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Thanksgiving 101

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Thanksgiving.

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Thanksgiving on a Budget

Wonderful, wallet-friendly choices for this first holiday weekend of the season!

Turkey 101

Enjoy our complete guide to a perfect turkey feast.

Step 1: Buying

ALLOT 1lb. per person. See chart below to determine the appropriate size turkey for your family gathering.

Turkey by the Numbers

Turkey Size 8 - 12 lb. 12 - 14 lb. 14 - 18 lb. 18 - 20 lb.

Thawing time
(in the refrigerator) 2 - 3
days 3 - 3½ days 3½ - 4½ days 4½ - 5
days

baking time
(at 325°F) 2¾ - 3 hours 3 - 3¾ hours 3¾ - 4¼ hours 4¼ - 4½ hours

Number of servings 8 - 12 12 - 14 14 - 18 18 - 20

How many boxes
of STOVE TOP Stuffing
you'll need to serve 2 - 3 pkg. 3 - 4 pkg. 4 - 5 pkg. 5 - 6 pkg.

Step 2: Thawing

THAW turkey in unopened wrapper, breast-side up, on a tray in the refrigerator. See chart for thawing time.

Step 3: Preparing

REMOVE neck and excess fat and giblets from chest cavity.

RINSE cavity and outside of turkey with cold water. Blot with paper towels.

SEASON cavity and area under the skin with salt, pepper and herbs. Try poultry seasoning, thyme, sage or marjoram.

If your family tradition calls for stuffing the bird, check out In-the-Bird Directions. Don't forget to use a thermometer to be sure that the temperature of the stuffing inside the bird reaches 165°F.

HELP bird cook evenly by making it as compact as possible. Tuck legs into ring of skin that they were originally in when you unwrapped. Fold first joint of wings underneath bird's back.

GRAVY is most flavorful if the turkey is cooked on a bed of carrots, celery and onions. Quarter the onions, peel and trim the carrots and celery, but do not chop. Lay carrots and celery in a lattice pattern with onions in between on the bottom of a large roasting pan and place turkey on top of the vegetables.

BRUSH skin with vegetable oil to prevent it from drying out during roasting.

INSERT a meat thermometer deep into the thickest part of the thigh next to the body. Make sure it does not touch the bone. If you don't have a meat thermometer that can stay in the oven, you can also check for doneness with an instant-read thermometer near the end of the estimated roasting time.

Step 4: Cooking

ROAST at 325°F for indicated time (see chart above) - basting is unnecessary. When the skin turns brown, about two thirds of the way through roasting, shield the breast loosely with a sheet of foil to prevent overbrowning.

CHECK for doneness. The internal temperature of thighs should be 180°F on a meat thermometer. The thigh and drumstick meat should feel soft when pressed, and when the thigh is pierced with a fork the juices should run clear, not pink.

Step 5: Resting

Remove turkey from oven. Place on cutting board resting in a large cafeteria-style tray with a lip or on a flat aluminum foil tray.

Tent the cooked turkey with foil. Let stand for 15-20 min. This resting time allows the juices to saturate the meat evenly for the most tender turkey.

Step 6: Carving

Carve the turkey in the kitchen, not at the dinner table.

Step 7: Serving

Decorate your platter by placing fresh, edible herbs, such as rosemary and sage, around the turkey. Citrus twists, citrus fans or citrus curls are colorful additions to garnish with as well.

DRESSING

The ingredients for the stuffing can be prepared ahead of time. Keep wet and dry ingredients

separated; chill. Mix wet and dry ingredients just before putting stuffing into a casserole or filling

the turkey cavity. The stuffing should be moist, not dry, since heat destroys bacteria more rapidly

in a moist environment.*

The safest way to cook stuffing is in a casserole in a 325 degree F oven. The internal temperature

of the stuffing must reach 165 degrees F. (NOTE: Allow about 30 to 45 minutes for your stuffing

to heat. Time will depend on amount, temperature of stuffing when put in the oven, etc.).*

. You may be able to bake your stuffing in your oven while your turkey is standing and

being carved.

If you choose to stuff your turkey:

. Make sure it is stuffed loosely.about 3/4 cup of stuffing per pound of turkey.*

. Cook the turkey immediately after stuffing.*

. Use a food thermometer to check the temperature in the innermost part of the thigh

and in the center of the stuffing. Even if the innermost part of the thigh has reached a

safe internal temperature of 180 degrees F, the center of the stuffing inside the turkey

may not have reached 165degrees F and can cause foodborne illness. Continue to cook

the stuffed turkey until the stuffing has reached 165 degrees F.*

. For quality, you may choose to let the turkey stand for 20 minutes to let juices set. If

your turkey is stuffed, the temperature of the stuffing will also continue to rise during

this time. Remove all the stuffing from the turkey immediately after standing time.*

Consider purchasing one of the commercial stuffings that can be made on top of the stove or in

your microwave if you don.t have much oven space for your stuffing.

. Add extra pizzazz to a commercial stuffing by additions of one or more of the following:

chopped nuts; raisins; canned sliced mushrooms; sauteed, chopped onion and/or celery.

Lower the calories in your stuffing by preparing it with chicken broth instead of water and omitting

the margarine or butter. Or, reduce the margarine or butter requested in the recipe. If

preparing your stuffing with commercial chicken broth, check the .Nutrition Facts. panel for

sodium as some are much higher than others.

Refrigerate stuffing in shallow containers. Use leftover stuffing within 1 to 2 days for best quality

(and safety).* * According to USDA (Turkey Basics: Stuffing, November 2000)

General Tip Sheet

VEGETABLES

Green vegetables add color to your meal and contrast nicely with red cranberries. Peas and green

beans are two easy choices that many people like.

Frozen vegetables offer the advantage of being brighter green in color and letting you pour out as

many as you like. Plus, if bad weather causes a change in plans, they keep frozen until needed.

Thoughts on serving green beans as your vegetable:

. Add a special touch by choosing a french cut green bean (beans cut in thin strips).

. Serve green beans with sliced almonds to add another special touch.

. Either purchase frozen beans already mixed with almonds or make your own.

. To make your own green beans with sliced almonds: Follow package directions for

cooking green beans. Drain off liquid and if desired, add about ½ to 1 teaspoon butter

or margarine and 1 tablespoon sliced almonds for each cup of beans.

Thoughts on serving peas as your vegetable:

. Consider buying the frozen peas already mixed with pearl onions for an extra .and

easy.festive touch. Prepare according to package directions.

. Or, cook your peas with a small can of sliced (and drained) mushrooms. Follow directions

on the pea package. Drain off liquid and if desired, add about ½ to 1 teaspoon

butter or margarine for each cup of beans.

CRANBERRY SAUCE

A simple recipe for making cranberry sauce is the fresh cranberry sauce recipe frequently found

on the package of cranberries that uses cranberries, sugar and water. You can make it the day

before and store it in the refrigerator.

GRAVY

Consider purchasing a commercially prepared turkey gravy to save you time and .just-in-case.

you.re new to making gravy and you.re not pleased with the results.

Making Food Ahead of Time

Unless food will be frozen, it.s safest to start preparing most perishable foods no more than a day before

a meal. For example:

. Assemble a vegetable casserole a day in advance and then bake the day of your dinner. Plan

15 to 20 minutes additional heating time for the refrigerated cold casserole.

. Cut fruits and vegetables within a day of your meal for salads and relish trays. Store all CUT

fruits and vegetables covered, such as in storage containers or one-time use plastic bags, in

the refrigerator. Store fresh cut produce above raw meat, poultry and fish and below cooked

items. Avoid leaving cut and/or peeled fruit and vegetables at room temperature for more

than two hours. This includes the TOTAL of preparation time and serving time.

. Keep cut fruits, such as apples, pears, bananas and peaches, from turning brown by coating

them with an acidic juice such as lemon, orange or pineapple juice. Or use a commercial

anti-darkening preparation with fruits, such as Ever-Fresh (TM) or Fruit-Fresh (R), and

follow the manufacturer.s directions. (NOTE: Bananas don.t keep as long as the other fruits

mentioned.cut close to serving time.) Cover and refrigerate cut fruit until ready to serve.

. Non-perishable foods such as cakes and cookies can be prepared a few days in advance and

will still taste good. Or, they can be frozen for longer storage.

Tips for handling meat:

. As a general rule, purchase fresh raw meat, poultry or seafood no more than 1 to 2 days

before your holiday meal. Freeze for longer storage. These foods taste freshest if cooked the

day of your meal.

. If you have frozen your meat, poultry or seafood, plan time for safe thawing in your refrigerator.

Allow approximately 24 hours for each 5 pounds of weight. For turkey, make sure you

remove the bag containing the neck and giblets from the body cavities.

. Prevent cross-contamination. Thaw or store a package of raw meat, poultry or fish on a plate

on a lower shelf of your refrigerator to prevent its juices from dripping on other foods.

. If you prepare meat, poultry or fish the day before your meal, divide it into small portions.

Then refrigerate in loosely covered shallow containers within 2 hours of cooking . limit

depth of meat, etc. to about 2 inches. Cover tightly when cooled. On the day of your meal,

reheat thoroughly to a temperature of 165 degrees F until hot and steaming throughout.

Preparing pumpkin pie ahead of time:

. A pumpkin pie is a form of custard and like custard must be kept in the refrigerator at 40

degrees F or cooler. Foods which contain eggs, milk, and a high moisture content, like

custard and pumpkin pie, must be kept refrigerated. Bacteria love to grow in these types of

foods. Avoid letting a pumpkin pie set at room temperature over TWO hours TOTAL time.

. Some commercial pumpkin pies can be left at room temperature; check the label on commercially

baked pies for storage requirements. Some commercial pies that are purchased at

room temperature may later need to be refrigerated.

. If you.d like to prepare pumpkin pie ahead, it.s easiest and safest to freeze just the crust.

Add the filling to the frozen crust just before baking and bake as usual. It takes just a few

minutes to mix together the ingredients. Or purchase a frozen prepared crust. Usually the

directions for frozen pie crusts recommend placing a baking sheet in your oven and preheating

oven to the baking temperature given in your pie recipe, then placing the pie on the hot

baking sheet and baking as usual.

Save time by setting your table the day before your meal. Also, set out all food preparation and service

utensils. Or, assign children or others to set the table before you eat.

If Your Food Gets Done Early or

Your Guests will be Late

If you have hot foods in the oven, you may be able to hold them safely until your guests arrive.

Put an oven meat thermometer in the thickest part of your roast or poultry, or center of your

casserole. Adjust the oven temperature so that the food stays at an internal temperature of 140

degrees F or above. To prevent dryness, cover the dishes or wrap with aluminum foil.

For extended delays, it is safer to refrigerate the food and reheat it when your guests arrive. Food

in shallow containers will cool rapidly to a safe temperature in the refrigerator. Do not worry

about putting hot foods directly into the refrigerator because the thermostat will keep the unit

running to maintain a safe temperature (40 degrees F or below). When your guests arrive, reheat

food in a 325 degree F oven to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, or until hot and steaming.

Cold foods should be kept refrigerated until mealtime.

If you have prepared a turkey and you have determined it is safely done several hours before

serving time:

. Remove the turkey from the oven and allow it to stand for 20 minutes.

. If the turkey is stuffed, remove the stuffing, place it in a shallow container, cover and

refrigerate.

. Remove the legs, thighs, and wings. Carve the breast meat, and legs and thighs, if desired.

. If you want to serve the meat cold, arrange the sliced turkey on platters or shallow

containers. For carved turkey meat to be reheated, place the slices in shallow oven-safe

baking dishes or pans. Cover and refrigerate the meat.

. If you will be making gravy, pour off the drippings and refrigerate them. The gravy can

be made at your leisure.

. About thirty minutes before serving turkey to be heated, sprinkle with a little broth.

Cover with foil and heat in a 325 degree F oven. The stuffing can be heated alongside

the turkey.

Leftovers

Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared foods and leftovers within two hours or sooner.

Divide large amounts of leftovers into small, shallow containers for quick cooling in the refrigerator.

For best safety and quality, eat most leftovers within 1 to 2 days.

When serving leftovers, reheat them to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, or until hot and

steaming throughout.

Thanksgiving Day Timeline: Start Planning for the Holiday

Whether you have months to plan, or only days, this timeline will help to ease your culinary and celebratory confusion.

A Few Weeks Before:

Four to Five Days Before:

Thanksgiving Day:

Important Announcement The MSN Groups service will close in February 2009. You can move your group to Multiply, MSN’s partner for online groups. Learn More
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