While most of you are still in the turkey-thawing part of your week, we had our Thanksgiving with the kids and grandkids last Saturday. On Thanksgiving Day, Nathan’s family will be in Florida, Sarah and Gage will be in Fayetteville, and Steve and I will be with his brothers here in Charlotte.
Here are a few notes from my meal prep this year.
Have you seen the potato peeling tip where you use a knife to score around the center of potatoes before boiling them? After cooking, you put the potatoes in a 10-second ice bath and the peels slip right off.
I decided to try it this year and it really does work.
However. After getting the potatoes into the pan, it occurred to me that since they were all different sizes, they were all going to get done at different times. Because of that, I had to hover over the potato pan like a concerned mother hen, worriedly poking variously sized potatoes to see if this one or that one was done. If it was sufficiently soft, I had to give it the icy dunk before sliding off the peel and putting it into another receptacle before resuming my hovering over the remaining spuds.
By the end of this process, I was left with melted ice and lots of slimy potato skins floating around. Although the method does work, I probably won’t try it again.
I can’t tell you how much I love my battery-operated can opener since arthritis makes regular ones difficult to use. You just attach it to the top of the can, hit the start button and it does all the work. By the way, making green bean casserole is the only time of the year I buy cream of mushroom soup. Other than that, I am not a fan of mushrooms.
Back when Vernie was in charge of holiday meals, it always amazed me that she had the wherewithal to do all the things at the last minute, even with a bunch of people crowding her kitchen. She would mash the potatoes, make the gravy, and get someone to carve the turkey and ham, all within a few minutes of sitting down to eat.
Vernie made it look effortless but after trying it once or twice, I realized I didn’t have the nerves or the courage to pull off such a cooking feat. And so, over the years, I have become a curator of make-ahead recipes. Some of these recipes can be made days or even weeks ahead and stored in the freezer.
To further simplify my life, I have even stopped doing a whole turkey or even a turkey breast. Instead, I buy seasoned turkey tenderloins which only have to be plopped on a cookie sheet. After cooking, I slice them, put them on an oven-safe plate sprinkled with some broth, and store the plate in the fridge. When it’s time for dinner, I put the plate in the oven and the broth keeps everything from drying out. I also make green bean casserole, potatoes, and gravy ahead.
And speaking of gravy, this year Steve and I went all out and used a recipe that had 15 ingredients. (The recipe is at the end of the post.) He did most of the work and I just did the last step. All of us at the table were in unanimous agreement that it was pretty much the best gravy we had ever put in our mouths.
You can tell this is my plate because the potatoes and gravy are the predominant items.
This year, I created an organizational chart since a variety of food was being brought in and there were various baking times and temperatures to keep track of. Anything I can do do simplify the process! (The “person” column is to keep track of who is bringing what.)
If you’re like me, you’ve saved a lot of recipes online and you access them on your phone when it’s time to cook. That started making me a little crazy for several reasons: half the time, I couldn’t find my phone, a particular website would have popups, or I’d have to scroll back and forth between ingredients and steps.
I finally got it in my head that for big meals, I would print the recipes out and tape them to the cupboard. I didn’t lose them and I didn’t have to scroll. Win-win!
This is a small thing, but for years I have put my electric knife and mixer together in a plastic basket and also stored the beaters and the blades in the same basket. For years, I would have to search all over to locate those items because I didn’t use them very much and could never remember where they were. It’s a simple change but it cuts down on cooking frustration by at least 8.9%.
As I was deep in the throes of cooking Saturday morning, I sent a message to Sarah and Meagan on our family FB page and said, “To my daughters. It’s always important to have a tidy kitchen when you are cooking.” Nathan responded, “Mom, thanks for leading by example.” Made me laugh.
Eventually, the meal got made and Steve whisked in behind me to clean up, the way Sarah always did when she was at home. (The main difference between the the two of them is that my current whisk-er has whiskers! (Groan)
The first thing the kids did when they arrived was to swarm Uncle Gage to see what new game he had for them.
And then it was outside for a little bit of leaf-jumping.
My back had been hurting all day and Sarah and Meagan jumped in there to help, telling me several times, “Go sit down, Mom. We can do this.” How did I get so blessed?
And yes, I did sit down for a while while they kept on working.
Madison even got into the act, putting together a relish tray.
Finally, it was time to start calling people to come and eat.
Before we started the meal, we joined hands in the kitchen and, in place of a traditional prayer, we sang the hymn, “Great is Thy Faithfulness.”
The last note was replete with all manner of Smith/Long harmonies as we gave thanks as a family for His faithfulness through the years.
To stand and sing in the same kitchen where I first came as a 17-year old and where both Nathan and Sarah both came as newborns was amazing. I could almost hear Ken and Vernie’s voices joining in, welcoming us all over again to this new chapter for their old home.
His faithfulness is great, indeed.
What about you?
What tips and tricks have you learned for preparing a large meal?
Do you leave the turkey carving, gravy, and potato-mashing till right before you eat or do you like to make things ahead?
Have you ever done the potato ice bath before?
Do you make a whole turkey? Turkey breast?
Any helpful tips to share with everyone who is cooking this week?
I have the can opener. Due to arthritic hands. I love it! so worth it!
We do not always do traditional meals for holidays. We did soup and ham rolls with my family this year. Veg Beef, Taco, and potato soups. Of course there were many desserts too. 🙂
Thanksgiving dinner with my husband’s side of the family was cancelled due to 3 had covid 🙁
When we do turkey, I do a turkey breast in my crock pot. I am in for anything you can do ahead of time. Potatoes have to be fresh and hot. 🙂
I am blessed to have family that always pitches in on cooking and cleaning!!
Eswim,
Glad you have discovered that can opener, too!
I love that you sometimes do non-traditional foods for Thanksgiving. In other words, you’re just making your own traditions!
I hate hearing that Covid is going around again; 3 family members having it at the same time is a lot!
When I had Thanksgiving, it was the whole turkey. Think a couple times I saved the bones to make turkey soup. This year I bowed out and our daughter said she would have Thanksgiving. I brought Cowboy Caviar for an appetizer (dinner was later). The whole meal was fantastic. Told her if she needed any old help (she has 3 daughters and a daughter-in-law that are the newer helpers), I would help but was able to sit back and relax. You had some great tips – thanks for sharing those. I do have a picture holder that is holding my mom’s cookbook (think 40’s) but there are times that I will take one of my recipes from my 3 ring binder and just stick it underneath the door to the cupboard and it’s very handy to do it that way. Have never done the potato icebath – not sure if I will but very interesting. Know you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Sharyn,
How wonderful you got to sit back and enjoy this year after putting together so many Thanksgiving dinners over the years!
I’ve never have Cowboy Caviar but have heard it’s really good. Will have to give that a try.
Yes, turkey bones do make wonderful soup, as well as ham bones. ‘Tis the season for soup!
Happy Thanksgiving! Just curious, where did you get your can opener? I have no strength left in my hands to use a regular can opener anymore.
Hi Mary,
I got it from Amazon. You can look under Kitchen Mama Auto Electric Can Opener. It’s not real speedy but it gets the job done beautifully.
I am so grateful to have a can opener I can actually use!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and all of your wonderful family! Joy abounds
Lesley,
Right back to you and your sweet family. Enjoy!
I had never heard of the potato ice bath before, but it sounds interesting. We do a whole turkey and I enjoy “doctoring” that up. Last year my youngest daughter & I came up with a garlic butter paste that we put under the skin before cooking and it turned out quite tasty. I make up my broccoli cassarole ahead of time so that it just needs baking. Most of us in the kitchen is what makes Thanksgiving my favorite holiday. And I think this year everyone is coming here, which makes things much easier than transporting most (rolls, turkey, casserole, my daughter’s declious roasted baby pototoes and 5+ mac & cheese) across town. Wishing you all safe travels, whether far or near and you continue to celebrate with family.
Sue Ellen,
A garlic butter paste sounds wonderful! It’s kind of fun to experiment with new ideas.
Yes, I agree. That is a lot to transport. Enjoy hosting and enjoy your family and your good food!
I make as much as I can ahead of time except for the mashed potatoes. Those wait to the end. I don’t like reheated potatoes. I cook my turkey ahead, de-bone it and then slowly heat it in the crock pot with some broth on the day. That frees up oven space. Sometimes we totally do something different. One year we did Mexican. One year we did Italian. Lol Whatever strikes our fancy! This year I get to go to my son’s house and be a guest. I can’t wait!!
Lee Anne,
I know. Isn’t it great to be a guest and not have to host every once in a while? Ahhh . . .
I like your idea of the sliced turkey kept warm in the crockpot. Anything to cut down on the stress 10 minutes before sitting down.
I also like the idea of having food other than a traditional turkey menu. That makes it so much fun. Enjoy your time with your son and your family!
We are cooking for 27 in my mom’s kitchen–luckily it is a relatively spacious kitchen! We all start assembling on Wednesday, cooking a few things that can sit in the fridge overnight. We will have soup and salad for dinner together on Wednesday, and on Thursday all 27 will join together to cook the main meal. Our menu is:
– Turkey
– Mashed potatoes
– Green beans
– Sweet potato/kale/gruyere gratin
– Delicata squash
– 2 green salads
– Bread
– Cranberries and gravy
– Apple, berry, and pumpkin pies
Friday we will have leftovers for lunch and build-your-own-pizzas for dinner. 3 days of food and family 🙂
Robin,
I liked that you have your menu planned even for Wednesday night; something simple and delicious. And how fun to have build-your-own pizzas on the lineup. You guys are really organized!
Your gratin sounds very interesting; love how different it is.
Enjoy the family, the food, and the thanksgivings!
I’ll try to be brief. We’re having a bit of a traveling Thanksgiving… the meal itself at my son’s house, dessert and cheese board and games at my apartment. The entrees will be turkey cooked in a slow cooker, roast beef and do-it-yourself pizza. My grandsons won’t eat cooked veggies, so I volunteered to bring crudite’. I kind of went crazy in Trader Joe’s so there will be 10 items on the crudite’ board.
The previous 2 years we did take out, first crab, the next year Colombian.
We’ve become holiday rebels. I can’t wait to see what we do about Christmas dinner!!
Jan,
It’s so easy to go crazy in Trader Joe’s. They have the best stuff.
I love the thought of being a holiday rebel! Hopefully, Christmas will be replete with even more rebellious, delicious ideas.