Turkey Dinner De-Stressed

Turkey dinner, a traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner is a lot of work to prepare and clean-up. Here are my thoughts on making this feast as easy as possible so it’s enjoyable for everyone, including the chef!

Step 1:  Plan the Menu

A week or two before the event, plan the menu. Keep it simple and choose items that are liked by the majority of the guests.

THE MENU – Keeping it simple.

• Roast turkey – Cook the turkey the day before, as per cooking directions. Carve turkey and put meat in a baking dish (such as 9×13 glass pan).  Pour juice from turkey over carved meat so there is about 1 cm or 1/2-inch of juice in the bottom of the pan.  Cover with parchment paper and aluminum foil and place in refrigerator.  Pour remaining juice from turkey into a bowl and refrigerate.  Before using for gravy, remove the layer of fat that solidified on top of the juice.  Juice will also “gel” but will liquefy when reheated.
• Dressing – Make the dressing or stuffing early in the day and heat before serving.
• Mashed potatoes – I add butter, sour cream and milk to the cooked potatoes and mash them until they are nice and smooth.
• Turnip and carrot casserole – Peel and chop turnip, carrots and 1 small onion. Put in casserole dish.  Cut up 1/4 cup of butter and scatter over top. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and bake for about one hour at 350° F. Coarsely mash before serving.
• Candied yams – Peel sweet potatoes or yams and cut into 1/4-inch slices. Layer in a casserole dish.  Sprinkle with salt.  Cut up 1/3 cup butter and scatter over top. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup loosely packed brown sugar over top.  Cover and bake for about one hour at 350° F.
• Peas and corn
• Rolls
• Cranberry sauce  or Festive Cranberry Sauce
• Pickles
• Gravy
• Butter
• Salt and Pepper
• Beverage
• Dessert
• Tea and/or Coffee

Step 2:  Timeline for Preparing the Food 

1. 2 – 5 days before – Make a grocery list and purchase the items you will need for your menu.
2. The day before – Make your turkey, cranberry sauce and dessert.
3. 4 hours before meal – Set table(s) and put out condiments (salt and pepper, butter). I usually serve turkey dinner buffet style, so I set this table up as well. With the buffet table, I can set out the food straight from the oven instead of having to transfer it to serving bowls. This helps keep the food warm and also saves on clean-up. And, I’m not ashamed to say, I tend to use paper plates for less formal settings because this also saves on clean-up time! 
   • Turn on your dishwasher so you can start the after meal clean-up with an empty one.
4. 3 hours before meal – Prepare dressing and put in a crock pot on low.
   • As you find time, wash the food prep dishes so you don’t have to do them after the meal.
5. 2 hours before meal – Prepare the turnip and carrot casserole and candied yams. Put in the oven, along with turkey (for reheating) 1 1/2 hours before dinner is served.
6. 1 1/2 hours before meal – Prepare potatoes, turn them on to boil one hour before meal.
7. While everything is cooking, put rolls, cranberry sauce and pickles on table.
8. 1/2 hour before meal – Start boiling peas and corn, prepare gravy (keep on low heat until rest of meal is ready). Potatoes should be cooked by now – drain (if needed, add some potato water to the gravy) and mash, transfer to a serving bowl, cover with a lid and place on the buffet table.
9. 15 minutes before meal – set up the buffet table in the order in which people will likely dish up (plates, turkey, potatoes, dressing, hot vegetables, gravy, rolls).
   • Have someone put a glass of ice water at each place setting and refill drinks as needed.
   • Remove turnip and carrot casserole from oven and coarsely mash the vegetables. Put lid back on casserole and place on buffet table.
   • Remove candied yams from oven, stir, replace lid and place on buffet table.
   • Keep the gravy on low heat. The gravy is the last thing to be added to the buffet table because it should be nice and hot.
   • Remove turkey from the oven and put on buffet table.
   • Drain peas and corn, put in a serving bowl, cover with lid and put on buffet table.
   • Let guests know supper is almost ready so they can go wash their hands and sit up to the table.
   • Now you can put the gravy into its serving dish and add to the buffet table. I like to put some on the dinner table as well.
   • Remove the lids and add serving utensils to each dish.

DINNER IS SERVED!  Enjoy the company round the table and enjoy the food!

Clean-up Tips:

• Making the turkey the day before saves at least an hour of work during the event.
• Wash dishes as you go.
• Turn on the dishwasher (even if it isn’t full) 3-4 hours before meal time so you start the after meal clean up with an empty dishwasher.
• Use paper plates for less formal meals.
• Have someone help with rinsing dishes while you put the leftovers away. (My husband is awesome at this!)
• I see nothing wrong with getting the meal cleaned up before serving dessert. The guests can visit while the food settles.  You may choose to have them move into the living room or stay around the table.

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