Thanksgiving Cook’s Schedule by MAT Hodges
for a kitchen that features one main oven with a warmer drawer, one secondary (toaster) oven
Menu:
- Turkey (timing here is for a 16 lb. bird)
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Homemade Stuffing (which is actually “Dressing,” except “Dressing” is something that you pour on a salad or a slang term for a horse’s prances.)
- Green Bean Casserole made with canned beans
- Canned cranberry sauce
- Salad
- Frozen dinner rolls
- Turkey gravy
- Extra: Bacon-wrapped BBQ shrimp that your father-in-law wants to cook in your oven
(Guests are bringing desserts & beverages.)
SCHEDULE
Days ahead….
Sunday: Move 20 lb turkey from the freezer to the fridge
Monday: Move 15 lb turkey from the freezer to the fridge.
Tuesday: Briefly panic because you think that you forgot to defrost the turkey. Perform final shopping.
Wednesday:
- Do not leave the house for any reason.
- Unwrap the turkey and dig out extra parts from the cavity. I tried to use the extra parts once; that did not turn out well. Stash them in the freezer for use in a broth sometime next spring. Soak the bird in brine in the refrigerator overnight.
- In the evening, cut up bread for Stuffing and place in an un-powered stove to go stale overnight.
Thursday:
7:00 am DINNER ROLLS (homemade sourdough). If you are doing anything that involves your sourdough starter, now’s the time to do it.
7:30 TABLE ARRANGEMENT. Push tables together and figure out if you own a tablecloth. Splash tablecloth with water and put in the dryer for 20 minutes to reduce wrinkles by 74%.
9:00 DINNER ROLLS (homemade yeast). If working with yeast to make rolls, get that dough rising.
10:35 DINNER ROLLS (frozen). If the frozen rolls need to rise, take them out of the package and situate them on their cooking tray or in their springform pan. Cover and set aside to rise. Maybe use that “Proof Bread” setting on your warmer drawer.
10:40 OVEN. Preheat oven to ROAST or CONVECTION ROAST, 425°.
10:42 Eat a small brunch item. Also, eat half a grapefruit and offer the other half to your child, who will politely refuse it.
11:00 TURKEY. Remove from brine. Recommendation: Spatchcock the bird, in which case the cooking time will be shorter. Prep the bird by shoving butter under its skin. Squirt skin with lemon juice. Slather skin with sour cream and seasoning/salt/pepper, or whatever other cooking experiment that you have in mind. Cook at 425° for about 20 minutes to start skin browning, then REDUCE TEMP TO 350°. Cook until thickest part of thigh measures 158°. When done, remove turkey from oven and let sit at least 45 minutes before carving.
11:20 Set the table.
11:40 Double check that you reduced the oven temperature for the turkey.
11:42 Go for a walk. Check if any online retailer has the PlayStation 5 in stock.
12:20 TURKEY. Baste turkey.
12:30 STUFFING. Warm bread cubes until crispy (toaster oven, temp 200°, 90 minutes)
12:35 Take a short nap.
1:20 TURKEY. Baste turkey.
1:22 SWEET POTATOES. Start water to boil.
1:35 SWEET POTATOES. Peel sweet potatoes. Recommendation: Leave on most of the skin. Boil for 25 minutes.
1:55 TURKEY. Baste turkey and check its temperature; monitor and remove turkey when thickest part of thigh measures 158°. After removal, let turkey sit uncovered and pour juices into a bowl or vessel so that you can soak/wash the roasting pan and get it out of the way.
2:00 SWEET POTATOES. Mash sweet potatoes in a medium bowl. Mix in a pat of butter, optional splashes of milk and/or cream, a glob of sour cream, 1 whipped egg, salt, cinnamon, and any other spices that you want to try. Scoop into casserole dish and top with marshmallows and pecans. Bake in toaster oven at 375° for 25 minutes. When done, store in warmer drawer.
2:22 STUFFING. Rinse fresh parsley. Chop onion, celery, fresh parsley, and optional mushrooms for stuffing. With butter or oil, sautée onion and optional mushrooms. Mix all ingredients in bowl. Load into casserole dish. If you want to sprinkle the top with cheese, nobody will stop you, unless you live in Minnesota where they disapprove of that. Bake prepared stuffing in casserole dish (main oven, temp 350°, 40 minutes)
2:45 GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE. Stir can of cream of mushroom soup, milk, soy sauce, 2 Tbs of sour cream, black pepper, 2 cans of beans and 2/3 cup fried onion rings in a 1 1/2-quart casserole. Bake (main oven, 350°, 25 minutes).
2:57 WINE. Pour 1.5 inches of wine into a small juice glass that features Foghorn Leghorn and drink it.
3:00 SALAD. Make salad and store in fridge.
3:10 GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE. Sprinkle top of green bean casserole with a layer of more fried onion rings. Bake another 5 minutes.
3:15 GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE. Remove green bean casserole from main oven and store in warmer drawer.
3:20 STUFFING. Move stuffing from oven to warmer drawer.
3:21 DINNER ROLLS. Bake rolls in main oven.
3:22 CRANBERRY SAUCE. Open and plate can of cranberry sauce.
3:25 GRAVY. Prepare roux and mix in juices, Turkey Gravy packet, and water to taste.
3:45 WATER. Tell your kid to fill everybody’s water glasses with ice water and place them on the table.
3:45 Give everybody the 15-minute warning and help set up your chosen food service method. Enjoy!
OVEN SCHEDULE
MAIN OVEN with upper and lower shelf
10:40 to 2:50 – turkey (lower shelf with upper shelf removed)
2:50 to 3:20 – green bean casserole and stuffing (lower shelf)
2:50 to 3:30 – BBQ shrimp (if applicable) (upper shelf)
3:30 to 3:50 – dinner rolls (lower shelf)
TOASTER OVEN:
12:30 to 2:00 – stuffing
2:10 to 2:35 – sweet potato casserole
INGREDIENTS
- Turkey: frozen bird, butter, salt, lemon juice, sour cream, seasoning
- Green Bean Casserole: canned cut green beans, sour cream, milk, cream of mushroom soup, fried onion rings, ground pepper
- Bread Rolls: Frozen rolls that rise or homemade ingredients
- Gravy: (juices from bird), turkey gravy flavor pack, flour & butter for roux, ground pepper
- Sweet Potato Casserole: sweet potatoes, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, 1 egg, heavy cream, pecan bits, pinch of salt
- Stuffing: Rustic or sliced bread cut into cubes, onion, celery, poultry seasoning or sage, fresh parsley, other herbs, chicken or vegetable broth. Optional: mushrooms. Optional: egg.
- Salad: Go Navy! Beat Army!