Thanksgiving Cheat Sheet

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Sassy762
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48 Hours of Thanksgiving: A Cheat Sheet

48 Hours Until Thanksgiving Dinner
This cheat sheet will walk you through the whole process of making Thanksgiving dinner following a menu made up the essential holiday dishes.

*Before you go shopping, do a quick pantry check!

*Do your grocery shopping. When you get home, organize the groceries in your fridge.

*It's time to finalize your menu and gather your ingredients.

*Track down pull out your equipment and dishes, so you can make sure you have everything you need.

*Make your brine. If you’re brining your turkey, you need to make your brine early enough so it can chill completely before you immerse your turkey.

*Remove all your frozen prep items and place in the refrigerator. This includes pie crusts, turkey stock and gravy.

*Chill wine. Place the wine you’re serving in the refrigerator, or if you’re out of room and live somewhere cold, in the garage or on the back deck.


36 Hours Until Thanksgiving Dinner



*Bake your Pumpkin Pie. Hold off on making Whipped Cream until later, because it can become watery left in the fridge. Once your pie has cooled, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

*Prep ingredients for the Brined Whole Turkey, including chopping onion and celery, and combining them with thyme and storing in plastic container or zip-top plastic bag in fridge. Measure out butter, cover and store next to prepped veggies.

*Prep ingredients for the Bread Stuffing, including chopping and measuring ingredients. Refrigerate celery and onion together but do not combine with bread, as it will become soggy if stored with the vegetables.

*If you're feeling ambitious, peel and chop the potatoes . Keep potatoes from going brown by storing them in water, inside a covered container in the refrigerator. Prepped this way, they'll be ready tomorrow.

*Put Everything in its Place to Streamline Cooking


24 Hours Until Thanksgiving Dinner


*Prep, chop and dice your vegetables/ingredients. Have lots of airtight bags available for holding all your diced veggies. Don’t forget your chopped herbs for garnishes. Most herbs may be placed in airtight containers lined with a damp paper towel in the refrigerator.

*Sauté stuffing ingredients. Cook the celery, onions, sausage, etc., and once cooled, I place the combination in a labeled airtight bag in the refrigerator. The next day it only takes me a few minutes to put my stuffing together and into the oven for baking.

*Finish making your pies. I use my homemade, previously frozen pie crusts.

*Prepare any vegetables or side dishes you can.

*Set up the buffet table ( if using one)


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*Set your table, so you can enjoy the process, whether that means pulling out Grandma's china, arranging an elegant centerpiece or making your own place cards.
*Setting the Table.
*Arrange flatware so that the utensils used first are placed farthest from the plate. Forks are typically on the left, and the knife (with the blade toward the plate) and
the spoons are on the right.
*If you are using a butter plate, place it above the forks.
*If you’re serving salad as a main course, place the salad plate to the left of the forks. The salad fork may be placed at either side of the dinner fork.
*If you plan to serve coffee or tea at the table, put the cup slightly above and to the right of the spoons.
*The napkin can go either in the center of the dinner plate or to the left of the forks at each place setting.
*Before you offer dessert, clear the table of all serving dishes, plates, salt and pepper shakers and any unnecessary flatware.

18 Hours Before Thanksgiving Dinner

*It's time to tackle the turkey!
Two Types of Brines Wet brine or Dry Brine

Wet Brine:
*In a large stockpot, mix 2 gallons cold water and 2 cups coarse kosher salt.
*Add turkey; brine should cover the bird. Cover and refrigerate 8-12 hours.
*Remove turkey from brine; rinse under cool water, rubbing inside and out to release salt.
*Pat dry with paper towels.

Dry Brine:
*Pat turkey dry with paper towels.
*Sprinkle 2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt inside the cavity.
*Generously salt the outside of the turkey (up to 1 cup).
*Transfer to baking sheet and loosely cover with foil.
* Refrigerate for 12-24 hours, removing foil for last 2 hours.
*For super-crispy skin, leave uncovered in the fridge for 2 hours to help dry it out before roasting.

Thanksgiving Day
6 Hours Until Thanksgiving Dinner


*Prep the Brined Whole Turkey
*Rearrange Your Oven Now


5 Hours Until Thanksgiving Dinner
*It's time to put the turkey in the oven!
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