Thanksgiving Countdown Checklist

The day is drawing near, time to write a checklist and get this train moving!
These are some general chores that I do to get ready to cook my Thanksgiving meal. Hope they help!

Tuesday

**If you are reading this on Tues. evening, and you still have last minute items to buy for cooking day tomorrow, GO NOW!! The stores are not as crowded and you will then save time tomorrow for cooking.


-Brine turkey
-Make stock with giblets for gravy and stuffing.
-Buy last minute items, for me it will be the fruit for the fruit tray.
-Pull china and silver and glassware to be cleaned, if necessary.
-Iron tablecloth and napkins, in necessary
-Make cranberry sauce
-Chop celery and onion and any other ingredients for stuffing and put in zip lock bag.
-Have a glass of wine..you are ahead of the game.

WEDNESDAY

-Take turkey out of brine and dry off. Put in fridge if cooking Thursday.
-Break down turkey, if not cooking whole, into whole breast and leg and thigh. Keep leg and thigh attached. This is the same as doing it to a chicken..bigger but the same principle. Don't be timid, you can do it. This will cut cooking time, if you are not putting whole turkey on table.
-Get turkey in oven.
-Make stuffing.
-Make Mac and Cheese
-Make Gravy
-Slice cooled, cooked turkey.
-Make Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Mash
-Make fruit platter.
-Put any relishes, cole slaw, pickles, celery, etc..in bowls, wrap and put in fridge.
-Set the table
-Have a glass of wine! You are ready for Thursday.

I am not serving the turkey whole on Thursday so I cook and slice on Wednesday evening and re-heat on Thursday with some turkey or chicken stock to re-moisten.
Cooking the bird without the legs cuts down cooking time and helps ensure moist meat.

Making the starch items a day ahead also saves time but more importantly, stove space. The only thing I would make on Thursday is fresh mashed potatoes. But, that is just me. It is perfectly alright to make them Wed. evening too.

***Remember to take the heavy starch items out of fridge Thursday morning to re-heat. If they go from fridge to oven, they will take longer to cook and cool down the temperature in the oven and then you're really screwed. One to two hours before they are to go into the oven is just fine.

If you don't have space to keep the fruit cool, peel and seed as much as you can so tomorrow, you can slice and make the platter and set on the table or sideboard.

THURSDAY

-Preheat oven (s)
-Get turkey in oven if roasting whole
-Pull starches from fridge
-Set table if it's not done yet!!
-Slice turkey if applicable
-Get gravy in pan to heat, put a lid on it and turn it on when it's time, you're ready.
-Pull turkey and an other items to be heated from fridge.
-Make mashed potatoes.

Thursday is hopefully a relaxing day for you as most of the heavy cooking is done. Now, stove and oven management become the key! The turkey should be the last thing in the oven to be re-heated. Get your stuffing and bean casserole, etc.. in oven. They will stay warm on top of the stove, wrapped with foil. Then the sweet potatoes, mashed (if not fresh) and vegetables.
Then the sliced turkey.

*** Don't be afraid to put things in the microwave!!! If stove and oven space is limited, put the stuffing in the microwave, heat and cover. Same with the sweet or mashed potatoes, whatever else will help. Don't make yourself crazy cramming stuff in the oven, one night won't be the end of the world. If it is the difference between cold stuffing or potatoes, use it!!!!

I am certain I have missed a few things....
Keep checking back for updates and Happy Cooking! Have fun.