Planning Ahead... Thanksgiving Dinner

[Anonymous]

We keep Thanksgiving dinner pretty simple which helps keep the stress down.

Turkey: 2 small ones that can cook faster so it's not in the oven ALL day

Mashed Potatoes: potatoes get washed, peeled, & chopped the night before

Greenbean Casserole: prepped the night before and stored in the fridge

Stuffing: all dry ingredients are put together the night before in a large zip lock bag

Sweet Potatoes: washed, peeled & chopped the night before

Pumpkin Pie: made the night before & baked that morning

Cranberry Sauce: comes from a can lol

Rolls: are the home bake kind from the grocery store bakery, they go in right before dinner is served

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes,

We really do s'mores for Thanksgiving dinner's dessert. I loathe pumpkin pie and find apple pie, or any pie, to be tolerable at best. Our fire pit dessert tradition has been a huge hit. The kids have a blast and the adults enjoy a last glass of wine, a cup of coffee, and everyone is woken up a bit by the chill in the air and there is far more conversation as a result. Also, the no dessert brigade will usually come outside and enjoy the fire and chat instead of getting up and starting the dishes or disappearing in front of whatever football game is on. We started doing it a few years ago and inevitably one of the kids in the family asks me around Halloween if we are doing s'mores again this year at Thanksgiving and they seem pretty excited when the answer is yes. If someone in the family has their heart set on a pumpkin pie (gag), they know they are welcome to bring one and we will cut it up and serve it to whomever would like some.

I think this is cool!!

[Anonymous]

About the only things we pre-prep are cold salads, some deserts, and stuffing/dressing mix. The rest is made fresh day of Thanksgiving. Our traditional eating time is at noon. Some will call this lunch, some dinner. The ones that call it dinner call dinner supper and snacks in-between meals lunch.

One of the big time savers we use is an oven cooking bag. Yes you don't get the nice roasted crispy skin then, but you get perfectly moist fall off the bone tender meat. And it's care free, no need to constantly monitor the bird or multiple basting. This allows more time and attention to be spent on side dishes.

[Anonymous]

We usually use an electric roasting pan for the turkey. You can fit a pretty big turkey (25+lbs) in it. We use an oven safe roasting bag, throw the turkey in it and in the roaster and let it cook all day. Then the oven is free to use. Turkey is always moist and juicy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:About the only things we pre-prep are cold salads, some deserts, and stuffing/dressing mix. The rest is made fresh day of Thanksgiving. Our traditional eating time is at noon. Some will call this lunch, some dinner. The ones that call it dinner call dinner supper and snacks in-between meals lunch.

One of the big time savers we use is an oven cooking bag. Yes you don't get the nice roasted crispy skin then, but you get perfectly moist fall off the bone tender meat. And it's care free, no need to constantly monitor the bird or multiple basting. This allows more time and attention to be spent on side dishes.

Indeed they do. http://www.amazon.com/How-Talk-Minnesotan-Visitors-Guide/dp/0140092846/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1409697898&sr=8-2&keywords=How+to+talk+Minnesotan

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes,

We really do s'mores for Thanksgiving dinner's dessert. I loathe pumpkin pie and find apple pie, or any pie, to be tolerable at best. Our fire pit dessert tradition has been a huge hit. The kids have a blast and the adults enjoy a last glass of wine, a cup of coffee, and everyone is woken up a bit by the chill in the air and there is far more conversation as a result. Also, the no dessert brigade will usually come outside and enjoy the fire and chat instead of getting up and starting the dishes or disappearing in front of whatever football game is on. We started doing it a few years ago and inevitably one of the kids in the family asks me around Halloween if we are doing s'mores again this year at Thanksgiving and they seem pretty excited when the answer is yes. If someone in the family has their heart set on a pumpkin pie (gag), they know they are welcome to bring one and we will cut it up and serve it to whomever would like some.

I think this is cool!!

+1!

I don't understand all the mac&cheese. I have never had that at Thanksgiving. Aren't there enough starches with the stuffing and potatoes?

[Anonymous]

Agree re Mac and cheese being an odd choice. Potatoes and pasta and stuffing?

[Anonymous]

I usually make the cranberry sauce on Tuesday as well as the ice cream. On Wednesday afternoon/evening I chop veggies and clean the turkey and simmer the gizzards to make the water I'll use in the stuffing.

Thursday the turkey goes in and the veggies get blanched and potatoes boiled and mashed. Then I prep the pies. When the turkey comes out, the potatoes and stuffing get stuck in the oven to heat along with the rolls. The veggies get sauteed and the gravy is made. Pies go in when the sides come out and cook while we eat dinner (at 4ish).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree re Mac and cheese being an odd choice. Potatoes and pasta and stuffing?

It's a hit with kids. My kids don't eat stuffing and we don't have any other pasta on the menu

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes,

We really do s'mores for Thanksgiving dinner's dessert. I loathe pumpkin pie and find apple pie, or any pie, to be tolerable at best. Our fire pit dessert tradition has been a huge hit. The kids have a blast and the adults enjoy a last glass of wine, a cup of coffee, and everyone is woken up a bit by the chill in the air and there is far more conversation as a result. Also, the no dessert brigade will usually come outside and enjoy the fire and chat instead of getting up and starting the dishes or disappearing in front of whatever football game is on. We started doing it a few years ago and inevitably one of the kids in the family asks me around Halloween if we are doing s'mores again this year at Thanksgiving and they seem pretty excited when the answer is yes. If someone in the family has their heart set on a pumpkin pie (gag), they know they are welcome to bring one and we will cut it up and serve it to whomever would like some.

I love this idea. I hate the pressure to stuff myself with a piece of pie, but your tradition is more about having fun than focused on eating. Plus it gives people a reason to leave the house and get some fresh air.

[Anonymous]

Real Simple has an excellent make-ahead T-day Menu with timeline.

http://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/holidays/thanksgiving/thanksgiving-dinner-menu-00100000068249/#1

You can subtract dishes easily for a smaller feast (don't need stuffing AND potatoes)

[Anonymous]

We deep fry the turkey which frees up the oven for cooking sides and stuffing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Real Simple has an excellent make-ahead T-day Menu with timeline.

http://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/holidays/thanksgiving/thanksgiving-dinner-menu-00100000068249/#1

You can subtract dishes easily for a smaller feast (don't need stuffing AND potatoes)

OP here. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Turkey takes up the oven, but we have a really nice convection toaster oven that I utilize through out the day. Potato dishes (russet and sweet) are cooke the day before, greens and veggies are cooked the day of. Pies are cooked a few days in advance (as are cookies) and biscuits/rolls are cooked the day of along with the stuffing. I use frozen dinner rolls and a Pioneer Woman recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/garlic-butter-dinner-rolls.html