Please Help. I am doing my first Turkey day... Recipes.. tips. tricks needed..?

Anything you can offer as tips to a great turkey or super side dishes.. Recipes anything.. would be great... Everything will be appreciated.. Thank you.Please Help. I am doing my first Turkey day... Recipes.. tips. tricks needed..?
I'm sure you'll get lots of recipe suggestions, so I have some great tips for you. After lots of Thanksgivings, you learn what to do to make things go smoothly.





Pre-cook. There are lots of dishes you can make ahead. Try and choose as many of these as you can. When the turkey comes out of the oven, you'll be busy with last-minute dishes like rolls and gravy and mashed potatoes, so anything that's pre-made and can just be warmed up is ideal.





Prep the day before. Chop everything. Onions, celery, carrots, etc. Make dressings. If there's something that needs to be cut or mixed or prepared, make sure it's done the day ahead. You'll thank youself on Thanksgiving.





Test your recipes. You still have a couple weeks til Thanksgiving... it's time to start testing! Test out recipes to make sure that a) you like them and b) they're not too complicated or time consuming.





Find more first Thanksgiving tips at http://www.divinedinnerparty.com/first-t鈥?/a>Please Help. I am doing my first Turkey day... Recipes.. tips. tricks needed..?
This stuffs a 20 pound turkey with some left over to cook in the pan or seperately:





6 large loaves of cheap white sandwich bread


6 large eggs or larger


3 sticks of butter


2 medium onions - finely chopped


1 stalk/bunch of celery - finely chopped


3/4 large jar of poultry seasoning


salt and pepper to taste


2 cups boiling water or chicken broth - amount may vary depending on how dry the bread is.





Into a large container like the bottom of the turkey roasting pan or a large Rubber Maid storage bin - something with a lid - tear the bread into small pieces. Mix in egge, oinions, celery, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Slice butter over mixture and mix in. Pour boiling water over bread and cover with a clean towel and the container's lid. Let set 5 minutes. Mix. Add more liquid if you want a moister dressing. Stuff bird. Cook any remaining dressing in the pan with the bird adding during the last 45 minutes of cooking.





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This is a very easy recipe to make and very tasty as well. Canned yams/sweet potatoes can be substituted for fresh, but the flavor is just not quite the same.





Kings Arms Tavern Sweet Potatoes





3-pounds sweet potatoes


戮-cup light brown sugar, packed divided


3-tablespoons butter


5 teaspoons cinnamon


陆-teaspoon nutmeg


录-teaspoon salt


1-cup milk





Preheat oven to 400潞


Grease 1陆 quart casserole


Cook sweet potatoes in boiling salted water until done; drain peel and mash them.





Stir in all the remaining ingredients except 2 tablespoons of sugar.





Turn the mixture in to prepared casserole and sprinkle with remaining sugar.





Bake at 400潞 for 30 minutes.





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Lime Jell-O Mold





1 large box Lime Jell-O


8 ounces Cream Cheese - room temperature


1 can Crushed Pineapple - chilled


8 ounce container of Cool Whip





Drain pineapple saving liquid to use in Jell-O. Make Jell-O using the quick-set instructions replacing some of the cold water with the pineapple juice. Make sure gelatin is well dissolved. Place in fridge until semi-set. In a blender combine cream cheese and pineapple until well blended. Mix into semi-set Jell-O than fold in Cool Whip. Pour into a gelatin mold and refrigerate until set or over night. To serve, unmold onto a plate large enough for the mold.
If you can afford it, have a dry run. Buy two turkeys and test making one to see how it turns out. You can then make adjustments in time, duration, basting, etc. for the real Turkey Day feast.





Pumpkin Pies: buy them from your local store's bakery. These days they make really tasty pies that are a snap. I wouldn't even bother with the kind you have to bake. For whipped cream: Land O' Lakes Heavy Whipped Cream in a can is delicious and easy. You may also want to try different store's pies before the real day to ensure you get a good one.





Stuffing: don't get fancy and add tons of ingredients. Stick with something simple. If you're at all worried, and I hate to recommend this, Stove Top is actually pretty good.





Cranberry Sauce is easy ... open the can.





Waldorf Salad: easy to make. Really good! Lots of excellent receipes on the net.





Gravy: extremely easy ... take the drippings from the turkey and put them into a sauce pan. Get a wisk and some Wondra (yes, a brand name). Wisk in a little Wondra and keep whisking to avoid lumps.
Divine had some great tips. One more...Get some of those inexpensive aluminum steam trays with the sterno. They will keep what's done warm before and through dinner leaving your oven free for more stuff. I'm sure you will do just fine, have fun and Happy Thanksgiving.
try this one





Best Turkey Ever!! (Brined)





15 lbs turkey (not self Basting or kosher)


2 cups table salt (do not substitute equal amounts of kosher salt)


2 gallons icy cold water (*)


4 cups brown sugar


1/2 cup dried rosemary leaves


1/2 cup dried thyme, leavea


1 small onion, peeled and quartered


1 carrot, peeled %26amp; cut into 1-inch chunks


1 stalk celery, cut into 1-inch chunks


4-6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted


as needed fresh fruit (to garnish)





1. Rinse turkey in cool water.


2. In a very large clean container (non-corrosive pan or stockpot such as stainless steel or glass or a food-grade plastic container), mix salt and water together until salt dissolves. Stir in brown sugar and spices, mix well until sugar dissolves.


3. Totally submerge poultry in solution and store, covered, in refrigerator for at least 6 hours and up to 8 hours. Since brining does not preserve meat, the turkey must be kept below 40 degrees F throughout the entire brining process. Ice packs may also be used to keep turkey at a safe temperature of below 40 degrees F.


4. Remove turkey from brine. Discard brine. Thoroughly rinse turkey under a slow stream of cool water, rubbing gently to release salt and sugar, both inside and out. Pat skin and both interior cavities dry.


5. * NOTE: The ratio of water to salt is appropriate for a 15-pound turkey. If a larger or smaller turkey is brined, please calculate accordingly.


6. * *NOTE: Other combinations of herbs may be added including 6-8 bay leaves, 3 cloves garlic and 2 teaspoons black peppercorns. Or a spicy flavor may be achieved by the addition of 1 cup small dried red chile peppers.


1. In the cavity of turkey, place onion, carrot and celery.


2. Brush turkey with melted butter.


Roast turkey, breast side down, in a preheated 325 degree F oven for 2 hours. During this time, baste legs and back twice with melted butter.


3. Remove turkey from oven and protecting your hands, grasp turkey with several layers of clean paper towels at both ends, and turn turkey, breast side up.


4. Return turkey to oven and continue to roast, basting twice with pan dripping. Continue to roast until internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F in the breast and 180 degrees F in the thigh. NOTE: A brined turkey cooks slightly faster than an unbrined turkey, so check the internal temperature frequently.


5. Remove turkey from the oven and allow to stand for 20 minutes before carving.


6. Transfer to a platter and garnish with fresh fruit.








Perfect Turkey





INGREDIENTS


1 (18 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed


2 cups kosher salt


1/2 cup butter, melted


2 large onions, peeled and chopped


4 carrots, peeled and chopped


4 stalks celery, chopped


2 sprigs fresh thyme


1 bay leaf


1 cup dry white wine





DIRECTIONS


Rub the turkey inside and out with the kosher salt. Place the bird in a large stock pot, and cover with cold water. Place in the refrigerator, and allow the turkey to soak in the salt and water mixture 12 hours, or overnight.


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Thoroughly rinse the turkey, and discard the brine mixture.


Brush the turkey with 1/2 the melted butter. Place breast side down on a roasting rack in a shallow roasting pan. Stuff the turkey cavity with 1 onion, 1/2 the carrots, 1/2 the celery, 1 sprig of thyme, and the bay leaf. Scatter the remaining vegetables and thyme around the bottom of the roasting pan, and cover with the white wine.


Roast uncovered 3 1/2 to 4 hours in the preheated oven, until the internal temperature of the thigh reaches 180 degrees F (85 degrees C). Carefully turn the turkey breast side up about 2/3 through the roasting time, and brush with the remaining butter. Allow the bird to stand about 30 minutes before carving.
buy the turkey that comes with the bag. i forgot what its called but every major grrocery store has them. you pop it in the bag and follow directions and its sooooo yummy
Make a schedule - figure out which pans you will be using and when things will go in and come out of the oven. The first t-day that I did I cooked the turkey in the a popiel rotissierie oven - it came out great and left my oven free for side dishes. I also made a spreadsheet so that I would know which pans and serving dishes were being used for what dish, when I needed to start preparing each item and when each item needed to be placed in the oven or on the stove - my meal started almost exactly on time. The next year I had just had twins and moved so I didn't lan it out - I got one of those oven ready turkeys that you just cook in the bag - it took soooo much longer than it was supposed to - I didn't have room for my side dishes and dinner was served hours behind schedule!


If you want the best tip - call bob evans and pick up a turkey dinner - put it on nice plates and make a few of your favorite side dishes.


Conversley you make the turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy and stuffing as well as your top one or two favorite thanksgiving side dishes and have each guest/family coming bring one or two of their favorite side dishes.