# Do you do turkey ahead of time?



## spirits (Nov 17, 2013)

Who does their turkey ahead?
My friend always has a large group for Thanksgiving....she was bemoaning that fact that her husband is always carving the turkey in the kitchen while she is doing the sides...... and getting in her way.
My response was don't you do your turkey ahead of time?

I thought everyone did it that way (; I love dressing ( make it on the side) and so do turkey the day before, save the juice for dressing the next day and just lightly reheat the turkey once it has been carved the day before. Saves a lot of time, mess and aggravation...plus gives me more oven space since we are only using the turkey that we need for the day. The rest has been put in the back of the fridge for mmmmmmturkey sandwiches, turkey leftovers, turkey soup, turkey well anything turkey related...

I thought everyone did this. She was amazed, tried it and thanked me the next day (; I was her hero (; Then I spoke to a couple of other people who never cooked their turkey ahead and tried it just this year. One person gave me a hint (from a caterer) to cover the turkey with lettuce leaves to keep the meat from drying out. I just have some juice in the bottom of the pan saved from the day before but will try the lettuce trick next year... I live in Canada.


----------



## laurac260 (Nov 17, 2013)

Cook the turkey the day before????

Never, never, never.

The only thing I cook early is the pies.

Period.

I will prep things a day early, but everything else I cook day of.

"New"house has 2 ovens .  Yea me!


----------



## DeniseM (Nov 17, 2013)

The week before Thanksgiving, I prepare one dish each day, and freeze it (except the Turkey.)  The night before, I prep the turkey, and put it in the roasting pan, in the fridge - completely ready to pop in the oven.  On Thanksgiving, everything just has to be cooked, and I use a crockpot or two, and a roaster, in addition to the oven, to cook everything.  It makes Thanksgiving sooooo much easier!


----------



## MuranoJo (Nov 18, 2013)

I also cook or prep as much as I can ahead of time, except for the turkey that is.  I like the aroma and fresh-out-of-the-oven moistness.  But I may try it one of these days.

Usually I prep most of the side dishes ahead of time (all refrigerated except for rolls):


A jello salad 2 days ahead.
One version of dressing prepped 1 day ahead and ready to go into the oven after the turkey comes out.
Another version of dressing ready to go in the morning for stuffing, with veggies prepped and gizzards & broth cooked the night before.
Mashers cooked and ready to go into a large crockpot for reheating about 4 hours before dinner.
Some sort of sweet potato made beforehand.
Rhodes rolls made the day ahead and wrapped tightly, then reheated just before dinner.
I try to make the veggies on Thanksgiving Day, as well as the gravy, once the turkey comes out of the oven.  (Previously tried a make-ahead gravy using roasted turkey wings, but it wasn't as flavorful as using drippings from a full bird.)

I have the table(s) set up with linens and all serveware ready to go about 3 days ahead.  And usually a few guests are good about volunteering the desserts and fruit salad.


----------



## Icc5 (Nov 18, 2013)

*I'm an eater not a cook*

Luckily for me my wife loves to cook and so does my son.  My wife's sibblings also love to cook so it is sort of competition for them on pies, etc.
The sibblings usually make some pies, sides, etc. and bring them over.  My wife does 2 large turkeys (double ovens), some pies, sides, etc. and my son usually helps her and does some sides on his own.  We have a large kitchen and many times the sibblings prepare and then bake it at our house.
I'm forced to taste lots of things but do it out of the goodness of my heart.
Bart


----------



## csxjohn (Nov 18, 2013)

For ten years I started and developed our church's Care 'n Share program.

We prepared meals to be eaten at the church by those who had nowhere else to go and delivered meals to the home bound all over the Cleveland area.

Our fist year we cooked the turkeys and other hot dishes on Thanksgiving Day.  Of course we only did 50 meals.  The next year the same and did 100.  The third year it increased to 200 and we had trouble making it work.

I knew hat if it doubled again the next year we couldn't do it. (It did double the next year.)

Here's how we ended up doing it and they still do it this way.

We were able to borrow a commercial convection oven from the brother of one of our church members.  His company was local and they produced these.

We bought turkey breasts on Sat and put them in the fridge to thaw.  We started cooking half the needed turkeys on Tues.  When they cooled we carved them and put the sliced meat in full size chaffing dishes.  

On Wed we cooked the other half of the turkeys, started big pots of broth for the re-heating process from the carcasses created on Tues and carved the rest of the turkeys when cooled.

The trick was putting plastic wrap over the sliced turkey pans then sealed with aluminum foil.

On Thursday morning we would have the broth boiling early.  We would take the foil off the pans, remove the plastic wrap, add a little hot broth to each pan, re- seal with the foil and put them in the convection oven for about 1/2 hour.


This worked to perfection.  There was no way to detect that the turkey was not cooked that day.  We had so many compliments year after year that this was the best turkey people had ever had that it really surprised me.

I think the use of the convection ovens was what really did it because the flavor was really sealed into each turkey breast but reheating it one and two day later did not diminish the texture or taste.

Of course there are similar stories about all the sides but this is about the turkey.

We ended up buying that oven and a second one and the church school uses them year round now.  When I left they were serving 1,200 meals on T day and now it fluctuates between 1,200 and 1,500 meals.

Don't be afraid to try this to save headaches on T day.  Experiment with a turkey breast ahead of time and see how it works for you


----------



## Chrisky (Nov 18, 2013)

I recently started to cook the turkey the morning before even though I have 2 ovens.  Turkey gets all nicely carved and then just gently reheated on Thanksgiving Day.  I found a really good method for this and the turkey is never dry when I reheat it.  After turkey has been cooked, I take a large aluminum baking tray (usually double it up for stability).  In the bottom of this tray I overlap lettuce leaves in one layer.  Then the cooled carved turkey is placed in layers, usually white meat one side, dark the other side.  I just keep layering all the turkey into this tray.  On top of all this turkey I now layer more lettuce leaves, cover with aluminum foil and put in fridge. Gravy is also made and in the fridge.  The next day I usually remove the turkey from the fridge to bring it to partial room temp.  I put some gravy over the layered turkey, replace the lettuce and foil and heat in the oven at 300°F.  The turkey tastes fabulous, and is moist.


----------



## momeason (Nov 18, 2013)

Turkey must be freshly cooked for me.
You can do turkey breasts in a large crockpot. Thee are also electric turkey roasters for $30 or less that do whole turkeys. they work great.


----------



## Kel (Nov 18, 2013)

We’ve cooked turkeys a day or two ahead, carved them, put the sliced turkey in a baking bag with some drippings and reheat it on Thanksgiving Day.  It comes out surprisingly good.  We always go motorcycle desert camping on Thanksgiving and it’s impossible to fit a whole turkey or even a half turkey in a small RV oven.  And, the weather doesn’t always cooperate for us to be able to cook a turkey in some way outside.

Another great thing to do is to debone the turkey, add stuffing and then roast it. When it’s finished cooking you just slice it and serve.  The messy part can be done the day before.  This is easy and delicious.  

Check out this guy on Youtube on how to debone and cook a turkey.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-adrRDAELg


----------



## laurac260 (Nov 18, 2013)

muranojo said:


> I have the table(s) set up with linens and all serveware ready to go about 3 days ahead.  And usually a few guests are good about volunteering the desserts and fruit salad.



I broke my mother of that habit many, many years ago.  3 days worth of dust on dinner plates, utensils and glasses??

I'd have to break into your house and rewash all
Your dishes!!:ignore:


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte (Nov 18, 2013)

We divide the labor.  

I cook the turkey in gas grill.  I usually slow cook it- at about 200 deg F, covered (aluminum foil) for most of the cooking.  I add wood chips to my chip box to give it some smokiness, and I keep a pan of water in the grill to keep the humidity up. I baste regularly.

I monitor the progress of the bird with a meat thermometer, and I adjust cooking temps in the grill so that cooking of the turkey proceeds in tandem with the rest of the meal preparation.  This frees up the oven and kitchen space for the other dishes and reduces the burden on others who are preparing the other dishes.

When we're about an hour from serving time, I remove the cover off of the turkey and turn up the heat to crisp the skin.  I remove from the heat 30 minutes before carving and let it acclimate.  After that it's carve and serve.  

DW manages the kitchen so that when it's time to carve there's a space for me to do that.  I carve enough for the meal and save the rest of the job for later.  

After carving the carcass and various other small bits and pieces go into the crock pot overnight and become turkey  broth.


----------



## eal (Nov 18, 2013)

laurac260 said:


> I broke my mother of that habit many, many years ago.  3 days worth of dust on dinner plates, utensils and glasses??
> 
> I'd have to break into your house and rewash all
> Your dishes!!:ignore:



I do the same but I cover the set table with another tablecloth.


----------



## MuranoJo (Nov 19, 2013)

muranojo;1554409
I have the table(s) set up with linens and all serveware ready to go about 3 days ahead.  And usually a few guests are good about volunteering the desserts and fruit salad.[/QUOTE said:
			
		

> laurac260 said:
> 
> 
> > I broke my mother of that habit many, many years ago.  3 days worth of dust on dinner plates, utensils and glasses??
> ...


----------



## CO skier (Nov 19, 2013)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> ... and turn up the heat to crisp the skin.



It's that little bit of basted, perfectly crisped skin that makes cooking/grilling/deep-frying a Thanksgiving Day turkey worth the effort.


----------



## glypnirsgirl (Nov 19, 2013)

I never considered making the turkey ahead of time that until reading this. I think that it is a terrific idea.

For 33 years (from 22 to 55), I did ALL of Thanksgiving by myself. I come from a long line of mediocre (at best) cooks. My grandmother said that she was the youngest daughter (of a family of 13 - 7 boys and 6 girls), so she never learned to cook. My mother was the youngest of the girls in her family, so she never learned the few things that my grandmother learned. 

I wanted a much more traditional Thanksgiving for my family, so from the time that I got married at the age of 21 until a few years ago, I did the cooking. And Thanksgiving was the ultimate traditional family meal. I used the suggested time lines and strategies from either Southern Living or Good Housekeeping --- not sure which. 

I learned to cook by reading and doing and figuring out. After some help and suggestions here, I have become somewhat unsaddled from recipes - concentrating on skills instead. 

Five years ago, I stopped cooking. Including not cooking Thanksgiving. 

For a few years, we went out to eat. But we found that we missed the leftovers (!!!).

Last year, my sister ordered Thanksgiving dinner from a local grocery store chain. When we picked it up, everything was cooked and cold and had to be heated. The turkey did not suffer from being reheated. In fact, it was pretty good for a not very plump bird. 

I made steamed broccoli, a fresh green salad, apple pie and pecan pie. That was it. 

Everything else (turkey, dressing, rolls, mashed potatoes, sweet potato pecan praline casserole (which was awesome), green beans with mushrooms and caramelized onions, and pumpkin pie (does anyone really like pumpkin pie??)) was made by the grocery store. 

It seemed less expensive than cooking everything from scratch. My Thanksgiving grocery bill has always been more than $200 --- I never remember it being less. The pre-made Thanksgiving dinner was $139. 

Frankly, I didn't miss the cooking. We got to have leftovers. We even had the smell of baked turkey and pies. The only drawback was how skinny the turkey was. 

Now I am considering cooking again. Hmmm...


----------



## MuranoJo (Nov 19, 2013)

glypnirsgirl said:


> For a few years, we went out to eat. But we found that we missed the leftovers (!!!).
> ......
> Last year, my sister ordered Thanksgiving dinner from a local grocery store chain.



Absolutely love the leftovers!  Especially cold turkey sandwiches on those leftover Rhodes rolls.  That's also a key motivation for us.
Thanks for sharing your experience with the grocery store dinner--I always wondered how those were, and just expected it to be a sad comparison.


----------



## easyrider (Nov 19, 2013)

The leftovers are the best part of the meal,around here anyways. We always cook a couple turkeys just because every one wants leftovers to the point there are no leftovers unless we make some.

Bill


----------



## laurac260 (Nov 19, 2013)

Last year I had 20 ppl to cook for, and for the first time ever I "got" why grandma started to say "I'm getting too old to cook."  I was tired.

This year I only have 10, so I see no point in breaking tradition and preparing things ahead time.  I do pre-prepare for Passover though.

I can see why I might start doing so in the future....


----------



## Beaglemom3 (Nov 19, 2013)

eal said:


> I do the same but I cover the set table with another tablecloth.



  Me, too, but with a light sheet.

  Three days before : I vacuum/dust/polish/Windex the dining room and anything that moves in it. 

  Then I pick up the old & much loved, Irish linen tablecloth from the professional laundry. Over the years I've spent hours trying to starch and iron it "just right", but it's so much better from the laundry. Set the table and cover. I am thankful for "Biz".

   I make my own whole cranberry sauce with fresh cranberries, orange zest, sugar and water a couple days before. This is Massachusetts after all. 

 The day before, I "do" the pies. I used to make them from scratch, now I buy the "take & bake" ones from a great bakery www.eversohumble.com and bake them. They are really, really good. I've made a few not-so-good pies in my time. These pies are flaky, wonderful and never fail to deliver.

Then the stuffing. The night before, the turkey gets all prepped except for being stuffed. Some of the fresh veggies (turnip, squash, green beans) get prepped and ready for the next day. I use frozen corn, but all the rest are fresh veggies.



 Thanksgiving day, somehow, it all comes together. Now,  if I could just remember to pop the rolls (thank you, Pillsbury's crescent) in or remember to take them out of the oven before they burn.



-


----------



## Elan (Nov 19, 2013)

muranojo said:


> Absolutely love the leftovers!  Especially cold turkey sandwiches on those leftover Rhodes rolls.



  Yeah -- turkey sand's on leftover rolls.  A bit of mayo, a few slices of dill pickle and some fresh cracked pepper.  Makes it all worthwhile.

  To be honest, I could do with just the stuffing and gravy for Thanksgiving.  The rest, including the turkey, is just fluff, as far as I'm concerned.


----------



## Beaglemom3 (Nov 19, 2013)

Elan said:


> Yeah -- turkey sand's on leftover rolls.  A bit of mayo, a few slices of dill pickle and some fresh cracked pepper.  Makes it all worthwhile.
> 
> To be honest, I could do with just the stuffing and gravy for Thanksgiving.  The rest, including the turkey, is just fluff, as far as I'm concerned.



  Ditto, but with regional changes here. We make ours with turkey, stuffing, a little cranberry sauce on lightly mayonnaised bread. Pilgrim's Progress.


----------



## easyrider (Nov 19, 2013)

Im considering making a turchetta with vermouth gravy and was wondering if anyone here has tried this. 

Thanks

Bill


----------



## glypnirsgirl (Nov 19, 2013)

easyrider said:


> Im considering making a turchetta with vermouth gravy and was wondering if anyone here has tried this.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Bill



I had never heard of this and had to google it. Sounds like how to make a turkey taste Italian with the fennel seeds and rosemary. Sounds awesome except for this statement about deboning the turkey. "Warning: This is not for the faint of heart. You will become one with turkey slime."

I have deboned many chickens for doing something similar --- and that requires some skill. I can't imagine man-handling a turkey and "becoming one with turkey slime" regardless of how good the result.

I would love to hear how it comes out.

Bon Appetit!


----------



## Kel (Nov 19, 2013)

Deboning a turkey or chicken is easy.  I find it easier to debone and roast a chicken or turkey than to roast it and carve it.


----------



## MuranoJo (Nov 20, 2013)

*Trying do-ahead turkey for the first time*

We've decided to give the do-ahead turkey a try for the first time this year.  Did some online research today and most sources said it was as good as, if not better, than fresh out of the oven.    

We have one of those 'country kitchens' and everyone seems to migrate in there when we're busy making gravy and carving the turkey.  We love the interaction, but just too busy to partake much.  (And of course, you always have those backseat cooks telling you how it should be done. :annoyed

This way, we should be more relaxed and basically just using the oven for baking casseroles & reheating the turkey.  

Laurac, I definitely hear ya about the cooking for a group being so much work!  We typically have 18 or so.  I've always felt hosting Thanksgiving is almost a 5-day project, including shopping beforehand and clean-up.  (But those leftovers are so good.)


----------



## csxjohn (Nov 20, 2013)

muranojo said:


> ...Laurac, I definitely hear ya about the cooking for a group being so much work!  We typically have 18 or so.  I've always felt hosting Thanksgiving is almost a 5-day project, including shopping beforehand and clean-up.  (But those leftovers are so good.)



After we got to 400 meals I starting taking vacation that week to get it all done, shopping, cooking, serving, cleaning.  Sometimes the cleaning wasn't completely done until Sat. 

I was lucky enough to have a boss that would give me that week off even if my seniority would not allow me to have it.

He also did the same for the weeks needed to take our Boy Scout and Explorer groups to summer camp.  Four different years it was 2 weeks because I went with both groups.  I was very thankful for him.


----------



## Beaglemom3 (Nov 20, 2013)

*First - Wash Your Turkey*

First, wash your turkey.

From today's "Onion". Silly, but struck me funny. I can't copy all of the 10 turkey photos as, well, it's the "Onion". 'Nuff said.


----------



## pjrose (Nov 21, 2013)

I don't do do-ahead turkey or carve ahead or carve in the kitchen.  The way I grew up, it was a big production to bring out the whole golden-brown turkey on a platter and carve it at the table.  I was shocked (quietly:ignore the first time I went somewhere else for Thanksgiving and never saw the whole turkey, just platters of sliced meat.  

I like the idea of a dedicated turkey roaster; I don't have much oven space so that sounds like a good idea   We also might use DSIL's smoker this year.  Ages ago I had smoked turkey at someone's house and it was sooooo good.  

We keep it simple - turkey, stuffing (Pepp Farm doctored with extra onions/celery and apples), gravy from the turkey drippings, pre-made mashed potatoes or baked sweet potatoes, and 1-2 micro-steamed green veggies (e.g. fresh green beans and fresh brussels sprouts), and homemade cranberry/orange relish.  That's it, no multi-ingredient casserole-type sides, no rolls, no salad, etc.  Oh yes, and a pumpkin pie from the bakery, or ordered from an Amish farm stand if we remember to do that early enough. 

I love pumpkin pie, and live for leftovers


----------



## MuranoJo (Nov 21, 2013)

csxjohn said:


> After we got to 400 meals I starting taking vacation that week to get it all done, shopping, cooking, serving, cleaning.  Sometimes the cleaning wasn't completely done until Sat.
> 
> I was lucky enough to have a boss that would give me that week off even if my seniority would not allow me to have it.
> 
> He also did the same for the weeks needed to take our Boy Scout and Explorer groups to summer camp.  Four different years it was 2 weeks because I went with both groups.  I was very thankful for him.



csxjohn, it's a lot of work for our extended family & friends, so I can't imagine how you got it all done for hundreds!  But kudos to you for your generous gift of time and effort to feed all those folks.


----------



## ScoopKona (Nov 21, 2013)

I have cooked literally hundreds of turkey dinners. I have cooked turkey dinners for hundreds of people, and I have cooked several hundred more turkey dinners for smaller groups.

The trick is to separate the breast from the dark meat and cook them separately. Start the dark meat one hour before the breast. Then replace the breast and finish it off.

The rules:

1) Don't buy a pre-brined bird. Just. Don't. Do. It.

2) Brine the bird yourself. 

3) Remove the breast from the dark meat and cook separately.

4) NEVER STUFF A TURKEY AND THEN COOK IT. NEVER. NEVER. NEVER. Add the stuffing to the cavity after the bird has cooked if you really need to. Stuffing is evil.

5) But quartering an onion and tossing that in the cavity with a few cloves of garlic and some rosemary is a good thing to do.

6) NEVER. EVER. BASTE. EVER. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO! Keep that oven door shut! You want a crispy skin and a moist interior, right? Then DON'T BASTE!

7) Remove the damned plastic pop-up "thermometer" if the bird has one. Use a real probe thermometer. Order one now and it may arrive in time. How people manage to cook a turkey without a probe thermometer is beyond me.


----------



## csxjohn (Nov 21, 2013)

muranojo said:


> csxjohn, it's a lot of work for our extended family & friends, so I can't imagine how you got it all done for hundreds!  But kudos to you for your generous gift of time and effort to feed all those folks.



Thank you for the kind words.  It took a lot of other volunteers to make it happen and sometimes the hardest part was getting done what we needed without stepping on their egos.


----------



## Rene McDaniel (Nov 21, 2013)

We always have a huge group for Thanksgiving (15-25) with a lot of young people in their 20's with little ones so there is never an offer of help.  I was seriously considering Costco pre-made mashed potatoes this year (they're not bad).  But now I'm wondering if maybe I could peel & boil the mashed potatoes the night before. Keep them in the fridge, and somehow cook them in a crock pot the next day?    

Maybe do the same thing with the green beans & mushrooms?  How about the gravy?  I am seriously ready to go with pre-made gravy this year.  By the way, I don't have to do the turkey, as we have one family member who does that every year because I only have one oven.  I usually try to cook everything on the stove, then put it into crockpots to keep it warm.

I would really like to lighten my load on Thanksgiving Day so that I could also enjoy socializing with the family, instead of being stuck in the kitchen all day. Any suggestions?


----------



## csxjohn (Nov 21, 2013)

Rene McDaniel said:


> We always have a huge group for Thanksgiving (15-25) with a lot of young people in their 20's with little ones so there is never an offer of help.  I was seriously considering Costco pre-made mashed potatoes this year (they're not bad).  But now I'm wondering if maybe I could peel & boil the mashed potatoes the night before. Keep them in the fridge, and somehow cook them in a crock pot the next day?
> 
> Maybe do the same thing with the green beans & mushrooms?  How about the gravy?  I am seriously ready to go with pre-made gravy this year.  By the way, I don't have to do the turkey, as we have one family member who does that every year because I only have one oven.  I usually try to cook everything on the stove, then put it into crockpots to keep it warm.
> 
> I would really like to lighten my load on Thanksgiving Day so that I could also enjoy socializing with the family, instead of being stuck in the kitchen all day. Any suggestions?



Doing the potatoes the way you suggest will work well I believe.  Instead of a crock pot I would bring them to the right temp in the micro wave then mash them however you normally do.

Doing the gravy the day before will also work.

I would not do it with the green beans though.

At home we have a roasting pan with inserts that we use to keep food warm.  It's easier than individual crock pots and a turkey could be cooked in it if you needed to..


----------



## sun starved Gayle (Nov 21, 2013)

*Turkey Jerky*

My mother in law used to put the turkey in the oven THE NIGHT BEFORE on some ridiculously low temp. She loved to" get up in the morning to the smell of the turkey cooking". Needless to say we had "turkey jerky" for Thanksgiving.

We have finally wrestled the holiday away from her. I was afraid someone was going to get really sick, and several years ago, someone did. 

Has anyone else heard of such a thing? She grew up on an isolated farm in Nebraska, and I was wondering if that was a holdover from her upbringing.


----------



## csxjohn (Nov 21, 2013)

sun starved Gayle said:


> My mother in law used to put the turkey in the oven THE NIGHT BEFORE on some ridiculously low temp. She loved to" get up in the morning to the smell of the turkey cooking". Needless to say we had "turkey jerky" for Thanksgiving.
> 
> We have finally wrestled the holiday away from her. I was afraid someone was going to get really sick, and several years ago, someone did.
> 
> Has anyone else heard of such a thing? She grew up on an isolated farm in Nebraska, and I was wondering if that was a holdover from her upbringing.



What do you consider "ridiculously low?"

I've never done a turkey but when I had my smoker we cooked at 200 degrees for 8 hours for ribs.  

Salmonella is the big worry with poultry and it's my understanding that if the suggested internal temp of the product is reached, there should be no problem.

If everyone didn't get sick it probably wasn't the turkey.  They may have been coming down with something before the meal.


----------



## spirits (Nov 21, 2013)

*Make ahead potatoes*

These go by different names, Duchess potatoes etc, but basically, regular boiled potatoes, mashed with equal parts sour cream and cream cheese.  If you like the last two then lots......(; Of course some salt and pepper.

You can make these ahead of time and freeze until needed if you have a time crunch.  I usually make a LOT of this the day before, eat with the dinner (they are amazingly good) and then add some to leftovers and freeze for a great  turkey dinner for when time is tight.  I am always amazed how good these taste, they do not get watery like other frozen potatoes.


----------



## SueDonJ (Nov 21, 2013)

sun starved Gayle said:


> My mother in law used to put the turkey in the oven THE NIGHT BEFORE on some ridiculously low temp. She loved to" get up in the morning to the smell of the turkey cooking". Needless to say we had "turkey jerky" for Thanksgiving.
> 
> We have finally wrestled the holiday away from her. I was afraid someone was going to get really sick, and several years ago, someone did.
> 
> Has anyone else heard of such a thing? She grew up on an isolated farm in Nebraska, and I was wondering if that was a holdover from her upbringing.



My mom put the turkey in overnight and horror of horrors!, the stuffing was INSIDE THE BIRD!  I don't remember any of us ever getting sick from it, don't remember dry turkey either.  It was heaven to wake up to the aroma.

In fact, I still cook turkeys and roast chickens with the stuffing inside and haven't made anybody sick over the years.  I don't do overnight but only because we eat holiday and Sunday dinners later in the day than my mom's 1:00 dinner time.


----------



## SueDonJ (Nov 21, 2013)

If you're looking for a dedicated roaster for the turkey I've been using this one for a few years now and love it.  Turkeys, beef roasts, ribs, chicken cacciatore … use it at least once a month when cooking for a crowd.

(The ebay auction in the link isn't mine - I just searched for a pic of the same one I'd ordered from amazon.)


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte (Nov 21, 2013)

csxjohn said:


> What do you consider "ridiculously low?"
> 
> I've never done a turkey but when I had my smoker we cooked at 200 degrees for 8 hours for ribs.
> 
> ...



Part of the risk is the method of preparation - particularly the degree of mixing of the ingredients.  That's a big part of the reason why food poisoning occurs much more frequently with ground beef than with steaks, roasts, or ribs.  If there is contamination present, the process of grinding distributes that contamination throughout the product, vastly increasing the ability of the organisms to multiply to dangerous levels.

And that's why foods such as chicken salads, egg salads, casseroles, and turkey stuffing are much more prone to contamination.  

A stuffed turkey is so big that it is difficult to get all of the stuffing up to the necessary internal temperature without overcooking the meat.  Most people set the cooking time based on something like the condition of the thigh joint, but that area will be done long before the stuffing has heated.  

In the end, what happens is that the stuffing spends four or five hours in a moist, warm environment, supplied with plenty of nutrients. In other words, in an incubator.  If the stuffing is prepared beforehand, the situation is amplified, as that provides even more opportunity for the bugs to get a running start before being placed in the bird.


----------



## csxjohn (Nov 21, 2013)

SueDonJ said:


> If you're looking for a dedicated roaster for the turkey I've been using this one for a few years now and love it.  Turkeys, beef roasts, ribs, chicken cacciatore … use it at least once a month when cooking for a crowd.
> 
> (The ebay auction in the link isn't mine - I just searched for a pic of the same one I'd ordered from amazon.)



This is very similar to the one I bought at WalMart and mine has a rack with 3 inserts and lids to cook or heat different items at the same time.  Well worth the money for parties and large dinners.


----------



## MuranoJo (Nov 25, 2013)

Rene McDaniel said:


> We always have a huge group for Thanksgiving (15-25) with a lot of young people in their 20's with little ones so there is never an offer of help.  I was seriously considering Costco pre-made mashed potatoes this year (they're not bad).  But now I'm wondering if maybe I could peel & boil the mashed potatoes the night before. Keep them in the fridge, and somehow cook them in a crock pot the next day?
> 
> Maybe do the same thing with the green beans & mushrooms?  How about the gravy?  I am seriously ready to go with pre-made gravy this year.  By the way, I don't have to do the turkey, as we have one family member who does that every year because I only have one oven.  I usually try to cook everything on the stove, then put it into crockpots to keep it warm.
> 
> I would really like to lighten my load on Thanksgiving Day so that I could also enjoy socializing with the family, instead of being stuck in the kitchen all day. Any suggestions?



Have been away from the Lounge for a few days and missed this.
Rene, I've been making the mashers ahead of time and reheating in a crockpot for a number of years.  They turn out great.  Just put them on low about 4-5 hours or so ahead of dinner.  (Time required depends on the amount of potatoes.  I usually do a very large batch of 8 lbs. or so.)  Dot with butter and stir every so often.  Once in a while you'll get a little bit that may brown on the outside if not stirred, but that's ok...tastes great.


----------



## Karen G (Nov 26, 2013)

For everyone who loves to make everything for Thanksgiving and follow family traditions, that's cool. Over the years we've done it many different ways. But, this year we're letting the M Resort make our Thanksgiving dinner.  It will be ready for pick-up at 2:30 p.m. and everything is included from soup to side dishes to turkey & dressing, rolls & butter, and apple and pumpkin pies. Our daughter's in-laws are bringing appetizers & another pie and our daughter is bringing a salad and another dessert. We'll have plenty of stuff! All the men in the family are playing golf in the morning and everything should be ready to eat when they return.

I've cleaned the house and will set the table and pick up the food. I'm very happy with that arrangement!


----------



## heathpack (Nov 26, 2013)

Karen G said:


> For everyone who loves to make everything for Thanksgiving and follow family traditions, that's cool. Over the years we've done it many different ways. But, this year we're letting the M Resort make our Thanksgiving dinner.  It will be ready for pick-up at 2:30 p.m. and everything is included from soup to side dishes to turkey & dressing, rolls & butter, and apple and pumpkin pies. Our daughter's in-laws are bringing appetizers & another pie and our daughter is bringing a salad and another dessert. We'll have plenty of stuff! All the men in the family are playing golf in the morning and everything should be ready to eat when they return.
> 
> I've cleaned the house and will set the table and pick up the food. I'm very happy with that arrangement!



Lol, we were going off sailing for the long weekend, leaving Thanskgiving day- UNTIL a Pacific storm decided to roll through and we decided we're not going anywhere.  _Then_ I was going to cook everything but that's a lot of work for 3 people.  _Then_ I heard the storm might not arrive until later on Thanksgiving, if only I weren't cooking I might sneak in a 35ish mi bike ride.  _Then_ I decided not to cook after all- we are going to the yacht club and letting chef do it for us. 

So I'll ride my bike in the am, weather-permitting (bonus plan b for inclement weather- the bowling alley has $2 games on Thanksgiving day + $2 shoe rentals) and maybe even watch a little of the Macy's Parade.  Sweet little plan that has evolved!!!

H


----------



## glypnirsgirl (Nov 26, 2013)

*anyone made a pumpkin pie from a real pumpkin?*

I have never made a pumpkin pie. I have been looking at recipes online and there seems to be an even split between the chefs - some claiming that the canned pumpkin puree is better --- more uniform, less watery. 

And then I read others that claim that there is no pumpkin in the pumpkin puree --- instead it is made from butternut squash. 

My brother in law says that he can tell when pumpkin pie is made from squash --- and he is the one I am making the pie for. 

Right now, I have pumpkin chunks baking in the oven. I checked them a while ago and the cookie sheet had lots of water on it --- so I am thinking that the watery description may be accurate. 

Any tricks for success?

elaine


----------



## csxjohn (Nov 26, 2013)

glypnirsgirl said:


> I have never made a pumpkin pie. I have been looking at recipes online and there seems to be an even split between the chefs - some claiming that the canned pumpkin puree is better --- more uniform, less watery.
> 
> And then I read others that claim that there is no pumpkin in the pumpkin puree --- instead it is made from butternut squash.
> 
> ...



Using the right pumpkins is the trick here.  We used to grow our own, Burpee Triple Treat.  I really can't tell you which are best and if I could you might not know what you're buying anyhow.

Pumpkins that you buy in the stores are mostly bred for shape and color.  The Triple Treats were shaped nicely for jack-o-lanterns, had great seeds and were excellent for pies.

Check the canned products in your store to see what the ingredients really are.

I'd be surprised at someone who can tell the difference between them, it's the spices that make the flavor.

If your pumpkin is watery as you say, cook it in a sauce pan on very low heat without a lid to evaporate the water.  When it gets to the consistency you desire, proceed with making the pie.


----------



## persia (Nov 26, 2013)

Shhhh, don't tell anyone, but a pumpkin is a squash.  Pumpkin is species Cucurbita pepo, butternut squash is Cucurbita moschata.  They're kissing cousins.  In the English speaking world outside of North America they are both pumpkins.


----------



## PigsDad (Nov 27, 2013)

glypnirsgirl said:


> Any tricks for success?



I have always pre-baked the crust, and then spread a thin layer of apricot preserves on the base of the crust before pouring in the filling.  The sweet and tart of the apricot is a wonderful complement to the pumpkin pie.

Kurt


----------



## csxjohn (Nov 27, 2013)

PigsDad said:


> I have always pre-baked the crust, and then spread a thin layer of apricot preserves on the base of the crust before pouring in the filling.  The sweet and tart of the apricot is a wonderful complement to the pumpkin pie.
> 
> Kurt



I like this idea!!  I'll see if I can get my wife to try this on one of the pies she's going to make today.


----------



## glypnirsgirl (Nov 27, 2013)

PigsDad said:


> I have always pre-baked the crust, and then spread a thin layer of apricot preserves on the base of the crust before pouring in the filling.  The sweet and tart of the apricot is a wonderful complement to the pumpkin pie.
> 
> Kurt



That sounds yummy! I will try that.

elaine


----------



## glypnirsgirl (Nov 27, 2013)

csxjohn said:


> Using the right pumpkins is the trick here.  We used to grow our own, Burpee Triple Treat.  I really can't tell you which are best and if I could you might not know what you're buying anyhow.
> 
> Pumpkins that you buy in the stores are mostly bred for shape and color.  The Triple Treats were shaped nicely for jack-o-lanterns, had great seeds and were excellent for pies.
> 
> ...



I found pie pumpkins --- a small pumpkin with thick walls. It has turned out pretty well. It started out really watery when first removed from the baked pumpkin shell. I then removed it from the shell and cut it into chunks and baked at 450 degrees for 45 minutes - that dried it out too much. 

So, when mashing it, I added some evaporated milk to get it to the right consistency.

I have spiced and mixed the pumpkin part of the filling. It is sitting in the fridge waiting for the eggs and vanilla to be added. I wanted to go ahead and spice and sugar it to make sure that it would taste right --- while still leaving time for the Wednesday trip to the store if necessary --- it won't be.


----------



## glypnirsgirl (Nov 27, 2013)

persia said:


> Shhhh, don't tell anyone, but a pumpkin is a squash.  Pumpkin is species Cucurbita pepo, butternut squash is Cucurbita moschata.  They're kissing cousins.  In the English speaking world outside of North America they are both pumpkins.



Indeed! I did a lot of research about canned pumpkin before trying the fresh pumpkin. 

It turns out that almost all canned pumpkin is actually butternut squash. Even Libby's, which is highly rated, and claims to be "real pumpkin" --- sure looks like butternut squash. They use a hybrid "pumpkin" called Dickinson that looks like a hybrid between butternut squash and pumpkin. Here are the pictures of the Dickinson pumpkins. I did a ton of research to un-earth this information, only to find, just now, when googling the images of the Dickinson pumpkin, to include here, I found an article describing the Libby's pumpkin, in detail. She must have been doing the same research that I had done. 

I am going to go back to the store and buy a can of Libby's and make a second pumpkin pie to do our own taste test.

elaine


----------



## csxjohn (Nov 27, 2013)

Good for you for seeking out and buying the right pumpkins.

After reading the article I think that unless I was growing the pumpkins myself I would not go through the work and would buy the Libby's

Let us know how your comparison works out.


----------



## PigsDad (Nov 27, 2013)

csxjohn said:


> Good for you for seeking out and buying the right pumpkins.



I've never had the patience to try one from scratch; I have always just used the canned "pumkin".



> Let us know how your comparison works out.



Or better yet, send us a slice of each.  I'm sure it will travel well.


----------



## MuranoJo (Nov 27, 2013)

Well, our make-ahead roasted turkey test is on its way!  Roasted the turkey today using True Convection (borrowed csxjohn's idea), and WOW!  It really did cut down on the time and the convection did such a great browning job all around the turkey.  I've never used our convection feature much, simply because I wasn't too sure of the timing, temps and benefits (and the user manual is very sketchy).  

So now everything is in the frig and ready to come out for reheating tomorrow.


----------



## glypnirsgirl (Nov 28, 2013)

My pre-cooked turkey is sitting out in my car. It is 30 degrees here tonight. I ran out of room in the fridge --- so my hatch back is my auxiliary fridge. I have the alarm set for sun up so I don't have to worry about any greenhouse affect. Right now, I am hoping that I don't have an auxiliary freezer!


----------



## glypnirsgirl (Nov 28, 2013)

*Results ---*

deleted - posted in wrong thread.


----------



## laurac260 (Nov 28, 2013)

Of all the threads I have posted in TUG, _this one_ sends me emails every time someone posts in it.  

I have no idea why..?


----------



## laurac260 (Nov 28, 2013)

csxjohn said:


> For ten years I started and developed our church's Care 'n Share program.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I just got up from my chair and changed my oven to the convection setting!  Thanks for the tip, and kudos to you for all your efforts with care-n-share!  

Me, my husband started "nagging" ( I say that with _love_) to pre-prep all my stuff a few days ahead.  I do this, mostly, well, sometimes, when I make Thanksgiving.  This year all my pies are done, I baked a breast ahead of time (wish I had read this thread thoroughly _before_ I baked it… ) and all my sides are prepared, in foil trays, foil wrapped, and marked and ready to go in the oven.  The only thing I will have to "make" today is the mashers, and gravy.   Tom is in the oven baking away!  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!


----------



## csxjohn (Nov 28, 2013)

laurac260 said:


> Of all the threads I have posted in TUG, _this one_ sends me emails every time someone posts in it.
> 
> I have no idea why..?



Somehow you subscribed to the thread and requested email notification.  Or at least the site thinks you did that.

You can click on "user CP" in the top blue bar and down the left hand side near the bottom you can cancel the subscription if you wish.

If you want notification use the "thread tools" link in the blue bar just above the posts.


----------



## csxjohn (Nov 28, 2013)

laurac260 said:


> I just got up from my chair and changed my oven to the convection setting!  Thanks for the tip, and kudos to you for all your efforts with care-n-share!
> 
> Me, my husband started "nagging" ( I say that with _love_) to pre-prep all my stuff a few days ahead.  I do this, mostly, well, sometimes, when I make Thanksgiving.  This year all my pies are done, I baked a breast ahead of time (wish I had read this thread thoroughly _before_ I baked it… ) and all my sides are prepared, in foil trays, foil wrapped, and marked and ready to go in the oven.  The only thing I will have to "make" today is the mashers, and gravy.   Tom is in the oven baking away!  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!



Thank you.

One thing we did was put plastic wrap over the pans then foil to prevent discoloring from the foil, especially green beans.  Just remember to remove the plastic before reheating.


----------



## laurac260 (Nov 28, 2013)

csxjohn said:


> Somehow you subscribed to the thread and requested email notification.  Or at least the site thinks you did that.
> 
> You can click on "user CP" in the top blue bar and down the left hand side near the bottom you can cancel the subscription if you wish.
> 
> If you want notification use the "thread tools" link in the blue bar just above the posts.



ha!  Learn something new every day!  Thanks !


----------



## MuranoJo (Nov 30, 2013)

Success!  Pre-made turkey does work!  Everyone loved the dinner and we still have enough left-overs for a few cold turkey sandwiches.  I have to say, the most compliments I got were for my gravy.  Not bragging, just fact.  

Thanks to csxjohn, I've reawakended to the powers of the convection features of my oven and I'll never go back.


----------



## easyrider (Nov 30, 2013)

glypnirsgirl said:


> I had never heard of this and had to google it. Sounds like how to make a turkey taste Italian with the fennel seeds and rosemary. Sounds awesome except for this statement about deboning the turkey. "Warning: This is not for the faint of heart. You will become one with turkey slime."
> 
> I have deboned many chickens for doing something similar --- and that requires some skill. I can't imagine man-handling a turkey and "becoming one with turkey slime" regardless of how good the result.
> 
> ...



Everyone really liked this. One of our guests is a very good cook and he thumbs up it.

Skinning and de-boning the turkey took 90 minutes. The skin gets scraped to get rid of excess fat. The meat and skin went into different brines. The next day the meat was rinsed and then marinated for a day. This took another 45 minutes.

On Thanksgiving morning I started the stuffing. It started with fresh wheat bread processed to pea sized. Boiled the turkey carcass for broth. Mixed all the ingredients and it tasted very good. This took 2 hours.

Placed the cheeses cloth and twine on a cutting board after soaking with olive oil. Placed the turkey skin on the cheese cloth then a layer of stuffing and finally the marinated turkey. Wrapped and tied the turkey and doused it with olive oil. In the roasting pan I placed celery, onion , fresh rosemary, white wine and other ingredients before the turkey was placed in the roasting rack.

It took 6 hours to get to 165 internal temp because of the rolling and basting the turkeys. I made two. One very Italian and one country style.  

The gravy was the vermouth gravy and I used the turkey stock I made earlier in the day. It was so good. I didn't make enough of this for seconds to all that had seconds.

The cranberries were fresh and cooked with sugar and juice. The juice was half cranberry and half orange. I didn't make enough of this for seconds.

The recipe is pretty much this.
http://www.chow.com/recipes/29031-turchetta

I have two more turkeys to cook this weekend for left overs. Im cooking these in the smoker.

Bill


----------



## AnnaS (Nov 30, 2013)

We always stuff the turkey (we use the rice/meat/raisins/celery/onion, etc. combination).  This is the second year I started to make the bread stuffing on the side also.

Never cooked it earlier.  Try to time what time we will be serving it (and let it sit a bit before carving).  We like to serve it on a platter - gotta see the whole turkey  - 

The last few years we are never more than ten people but can see extra people soon and will definitely consider catering it (maybe make the turkey home and order some other platters).  We also have two ovens to use.  Will figure it out then.

Definitely love, love the left overs - enjoy them and taste better the next day.  We do bake a pie or two the day before.  Boil the Broccoli Rabi (we don't stink up the house the day of).  Might prepare an extra dish the day earlier also.  

We also definitely need to make less food....... way too much all the time.

Hope everyone had a great one.


----------



## csxjohn (Nov 30, 2013)

muranojo said:


> Success!  Pre-made turkey does work!  Everyone loved the dinner and we still have enough left-overs for a few cold turkey sandwiches.  I have to say, the most compliments I got were for my gravy.  Not bragging, just fact.
> 
> Thanks to csxjohn, I've reawakended to the powers of the convection features of my oven and I'll never go back.



I'm happy that it worked out for you.

I hope everyone who made the turkey ahead of time for the first time had the same results.


----------



## glypnirsgirl (Nov 30, 2013)

easyrider said:


> Everyone really liked this. One of our guests is a very good cook and he thumbs up it.
> 
> Skinning and de-boning the turkey took 90 minutes. The skin gets scraped to get rid of excess fat. The meat and skin went into different brines. The next day the meat was rinsed and then marinated for a day. This took another 45 minutes.
> 
> ...



Sounds awesome!!! What a lot of work --- I thought that I counted about 12 hours total working time. 

Was it worth it?


----------



## easyrider (Dec 3, 2013)

I agree, it was alot of work and if you count all of the behind the scenes time Im sure it was closer to 18 hours. When I have the time I like to cook when its cold out. This really tasted great but Im over it. 

The next 2 turkeys went into the turkey fryer and both were done in less than 2 hours. I like plain ole turkey with a bit of salt and pepper just as much as, or possibly even more than the hard recipes.

Bill


----------

