Cut the chaos this Thanksgiving with a little careful planning and preparation. We're turning to Target's celebrity chef partner and kitchen virtuoso Giada DeLaurentiis for some practical tips on Turkey day timing.
Just a dash of strategy can make Thanksgiving dinner a stress-free success. Giada's guide for a calm, cool, and delicious turkey day is a great plan for anyone hosting a big Thanksgiving dinner.
4-6 hours before:
- Stuff the turkey and get it in the oven (Leave room for sides)
- Prepare and refrigerate any last-minute sides you were unable to prepare ahead of time
- Chill beverages (use a cooler with ice to free up the fridge)
- Set the table
2 hours before:
- Make mashed potatoes
- Prepare and arrange appetizers and condiments
- Set out serving dishes and utensils
- Make sure the dishwasher is empty
1 hour before:
- Cook or reheat sides
- Set up a beverage station (don't forget ice water)
- Wash, dry, and put away any dishes in the sink
1/2 hour before:
- Remove the turkey from the oven 30 minutes before carving
- Make the gravy, dress the salad, warm the rolls
- Turn oven off and put pre-baked pies in to warm
- Light candles
- Start the coffee just as you sit down to dinner
Handy kitchen gadgets can also be big T-day time-savers. The Kitchen Essentials® from Calphalon® Hard-Anodized Nonstick Roaster with Rack features a large rack for hefty birds, and its non-stick surface will be a life-saver when it's time to do the dishes.
A sturdy baster is a Thanksgiving essential. We like the Oxo Turkey Baster, which features an ergonomically-designed bulb and comes with a brush for thorough cleaning.
Thanksgiving is also a good time to replace worn kitchenware and re-invest in sturdy basics, like the Giada De Laurentiis™ for Target® 10-pc. Stainless Steel Cookset. It's a steal at $119.99. For roasting veggies, we like using a deep ceramic dish that's pretty enough to bring to the table, like Giada's Ceramic Lasagna Pan. Of course, it's perfect for lasagna too!
For more Thanksgiving kitchen essentials, shop in-store or visit Target.com and check out the Target Holiday Home Catalog for more inspiration and ideas for a very happy holiday season.
Images: Target
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A sturdy baster is NOT essential. Basting your turkey is a waste of effort. And it results in a drier turkey that takes longer to roast.
Think about it! Think about the turkey skin you've seen and eaten. It's almost impermeable. It does not let juices and fats in once it dries in the oven and begins to cook. So when you baste, all you're doing is drying the turkey out by cooling the oven down and making the turkey take longer to cook.
For a juicy bird, start with a quality turkey, thaw it correctly, roast it breast-down and don't over-cook it.
That's the secret, my friends. Truly!
And brine, people. It is the magical step to a perfect turkey. Air-dry the turkey the night before you bake it too, that makes the skin SUPER crispy!
The last two turkey basters we had both cracked... one due to sucking up the hot turkey juice (what the heck?) and the other due to 3 minutes with my toddler... thinking there's no point in replacing it.
Salting is now preferred to brining. Meat is still juicy but results in crispy skin too. http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/cooking-science/2012/11/we-prove-it-salt-makes-meat-juicy-and-skin-crisp/
http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/11/the-food-lab-thanksgiving-special-turkey-101.html?ref=search
I've never understood why cooking a basic meal like a roast turkey and a few sides could be considered as 'stressful'.