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Recipe of the Month
Holiday Meals
Appetizers and Snacks
Main Dishes
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Desserts
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Glycemic Index Recipes
Post A Recipe
Other Resources
Diet and Nutrition Articles
First of all, why should you take advice from me about your holiday dinner? Who am I? Well, I'll tell you who I'm not. I'm not Martha Stewart. So if you've got delusions of Martha-hood (and unlimited time to futz around in the kitchen and do things the hard way), then this is definitely not for you!
Okay, now that we've got that out of the way, let me present my bona fides on this subject. First, I've been married (to the same man) for what will be 45 years at the end of December, 2008. Mother of two. Grandmother of three. And, oh, yeah, I've been a full-time working mom and/or grandmother for almost all of that time. I've also cooked Thanksgiving and--most years--Christmas dinner for about 42 of those 45 years, so I've done this a few times, and my holiday dinners get rave reviews from all comers.
1. Advance Preparation
If you're a working mom, and you're cooking Thanksgiving dinner, make it easy on yourself--shop early! Make up your menu and shopping list and buy the stuff at least the weekend before. If you can spread the shopping out over two or three weekends, even better! It'll take less time out of any one precious day off, and you can spread the cost over more than one paycheck. :) And don't worry, if you forget something, well . . . Wal-Mart is open, even on Thanksgiving, and it'll give your husband/significant other something to do besides stand around asking, "is it done, yet?" More on what to buy later. Now, on to the most important part:
2. The Turkey
There is nothing more stressful than having a whole houseful of people waiting around for the turkey to be done while everything else slowly congeals/bakes into inedibility. Fortunately, there is a way to avoid this nightmare scenario:
Cook the turkey Wednesay night. This eliminates the whole "waiting for the turkey to be done" thing. Unfortunately, it's not a process you can rush-unless you enjoy your turkey pleasingly pink or bloody raw in the middle. We like ours cooked all the way through, but that's just us.
For more details on this, click this link for 6 Steps to a Perfect Turkey, or, if you want to cook the stuffing inside the turkey, see 6 Easy Steps to Stuffing a Turkey.
3. Priorities
Okay, now that we've got that out of the way, let me present my bona fides on this subject. First, I've been married (to the same man) for what will be 45 years at the end of December, 2008. Mother of two. Grandmother of three. And, oh, yeah, I've been a full-time working mom and/or grandmother for almost all of that time. I've also cooked Thanksgiving and--most years--Christmas dinner for about 42 of those 45 years, so I've done this a few times, and my holiday dinners get rave reviews from all comers.
1. Advance Preparation
If you're a working mom, and you're cooking Thanksgiving dinner, make it easy on yourself--shop early! Make up your menu and shopping list and buy the stuff at least the weekend before. If you can spread the shopping out over two or three weekends, even better! It'll take less time out of any one precious day off, and you can spread the cost over more than one paycheck. :) And don't worry, if you forget something, well . . . Wal-Mart is open, even on Thanksgiving, and it'll give your husband/significant other something to do besides stand around asking, "is it done, yet?" More on what to buy later. Now, on to the most important part:
2. The Turkey
There is nothing more stressful than having a whole houseful of people waiting around for the turkey to be done while everything else slowly congeals/bakes into inedibility. Fortunately, there is a way to avoid this nightmare scenario:
Cook the turkey Wednesay night. This eliminates the whole "waiting for the turkey to be done" thing. Unfortunately, it's not a process you can rush-unless you enjoy your turkey pleasingly pink or bloody raw in the middle. We like ours cooked all the way through, but that's just us.
For more details on this, click this link for 6 Steps to a Perfect Turkey, or, if you want to cook the stuffing inside the turkey, see 6 Easy Steps to Stuffing a Turkey.
3. Priorities
If you're a working mom, it's a given that you have multiple people and projects clamoring for your attention, especially this time of year! But you're only one person, and there are only so many hours in the day. So do yourself a favor, and don't get hung up on that "perfect holiday meal" thing. You know--the one where everything has to be homemade from scratch, or it's just not good enough. Here's my feeling on that: Horsefeathers.
Now is the time to decide what--apart from the turkey--your priorities for the meal are. Identify which things have no easy-prep or ready-made alternative that really works. For me, there are a three: mashed potatoes, gravy and cranberry salad. Long ago my family got addicted to my grandmother's cranberry/orange molded salad, which is way more intense than canned cranberry sauce. We would no more eat canned cranberry sauce with turkey than we would decide to have Spaghettios for Thanksgiving, instead of the usual fare. We don't do instant mashed potatoes, either. So. Real potatoes, done the hard way, it is. And home-made gravy. I've yet to find a canned or jarred substitute for real, homemade turkey gravy that passed muster. If you're unsure how to make it, see Four Easy Steps To Perfect Turkey Gravy.
But those are my priorities. Yours may be different. Just decide what they are, then look for time-saving alternatives to the rest. Like stuffing. I have two words for you: Stove Top. It's hard to beat, takes way less time than home-made, and they'll scarf it up just as readily as they would that recipe you slaved over for hours. If you want homemade, melt the butter the Stove-Top directions call for in a skillet, throw some chopped onion and celery in with it, saute them until the onions turn translucent, then dump it all in with the stuffing mix (which, by the way works great to cook in the microwave. 6 minutes from microwave to table--that's my kind of recipe.) You can add other stuff too - pecans, mushrooms, dried cranberries and/or apples--whatever your little heart desires, and voila--"homemade" stuffing.
Desserts: Pumpkin pie? Pecan pie? It's practically impossible to make them for less than the fresh-made ones in the bakery department of your local store, and you'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference between them and "homemade". If you must, though, these two are good choices, because either of them is ridiculously easy to make, if you use a frozen or ready-made pie crust.
Veggies: Heck, if you're into the traditional green bean casserole, you can even buy THAT ready-made! Candied yams? Canned ones save a little prep time, and every little bit helps. You can mash them with spices, cover them with brown sugar, cinnamon and marshmallows, etc., and voila -- "homemade" candied yams.
Bread: You can buy pretty darned good ready made bread and rolls in the bakery department. If you want the homemade look and taste, frozen bread loaves and/or rolls will give you both. You just have to remember to put them out in pans first thing in the morning so they'll have time to thaw and rise.
Which brings us to the fourth thing:
4. Timing
Now is the time to decide what--apart from the turkey--your priorities for the meal are. Identify which things have no easy-prep or ready-made alternative that really works. For me, there are a three: mashed potatoes, gravy and cranberry salad. Long ago my family got addicted to my grandmother's cranberry/orange molded salad, which is way more intense than canned cranberry sauce. We would no more eat canned cranberry sauce with turkey than we would decide to have Spaghettios for Thanksgiving, instead of the usual fare. We don't do instant mashed potatoes, either. So. Real potatoes, done the hard way, it is. And home-made gravy. I've yet to find a canned or jarred substitute for real, homemade turkey gravy that passed muster. If you're unsure how to make it, see Four Easy Steps To Perfect Turkey Gravy.
But those are my priorities. Yours may be different. Just decide what they are, then look for time-saving alternatives to the rest. Like stuffing. I have two words for you: Stove Top. It's hard to beat, takes way less time than home-made, and they'll scarf it up just as readily as they would that recipe you slaved over for hours. If you want homemade, melt the butter the Stove-Top directions call for in a skillet, throw some chopped onion and celery in with it, saute them until the onions turn translucent, then dump it all in with the stuffing mix (which, by the way works great to cook in the microwave. 6 minutes from microwave to table--that's my kind of recipe.) You can add other stuff too - pecans, mushrooms, dried cranberries and/or apples--whatever your little heart desires, and voila--"homemade" stuffing.
Desserts: Pumpkin pie? Pecan pie? It's practically impossible to make them for less than the fresh-made ones in the bakery department of your local store, and you'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference between them and "homemade". If you must, though, these two are good choices, because either of them is ridiculously easy to make, if you use a frozen or ready-made pie crust.
Veggies: Heck, if you're into the traditional green bean casserole, you can even buy THAT ready-made! Candied yams? Canned ones save a little prep time, and every little bit helps. You can mash them with spices, cover them with brown sugar, cinnamon and marshmallows, etc., and voila -- "homemade" candied yams.
Bread: You can buy pretty darned good ready made bread and rolls in the bakery department. If you want the homemade look and taste, frozen bread loaves and/or rolls will give you both. You just have to remember to put them out in pans first thing in the morning so they'll have time to thaw and rise.
Which brings us to the fourth thing:
4. Timing
The secret to cooking any meal, I discovered long ago, is timing. You don't want the meat to be hot and the potatoes and gravy stone-cold. The way you avoid that, is timing. That simply means you have to think about what cooks fast and what doesn't, so you'll know what to prepare in advance and what needs to be done at the last minute. You need to consider cooking times, prep time, special requirements such as long chilling times for molded salads. By figuring out the timing in advance and acting accordingly, you eliminate the hot meat/cold potato thing and save yourself the stress of ending up with underdone meat and scorched rolls. Timing of a large, elaborate holiday meal can be a little trickier, because there are so many elements to it, but just think it through, and you'll be fine.
The night before: Turkey. My preference is to cook it overnight, since you want it done well in advance of mealtime. Also molded salads or desserts; cold desserts like Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake,or no-bake pies need to be done the day or night before. You can also do baked desserts like pumpkin or pecan pies a day or two before. If you've got plenty of refrigerator room, things like the molded salads/desserts, pies, etc. can be made a couple of days ahead of time, too, then refrigerated, as they won't suffer for sitting a day or two.
Holiday morning: pour broth/drippings from turkey into a large pan to cool and let the fat rise to the top, then skim most of it off. Pre-assemble dishes to bake such as veggie casseroles, candied yams, etc. Peel the potatoes and submerge them in a pan of cool water to prevent them turning brown. Cut any veggies like celery and onions for stuffing at this time, too. Put them on a saucer or paper plate covered with plastic wrap or foil and stick them in the fridge.
Two hours before the meal: Put potatoes on to boil. (Let the water come to a boil before you put the cut potatoes in, and you'll save about 30 minutes of cooking time). Set the table. When the potatoes are done (a fork stuck through them moves easily without encountering any "hard" spots, remove from heat, but leave submerged in cooking water. If you're making stuffing outside the bird--even if you're using a Stove Top type--assemble it now and set aside. This is one thing you can't do too far ahead--you don't want stuffing sitting around growing bacteria for too long before it cooks. For Stove-Top type, use a microwave-safe dish. Slice the turkey--unless you like to do a big production of carving the bird at the table.
Pre-heat oven and put dishes such as candied yams, green bean casserole, etc. In to bake. If making candied yams, don't put the marshmallows on top until the last five minutes of baking
time. If you're making home-made stuffing outside the bird, put it into the oven.
In the last hour: Remove yams, veggie casseroles, etc. From oven.
Place brown 'n' serve or ready made rolls/bread on a baking sheet. (don't put them in until about 10 minutes before you plan to eat.)
Heat broth to boiling and make gravy. If you're using Stove-Top stuffing, put it in the microwave and cook on high for six minutes. You'll want to remove the lid and fluff with a fork just before serving.
Drain and mash the potatoes, cover to keep warm.
Put bread in the oven and start putting potatoes, veggies, stuffing, etc. Into serving dishes, if they're not already in them. Pour gravy into gravy boat. Start putting food on table or buffet, and ice into glasses, if serving cold drinks. If you're serving coffee, start it now. Remove rolls/bread from oven, transfer to a plate or dish lined with a clean dish towel and cover to keep warm. Serve them inside the towel. If you pre-sliced the turkey and it has cooled too much, cover platter with waxed paper and reheat for 1 minute on high in the microwave.
Bring out cold molded salads and place on table or buffet, along with salt and pepper, butter dish, etc. Put the platter of turkey on the table or carve the bird at the table, and enjoy your holiday meal!
The night before: Turkey. My preference is to cook it overnight, since you want it done well in advance of mealtime. Also molded salads or desserts; cold desserts like Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake,or no-bake pies need to be done the day or night before. You can also do baked desserts like pumpkin or pecan pies a day or two before. If you've got plenty of refrigerator room, things like the molded salads/desserts, pies, etc. can be made a couple of days ahead of time, too, then refrigerated, as they won't suffer for sitting a day or two.
Holiday morning: pour broth/drippings from turkey into a large pan to cool and let the fat rise to the top, then skim most of it off. Pre-assemble dishes to bake such as veggie casseroles, candied yams, etc. Peel the potatoes and submerge them in a pan of cool water to prevent them turning brown. Cut any veggies like celery and onions for stuffing at this time, too. Put them on a saucer or paper plate covered with plastic wrap or foil and stick them in the fridge.
Two hours before the meal: Put potatoes on to boil. (Let the water come to a boil before you put the cut potatoes in, and you'll save about 30 minutes of cooking time). Set the table. When the potatoes are done (a fork stuck through them moves easily without encountering any "hard" spots, remove from heat, but leave submerged in cooking water. If you're making stuffing outside the bird--even if you're using a Stove Top type--assemble it now and set aside. This is one thing you can't do too far ahead--you don't want stuffing sitting around growing bacteria for too long before it cooks. For Stove-Top type, use a microwave-safe dish. Slice the turkey--unless you like to do a big production of carving the bird at the table.
Pre-heat oven and put dishes such as candied yams, green bean casserole, etc. In to bake. If making candied yams, don't put the marshmallows on top until the last five minutes of baking
time. If you're making home-made stuffing outside the bird, put it into the oven.
In the last hour: Remove yams, veggie casseroles, etc. From oven.
Place brown 'n' serve or ready made rolls/bread on a baking sheet. (don't put them in until about 10 minutes before you plan to eat.)
Heat broth to boiling and make gravy. If you're using Stove-Top stuffing, put it in the microwave and cook on high for six minutes. You'll want to remove the lid and fluff with a fork just before serving.
Drain and mash the potatoes, cover to keep warm.
Put bread in the oven and start putting potatoes, veggies, stuffing, etc. Into serving dishes, if they're not already in them. Pour gravy into gravy boat. Start putting food on table or buffet, and ice into glasses, if serving cold drinks. If you're serving coffee, start it now. Remove rolls/bread from oven, transfer to a plate or dish lined with a clean dish towel and cover to keep warm. Serve them inside the towel. If you pre-sliced the turkey and it has cooled too much, cover platter with waxed paper and reheat for 1 minute on high in the microwave.
Bring out cold molded salads and place on table or buffet, along with salt and pepper, butter dish, etc. Put the platter of turkey on the table or carve the bird at the table, and enjoy your holiday meal!
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