How’s your Turkey day prep work coming along?

[Santamarina]

Did a lot of cleaning over the weekend, so it’s just maintenance the next few days…a challenge since our boys are home from school all week. 🤣🤦♂️🤣

Most of the shopping is done, just have a few things to grab tomorrow before making the cranberry sauce, toasting the bread for the stuffing, and prepping all the veggies for the stuffing and gravy.

Wednesday I’ll spatchcock the turkey - probably going to quarter it at least too - and dry brine. Stuffing and mashed potatoes will be made.

Thursday will be baking/reheating the stuffing and potatoes. Hitting the turkey with Simon & Garfunkel, then into the convection oven along with all the gravy makings.

Should have room in the oven for my wife’s green bean casserole and spicy cream cheese corn.

Aiming for a more relaxing day Thursday by prepping more and letting the new steam table we bought keep everything hot until it’s time to eat.

[dubob]

My ONLY prep is to stop by my local WinCo store and pick up one of these.

[Panhead John]

I do the same prep work as you!

[dubob]

Task completed today. 😁

[jfmorris]

So so grueling and burdensome here. I moved a 18 pound frozen turkey from the deep freeze (-30F) to the garage freezer this past Friday, to give it a week to thaw. I got a foil pan from the laundry room for it to sit in, in case the plastic sprang a leak.... On Thursday I will salt and season the bird inside and out, and let it sit uncovered until I put it on the Weber kettle rotisserie about 9am Friday morning.

Later this morning or on my lunch "hour" I plan to go help Yvonne shop for the items she needs to make sides on both Thursday (her extended family) and Friday (Thanksgiving with our kids here). The only turkey I am making is for Friday.

The biggest pain is dealing with dadgum food allergies every which way I look. One has as soy allergy, another has a dairy and egg, and others wheat allergies. My son wanted me to inject the bird with Cajun butter, but I had to remind him that I didn't inject last year either because someone eating the turkey had a dairy issue. Bah. Humbug! At least its easy to keep the bird free of allergens, unlike the side dishes...

[Purc]

jfmorris I have a friend in Knoxville who is hosting 21 people for Thanksgiving and 19 of them have an allergy to helping out!

[Michael_in_TX]

It is a very, very common allergy. It's like the flu, manifests itself around holiday time.

[Michael_in_TX]

I retyped Spinnaker's Carnitas de Máquina into Microsoft OneNote. (I always like to retype recipes "in my own words," helps me walk through it and note any important/unusual steps/ingredients.)

Will take the pork butt out of the freezer in a bit, in prep for a Friday night marinade.

I haven't done a multi-day cook in a very long time and I am looking forward to it.

[Spinaker]

I am headed out today to get a few ingredients to make the pastrami rub. (Gonna smoke those tomorrow)

I need to run to Costco to get ingredients to make Oatmeal Raisin Dressing. I will stuff two chickens and slow cook it tomorrow as well. I do not need more turkey. I am pumped, it is my favorite recipe at Thanksgiving. I can eat it by the pound.

In case you are curious.......
Oatmeal Raisin Dressing .pdf

[Hulagn1971]

Have fun at Costco, I'm sure it'll be a ghost town lol.

[Spinaker]

Haha, It was busy, but not too bad actually. All I had to get was a double-pack of chickens. Hulagn1971

[carpetlayer719]

We are getting ready to start prepping Turkey and 3 Cornish game hens aka small turkeys for the grands. I just put together a new pellet grill last night! I get up early on Thanksgiving to prepare the sides
happy Thanksgiving

[Texas Larry]

Trying something totally different this year. Ordered a complete TG dinner from a local bbq chain. Turkey, stuffing, the works. We shall see how this comes out. Spouse is traveling abroad & I’m on my own to host a small crowd. 🙄

[shify]

Haven't started yet besides buying almost everything (still need to buy sausage for the stuffing and brussel sprouts).

If I get home early enough from work, I'm planning drop my turkey legs in the cure (doing disney style smoked legs) and also get the sous vide turkey thighs going (thinking ~24 hrs at around 160).

Tomorrow will prep the stuffing and make some candied pecans

[Lynn Dollar]

Spatchcocking two 13# birds today, they then go into overnight wet brine.

[Richard Chrz]

Bread is baked for the dressing, I have 5 loaves worth of dough made up and in bulk right now, including some cranberry walnut, standard loaf, ciabatta loaves and buns, will shape this afternoon and get into fold ferment.

two beef roasts are dry brining, Turkey breasts are dry brining another breast not shown, plus I have the dark meat all separated and dry brining.

I’ll cut up the bread for dressing this afternoon and get that all made and put together this evening.

Crosby was out of all food, so I added in enough food prep to get him to the weekend.


everything is going very smoothly so far.

following Kenji’s 145 2 1/2 hours method for the SV on the breast. https://www.seriouseats.com/sous-vid...e-thanksgiving

[dpearce]

Turkey was moved to the inside fridge last night. Still seemed hard as a brick. This morning, felt like it was softening up a bit. I'll rotate it tonight, and hope for a close to fully thawed bird tomorrow night. If not, I may have to put it in a cold water bath tomorrow morning.

[captainlee]

Put the 11lb breast in the frig yesterday morning, should of done that Sunday. It's starting to thaw a bit now. I will panic early Thursday morning if still frozen. I'll have time for the water bath if needed to finish the thaw.

[Dan Deter]

Shopping done. Prep tomorrow.

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

Since the store that carries a fantastic, layered bean dip isn't making any this year (so they can have more room for pre-prepped sides and mains, I wonder what data is showing them they should do that?)....

I just mixed 3 bags of Rancho Gordo beans and threw them in the instant pot. I'll make refried beans tonight, and guac the morning of the big day and layer away. Tomorrow night after work I will also prep the Jalapenos we finally found so on the big day all I have to do is cook, cut, and serve. As long as my cookers don't let me down, this should be the easiest Thanksgiving yet (I know I just jinxed it)

[captainlee]

Cranberry relish completed per how I remember mom making it. I always make quite a bit as it's a delicious spread for the cold turkey sandwiches.