1st Thanksgiving dinner

I am about to cook my first Thanksgiving dinner. I'm in need of suggestions, tips, potential pitfalls. We will be a small group - maybe 10. Gluten free dietary restriction for celiac's disease for one guest. 

Also, where to buy a good turkey?

(and yes, i know i am lucky that i never had to do this before!).

I always cook a fresh turkey. It's slightly more expensive, but you don't have to deal with defrosting issues, and taste is great. I have bought often at King's (you should pre-order it to ensure the size you want is waiting for you). This year, I am having it delivered by Fresh Direct to avoid the shopping hassles. I never brine it; I don't think it's necessary if you don't overcook it. Stuff a little compound butter under skin if you like, rub with cut garlic and sprinkle it all over with pepper and paprika. Layer bottom of roasting pan with cut onion, carrots, zucchini, cauliflower, string beans, and place some in cavity as well. Baste with turkey juices and a little turkey broth if needed. If you don't already have one, buy a gravy separator to be able to easily separate turkey fat from drippings that you can use as gravy base (or natural gravy). 

Do not cook stuffing inside the turkey. Put it in a separate casserole dish. 

Do as much as you can ahead of time - set the table, prep vegetables the night before, take out wine. 

Serve very few appetizers if you want folks to eat dinner! 

We grill the turkey so that the oven and stove are in the clear for everything else.

Other than that - you can make stuffing ahead of time and then pop it in the oven when ready and you can also make mashed potatoes slightly in advance and then reheat.

Map out the timing for everything - not just for the day, but for the week leading up to the day. Everything from pick up turkey, buy wine, chop vegetables and herbs, bring out the good dishes, etc. Write down every single thing for every day and for Thanksgiving day, write out the timing for everything by the hour/half hour/minute... Backtrack from the time you want to serve dinner and go back to the timing of EVERYTHING...I mean EVERYTHING. Include what temperature the oven will need to be - this will tell you what things you can put in together and which you'll have to cool down the oven for or heat it up. You want to have on that list even small things like "put coffee grounds in coffee maker" so that when it comes time to make coffee, you just have to press a button instead of getting the whole thing ready while you're trying to clear dishes....

People joke about my "Thanksgiving Spreadsheet" but I swear by it. Typically when I do Thanksgiving, it's between 15-20 people, so I'd go insane if I didn't plan. Not doing it this year though. Woo Hoo! (I enjoy it, but it's nice to have a break.)

ETA - I realize I probably made it sound more stressful. I plan things though so that the day is pretty stress-free. Planning = Less Stress.....at least for me.

Our family's favorite holiday! We always go around the table and have each person say what s/he is thankful for.

I was just at  shoprite in clark on my way home...and they only had a couple Turkeys left...i would suggest getting a turkey soon.....the big thing to remember is defrosting...it takes a while

Congrats!! They have fresh Butterballs @ Costco for 99c a pound! My tip is that you don't have to peel the potatoes before you boil and mash them.

jmitw said:

I was just at  shoprite in clark on my way home...and they only had a couple Turkeys left...i would suggest getting a turkey soon.....the big thing to remember is defrosting...it takes a while

I'm sure Shoprite will be getting more in. People have until next week to pick up the free ones, which is what I plan to do. I doubt there is any need to push the panic button.

Oh, and you gotta play "Alice's Restaurant" as your guests arrive! ;-)

Order flowers for the table now. Make a menu and work out cooking times. Ask a guest to bring wine or a dessert. Develop a shopping list. Empty your refrigerator. Check out the interactive planner at nytimes.com/cooking  

j_r said:

Order flowers for the table now. Make a menu and work out cooking times. Ask a guest to bring wine or a dessert. Develop a shopping list. Empty your refrigerator.

This reminds me - When I'm cooking/entertaining for a holiday, I do not make dessert. Ask others to bring them or order something. 

If frozen, it needs DAYS to thaw- plan ahead. Read the cooking instructions thoroughly and make sure you allow the full # of hours plus about 30-40 minutes cooling/carving time. Typically, the time after you take the turkey out is enough time to cook the sides if you've pre-heated them a bit earlier. Lately, we've started deep frying and it makes it much easier, faster and gives you back all your oven space.

I used to work for a catering company and the most helpful thing I learned was to get out all the serving dishes and utensils ahead and label them with a slip of paper or post-it.  That way when it comes down to crunch time you are not looking for a spoon and someone else can help get the food into the dishes.  Similarly, it's good to make sure you have containers for leftovers at the ready so you can clean up dinner (and recruit others to help) and move on to dessert. The more organized you are, the easier it is to delegate. 

Gluten free is not as scary as it seems. Several members of my family have gluten allergies so I'm used to working around it. My suggestion is as much as you can, don't cook an additional gluten-free dish. It's easy to choose sides that work for everyone, plus that helps your GF guest feel included and not awkward. 

The dishes will taste best if they don't require a lot of flour to begin with. One thing to watch is when flour is called for to thicken something - it's easy to do it instead with cornstarch, or buy GF all-purpose flour (which you can find most anywhere now). This would work fine for gravy, sauces, whatever else you need. 

Whole Foods has a pretty good gluten-free cornbread mix, which I have used as the base for various kinds of dressing. 

Risotto is an easy gluten-free side but it does chain you to the stove for a while so be aware of that. 

If you need to create any kind of breadcrumb crust, finely ground Chex work great for this, corn or rice depending on the recipe. 

Potatoes are gluten-free, of course, so it's easy to make something like mashed potatoes. A recent tip that has changed my Thanksgiving life is to make the mashed potatoes in advance and keep them warm in the slow cooker! Otherwise they NEVER stay hot no matter how you time it. 

Here is how my menu is shaping up so far, to give you some ideas: 

Turkey and ham

Gluten free dressing or just plain cornbread  

Mustardy kale salad with roasted sweet potatoes and apples

Mashed potatoes

Mushroom risotto 

Can-shaped cranberry sauce (a requirement for the guys in my family!) 

One-pot butternut squash alfredo, with TJ's gluten free pasta 

Sweet potato casserole with brown sugar pecan topping 

I like to have lots of things, so I may add one or two others. We'll see how it pans out! 

Agree re the fresh turkey -- ordered mine from Fresh Direct for Wednesday delivery.

I used to really stress about this, but then I realized that our greatest hits at Thanksgiving were the simple things: roasted Brussels sprouts or asparagus (just toss with good olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast at 425); mashed potatoes with salt/pepper, garlic, cream, and butter; butternut squash, also roasted, with a bit of brown sugar for sweetness; a fresh turkey; homemade gravy. I used to make rolls but now just use fresh direct's or trader joe's parbaked breads, thrown in the oven at the last minute. And I'll bake one pie, usually Apple cranberry, and let people bring the rest. 

Totally agree with deborahg about keeping it simple! Especially if you are having younger palates at the table. My SIL does a beautiful Thanksgiving dinner with fancy side dishes, etc. etc, but still my family although gracious, will be looking for simple things like plain mashed potatoes and string bean casserole!!! Also there is nothing wrong with asking guests to bring dessert, definitely helpful! No matter what you serve, remember that being with friends/family is what is most important.

I try to do as much as possible day before. Put linens on, set the table, get any extra chairs, etc. In the kitchen-  chop veggies, make cranberry sauce, get out all the serving ware, I boil potatoes for mashing day before, chop bread for stuffing, etc. the more you prep beforehand, the less stress and more time w guests you have. Also, if can, designate someone to be in charge of drinks.

Thanksgiving is so much friggin' work for me. I'd feel differently if people weren't staying over but they are and I always feel like I'm running a B&B for a few days. The clean up SUCKS.

Mr. K and I are in total disagreement this year but I want to serve on lovely, durable plastic disposable plates, like the kind you buy for events. The clean up after dinner is exhausting and although I have help, it's far too long and I never get to sit, relax and enjoy the company. 

Is it gauche to serve Thanksgiving dinner on toss-aways?

It would be an enormous disservice to your cooking.

How about a wild rice stuffing to satisfy everyone including the gluten challenged. And wouldn't sweet potato casserole be gluten free? I usually buy fresh turkeys (Jain is the brand) from Ashley's but have done well at Kings too.

Serve on high quality disposable plastic.  I used to do that (don't make Thanks- giving anymore).  No one ever complained.  One year after Passover when I walked into the kitchen and saw what was a towering mound of plates and pots and pans I said to my self, "Never again."  I switched to high quality plastic after that and it made things much easier for me.

As I said, no one ever complained and I was a happier hostess.    

Gluten free Thanksgiving is fairly easy. If you do make bread stuffing, cook it outside the bird. Before I was gluten free, back in the 90's, I liked my stuffing cooked that way anyway. I make a rice and sausage stuffing that is always a big hit. Sweet potato casserole is super easy and, as mommydearest said, gluten free. It can be made ahead and then just cooked before dinner. Don't worry about GF bread; it's not that good and certainly won't be missed. Mashed potatoes can be cooked a little ahead and kept warm in a crockpot. Make gravy with cornstarch or rice flour instead of wheat flour. Although I like homemade cranberry sauce, most people prefer theirs from a can, so save yourself the trouble. I like the idea of asking guests to bring dessert. One less thing you have to worry about.

Oh and as far as the turkey, Butterball has a 24 hour hotline, so if you have any questions, you can call them, even if it isn't a Butterball. http://www.butterball.com/turkey-talk-line

Arrow Root will thicken gravy and it's gluten free.

http://www.the-gluten-free-chef.com/arrowroot-flour.html

If you want less stress and pre-work for the turkey, get a KOSHER one. It comes pre-seasoned - eliminating the need for brining beforehand. And, the seasoning makes is a moister bird that will dry out less. 

Enjoy!

Seriously, who cares if you serve on plastic plates? If your husband objects, tell him you'll do it his way if does all the dishwashing while you take a well-deserved break on the couch with a glass of wine. Hmm...maybe this could work out better for you!

When I was a kid my mother cooked for around 30 people every holiday and she always used those nice Chinet brand white plates and plastic cups.  However, she refused to use plastic silverware which I think I agree with.

NoraCharles said:

Serve on high quality disposable plastic.  I used to do that (don't make Thanks- giving anymore).  No one ever complained.  One year after Passover when I walked into the kitchen and saw what was a towering mound of plates and pots and pans I said to my self, "Never again."  I switched to high quality plastic after that and it made things much easier for me.

As I said, no one ever complained and I was a happier hostess.    

Thank you. It makes life easier for the hostess and the food, I believe, will taste the same 

NizhoniGrrrl said:

Seriously, who cares if you serve on plastic plates? If your husband objects, tell him you'll do it his way if does all the dishwashing while you take a well-deserved break on the couch with a glass of wine. Hmm...maybe this could work out better for you!

My husband loves a challenge and those damn dishes would stay put until the dogs licked them clean. Gotta choose my battles, girl.

conandrob240 said:

When I was a kid my mother cooked for around 30 people every holiday and she always used those nice Chinet brand white plates and plastic cups.  However, she refused to use plastic silverware which I think I agree with.

I agree with Mom. Washing silverware doesn't irk me as stacks of dirty dishes do. 

Do as much as you can in advance...Set table days before; Clean out frog; organize, buy wine, etc. I usually make cranberry sauce Monday or Tuesday; Due to the acidity, its safe to do this and will actually taste better as time goes on.

Sweet Potato casserole can be put together Wednesday; bring to room temp on Thursday and then put on topping just prior to baking. We do a Thanksgiving mashed potato casserole that can also be made the day before and then baked once turkey comes out of oven. There a great make ahead gravy that I usually do a month in advance and freeze.

Buy bread for stuffing days in advance;rip apart, leave out on cookie sheets for optimal staleness 2 full days in advance.

Does anyone have a great EASY recipe for sweet potato casserole or souffle?  I have to make a huge one for 40 or so people (work related).  

How about maple-whipped sweet potatoes? Or sweet potato, pumpkin and apple puree?