Hosting a big Thanksgiving diner this year… how big the bird?

[Anonymous]

So, it is usually only DH, me and our preschooler… this year we will have 2 other couples and a teenager girl.

I am not experienced on Thanksgiving dinners and usually just roast a turkey breast and pick up sides at WF for our small family. This year I want to do it mostly at home and only picking up the pies… I did buy the starters kit at W&S though (green beans casserole starter kit, stuffing and gravy).

I am not American originally and not a big fan of the whole thanksgiving meal combination so I usually keep it simple with turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans casserole, stuffing and brussels sprout (and gravy). That seems traditional enough and yet those are things I like to eat (as opposed to sweet potatoes casserole with marshmallows…).

So, how big should the bird be? We will have lots of appetizers and the holiday for us will be more about cooking together, drinking, eating the appetizers, enjoying the fireplace and just hanging out. By the time dinner is ready, I am guessing we won't be REALLY hungry…

And I don't want to have tons of turkey left over.

[Anonymous]

1 1/2 lbs. per person is typical. So a 12-lb. turkey should do it. Or if you really just like white meat, I sometimes get 2 breasts and fit them in a regular roasting pan.

[Anonymous]

You need cranberry sauce.

[Anonymous]

Don't have appetizers unless it's oysters or veggies. Silly to fill up before the big event.

[Anonymous]

Whole Foods recommends 2 lbs per person if you don't want leftovers 1.5 lbs per person should do it.

Sounds like you have a 1960s view of Thanksgiving. Feel free to update a bit. We have sautéed green beans with lemon zest, not green bean casserole. And sweet potatoes can come in many forms that don't involve marshmallows. This year we are doing pistachio crusted sweet potato cakes as part of the first course.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Whole Foods recommends 2 lbs per person if you don't want leftovers 1.5 lbs per person should do it.

renember these are raw weights vote birds release moisture during cooking. 1.5-2 pounds per adult. 1-1.5 pound per child is my normal formula. Pro ends on how many heavy eaters vs how much I want in leftovers I am aiming for.

If you are buying a bigger bird (15+ pounds; figure 1 1/2 pounds for each person minimum). Smaller birds -- 15 pounds or less -- typically have have a smaller meat-to-bone ratio, so allow 2 pounds per person minimum.

[MikeL]

Get a nice big bird. Leftovers are great!

[Anonymous]

OP, we have 12 for Thanksgiving every year (8 adults, 4 kids ranging from 7 to 14), and a 15-lb turkey is plenty, with some leftovers. I don't know anyone who eats a ton of turkey at Thanksgiving--there's so much else on the table that tastes better. So I think you'd be fine with a 12-lb bird. Make sure you have plenty of stuffing and mashed potatoes, though!