By Suzanne Corbett, Food / Travel Editor
No matter how experienced the cook Thanksgiving dinner can be overwhelming. There’s always so much to do. However, this Thanksgiving could be different if you consider economizing on the holiday’s most important ingredient, your time.
Economize your time by considering easier recipes, and by incorporating a few store-bought specialties into the menu. Yep, I said store bought. I don’t feel guilty about buying anything store-bought as long as its quality products that will enhance my own culinary Thanksgiving traditions.
Begin by making choices on what you want to cook for yourself. Prioritizing those dishes that define what defines my Thanksgiving table. Stuff like stuffing, that I’ve always called dressing. Turkey dressing is a big deal and following a family recipe is often a must. Dressing from scratch can take time. To make up lost time making dressing, opt for getting a little help by ordering breads, pies and sides. Grocery stores, bakeries, creameries and restaurants are standing ready to help. From quarts of gravy and cranberry sauce to harvest pies, are a few of the dishes you can order to help save time. Just make sure to make your orders and shop early.
Now about that turkey. Traditional roast turkey can take takes hours. If you’re looking for an alternative to roasting considering frying. Fried turkey takes about 60 – 90 minutes depending on the size of the bird. Fried turkey, Cajun specialty, is still popular because it’s fast to cook and the bird stays moist.
Another great timesaver is roasting turkey a la spatchcocked. That means removing the backbone of the turkey and roasting it flat. Spatchcocking a turkey not only cuts the roasting time in half and also yields a moist bird with crisp skin. It only takes a few steps to spatchcocked The National Turkey Federation provides step by step instructions along with recipes.
Perhaps the best time saver is to ask for help. Ask guests to bring their favorite side or pie. Also ask for help during the day to help with preparation, and afterwards for after dinner clean up. Something any cook will give thanks for.
Gobble and Go Thanksgiving Options
Help with this year’s Thanksgiving Day feast is available at grocery stores, bakeries, creameries and restaurants. Here are a few of my picks that offer great options that will save time and make dinner a winner.
SqWires Restaurant & Market offers whole roasted turkeys to grab and go sides like stuffing and mashed potatoes and to green beans & caramelized onion casserole and fresh cranberry sauce.
Looking for a plate to go? Check out SqWires Dinner Plates To-Go: sliced turkey breast, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean & caramelized onion casserole, cranberry sauce, dinner roll, baked apple blossom. Orders must be made by November 21.
Sugarfire is offering smoked turkeys with an assortment of traditional trimmings. Packed in pints, quarts or gallon sizes you can fill in the menu with Sugarfire’s mashed potatoes with gravy, mac ‘n’ cheese, green bean casserole, sage stuffing and cranberry chutney. For Thanksgiving pickup, order before Nov. 24.
Sugarfire Pie, where an assortment of Thanksgiving pies and cakes can be ordered. The standout pie for this year, with the sweet potato cheesecake pie with toasted marshmallows. To serve as a side with the pie or as a stand along, try a scoop of one of this year’s holiday flavors fresh from the churn at Clementine’s. I’m opting for a pint of Malted Toffee Butter Pecan or Hot Honey Cinnamon.
Looking for a family dinner spread that will satisfy cravings for downhome cooking? Old fashioned country Thanksgiving dinners are available at Eckert’s Bellville Farm . Packages feature a boneless turkey breast, mashed potatoes, green beans, dinner rolls and pumpkin pie.? Grace Meat + Three makes roasting your own turkey easy with a turkey or a turkey breast (brined, rubbed, and ready to cook) you can roast yourself. Add their ready to go Southern sides as bourbon whipped sweet potatoes, green bean casserole and potato rolls and your Thanksgiving dinner is complete.
Easy Showstopping Turkey, Quick Bits and a Sides
Cooking Thanksgiving can be easy when you choose recipes that are easy. Recipes that look hard but are actually easy can bring rave reviews. Here are a few recipes I can recommend that are easier than they look and are impressive to serve, beginning with the turkey.
Dry Brined Spatchcock Turkey
(recipe courtesy National Turkey Federation)
For the dry brine:
12–14-pound whole turkey
½ cup kosher sea salt
2 tablespoon baking powder
For the herb butter:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 tbsp minced fresh thyme
Place turkey breast side down on a cutting board and cut out backbone with sturdy kitchen shears. Flip bird over and flatten by pressing flat (you’ll hear a snap) and pat turkey dry with paper towels. Tuck the wings under the breast. Mix together kosher sea salt and baking powder. Sprinkle mixture onto the turkey until it’s coated with salt mixture. Carefully transfer turkey onto a baking sheet that’s topped with a rack and refrigerate uncovered for 12-24 hours.
To roast turkey: Preheat oven to 450°F. In a small bowl, mash together butter, rosemary, thyme and sage. Place dollops of the compound butter mixture underneath the turkey skin and lightly press down on skin to help distribute it evenly. (Doesn’t need to be perfect as it will melt into the turkey meat.) Roast turkey at high heat for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F and rotate sheet pan in oven and cook for 45-75 minutes. Start checking internal temperature after 30 minutes. Most turkeys will take about 90 minutes, give or take. Place an instant-read meat thermometer in the thigh and cook until it reaches 165°F. Remove from oven and let turkey rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.
Spiced Pear Tartlets
(Recipe and photo courtesy Wisconsin Cheese)
2 tablespoons butter, cubed
2 medium pears, corded and diced
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cloves
¼ teaspoon ginger
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 ounces Havarti cheese, diced
2 packages (1.9 ounces each) frozen miniature phyllo tart shells
Fresh thyme leaves
Heat oven to 350°F.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pears, cinnamon, cloves and ginger; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until pears are just softened. Stir in brown sugar. Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes longer or until mixture is slightly thickened. Remove from the heat. Cool. Stir in Havarti. Place tart shells on an ungreased 15 x 10-inch baking pan. Fill with Havarti mixture. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with thyme. Serve warm.
Makes 2 ½ dozen
Cranberries in Red Wine
12-ounce bag fresh cranberries
1 cup red wine
1 1/2 cups sugar
Peel of one orange, finely chopped
1 cinnamon stick
Combine all the above ingredients together in a saucepan and cook until thickened and berries pop. Takes about 25 –30 minutes. Remove from heat and chill. Makes 6-8 servings.
Pumpkin Pecan Cobbler
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter or vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
topping:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups very hot water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium sized bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and spices.
In a smaller bowl, stir pumpkin, milk, melted butter and vanilla together to combine, and
Mix into flour mixture. Pour into a small 8-inchcasserole dish with high sides.
In a separate bowl, stir sugar, brown sugar and pecans together. Spread over the top of the
batter evenly. Pour hot water over the entire thing WITHOUT STIRRING – and bake for
40 minutes or once the middle is set. Serve warm with whipped cream or cinnamon ice cream.
Serves 8.
