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The key to making Thanksgiving dinner is planning. If you organize your time over several weeks, Thanksgiving day itself will be more pleasant. Whether you're an old hand, or a novice, this page will help you learn how to make Thanksgiving dinner without the stress.
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Thanksgiving Meal Cooked In An Easy-Bake Oven
Jeff Houck, of The Tampa Tribune prepares an entire Thanksgiving dinner in two Easy Bake Ovens in the video produced by Tampa Bay Online. Recipes prepared include green bean casserole, stuffing, cheese covered mashed potatoes, yams, and turkey breast with gravy. The culinary adventure is humorous, and produces mixed results.
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Several Weeks Ahead
Planning for Thanksgiving can begin 3 to 5 weeks ahead. Confirm how many people you'll be hosting, and begin preparing for a great Thanksgiving dinner.
Plan Your Thanksgiving Menu
- Planning the menu may be simple, if you come from a family that uses the same recipes year after year. If not, you'll want to plan a menu that includes:
- Depending on your family's preferences, you may also want to include creamed onions, mashed turnips, or other special dishes. Some Italian families serve lasagna or ravioli before dinner.
- Gather all the recipes, and come up with a comprehensive shopping list
Prepare And Freeze Foods Where Possible
- Some foods can be made ahead and frozen. Consider making your cranberry sauce, vegetable casseroles, and fruit pies ahead of time and freezing them. You'll be able to relax knowing that some of your Thanksgiving dinner is ready and waiting in your freezer.
One Week Ahead
Grocery Shopping
You'll be able to do most of your grocery shopping a week before the main event. Before shopping, clear out your refrigerator to make room for all the supplies you'll be bringing in. If you're buying a frozen turkey, you may need to start thawing it in the refrigerator a week ahead of time, depending on how big a bird you have.
Gather Equipment Needed
Review your recipes and serving plans to make sure you have all the equipment you need. You may need an extra large roasting pan, or a few extra crock pots to keep the side dishes warm.
Day Before
Everything except the turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes can be assembled today. you can even make gravy ahead of time. Purchase several turkey drumsticks and roast them, using the drippings to prepare your Thanksgiving gravy. You can add to the gravy on Thanksgiving, but having it prepared the day before will relief any last minute stress.Set the table the day before as well. You'll feel festive when you wake up Thanksgiving morning to a dining room that's gleaming with your formal china, crystal, and silver.
Thanksgiving Day
- Prepare stuffing, and get the turkey in the oven early. Plan on having the turkey done about an hour before you eat, so the juices will settle before its carved.
- Peel the potatoes in the morning, and leave them in a pot of ice water to prevent discoloration.
- About an hour and a half before dinner, retrieve all the food you prepared previously from the freezer and the refrigerator, and begin its final preparation.
- Start the coffee pot before sitting down to dinner, and relax and enjoy the meal.
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