It’s Thanksgiving time again!!
I went out and did my Thanksgiving Day shopping today (Sat). The store was a bit crowded, but I think I got everything I’ll need. Tomorrow (Sun), I’ll lay out all my recipes and double check all the ingredients to make sure I did get everything. If not, I’ll have time Tues morning to pick up anything I may have missed.
If you haven’t read or seen our posts on Thanksgiving in the past, you may want to check them out.
“Let’s Talk Turkey” talks about determining the size of turkey you may want as well as ways to defrost it. It also talks about stuffing the turkey and touches on one way to carve it once it is cooked.
“Less Stress Thanksgiving Plan” shows you the menu I made last year. It tells you how you can do a lot of the easier dishes, the pumpkin pie (or any pie for that matter) as well as some of the prep work ahead of Thanksgiving Day.
Here is an equipment list of a lot of the things you will need. (I’m sure I have missed some.) You will also find links in the above-mentioned posts, plus I have added a few more here.
EQUIPMENT LIST:
Tray or Shallow Pan to place turkey on while defrosting in the refrigerator.
Cookie Sheets to dry bread cubes on.
Medium Saucepan to cook the giblets if you use them in the stuffing or gravy. (Don’t forget to save that liquid to add extra flavor to the stuffing or gravy.)
Large Mixing Bowl for mixing all your stuffing or dressing ingredients together well.
Skewers and Kitchen Twine for securing neck flap and trussing to keep stuffing inside turkey while cooking.
Shallow Roasting Pan with a Rack so you can roast your turkey to perfection.
Instant Read Thermometer so you’re sure the turkey is cooked properly. (I don’t rely on those pop-up timers that sometimes come already inserted in the turkey.)
Potato Masher, if you like mashing your potatoes manually with a few small lumps, use this style.
Hand Mixer, if you like smooth mashed potatoes, this is the way to go. (I find this much quicker than a hand masher.)
Semi-flexible Filet Knife, this makes getting the breast meat off the bones in two whole breast halves.
Slicing Knife for getting that perfect thickness for holding gravy on your dinner plate as well as for turkey sandwiches the next day.
Fat/Gravy Separator Measuring Cup, this will help you remove excess fat from your pan juices before making gravy. (I prefer the bottom drain style rather than the side spout style. It is a little harder to clean but the result is much more favorable.)
Stock Pot or Dutch Oven to cook down the turkey bones and scraps for stock to make soup.
Hopefully you will find this informative and helpful.
Doug and I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy and stay safe. As always, any comments or suggestions are welcome.
Patty & Doug