So it’s the big day… and while you may think Thanksgiving is all about the cooking, it’s also really about the timing.  If you’ve been following HIB’s checklists, you should have your appetizer, dessert, and cranberry sauce already complete. Here’s a list of what to do throughout the day so that all your dishes are ready to be served at the same time.  And while this may seem like a pretty jam-packed day, there’s plenty of free time throughout for enjoying some libations. 

10:00 AM - Eat Breakfast.  You’ll need sustenance for the day of cooking you have ahead of you! 

11:00 AM - Take your turkey out of the fridge: the goal is to take the chill off for roasting. You can certainly get it all prepped and ready for the oven, and then let it hang out on your counter until you’re ready to roast it. This is also a great time to take your Cranberry sauce out of the fridge - it’s best served room temperature.

11:30 - Prep your brussels sprouts and carrots & parsnips (chopping, tossing with oil, seasoning, etc) and put them in their respective baking dishes. 

12:00 - Preheat your oven to 425 Degrees F

12:30 - Roast the turkey. You’re looking at a cook time of around 3 hours, depending on how large the bird is - and remember, it has to rest before carving (and can rest up to 45 minutes/hour - it will retain its heat) so don’t rush it. Let it hang out! 

1:30 - Chop your potatoes and add them to water for boiling 

2:15 - Your potatoes are done, make the mashed potatoes! 

2:30 - Make your stuffing on the stove top and then transfer it to an oven-safe dish for baking once there’s room in the oven. 

3:00 - Add your Carrots & Parsnips to the oven on the bottom rack and heat up your soup on the stove top.  

3:30 - Pull your turkey out of the oven and allow it to rest.  Pop those Brussels Sprouts and Stuffing in the oven now that you have the room. Take this time to make gravy with the pan drippings. 

4:00  - Serve your soup! Your guests have been smelling amazing things in that kitchen and have gotten hungry!

4:15 - Your brussels sprouts, stuffing, and carrot & parsnip dishes are all done! Remove them from the oven, carve the turkey and…..

4:30/5:00 - Dinner is served!  Have a drink, enjoy, and give thanks to your friends and family who will certainly clean up after this fine meal considering all the work you’ve done to make this a feast to remember! 

Happy Thanksgiving from Hungry in Brooklyn!

Thanksgiving should be a time to spend with family and friends, for relaxation, and for the promise of leftovers. It should not lead to any stress when it comes to cooking the perfect meal. Hosting Thanksgiving dinner may seem like a daunting task whether you’re cooking for 2 or 12.  But in reality, with a little planning ahead and some pre-Thanksgiving organization, you can cook like a pro without breaking a sweat.  Clean-up, on the other hand, is another story.

Over the next three days, I’ll help you plan every aspect of your Thanksgiving preparation.  Here is the fool-proof menu: 

Appetizer: 

• Butternut Squash and Apple Soup 

Main: 

• Oven Roasted Turkey w/ Homemade Gravy
• Brussels Sprouts with Lemon and Parmigiano Reggiano 
• Cranberry Sauce
• Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Mushroom and Walnut Stuffing (courtesy Martha Stewart)
• Roasted Carrots & Parsnips with Thyme (chop carrots and parsnips on the bias, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and 6 sprigs of time.  Roast @ 375 for 35-45 minutes)

Dessert: 

• Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Frosting 

Sounds like too much to handle? If everything is timed properly, you will be just fine. But remember, it never hurts to ask for help.  Tell a friend to bring the brussels sprouts, or your brother to make the stuffing. 

TUESDAY CHECKLIST: 

• Go Grocery Shopping!  Make a list of all the ingredients you will need, and get it done early.  The last thing you’ll want to do is head to Whole Foods on Wednesday night.  Yikes!

• Clean out your refrigerator!  You’ll need to make room for all the ingredients and prep you’ll be doing over the next four days.

• Make Chicken Stock!  Stop at the market after work and grab yourself a rotisserie chicken.  Then you don’t have to cook tonight, AND you can make yourself the best homemade chicken stock which you’ll be sure to use plenty of throughout your Thanksgiving Prep.  It doesn’t hurt to have a couple extra cartons on hand in case of an emergency. 

• Roast Garlic!  This will be your secret ingredient.  Roast about 6 whole heads.  Slice the top (stem side) off, exposing the individual cloves of garlic still intact in the head.  drizzle with olive oil and wrap in foil.  Roast at 325 F for about an hour and a half.  This will come in handy for your turkey, and for the mashed potatoes, and can be stored in the fridge for a whole week. 

• Make Cranberry Sauce!  This will keep in the fridge for almost a week, so why not make it now?  You’re guests will never know you didn’t slave over it on Thursday morning.  And please, whatever you do, don’t buy the canned stuff.  This recipe is too easy for you to skip. 

Make sure to keep checking back for other updates, tips and tricks, and of course the Wednesday and Thursday checklists. And if you have any questions, tweet me and I’ll try get back to you as soon as I can! 

Mashed potatoes are my favorite part of the Thanksgiving Feast.  Not only are they terribly decadent, they’re also the perfect vehicle for homemade turkey gravy.  My mashed potatoes get a little tang from sour cream and some extra flavor from two heads of roasted garlic - adding a wonderfully mild yet rich hint to these already special spuds. 

Perfect Mashed Potatoes

• 2 lbs Organic Yukon Golds 
• 8 ounces Sour Cream - warmed 
• 1 stick butter - melted
• 2 heads roasted garlic - cloves squeezed from the head
• salt and pepper to taste 

You can peel your potatoes if you like smooth mashed potatoes, but I prefer the more rustic appeal of mashed potatoes with the skin - and it’s less work! Just make sure to use a potato with a thin skin like Yukon Gold.

Chop the potatoes into 1 1/2 inch thick slices.  Place them in a large pot and cover them with cold, salted water.  Bring them to a simmer and allow them to cook for about 20 minutes, or until a fork can puncture the potatoes easily. 

Drain the potatoes and beat them with the rest of the ingredients - you can use an electric mixer or a potato masher.  Whatever you have on hand!  Make sure to season with plenty of salt and pepper, and voila!  You can make these while your turkey is roasting and keep them covered on the stovetop. Just make sure to reheat and give them a good stir before serving!