Thanks for your tips this morning on how to make preparing Thanksgiving Dinner next week less stressful: Here is what our listeners came up with:
Delegate! Everyone gets a job! Everyone can accomplish something and it allows everyone to have that sense of accomplishment and ownership of the meal and spending time together
Cook the turkey overnight on low heat in the oven.....get up a couple times to baste it.....when you get up in the morning-the turkey will be done and the house will smell WONDERFUL!!!!
Post the menu so you don't forget something in the refrigerator "Where's the cranberry sauce?" or "Is that the rolls burning?"
Clean your oven well before so you don't go to turn it on in the morning and it starts to smoke.
It's not too soon to set the table-take out serving bowls and platters and label them ahead of time so you know what's going in what. Double check to make sure you have enough serving utensils.
To save money-buy your fresh turkey early-up to 10 days ahead and store in the fridge.
Buy or bake baked goods four days in advance and chop veggies two to three days ahead and store in zip lock baggies
If you roast the turkey the day before, carve it stress free on Thanksgiving morning by pouring boiling turkey stock or chicken broth over it twice. After carving the cold turkey, pour hot broth over it. This will take the chill off. Then re-heat the broth and pour it over a second time. That second will reheat the turkey, keep it nice and juicy, and your oven will be empty for all those casseroles and rolls that need to be cooked.
Plan ahead, start early, follow directions, stay organized.
Place your catering order early and avoid cooking all together!