How is your Thanksgiving turkey cooked?

[ronandannette]

I only buy the best turkey.

View attachment 453509

Somehow, I'm not shocked.

 

[KMarston]

I give my favorite meat market a call and order two smoked turkeys. My husband pulls it instead of slicing and I’ll pop it into the oven while I warm the rolls from our favorite bakery as the last thing we do.

I’d love a thread on what sides people traditionally have with their Thanksgiving Dinner, I keep seeing mashed potatoes mentioned and I’ve never in my life had mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving!

 

[OhMari]

I got a 28 LB.bird. I plan on putting it in the oven .Wednesday nite before I go to bed. In the morning I will,get up around 6:00 am and cut it up and throw it in a roaster,mix it up with gravy and take to my daughters house. I may cook it this coming Sunday, do the same thing, but freeze it in freezer bags and on Thursday, put in roaster early in the morning to reheat so we can eat by noon. For some reason cooking a turkey on Thanksgiving just never gets done on time, too many others need the oven and door keeps opening for their 30 minute items.

 

[tcufrog]

Even though my DH grew up in a vegetarian household on another continent, he always insists on cooking the turkey. He has a ritual he follows. He always insists on making the turkey the same way Gordon Ramsey did on one of his shows. The problem is, there is no accurate written recipe for that turkey online. Before we go grocery shopping he watches the YouTube video and makes an ingredient list. While he’s prepping the day before and cooking it Thanksgiving Day he he has his iPad propped up in front of him so he can follow along.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I only buy the best turkey.

View attachment 453509

Mere couch change.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/150000-thanksgiving-dinner-worlds-expensive-130011324.html

 

[NYCgrrl]

Mere couch change.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/150000-thanksgiving-dinner-worlds-expensive-130011324.html

That bird looks like it needs to get out in the sun. On the bright side you can drive the Maserati to a Cracker Barrel and prove where you tastes really lie.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

That bird looks like it needs to get out in the sun. On the bright side you can drive the Maserati to a Cracker Barrel and prove where you tastes really lie.

I've never known Maserati drivers to like "Kountry Kookin."

 

[PollyannaMom]

However MIL makes it is fine with me!!

I'm in no hurry to take over Thanksgiving, and I don't even think I could thaw a turkey in my weirdly-configured refrigerator without dismantling the shelves.

I'll bring apps and sides for as long as I can get away with it.

 

[NYCgrrl]

I've never known Maserati drivers to like "Kountry Kookin."

I've never known Maserati drivers to keep the keys to their cars in a gold dusted bird either so I guess in this case anything goes.

 

[easyas123]

Ours gets cooked in a bag. Turkey gets stuffed with orange slices and an entire bottle of (cheap )Champagne
goes into the bag and I don't know what all else. Comes out nice,

How interesting - I've never heard of that method (champagne & orange slices). I might give that a go with my Christmas Day turkey....do you do anything else, any seasonings or anything?

 

[Searc]

I give my favorite meat market a call and order two smoked turkeys. My husband pulls it instead of slicing and I’ll pop it into the oven while I warm the rolls from our favorite bakery as the last thing we do.

I’d love a thread on what sides people traditionally have with their Thanksgiving Dinner, I keep seeing mashed potatoes mentioned and I’ve never in my life had mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving!

Are you in the US?

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I've never known Maserati drivers to keep the keys to their cars in a gold dusted bird either so I guess in this case anything goes.

Wife to be #5's engagement ring goes in the bird. The keys are much too valuable for that.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I give my favorite meat market a call and order two smoked turkeys. My husband pulls it instead of slicing and I’ll pop it into the oven while I warm the rolls from our favorite bakery as the last thing we do.

I’d love a thread on what sides people traditionally have with their Thanksgiving Dinner, I keep seeing mashed potatoes mentioned and I’ve never in my life had mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving!

No mashed potatoes and gravy? You've been deprived. You haven't been exposed to the three greatest words ever spoken at Thanksgiving.
Sop it up.

 

[tasha99]

Most years, I get a very large turkey and do it in a turkey bag like OP. It comes out moist, and shockingly, the skin isn't soggy. Not the best health-wise to be using plastic, but it's easy, works, and I usually have so many things to worry about putting on our dinner without worrying about the turkey. It's a one time a year thing.

This year, I'm working Thanksgiving, so not hosting. I'm bringing my favorite pecan tart to dinner, because I can make it ahead of time. It's meant to be eaten frozen, and even the pecan pie haters in my family love it.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving, I'm making a slightly less traditional dinner for my immediate family. I ordered a small, heritage turkey, and plan to spatchcock it and dry brine it a couple days ahead of time. Sides are going to be less traditional riffs on the classics unless my family rebels at the idea. And my husband will finally get his German's Chocolate Cake that he missed on his birthday months ago (I feel funny calling it that, since I use dark chocolate instead of German's sweet chocolate, but it's got the traditional pecan/coconut icing. )

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I’d love a thread on what sides people traditionally have with their Thanksgiving Dinner, I keep seeing mashed potatoes mentioned and I’ve never in my life had mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving!

You could start one.

 

[KMarston]

Are you in the US?

Yes. The Deep South!

 

[HannaBelle]

Over the years I have tired roasting in a bag, in a paperbag, no bag, with foil, no foil...results varied and I was not overly impressed. When my family comes over, we serve cornbread dressing and it does not go in the turkey. When my husbands family comes over I am more experimental. I still don't stuffing in the bird and I make stuffing in a pan, not cornbread dressing. We have Thanksgiving Dinner 2X and Christmas Dinner 2X.

2nd favorite method now is to spatchcock the bird, season with salt, pepper, butter under the skin and roast with carrots, onion and celery.

Best method is to fry the turkey. I will make one with an Alton Brown sugar/salt brine and one that has been heavily injected with Cajun spices. Both are excellent!

My SIL is preparing the turkey for Thanksgiving Day at her house, I am not sure what she will do. I will fry two birds on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, each will be 14 to 16 pounds.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Most years, I get a very large turkey and do it in a turkey bag like OP. It comes out moist, and shockingly, the skin isn't soggy. Not the best health-wise to be using plastic, but it's easy, works, and I usually have so many things to worry about putting on our dinner without worrying about the turkey. It's a one time a year thing.

This year, I'm working Thanksgiving, so not hosting. I'm bringing my favorite pecan tart to dinner, because I can make it ahead of time. It's meant to be eaten frozen, and even the pecan pie haters in my family love it.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving, I'm making a slightly less traditional dinner for my immediate family. I ordered a small, heritage turkey, and plan to spatchcock it and dry brine it a couple days ahead of time. Sides are going to be less traditional riffs on the classics unless my family rebels at the idea. And my husband will finally get his German's Chocolate Cake that he missed on his birthday months ago (I feel funny calling it that, since I use dark chocolate instead of German's sweet chocolate, but it's got the traditional pecan/coconut icing. )

I spatchcocked/butterflied a turkey once which is how I came up with the idea of buying a hotel breast and legs in the future, LOL.

Just a heads up. Turkey bones are much harder than many other poultry so unless you have a good pair of poultry shears or meat cleaver ask your butcher to remove the back bone for you and wrap it up for broth/stock or gravy.

 

[NotUrsula]

Yes. The Deep South!

Guess you don't know any Irish-Americans? Mashed potatoes and gravy is a standard anywhere there are Irish-Americans, even in the deep South. There may still be cornbread dressing, and even mac n' cheese, and of course the ubiquitous yam/pecan souffle, but the potatoes are sacred.

FWIW, this month's Southern Living has a feature on regional side dishes.

 

[wenrob]

I give my favorite meat market a call and order two smoked turkeys. My husband pulls it instead of slicing and I’ll pop it into the oven while I warm the rolls from our favorite bakery as the last thing we do.

I’d love a thread on what sides people traditionally have with their Thanksgiving Dinner, I keep seeing mashed potatoes mentioned and I’ve never in my life had mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving!

Where do you put your gravy? I’ve never had a turkey dinner that didn’t include mashed potatoes. I did however once have one that didn’t have gravy. It took all I had to mind my own and keep myself out of a kitchen that wasn’t mine.

As for sides we keep it simple these days. Stuffing, mashed potatoes, veggie (usually green beans and bacon or Emeril’s Broccoli Cauliflower Au Gratin), rolls and gravy. We’re skipping this year though. Thanksgiving is only two days before my two younger kids birthday, I’m taking them to Disneyland as their gift and older DD will be in WDW (her first time) as her graduation present to herself. DH and the pup will have to fend for themselves.