It’s time to Talk Turkey about Thanksgiving with the Good Cook Kitchen Experts. Join us as we share our many tips and tricks to make your Thanksgiving successful. To get this party started, I’ll share some of my tips that help get dinner on the table for me and mine.
Plan, plan, plan ahead! People have been hitting my site for over a week looking at recipes.
- Broccoli Rice Casserole – The most viewed recipe on this site!
- Homestyle Gravy – The second most viewed recipe on this site!
Consult with your guests. Find out if they have any special dietary concerns. Many recipes are very flexible and allow the easy swapping of ingredients to make a recipe gluten-free, diabetic friendly, or even dairy free with little effort. Have a guest with these special dietary concerns that you’re unfamiliar or uncomfortable with? Ask them for more information on how to accommodate them. Use your resources wisely. Search your favorite websites like Pinterest and DealsFromMsDo to find recipes that can be used. Ask your favorite bloggers for their help. Search for Facebook or other websites dedicated to the concern. Last but not least, don’t panic!
Use those Slow Cookers. Quit slaving over the stove, especially when there isn’t enough burners or racks.
- Slow Cooker Turkey Breast – I don’t think I’ve EVER cooked Turkey in the oven! Why, when it’s this easy and oh, so good!
Cook ahead of time. My food is usually in the baking dishes the night before Thanksgiving. It takes the stress and hassle out cooking, allowing you to enjoy the parades, the games, and the company of one another.
- Cornbread Recipe – Regular or Gluten Free – Used in the dressing.
- Southern Style Cornbread Dressing – Regular or Gluten Free Can be made weeks or even months ahead and then frozen. Just thaw, add eggs, and heat.
- Homemade Cranberry Sauce – It’s so much better than the stuff from the can!
Store bought items aren’t a bad thing! I’m NOT a baker. I buy rolls that are made in the bakery department of my local grocery store. Dessert, eh, I can take it or leave it, so it’s something that I end up buying most of the time. I do have a few special recipes, but I don’t stress over it if I can’t get them all made.
- Pumpkin Spice Cake – Great way to use those pumpkins you never got around to carving.
- Cheesecake from the County Seat Restaurant – Easy to make for the diabetics and gluten free crowd all in one dessert!
Clean your kitchen, dishes, and floors before the big meal but don’t clean the oven until afterwards. No, I’m not saying that you’re going to make a big mess in the oven, but I recently learned that you should avoid the self-cleaning cycle of the oven near a holiday. Since the oven reaches such extreme temperatures during these cycles, it can sometimes cause an oven to quit working without any warning. Wouldn’t that be horrific?
Set the table the night before. This gives the kids an opportunity to get involved in preparation and will help them also learn to plan ahead. Let everyone eat breakfast while watching the parades in the living room on Thanksgiving morning.
- Super Simple Fruit Salad – Could be used for breakfast, salad, or dessert.
- Savory Sausage & Cheese Breakfast Muffins – Cook ahead, freeze, and then reheat.
- Corn and Cheese Waffles – Savory waffles to start the day with a different flair.
- Cracker Barrel Hash Brown Casserole – Easy to prepare weeks or months ahead.
Out of refrigerator space? Don’t worry about putting things like your drinks in the fridge to get or keep them cold. As I type this, it is 28* F in my town. LATE the night before, put a cooler outside with your drinks in it or early the next morning. Bring the cooler inside in time for the meal.
Some things need to be cooked that day, but prep ahead. Think about how you can have some dishes ready to cook, even though they have to be done from start to finish on Thanksgiving Day.
Tired of the Leftovers? Get creative with what to do with them. If you’re bored with the same food meal after meal, the rest of the family probably is too. After two meals, we freeze our leftovers in small making our own TV dinners. This way we have fast reheat and eat food later on. But we don’t do that with all of the leftovers. Some get turned into new recipes.
Are you ready for Thanksgiving? Are you craving turkey and pumpkin pie? Whether you prepare Thanksgiving dinner or watch someone do it for you, come chat with us! We will discuss ideas for preparation, cooking and serving up your holiday dinner and would love to have you join us! When and where are we going to Talk Turkey? TONIGHT on Twitter! Get all the details in the The Ultimate Thanksgiving Twitter Party. You might just be lucky enough to win one of these three great gift sets!
Speak Your Mind