Thanksgiving is the best time to be a cook --- everyone’s hungry, looking forward to one of the year’s favorite meals. Thanksgiving is a day to slow down our hectic lives, gather family and friends around us, give thanks for our blessings, share traditions, make some new ones, and enjoy a bounty of good food!
Channel 9, On Your Side, Jungle Jim’s and myself, Margie Potts, have come together to share ideas, tips, and recipes to make this a stress-free Thanksgiving Day. As a mother of seven, cooking instructor and lecturer, I truly appreciate the value of a timeline and list and the helpful hands of my family and friends.
Make a list right now if you have not already --- I have included a timeline below for you to review --- adjust this timeline list to your Thanksgiving dishes and time you’d like to serve dinner. With a list in front of you, you will not miss a dish and it is easier for others to help you.
Now that you know what dishes you will are making today and when they need to be prepared, it’s time to call in the troops!
Delegate! Everyone wants to be part of this holiday! Helpers can set the table – they can go on a scavenger hunt to find decorative pieces to add to the table whether it’s outdoors or in --- think pine cones, leaves, twigs, etc. or fruits and vegetables and nuts in the shell – make it fun! Young children can draw on paper to create place mats or runners – remember tracing your hand to make a turkey?! And older children can add notes of thanks.
Put someone in charge of filling the water glasses and uncorking the wine. Choose someone to keep the little ones entertained with a game or fun movie. Take volunteers to mash the potatoes, toss the salad, etc. – you get the idea.
Tight on oven space? Keep in mind that your turkey needs to rest out of the oven at least 30 minutes and up to an hour before carving. This helps redistribute the juices in the turkey so the turkey is moist and delicious. While the turkey is resting, the side dishes can be popped in the oven.
Thanksgiving Dinner doesn’t necessitate loading up family and guests with a lot of snacks or appetizers --- a platter of fresh vegetables or a selection of olives from Jungle Jim’s Olive Bar will be more than sufficient.
Several items to make the day go smoother: If you don’t have these, send a family member out to the store or borrow from a friend.
Meat thermometer --- don’t guess or rely on a pop-up or timing chart to tell you when your turkey is done. Using a meat thermometer will assure you that your turkey is cooked to perfection --- no worries there. The turkey is done when the thigh meat reaches an internal temperature of 175-180 degrees F, and when the breast meat reaches an internal temperature of 165-170 degrees F. If your turkey has been stuffed, it is important to check the temperature of the dress which should be 165 degrees.
Aluminum Wrap: You can use it to tent your turkey in the oven if the turkey is browning too quickly.
You can use it to top any dish that needs a cover, line a pan for easy clean-up, and to wrap left-over food.
You can make rolls of aluminum foil to fit in your roaster to lift your turkey off the bottom of the pan if you do not have a roasting rack for your turkey.
You can butter the foil and cover, butter side down, your stuffing. As the stuffing bakes, the covered foil will keep the stuffing moist and the warmed butter will drip onto the top of the dressing. Remove foil the last 10-15 minutes of cooking, and the top of the dressing will brown and crisp nicely.
Have a little Extra:Extra pot holders for all the hot pots and pans and extra helpers.
Extra broth, milk, butter, toasted nuts, whipped cream, and cranberry sauce for last minute fixes and garnishing.
You can add your own personal touches to last minute store-bought desserts and rolls with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon on top of a pumpkin pie, orange-cranberry sauce on top of a cheesecake, and a little butter topping the rolls you can wrap in foil and warm at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes to get that “right from the oven” effect. No sense sweating the small stuff.
Thanksgiving festivities do not have to end at the last bite:
Take time at the table after dinner to give everyone an opportunity to share what they are thankful for.
Plan an after meal activity, whether it be a game, a trip to see the latest blockbuster movie, a family bowling tournament, or even karaoke!
Preventing Thanksgiving Mishaps
Turkey is still frozen on Thanksgiving morning: Frozen turkeys need to thaw in the refrigerator about 5 hours for each pound. Do not place the turkey on the counter to defrost. Place the wrapped, frozen turkey in your kitchen sink and cover it with cold running water, draining and refilling the water every half hour. The turkey will thaw at the rate of about a half hour for each pound. If your turkey does not fit in your kitchen sink, use your utility tub or bathtub.
Turkey juices are burning on the bottom of the turkey pan: Make sure you have enough broth, water, or liquid in the bottom of the pan to prevent the turkey drippings from burning so that you can use them to make gravy. Also, add a handful of onion, celery and carrot pieces to the pan for enriched flavor.
The turkey is browning too fast: Roast the turkey until the skin is a light golden color and then cover loosely with a foil tent. During the last 45 minutes, remove the foil tent to brown the skin. Basting is not necessary, but will promote even browning --- my quick fix for that --- instead of basting to brown, I rub the turkey with soy sauce and olive oil to give it a fantastic evenly browned skin.
The turkey is done early or not done in time: This is family and friends gathering together to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal together. Give a time for all to be there – a range of an hour or two. If the turkey is done early, take it out to rest while you place all the side dishes in the oven and on the stove to cook. Time the side dishes to the turkey. That way if the turkey is taking longer, the side dishes do not go in until the turkey comes out and you just eat a little later --- no worries.
The gravy is lumpy: The flour may not have been fully dissolved in liquid before you added it to the pan drippings or the gravy may have cooked at too high of a temperature. Simply pour the gravy through a mesh strainer into a new pan and heat gently, stirring constantly or whisking, serving immediately. It doesn’t hurt to have a few jars of gravy handy in the pantry just in case you need them.
The mashed potatoes turn out sticky and glue-like: The potatoes were either overcooked or got overworked. You can leave your cut up potatoes stay in cold water before cooking for as long as you need; however, once the potatoes are cooked, you need to drain and mash right away, being careful not to overwork the potatoes. I always warm my milk with the butter in it, so they mix right into the mashed potatoes without a lot of whipping. Keep the mashed potatoes warm in a bowl over simmering water or covered in a baking dish in the oven. Leaving the cooked potatoes in the hot water will definitely result in gummy mashed potatoes.
The dinner buns are burnt: Slice off the burned tops or bottoms, remove the burnt part, add a dab of butter on each roll, allowing it to melt ---serve. No one will mind.
Forgot to make the green bean casserole: Simply cook frozen green beans in the microwave until tender. Drain. Salt and Pepper lightly and toss with crumbled cooked bacon and canned fried onions. May not be the green bean casserole, but it will still be a delicious green bean dish.
Forgot to make the gelatin mold: Substitute a big bowl of applesauce swirled with a little cinnamon. Kids of all ages love applesauce!
Turkey Dos and Don’ts:
DO defrost your turkey in the refrigerator, allowing one day per five pounds of turkey. If there is not enough time, us the cold water bath method, submerging the wrapped turkey in cold water in the sink, draining and refilling every half hour, allowing 30 minutes per pound to fully defrost.
DON’T ever defrost a turkey by simply setting it out on the counter.
DO remove the giblets and neck from the turkey cavities before roasting.
DO stuff the turkey loosely with the stuffing, allowing room in the turkey cavity for the stuffing to expand while cooking.
DO add some cut up onion, celery, carrots and herbs to the cavity of the turkey and the pan if not stuffing for a more flavorful bird and drippings.
DO rub the skin with oil or melted butter or a combination.
DON’T tie the drumsticks together too tightly with kitchen string to allow the thighs air circulation to roast evenly.
DO insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, pointing towards the body and not touching the bone.
DO use a roasting rack in a roasting pan to place the turkey on.
DO add some broth, water, or liquid to the roasting pan to keep the turkey drippings from burning.
DO preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and use the timetable below as a roasting guide.
DO bake until the skin is a light golden color, and then cover loosely with a foil tent. During the last 45 minutes of baking, remove the foil tent to brown the skin.
Chart for an unstuffed turkey to estimate roasting time: 10-18 lbs. -- 3 – 3 ½ hours
15-22 lbs. -- 3 ½ - 4 hours
22-24 lbs. -- 4 – 4 ½ hours
(Add about an hour for stuffed)
DO use a meat thermometer to determine doneness of the turkey.
DO test about a half hour before lowest time shown for the size of your turkey. Brining a turkey or roasting in a convection oven can both accelerate roasting times.
Turkey is done when the thigh reaches an internal temperature of 175-180 degrees F and the breast reaches 165-170 degrees F. Stuffing in the turkey should register 165 degrees F.
DON”T forget to allow the turkey to stand outside the oven for 20-30 minutes or up to an hour to redistribute the juices throughout the meat, making it easier to carve and juicy to eat!
DO us a long carving knife or chef’s knife to carve your turkey. The longer the knife, the better it will work, as a long, smooth slicing motion will make for better slices. (the long carving knife with oval indentations along the blade reduce friction.)
DO use a warmed platter to arrange the meat on and serve.
Example of Cooking Day Timetable List
Dinner time – 3 – 4 pm
ALL OVEN ITEMS AT PRE-HEATED 350 DEGREE OVEN
10:00 a.m. - PLACE TURKEY IN ROASTING PAN
ADD BROTH, VEGGIES, HERBS – OIL
10:30 a.m. - TURKEY IN (3 ½ - 4 HOURS)
NOON - CHECK TURKEY TO CHECK BROWNING
TENT IF NEEDED
PEEL AND CUT POTATOES – PUT IN COLD WATER IN POT ON STOVE
1:30 p.m. - PULL OUT DISHES TO GO INTO OVEN
2:00 p.m. - CHECK TURKEY WITH THERMOMETER
2 – 2:30 p.m. - TAKE TURKEY FROM OVEN – LET STAND
2 – 2:30 p.m. - PUT IN 350 DEGREE OVEN
SWEET POTATO SOUFFLE – NO LID (45 MIN)
DRESSING – FOIL TOPPED (45 MIN)
BROCCOLI CASSEROLE (35-45 MIN)
ON STOVETOP:
TURN POTATOES ON TO BOIL -- (35-40 MIN)
2:30 – 3 p.m. - CHECK FOR DONENESS IN POTATOES. IF TENDER, REMOVE, DRAIN, MASH AND KEEP WARM.
START GRAVY ON STOVETOP
3 p.m. - REMOVE FROM REFRIGERATOR:
CRANBERRY SAUCES, GELATIN MOLD
PUT ROLLS IN FOIL AND PUT IN OVEN TO HEAT
3 – 3:30 p.m. - REMOVE FOIL FROM DRESSING TO BROWN
REMOVE SIDE DISHES WHEN DONE
CARVE TURKEY
TIME FOR THANKSGIVING DINNER!!
Let’s Talk Turkey!
Getting your turkey ready to roast today:If you purchased a fresh Amish Country turkey from Jungle Jim’s, you did not have to defrost a frozen turkey. If you chose a frozen turkey, it takes approximately one day to thaw for every 5 lbs. of turkey --- a 20 lb. turkey will take 4-5 days to thaw in the refrigerator.
If your turkey is not completely thawed by Thanksgiving Day:
Use the cold-water method. First, place the turkey in its original wrapping in your sink, then fill the sink with cold water. Change the water every half hour so it stays cold (this lowers the risk of bacterial growth.) It will take the turkey about half an hour per pound to completely thaw, so start the process immediately. Never thaw a turkey at room temperature or try to roast even partially frozen.
PREPARE THE TURKEY:Remove the neck and giblets from the body and neck cavities and set aside for the gravy if using.
Rinse the turkey inside and out. Pat dry with paper towels.
At this point, you can salt and pepper the insides (do not do if brined). Do not salt and pepper if you are going to stuff the bird either. You may also want to flavor the bird by using your fingertips to separate the skin from the meat, sliding herbed butter or a dry rub on the turkey meat between the meat and the skin.
If you are going to stuff the bird, stuff just prior to roasting and stuff loosely. The stuffing will expand as it bakes and make sure the stuffing is not too moist as it will also soak up the turkey juices as it bakes. More about this in this week’s stuffing segment.
If not stuffing with dressing, adding some aromatic herbs, such as sprigs of fresh rosemary, thyme, parsley, or sage and veggies such as onion wedges, celery, peeled garlic cloves, baking apple or orange wedges, makes a delightful, yet subtle, difference in the flavor of the meat. (In addition, roasting carrot, celery, onion, and herbs in the pan with broth and a little melted butter adds great flavor to the pan juices for making your gravy.)
Stuff a half an onion in the neck cavity for shape.
SAFETY FIRST: Wash hands, work surfaces, and utensils touched by raw poultry with hot soapy water ALWAYS.
TIE IT:Before setting the bird on the rack, tuck the wings underneath the body (like putting your hands behind your head) to secure the neck flap. Then, using kitchen string or 100% cotton string LOOSELY tie the legs. Tying them too tightly can prevent the thighs from cooking evenly. You can also untie the legs about one hour before your bird is done cooking to facilitate the cooking of the thighs.
ROAST:Position the rack in the lowest part of the oven and preheat oven to 325 degrees. To roast a turkey, first place it breast side up on a rack in a heavy, shallow roasting pan. Brush with butter or oil or a combination with or without seasoning. You should roast the turkey uncovered, but I prefer to loosely tent the turkey breast with heavy-duty aluminum foil until the last hour of cooking. The foil tent helps deflect the heat, reducing the heat difference between the white and dark meat, as the breast tends to cook more quickly and this helps the problem of the dark meat taking longer to cook than the white meat. It’s a simple step you might want to try. Put the bird in the oven with the legs pointing toward the back of the oven, since that is usually the hottest spot. If one part of the bird is browning too quickly, rotate the pan in the oven. Time to roast!
Roasting Times in 325 degree oven for a Whole Turkey:Pounds Hours (Unstuffed) Hours (Stuffed)
8-122 ½ - 3 ½ 3 –4
12-163 ½ - 44 – 4 ½
16-204 – 4 ½4 ½ - 5
20-264 ½ - 5 ½ 5 – 6
Whole Turkey Breast: If you don’t need a large bird, a whole turkey breast roasted and garnished makes a beautiful presentation on the Thanksgiving table and takes less time to roast. A 4 ½ -5 lb. whole turkey breast will feed 6 or less.
In a preheated 325 degree oven, a 4 ½ - 5 lb. whole turkey breast will only take 1 ½ - 2 ½ hours to roast. You will roast until the temperature reads 165-170 degrees. You will tent the breast with foil and allow to rest for 15-30 minutes before carving. **recipe below
The Turkey is Done…..Remember to use these times as a guide. The only accurate way to measure doneness is a thermometer. Check the turkey’s temperature an hour before it is supposed to be done. Stick an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone or piercing the cavity. It should read 175-180 degrees F, and the juices should run clear when you remove the thermometer. The breast meat will always cook more quickly, but it should register 165-170 degrees. If the turkey is stuffed, the stuffing temperature should be at least 165 degrees. If the turkey is done before the stuffing, scoop the stuffing into a baking dish and finish cooking it in the oven while the turkey is resting. You may want to take the bird out of the oven when the thigh registers a temperature of 175 degrees and the breast 165 degrees, as the turkey’s internal temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees while resting.
*Brining usually reduces the cooking time by approximately 30 minutes. Also, when calculating cooking times, figure the turkey you purchased is about one pound lighter than stated after you remove the packaging, giblets, and excess liquid.
Turkey At Rest:After taking the turkey from the oven, tent with aluminum foil and allow it to rest for 30-45 minutes. Plan to have the turkey done 45 minutes before the rest of your meal. The resting time allows the juices to settle back into the meat, making for a juicier and more tender bird. This also frees up the oven for your other dishes. (Once cooked, a whole turkey will stay warm for at least an hour.)
CARVE:If you haven’t already done so, cut the twine or band of skin holding the drumsticks. Grasp end of drumstick. Use a sharp medium length carving, boning, or chef’s knife; have a meat fork handy. Place knife between drumstick/thigh and body of turkey and cut through skin to joint. Remove entire leg by pulling out and back, using the point of the knife to disjoint it. Separate thigh and drumstick at the joint. Insert fork in upper wing to steady turkey. Make a long cut above wing joint through to body frame. Wing may be disjointed from body. To slice the breast meat, one way is to slice straight down with an even stroke, beginning halfway up the breast. When knife reaches the cut above the wingbone, the slice will fall free. Continue to slice breast meat, starting the cut at a higher point each time. Another way to slice the breast meat follows:Slice down the front of the breast along the breastbone. Then, cut straight down following the bone until the knife stops. Holding the knife parallel to the cutting board, slice along the bottom of the breast (above the wing). Slice between the breast and drumstick until the entire breast can be removed in one piece. Then, slice into 1/4-1/2” slices. Slide the knife under the cut meat and carefully lift it onto the serving plate.
Sharing Some Special Side Dishes
Corn had a great presence at the first Thanksgiving, so I thought we go with tradition with a classic corn dish, succotash changed up a bit. The name “succotash” comes from the American Indian tribe Narraganset word for “boiled whole kernels of corn”. Through the years, there have been numerous versions, many adding winter vegetable or regional vegetables to the basics of corn and lima beans. Some recipes call for salt pork or bacon, while the Indians used bear fat to give it extra flavor. Cream or milk was added at the end of the cooking time. I simply made this dish healthier (no bear fat needed) with a lovely Italian flavor twist.
Succotash with an Italian Flair2 Teas.Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 CupRed Onion, Chopped
1 CloveGarlic, minced (optional)
12 oz.Bag of Corn Kernels, thawed
2 Cans14.5 oz. size of Italian Chopped Tomatoes with Herbs
1 Can14.5 oz. size of Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tab.Fresh Basil, chopped
2 Tabs.Fresh Italian Parsley, chopped
In skillet over medium heat, saute chopped onion and garlic until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Add corn, beans, and tomatoes, and simmer until heated thoroughly, about 10 minutes. Add chopped fresh herbs and serve.
Sage Sausage, Apple, and Cranberry Stuffing6 CupsDried Bread Cubes, 1/4-1/2”*
½ CupDried Cranberries (or more to taste)
½ CupGrand Marnier (optional)
½ CupButter
½ lb.Sage Seasoned Pork Sausage or
fresh sausage of choice
1 CupOnion, chopped
3/4CupCelery, chopped, including leaves
½ CupGolden Delicious Apple, peeled, cored, chopped
2 Tab.Fresh Sage leaves, chopped (2 teas. dried)
1 Tab.Fresh Thyme, chopped (1 teas. dried)
¼ CupFresh Parsley, chopped - fresh is best here
Salt and Pepper to Taste
½ CupWhite Wine, Stock or Apple Cider
½ -1 ½ CupsAdditional Stock or Low Sodium Broth**
Simply DOUBLE this recipe to feed 12-16. This recipe feeds 6-8.
*I always use at least 2 different kinds of bread for texture and flavor. I used a wonderful European baked Peasant and Batard for the television segment. Have fun with this, but remember to use GOOD Bread --- taste and texture – it’s the base for your stuffing: try sourdough, pane, batard, peasant, French, Italian, wheat and seedless rye. Cut or tear the bread into 1/4 - 1/2” pieces and dry. ! Tear or cut into 1/4 - 1/2” cubes and dry the bread to avoid soggy, mushy stuffing. You can dry bread cubes by spreading them out on a baking sheet and leaving them out uncovered overnight or a day or dry them in a low temperature oven at 225 degrees for 30-60 minutes. Put in large bowl.
Pour Grand Marnier over dried cranberries in small saucepan and bring to a boil. Then, remove from heat and set aside.
In large skillet over medium-high heat, brown sausage, stirring to break up clumps. Using a slotted spoon, remove cooked sausage to bowl with bread. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of fat from skillet and add butter. Over medium heat, once butter has melted, add the onion, celery, and dried herbs, if using. Cook, covered, until onion is tender, about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. (By covering the vegetables, you are “sweating” them to release their flavor without browning and evaporating tasty juices.)
Add the sautéed vegetables to the bread pieces and sausage in a large bowl. Add the apples, cranberries and fresh herbs if using and fresh parsley. Deglaze (i.e., quickly heating liquid in skillet, stirring to lift particles of food from skillet.) skillet with 1/2 cup wine, stock or cider, and pour over bread and vegetables. Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Add additional broth to achieve the correct moisture level.
**To stuff bird, this stuffing should just hold together when mound on a spoon. Stuff the bird loosely, leaving at least 1/2” space to allow expansion of stuffing during cooking. To the remaining stuffing or if you are not stuffing the bird just cooking as dressing, add ½ Cup to 2 cups of stock or broth 1/4 cup at a time until the dressing looks as moist as you’d like it. Place dressing in a buttered casserole dish and bake COVERED 30-45 minutes in a 350 degree oven. UNCOVER and cook an additional10-15 minutes until golden brown. (I had an aunt once who buttered the inside of the foil covering the dressing for added flavor and crunchiness.)
Stuffing Do’s and Don’ts
DO stuff turkey loosely. As stuffing cooks inside the bird, it absorbs the turkey juices and expands. So leave at least 1/2”space inside the turkey cavity for expansion. Cook any extra stuffing alongside the bird in a casserole dish.
DON’T use too much liquid to moisten stuffing that goes inside the turkey cavity. If it is too moist it will be unable to soak up all the yummy turkey juices and may not cook thoroughly.
DO stuff the bird JUST BEFORE putting in the oven. Stuffing can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to stuff. Bring the stuffing to room temperature before stuffing the turkey because a cold stuffing will slow the cooking. If you want to add egg to your stuffing, don’t add it until just before stuffing the turkey. I personally don’t add egg to mine.
DON’T truss your turkey too tightly --- this may prevent the stuffing from cooking completely.
DO check the temperature of the stuffing when you check the turkey’s temperature. Stuffing should register 160-165 degrees and the turkey 175-180 degrees. If the stuffing is not done and the turkey is, transfer the stuffing to a casserole dish and continue baking at 350 degrees while the turkey is resting.
Pomegranate CranRaspberry Sauce1 Cup CranRaspberry Juice*
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Cups Fresh Cranberries (12 oz. bag)
Zes tof One Lemon
1 Cup Fresh or frozen Raspberries (or more to taste)
½ Cup Pomegranate Seeds
* can also do ½ Cup Pomegranate Juice and ½ Cup CranRaspberry Juice
Bring first two ingredients to a boil over medium high heat until sugar dissolves.
Add cranberries and lemon zest and reduce heat to a simmer over medium heat until sauce starts to thicken and cranberries burst, about 10 minutes.
When sauce has cooled, add fresh or frozen raspberries and the pomegranate seeds, cover, and chill until ready to serve.
Can garnish with extra fresh raspberries, pomegranates, and lemon zest if desired.
From my family to yours, grateful for all my blessings,
Happy Thanksgiving!
Jungle Jim’s Margie Potts
