Hello, my fave sous-chefs! I hope today you’re doing well and feeling a little less stressed about what you’ll be serving for dinner tonight. How can one meal cause such craziness? :) That end of day is just a busy time of day, no matter who you are, whether you have children or no. I hope the MSK Meal Plans are helping you find a bit more time and breathing room when it comes to making dinner.
That being said, I’ve yet to cook through MSK Meal Plan #2; we had a flu here last week, along with a night out at friends and a night out for dinner. I’ve yet to make at least 2 of the dinners, but knowing the ingredients/recipes/plan is there for me is a stress-buster. I’ll report on my thoughts on MSK Meal Plan #2 later this week.
MSK Meal Plan #3 is up and running. Enjoy!
Thanksgiving Day is fast approaching. Here at MSK, I cook the bird every year, along with desserts and appetizers, and have our family here, so it’s quite a day. I do NOT do all the cooking; my awesome mom-in-law always helps with the majority of sides and rolls, and this year my mom will help, too. I strongly advise you to farm out some of the cooking if you’re hosting the meal. It’s no fun playing SuperChef and SuperHost(ess) on the same day if you have a huge crowd coming.
Much of what you need for the day can be prepped, even made, ahead. That way you can sit down and enjoy what you’re thankful for most–family and friends. Items to make ahead and freeze:
*Pies, whether made from r or with sore-bought pastry. Just COOL them very well and wrap with foil to prevent freezer burn.
*Rolls/bread, again, from scratch or mix. You gotta have something to sop up all that tasty gravy, so save the headache and make ahead. Again, COOL well, pack in freezer bags, and cross that off your list.
Prepping ahead, 24-48 hours:
*Get your recipes in order and make a list of all the freshly chopped, diced, and minced fruits and veggies you’ll need. This is one of the most TIME CONSUMING tasks in the kitchen. Get your knives out and do it 24 hours before teeing off on the big cooking day. Store all items in your fridge in Ziploc bags or very reliable plastic containers. Be careful chopping up fruit…it may brown. You can toss it with a little lemon juice to prevent browning as long as the lemon juice won’t interfere with any planned recipes.
*Stuffing–this is one of those biggies if you’re making it from scratch. At least 48 hours before, rip bread/cornbread into small pieces and put it in a big bowl covered by a dishtowel to start drying out before actually mixing it up the day of the feast. The goal is to have a bowl of stale bread pieces, not moldy, so don’t cover it with plastic wrap (which will trap heat and moisture, making mold a certainty) and be sure to check on it and rotate/stir it a couple of times a day as you approach Turkey Day.
*Broth–again, if from scratch with Ye Olde Turkey Neck and Gizzards, boil them up at least 24 hours prior to make the broth for the stuffing. COOL, store in fridge.
And let’s not forget the BIRD! You’ll need to give it adequate time to defrost for the big day, in your refrigerator so you won’t all get food poisoning! Check Butterball’s site for more info on timing for defrosting and also for great tips for the meal.
I would LOVE to hear tips from you! Sous-chefs, lemme know how YOU save time in your kitchen on Turkey Day. Your comments could help a fellow sous-chef in need.
Eat Well!
MSK
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