Today’s the day people. Thanksgiving has officially started. But wait, how can that be? You’re probably checking your calendar right now wondering if there’s been some sort of rip in the space time continuum. No, but if you want to enjoy the holiday you must prepare now. So I’m going to provide you with menu ideas and when exactly you should begin working on them. That way when you wake up on Thanksgiving morning there aren’t a bunch of cranky cooks in a cramped kitchen trying to get dinner complete without bloodshed. Let’s face it, when family gets together there are often sparks that ignite unnecessary fires.
With that said below are some recipes, both mine and some of my favorites. You’ll be provided a link to the recipe and a recommendation on when you should begin preparation. Start working on things now and you’ll be all the more content when Thursday arrives and you find yourself chillaxing with friends and family.
It’s nice to come up with all your own recipes, or to just cook the classic traditions you grew up with. I have no problem with that. But the time suck of the menu alone makes my head spin, so I turn to my favorite recipe locations for inspiration. You should do the same. Perhaps you really dig the idea of my sweet potato recipe, what with it not being pureed up and topped with icky marshmallows. But what if there’s something missing in your mind? Go peruse your favorite recipe collection with an eye on doing roasted sweet potatoes without mashing them up and see what you find. Or take your favorite sweet potato puree recipe and skip the puree portion. The Thanksgiving recipes here at Munch Monster are the same as any other: intended as inspiration, not specific instructions. Experiment. Just be careful how much you experiment.
AM Starters
In my family for the holidays we always have breakfast food that isn’t really breakfast. My dad gets some blocks of cheese and a ham to carve up and serve with crackers. You can put the trays together during the day on Wednesday to put out Thanksgiving morning. What this does is provide a little food in the morning, but nothing extravagant or complicated. You shouldn’t need a recipe, just get some cheddar cheese and that delicious jalapeno jack with crackers and ham to be set.
The Turkey
This is the most important piece of the Thanksgiving dinner and it is imperative that you make your preparation decision today. If you plan to brine, which I highly recommend, be sure to make sure you don’t have a kosher or pre-brined turkey on hand. It’s better to brine yourself. But no matter how you plan to do the turkey this year I have a few great ideas. None of them involve deep frying however. That’s so 2005.
Got a frozen turkey? Make sure you give the bird time to thaw out completely. Here’s a general guideline on thawing times:
If thawing in the fridge (at 40 degrees) you should allow 5 hours per pound.
8-12 lb turkey = 1.5 to 2.5 days
12-16 lb turkey = 2.5 to 3.5 days
16-20 lb turkey = 3.5 to – 4 days
20-24 lb turkey = 4 to 5 days
Thawing in ice water will require about 30 minutes per pound, but you absolutely must change the water every ½ hour.
Cooking times on your turkey vary greatly depending on size, whether you have a convection oven, if the bird is stuffed, and so on. In general you should give yourself room for at least 3 hours of cook time for the general bird for an average sized gathering. But I highly recommend not cooking by time, but by temp instead. With large roasting items such as turkey a digital probe thermometer is a life saver, and allows you to walk away without having to hover over the oven for the final hour of cooking.
• Steve’’s Perfect Turkey
• Honey Brined Smoked Turkey by Alton Brown
• Roast Turkey with Pomegranate Gravy by Gourmet
Sides
Sides are great because you can prepare many of them ahead of time. People think you have to make your cranberry sauce fresh the day of Thanksgiving. That’s just not true. In fact, you should consider making that item today and sticking it in the refrigerator. Not only will it still be tasty, but the flavors will meld even further by the time Thanksgiving hits.
• Simple Cranberry Puree (make on Monday)
• Roasted Squash Puree (make now)
• Roasted Garlic Mashed Taters (make on Tuesday)
• Blue Cheese Mashed Taters (make on Tuesday)
• Creamed Corn from Alton Brown (make on Wednesday)
• Jeweled Rice with Dried Fruit by Gourmet (make on Thanksgiving)
• Crisp Fennel and Arugula Salad (make on Thanksgiving)
• Roasted Maple Sweet Potatoes (make on Tuesday)
• Green Beans with Ginger Butter by Gourmet (start on Wednesday, make on Thanksgiving)
• Dried Cranberry, Apricot and Fig Stuffing by Bon Appétit (start on Wednesday, finish on Thanksgiving)
Dessert
Even the most hardcore dessert connoisseurs can have difficulty stuffing more food in their faces after an intense Thanksgiving meal. But you will be happy to have done so one you taste a few of these recipes. And remember that you don’t have to exclusively make rich pies. A fancy fruit and cheese course to top off the meal is an acceptable choice. Poach up some pears for after dinner, and save the extras for leftover turkey salads in the days following Thanksgiving.
• Poached Pear with Fig Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream (poach pears on Tuesday, finish on Thanksgiving)
• Cranberry Eggnog Tart by Gourmet (make on Thanksgiving)
