes into ~quarter-inch to half-inch rounds; arrange potato slices on foil; sprinkle with salt & top with 1/2 Tbsp butter, cubed; can add different seasonings, crumbled bacon, sliced onion, etc., if desired; pull long ends of foil together & fold down to seal, then roll short ends in; place foil packets directly in oven OR on foil-lined baking sheet for ~30-45 minutes)
• Chocolate Pudding Pie (make instant chocolate pudding according to package instructions; when set, fold in ~1/2 cup thawed Cool Whip to lighten texture; scoop into graham cracker pie crust; leave in fridge 'til dessert & serve with more Cool Whip if desired)

DH has also requested sweet potato casserole; I used this recipe last year and it is really good: https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/bou...-bacon-pecans/

So, while I've contributed to past Thanksgiving feasts at his parents' or his brother's, I've never actually done the whole thing myself.
I can make the pudding pie, macaroni, and the sweet potato casserole a day ahead (everything except baking; for the macaroni, I wait to top it at the last minute.)
I plan to use the microwave for the peas.
I plan to use the stovetop for the mashed potatoes and the green beans.
I have a toaster oven that I can use for the macaroni, but will have to put the dressing and the sweet potato casserole in the oven with the turkey. I don't plan on having a large bird (ideally we are looking at no bigger than 14lbs) but a lot of that will depend on demand.

What does my timeline look like on Thanksgiving morning?

[georgiegirl]

That’s a lot of food for just your family. I’d get rid of one of the regular potato dishes. Plus who cares what else your DH wants? Just cook the sweet potato dish he wants and be done with it. And you need to decide what YOU want to eat. You don’t need to cater to everyone else. Each of my kids gets to pick 2 items that are their “must haves,” and that includes things like turkey. I decided not to get overly stressed this year...we have more than enough to worry about.

For your timeline, you need to do it backwards from when you want to eat. Then make a list of what is oven, what is stovetop, and what can be made ahead. Prep any over stuff the day before or the morning of. Prep stovetop stuff early as well so that you just have to cook it. Remember turkey needs to rest about 30 min before carving, so that’s time to do quick stovetop stuff


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[SnuggleBuggles]

I'm picking my fresh turkey up on Tuesday night from Whole Foods and it'll go in the fridge (brine started on Wednesday). I cheated and bought some gravy too from WF. Rest of menu and plan:
-Mashed potatoes; in previous years I have peeled and cubed them the day before and left them in salt water but I was more of a novice then- I can handle the potatoes day of. Always yukon golds and just with 1/2 and 1/2 and butter.
-cranberry sauce- made by dh anytime now
-stuffing- I'll get the bread Tuesday night, cube it up and let dry out starting Wed.. I'll chop the onions and celery maybe ahead of time.
That completes our must-have list.

I have a full list of stove, oven, last minute, able to cook ahead...

[mom2binsd]

I guess one questions is, what time are you eating? Personally, I don't understand eating at 1pm, it's way to early, but I'm not American so maybe that's why. If you can push back eating till later in the afternoon, just start by 11am, so you can relax and not be pressed for time. I have cooked many a turkey dinner, and a small turkey is only going to take 3 hours. And yes, the turkey can sit at least 30 min until carving, so time to make gravy, put stuff in the over to bake. Also, that's a lot of sides for 3 people, maybe remove one of the peas/green beans and one type of potatoes. Stuffing and mashed potatoes can be made a day head or while turkey is cooking (I like to save the water from boiling the potatoes to add to my gravy, which I make from scratch).


I also agree, a fresh turkey is much easier, no need to store it for days and thaw. Just call somewhere and reserve one now.

If you are doing this all on your own, do it on your timeline and make whatever YOU want!

[candaceb]

I would cut it to one of the veg options and one of the potato options and make those to go with leftover turkey a couple of days later. For your own sanity and just for the sake of having too much food.

[hillview]

I'd brine the turkey a couple of days in advanced. I'd pull the turkey out of the fridge in the morning and start cooking at 10 or so and dinner would be ready when it was ready between 1-3 IMO. If you are baking pies I'd do that the day before.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Mom2binsd- we eat at 5-6. No one here wants to wake up early to cook!


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[lizzywednesday]

I would cut it to one of the veg options and one of the potato options and make those to go with leftover turkey a couple of days later. For your own sanity and just for the sake of having too much food.

The potatoes are easy, actually - I'm only making one packet for DD, because DH and I prefer mashed - and can peel/cut/slice everything at the same time.

The green beans I can prep a day out, too; the peas are steam-in-bag.

We'll be eating leftovers for days, but that's OK - turkey pot pie can repurpose the peas, and use up any leftover celery, for example; leftover mashed potatoes mixed with beaten egg & panko make a good breakfast; etc.

[lizzywednesday]

I guess one questions is, what time are you eating? Personally, I don't understand eating at 1pm, it's way to early, but I'm not American so maybe that's why....

Nah, I think most Americans plan to get huge turkeys and they eat at 1pm because they're demented. My Nana, G-d rest her soul, used to start cooking the turkey at 5am and it would be drier than the Gobi at dinnertime, which was like 2pm. I spent most of my life convinced that I hated turkey; nope. Nana was just so petrified of raw poultry (undiagnosed anxiety) and food poisoning (with good reason - she grew up poor and had seen Some Sh!t in the neighborhood) that the idea that you didn't have to over-cook a turkey was completely foreign to her.

In fact, the year I made the turkey (2002), I brined it and roasted it according to Alton Brown's method in "Romancing the Bird" and the fact that it roasted for less time than everyone was used to scared my father, who bought another turkey just in case the one I made wasn't any good. (Insert eyeroll here.)

I think the earliest we'd eat would be 3pm, as this is between the early NFL game and the 4:30pm game, but I'd prefer dinner ~6pm (and the stupid 4:30pm football game should be close to finished by then.)

[lizzywednesday]

... And you need to decide what YOU want to eat. ...

I hate turkey and threatened to make scrambled eggs & toast.

Honestly, I need all those sides so I can avoid the turkey.