11/21/2023
Cooking a Thanksgiving meal? Sounds like a mission, right? But hey, it's not that scary if you prepare well. And guess what? The secret sauce to a smooth Thanksgiving isn't a sauce at all- it's prep, and a whole lot of it!
Two days out from the big day. If you haven't already, it's turkey thawing time! You're gonna need about a day for every 4-5 pounds of your turkey to defrost. So if you're cooking up a 20-pound bird, it'll need a solid four days in the fridge.
Today, whip up anything that can chill in the fridge for a bit, like pie crusts or cranberry sauce.
Tomorrow, get choppin'. Dice up your veggies for stuffing, side dishes, and salads. Pop them into airtight containers and into the fridge they go. Bake any desserts like pies or cakes. If you're a brine fan, tomorrow's your day to get that turkey soaking for max flavor.
On Thanksgiving day, chill out. You've got this! In the morning, prep your turkey for its oven adventure. Not sure when to start? An unstuffed turkey needs about 13 minutes per pound at 350 degrees, while a stuffed one requires 15 minutes per pound. So, a 20-pound bird might need 4-4.5 hours of oven time. While the turkey's doing its thing, start on your side dishes. Once the turkey's ready, let it rest under a foil blanket while you finish up any remaining side dishes and make the gravy. And boom! Your Thanksgiving day feast is ready to be devoured!
