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Whether you want to introduce new traditions or perfect old ones, make this Thanksgiving the happiest one yet
Sang An
How to Get It All Done: A Thanksgiving Timeline
Spend more time planning and you’ll spend less time panicking, says New Jersey native Judith Bluysen, co-owner of Thanksgiving, an American grocery store, restaurant, and catering business in Paris. Each fall Bluysen and her team of five prepare more than 150 take-out turkeys and turkey dinners. She sticks to a schedule. Here’s how you can, too.
3 Weeks Before
Decide which recipes you want to make, keeping in mind that there’s only so much one person — and one kitchen — can do. If you really do need 10 side dishes, look for recipes that use the same oven temperature, so they can cook at the same time, says Bluysen.
After you narrow down your menu, reread the recipes that remain. Most can be broken into steps that you can do ahead of time. Then make a list of what you want to get done on each of the days leading up to Thanksgiving, says Bluysen. “I really think if you go through it enough times, you will be more relaxed,” she says.
2 Weeks Before
Figure out what size turkey you need (see What You Need to Know Before You Roast a Turkey). Bluysen likes a fresh turkey, which can be picked up close to the holiday (call your supermarket to reserve one), relieving your refrigerator of the days required to defrost a bulky frozen bird.
The Weekend Before
Make a detailed shopping list and check it — twice. But don’t expect to get all your shopping done in one trip. Instead, divide your list into two parts: items you’ll need in advance and items you’ll need the final day or two before the meal. Planning a second trip not only keeps your refrigerator from groaning but also relieves you of having to remember every last stick of butter the first time around. When you go to the store, grab a few bottles of something to serve with the meal (see Thanksgiving Beverage Suggestions).
Tuesday
Make everything that will be served chilled, like cranberry sauce. Cover the dishes, place them in the refrigerator, and forget about them until serving time.
Wednesday
- Take inventory before making a second trip to the store (cream? foil?). And don’t forget to pick up the turkey.
- Chop the onions and the celery, wash the herbs, and trim the rest of the vegetables. Pat them dry, cover, and refrigerate.
- Assemble the stuffing, transfer to a baking dish, and refrigerate.
- Prepare the dessert (or assemble as much of it as you can) and refrigerate or bake it.
- Get a head start on side dishes that can be made completely or partly in advance.
Thanksgiving Day
If, like most people, you think of one last thing you need from the store on Thanksgiving morning, call a trusted guest and ask if he or she could do you a favor. All you’ll have left, says Bluysen, is the final assembly.
While the Turkey Roasts...
While the Turkey Rests...
- Make the gravy (see Make Foolproof Gravy).
- Assemble any last-minute sides and rewarm the ones you made the day before.
During Dinner...
- Rewarm the dessert in the oven.
What You Need to Know Before Roasting a Turkey
Believe it or not, basic algebra will get you a moist, beautifully burnished bird. All it takes is a simple equation. Start by identifying the most important variable — the number of guests. This will determine the size of the turkey you’ll need. Use this information to estimate the thawing and roasting times (plus or minus 10 minutes). Hate math? Don’t worry — Real Simple has done the calculations for you.
Number of Diners: 8
Turkey Size (including leftovers): 10 to 12 pounds.
Thawing Time (for a frozen turkey): Refrigerator, 2 to 2 1/2 days; cool water (changed every half hour), 5 to 6 hours.
Roasting Time (unstuffed): Roast at 425° F for 45 minutes. Cover with foil, reduce temperature to 350° F, and continue to roast until a thigh registers 180° F, about 2 hours total .
Number of Diners: 12
Turkey Size (including leftovers): 16 to 18 pounds.
Thawing Time (for a frozen turkey): Refrigerator, 3 1/2 to 4 days; cool water (changed every half hour), 8 to 9 hours.
Roasting Time (unstuffed): Roast at 425° F for 45 minutes. Cover with foil, reduce temperature to 350° F, and continue to roast until a thigh registers 180° F, 2 1/2 to 3 hours total.
Number of Diners: 16
Turkey Size (including leftovers): 20 to 22 pounds.
Thawing Time (for a frozen turkey): Refrigerator, 4 to 4 1/2 days; cool water (changed every half hour), 9 to 11 hours.
Roasting Time (unstuffed): Roast at 425° F for 45 minutes. Cover with foil, reduce temperature to 350° F, and continue to roast until a thigh registers 180° F, 3 to 3 1/2 hours total.
Number of Diners: 20
Turkey Size (including leftovers): 24 to 26 pounds.
Thawing Time (for a frozen turkey): Refrigerator, 5 to 5 1/2 days; cool water (changed every half hour), 11 to 13 hours.
Roasting Time (unstuffed): Roast at 425° F for 45 minutes. Cover with foil, reduce temperature to 350° F, and continue to roast until a thigh registers 180° F, 4 to 4 1/2 hours total.
Talking Turkey
Call either of these hotlines to speak with an expert turkey roaster, pie baker, or side-dish maker. Hours listed are for Thanksgiving Day.
- Butterball Turkey Talk-Line: 800-288-8372, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. eastern standard time; www.butterball.com.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry Hotline: 888-674-6854, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. eastern standard time; www.fsis.usda.gov.
Tip
Roast two small turkeys side by side rather than one extra-large bird. They’ll be done in almost half the time.
Make Foolproof Gravy
If you want glistening, flavorful gravy that tastes just like Mom used to make (or even better), try the classic recipe (shown, top). If your time and energy are waning, opt for the quick rendition (shown, bottom). No lumps either way.
Recipes
If Your Gravy Is Too Thin
Whisk 2 teaspoons cornstarch into 2 teaspoons cold water, or combine 1 tablespoon room-temperature butter with 1 tablespoon flour to form a paste. Whisk into 4 to 5 cups of barely simmering gravy and cook, stirring constantly, until the gravy thickens.
If Your Gravy Is Too Thick
Add more of the reserved pan juices or warmed turkey or chicken broth, 1 tablespoon at a time. Or try a splash of a flavorful fortified wine, such as Madeira or sherry.
If Your Gravy Is Too Pale
Try a few shakes of soy sauce, keeping in mind that paleness is only a cosmetic concern, unrelated to flavor.
Add a New Twist to Your Thanksgiving Menu
Borrow a dish from someone else's menu. These six regional favorites may be news to you, but they're all-American through and through.
Recipes
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Vegetarian Thanksgiving Dishes
To offer non-meat eaters something more than mashed potatoes, try a multitasking recipe that works as both a tasty side and a satisfying entree.
Recipes
Thanksgiving Beverage Suggestions
Conventional wine wisdom states that red should be served with red meat and white with white meat. But, really, what’s most important is that you’re pleased with what’s in your glass and on your plate. Thankfully, on this all-inclusive holiday, there’s room for everything. Open a bottle of red, white, or rosé wine, beer, or even hard cider. Or if specific recommendations put you more at ease, consult the list below for new ideas. And remember: With bottles, as with the people gathered around the table, the more the merrier.
Beer
- Belgian: Saison Dupont, $11 for a 25-ounce bottle. Hearty, malty.
- Pumpkin: Dogfish Head Punkin Ale, $10 for four bottles. Pumpkin, spice.
Red Wine
- Sparkling Shiraz:Rumball Sparkling Shiraz, $28. Effervescent, bold.
- Pinot Noir: Twin Fin Pinot Noir, $10. Light, fruity.
White Wine
- RieslingDr. Loosen L Riesling, $12. Fruity, slightly sweet.
- Pinot Noir: Twin Fin Pinot Noir, $10. Light, fruity.
Hard Cider
- StillFarnum Hill Extra- or Semi-Dry Still Cider, $9 to $15. Crisp, sophisticated.
- Sparkling: Woodchuck Amber, $7.50 for six bottles. Sweet, sparkling.
Tip
For each guest, plan on half a 750-milliliter bottle of wine or two 12-ounce bottles of beer. Then buy an extra bottle or two, just to be safe. (If a few bottles go unopened, you’ll be prepared for some impromptu revelry.)
Thanksgiving Dessert Ideas
Four easy alternatives to pumpkin pie that all seem to say the same thing: Delicious!
Recipes
Transportation Tips for Potluck Dishes
You’ve no doubt balanced a hot casserole precariously on your lap or fervently hoped the pie perched on the backseat doesn’t do a backflip. But there’s a better way to carry precious cargo. The tried-and-true suggestions below take only five minutes to complete and require packing materials that you can easily find as you rush from kitchen to car. But most important, they guarantee the casserole will wind up on a plate and not your pants.
Type of Food: Hot Casserole
Tips to Transport:: Reach for a cardboard box and some bath or beach towels, advises Molly Stevens, coeditor of The 150 Best American Recipes (Houghton Mifflin, $30, On sale from Amazon). Place the casserole in the box and pack rolled or folded towels around the dish, including a couple of layers underneath and on top to keep things from sliding and spilling. “The towels help keep the food warm,” says Stevens. “And if any juices do slosh, the towels soak them up.
Type of Food: Bite-size foods.
Tips to Transport:: Start by placing a kitchen towel on a baking sheet, says Susan Gage, founder of Susan Gage Catering, in Washington, D.C. Affix the towel to the sheet with tape (masking, packing, or duct will do), then arrange the individual items on the towel. Then wrap the entire baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap. To keep the sheet from sliding all over the trunk, Gage recommends placing it on a nonskid mat (the kind you would use to keep a rug in place).
Type of Food: Pie.
Tips to Transport:: If you’re dealing with a crumb crust, invert an empty pie plate on top of the pie, then wrap a large sheet of foil around the two plates to hold them together, suggests Gale Gand, executive pastry chef and partner at Cenitare and Tru restaurants, in Chicago. If you’re dealing with a fluted crust, place a piece of double-stick foam tape on a baking sheet, place the pie on top, invert a large bowl over it, then tape the bowl in place, says Gand.
Type of Food: Cold Dish
Tips to Transport:: “Newspapers are really good insulation around a small container you need to keep cold,” says Fran McCullough, coeditor of The 150 Best American Recipes. Place the sealed item in an insulated bag, a wooden basket, or a cardboard box, and surround it with crumpled comics (slip in some frozen ice packs, if you have them, for good measure). When you get to your destination, toss the soggy Sunday paper onto the recycling pile.
Potluck Politics
Just because you arrived with your designated dish intact doesn’t mean your job is done. To ensure you don’t add to your host’s last-minute scrambling or stress level, mind the following potluck p’s and q’s.
- Ask how many people your dish needs to feed.
- Arrive with your food at the temperature it should be served. Chances are the oven will be spoken for, so travel only with hot items that also taste good lukewarm.
- Bring your recipe in a proper serving dish. If that’s impractical, call the host a day or two in advance and ask if she has a bowl of the right size. If not, bring one with your name and phone number taped to the bottom.