In November of 2010 Marybeth and I helped a friend slaughter 30 turkeys for Thanksgiving. 

Check out some of the "prettier" photos of the event.

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Thanksgiving Dinner

Advice and cook ahead tips

Menu

Leek and Potato Herb Soup

Roasted Squash and Parsnips

Sesame Green Beans

Roasted Turkey with Cider Gravy

Stuffing

Cran-Raspberry Sauce

Sweet Potato Apple Crisp

Appetizer…Potato and Leek Herb Soup
Recipe

Soups can be prepared two weeks ahead and frozen.  Thaw overnight and reheat in crock-pot before serving.  Using a crock-pot saves stove space and doubles as a serving dish.  (A good item for a guest to bring) 

Appetizer…Asparagus Wrapped with Prosciutto
Recipe

Many green vegetables can be prepared ahead of time and either reheated or cooked at the last minute.  The asparagus recipe above can be served as either an appetizer or a vegetable with dinnr.   Make your bundles the day before, cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.  Serve over salad greens drizzled with extra virgin olive oil for a beautiful appetizer.

Side dish…Moroccan Wheatberry Salad
Recipe

Whole grain side dishes can be made the day before and refrigerated.  If you are using a citrus or vinegar based dressing, dress the grains just before serving.  Serve hot or at room temperature.  

Side dish…Roasted Squash and Parsnips
Recipe

Roasted vegetables can be made earlier on the day of and set aside covered at room temperature.  Reheat in the oven while the turkey is resting.  Or you can or cut ahead, season and then roast when you take the turkey out of the oven to rest. 

Green Vegetable…Sesame Green Beans
Recipe

Many green vegetables can be partially prepared earlier in the day or even the day before.  Steam the vegetables until just fork tender.  Immediately run them under cold water to stop the cooking.  Set aside or refrigerate.  Just before serving reheat them in the microwave and top with extra-virgin olive oil, lemon zest, salt and pepper.

Stuffing
Recipe

If using fresh bread cubes, lay the slices of bread on sheet pans and allow to air dry uncovered for 1-2 days before preparing the stuffing.  This step will keep the stuffing light and fluffy.  Stuffing can be prepared and frozen without cooking  2 weeks before your Thanksgiving dinner.   Thaw and cook in a covered baking pan for 30 minutes and then uncover and cook for an additional 30 minutes.  I don’t recommend you cook the stuffing in the turkey as it adds 1 hour to the cooking time of the bird.  (A good item for a guest to bring)

Roast Turkey with Cider Gravy
Recipe
Cook's Illustrated's guide to selecting a turkey

I always purchase fresh turkey so I don’t have to worry about thawing it in time for roasting (a turkey takes 4 days to thaw in the refrigerator).  Always remove the “pop up” thermometer, they are extremely inaccurate and can lead to over cooking the turkey.  Always use an instant read thermometer. 

To save cooking time and assure moist breast and leg meat, consider separating the legs from the bird and cooking in a separate pan.  Both the breast and the legs can be roasted at the same time, but now you can take the breast out as soon as it reaches 160˚ and allow the legs to continue to cook if they need to. 

Be sure to allow your cooked turkey to rest for at least 1 hour.  This is key to keeping your turkey meat moist and it gives you plenty of time to prepare the gravy and other last minute items.  When you finally do cut into the meat it will still be hot.  I don’t cover the turkey while it is resting and it is still hot when I remove the breast meat from the bone. 

For easy carving, remove the breasts from the bone in single pieces  and then slice using a slicing knife.  Slicing knives are thinner than chef knives and help cut thin, even slices. 

Victorinox 10" Slicing Knife
Victorinox 8" Chef's Knife
AccuSharp Knife Sharpener

Gravy Tip

Thickening gravy is always a concern for the cook.  Here is a tip to help you avoid the “lumps” created when the added flour does not mix into the pan juices evenly.  Prepare a paste with equal amounts of butter and flour.  Simply mix room temperature butter with the flour in a bowl until the flour is fully absorbed by the butter.  Then, drop the flour paste one teaspoon at a time into the simmering pan juices, whisking continuously until slightly thickened.

Cran-Raspberry Sauce
Recipe

This special cranberry sauce can be made 2-weeks ahead and frozen.  Add chopped rosemary to the cranberries while they are cooking for a savory flavor.  If prepared without the rosemary, this sauce doubles as a delicious sauce over pound cake or ice cream.   Serve cold.  (A good item for a guest to bring)

Dessert….Sweet Potato Apple Crisp
Recipe

I prepare my apple crisp 2 weeks  ahead and freeze until the day before I serve it.  I let it thaw and then cook while we are eating dinner.