You don’t know how challenging it is to cook a Thanksgiving feast until you attempt to do it all by yourself… without a double oven… or Chinese take-out.
How did my mom pull it off year after year?
Turkey Day is just a few hours away and if you haven’t already formulated your game plan for the all-you-can-eat holiday buffet taking place on your dining room table, then I wish you luck.
Goodness knows I am going to need it.
This year, I decided to make like my mom and spearhead our Thanksgiving Day dinner.
And by dinner I don’t mean potluck.
I have not instructed people to contribute dishes to the meal nor do I have Mr. Chow’s on speed dial.
Though, I’m beginning to reconsider the latter.
Despite watching Food Network’s Thanksgiving Live—-twice, jotting down hints on how to triage my turkey and creating a list cooking checklist including the exact time each item needs to be complete, I’m still feeling completely overwhelmed.
Did I bite off more than I can chew?
Timing is such a huge factor when cooking Thanksgiving dinner. I don’t own a double oven, which makes me even more petrified about being to pull off this meal. How am I going to keep everything hot if I only have enough room in my oven for the bird, and maybe, one side dish?
Bobby Flay suggested I keep a pot of chicken stock simmering on the stove, and use it to warm up the turkey if it gets cold prior to serving.
That’s a great suggestion if you don’t have a card table full of kids who refuse to eat wet meat. My daughter has a fit when her meat touches her potatoes… or her crescent roll… or her green beans… or her stuffing. Never mind getting her to let me douse her turkey with hot liquid.
I am heading down the home stretch with major turkey preparation trepidation.
How are you holding up?
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