- Mistakes to avoid when cooking holiday dinner
- Sweet and sour turkey, chicken or pork flavorful marinade.
- Apple and prunes mustard stuffing for turkey chicken or duck.
- 12 Cookies of Christmas: Sugar cookies
- Homemade Sauerkraut with cranberries! Easy in 1-2-3!
- Top 5 holiday vegan dishes. Pick yours!
- Aspic or meat jelly – famous Slavic Dish!
- Crepes with chicken, mushrooms and melted cheese
- Roasted eggplant slices with mayo-herb sauce
It’s almost turkey time and his means that a lot of newbies will attempt to cook a Thanksgiving dinner for the first time. I, myself, will be cooking a pumpkin cheesecake, the cake that I have never attempted to approach before. SO when
cooking a Thanksgiving dinner, especially when cooking it for the first time, PLAN EVERYTHING AHEAD!
Tip #1. Write down all the necessary ingredients and plan where you will buy everything.
TURKEY:
Tip #2. When buying a turkey keep in mind “how long will it take to thaw it?” Remember, that normally, you won’t be able to thaw a turkey in 24h. You need at least 24h per 5lb. of turkey. So if you have a 12 lb turkey it may take up to 48h to thaw it in a refrigerator. It’s not recommended to thaw a turekey ourside of the fridge.
Tip #3. If you plant to marinade the turkey, give it up to 24 h for marinating! Don’t forget to turn your bird , so that it would be marinated from both sides!
Tip #4. NEVER! Stuff the turkey a night before cooking, this may cause food poisoning!
Tip #5. Cook your turkey at 350F, calculate the time according to the chart given below:
|
Weight Total |
Roasting Time |
| 8-12 pounds | 2 to 3.5 hours |
| 12-16 pounds | 3 to 4 hours |
| 16-20 pounds | 4 to 5 hours |
| 20-25 pounds | 5 to 6 hours |
| 25-30 pounds | 6+ hours |
Tip #6. It is suggested to roast the turkey for the first hour on its breast. This will ensure the even distribution of color of roast.
Tip #7. Check the temperature of the turkey in thickest part of the leg and breast. Use a meat thermometer for best results. When done, all parts of the turkey should be 165°F. (It is sold at Wal-mart , Target and doesn’t cost a lot of money)
Tip #8. Let your turkey rest for 30 minutes before carving, thus the juices will be evenly distributed in your bird and the carving will be easier.
Side dishes:
Tip #9.Prepare the inexpensive food for the side dishes: like corn on the cob, green beans, carrots and bean,devilled
eggs, sauteed vegetables, stuffed mushrooms
Tip #10. Remember corn on the cob is in season now, but it tastes really delicious with mashed potatoes and other veggies, as well as with turkey. And mainly it doesn’t require a lot of efforts to cook, Just what you need!
Tip #11. Keep in mind that if you cook deviled eggs, they should be refrigerated at least 2-3 hours before serving. Find the simplest recipe here.
Tip #12 If you have a vegetarians in your family don’t forget to braise cabbage or vegetable variety for them. It takes 5 minutes to wash and chop the veggies.
Pies:
Tip # . Prepare the dough in advance. You can store it in the refrigerator overnight. It is safe and saves you tons of time.
Tip #10. Use fresh stuffing of pumpkin and apples this will make your pie unforgettable.
Tip #11. If you have only 15 minutes for the pie preparation use this apple pie recipe
and it will always be perfect.
Tip #12. When the pie is almost baked, Turn the heat off and let it sit in the oven fr additional 15 minutes. This the dough and the stuffing in your pie that rose will not fall.
Tip #13. To serve the pie warm put in in the oven 15-20 minutes before serving. (if it’s still warm after your turkey and pie adventures!)
Tip #14. If you wish to avoid dough this holiday, try and bake healthy apples with walnuts and honey recipe. You just need to core the apples and stuff them with walnuts mixed with nuts. The recipe is here.
Finally, cooking a Thanksgiving dinner for the whole family is challenging, but if you will plan everything in advance and split the responsibilities you will be done in no time and enjoy a great time with family!
HAVE A BLESSED HOLIDAY!
Helen
