How can I schedule making all this food??

M

marilynfl

Moderator
Here's the menu for Saturday (for 8 people):

Pat's Cheese Straws with wine

The next three items are being served sequentially as "tasters"

*********

#Hyeholde Soup (DONE, except for heavy cream, butter and sherry)

#Our salad table greens tossed with roasted Brussel sprouts and bacon with sherry dressing

#Buckwheat crepes with roasted vegetables

********

Turkey (14 lb fresh organic)

Gravy (DONE)

Stuffing

Richard's killer mashed potatoes (onions are DONE: caramelized)

Garnet yams

Corn pudding

Cranberry sauce

Homemade applesauce (DONE)

Pumpkin Pie

Fresh apple pie

Ice cream with Dyslexic sauce

 
Most things can be made ahead with no problem. I start one week ahead

I get my table setting out, check for any thing that needs some attention. I do my cranberries 5 days ahead, gravy 2 days ahead. Stuffing can be made a day ahead. apple pie can be made ahead and frozen, baked on the day of serving. Get a pumpkin pie at Costco or a good bakery. Costcos are excellent pies.

 
Make a list- and Karen is right- many things can be made ahead

You already have several things underway. You are in better shape than you think you are.

I make a list for each day starting a few days before the party date. I add on to each day's list things I need to get last-minute at the grocery store and cooking times and temps for everything (i.e. put bird in 325 oven at Noon- take out at 3). I cross stuff off as I finish it. A very satisfying approach to a big feed.

The biggest concern is to schedule the oven space- unless you have two ovens or if you are roasting the bird in a different place. Looks like you have turkey, roasted veggies, roasted brussel sprouts and corn pudding to consider unless some of the veggies can roast ahead of time. I imagine you can make the crepes ahead. Yams, stuffing and mashed potatoes are totally forgiving and can be made up ahead of time. You are a pro- you will pull this menu off easily.

 
Many thanks, Karen & Cathy. And good point about the oven, I hadn't

thought about that. It will be filled right up until dinner, so I have to figure out how to heat the yam, pudding and stuffing. Potatoes & gravy can be on top of the stove.

 
Marilyn, don't forget your crock-pot. I always heat my stuffing and sometimes mashed spuds in my

two crockpots. If you don't have one, I bet one of your neighbors would lend you theirs. Crockpots are your best buddy during big dinners like this. And they can be put on a laundry room counter or even in another room to heat. Just make sure to put the crockpot on a hard surface with a heat pad under it.

 
Lovely Menu! The crepe recipe sounds like fun! We make Hubgarian pancakes, but they are served w.

jam. I like the thought of roasted veggies. Tell me more..... Is there a sauce? Balsamic vinegar reduction?

 
Do you have a toaster oven? That could handle reheating the Brussels Sprouts and Bacon for the salad

Otherwise, all your tasters can be done on top of the stove. Crepes can be done ahead and reheated in a skillet. Even the roasted veggies and the sprouts/bacon can be tossed in a skillet if need be.

Your turkey can rest longer than the required 20-30 minutes and be all the better for it, so you can put the rest of your main course in the oven while it's resting.

Take the turkey out and tent with foil, put the potaotoes, stuffing, yams and corn pudding in, then seat everyone and serve your tasters. Let people help!

The pies can be baked the night before or the morning of.

You can Cathy are geniuses for doing the gravy ahead.

Sounds like a wonderful menu!

 
In the days when I only had one oven, I'd make the turkey on the Weber. That left the oven clear for

whatever needed to be baked or reheated ala minute. Remember, you can also use more than one rack while re-heating.

By the way, I still prefer cooking the big-bird outside. Who knew?

 
In my family turkey was always roasted in an electric roaster.

And that electric roaster makes great gravy. I don't use it much anymore- I have a big Imperial stove with double ovens so I don't need to but what a great "tool" it is.

 
That's how my mom did ours too since her wall oven is small.

Doesn't make great crisp skin (which we don't need to stand in the kitchen and eat anyway) but the combo of steam/roasting makes a very nice moist bird.

 
Holiday Memories . . . and prepping for the cooking . . . .

Several years ago my brother gifted all the siblings with a picture/vignette he had photographed many years earlier.

To anyone else this photograph would mean NOTHING. A photograph of an old shaving cup with trains, filled with an odd assortment of pencils and pens, an emory board, scissors, and a rusty can opener (church key). Next to the mug are two TOTALLY, TOTALLY GRODDY Eight O'Clock Coffee piggy bank tins that have been staples in my life, living on the counter over the sink for as long as I can ever remember. Compositionally, it's a great photo/vignette on its own. Even if no one knew the subject. So that's just the visual.

But, the most endearing part of the photograph, one that takes microscopic vision to see and one that others would not catch is that perched behind the coffee cans (as we referred to them) is my Mom's Thanksgiving count-down schedule. I can barely make out that it says "Tuesday, Wednesday." I can only guess beyond that. Cranberries. Pumpkin pie mousse for the chiffon pie to prepare.

Mom always had her list. And this very little glimpse of it makes me VERY THANKFUL each and every Thanksgiving just for the memory.

 
Agreeing -- It took me an afternoon to list what to buy and schedule when to make it all. Now...

I use the toaster oven for the extra stuffing that doesn't fit in the bird cause everyone always wants extra stuffing. I will use the crock pot for the sweet potatoes this year and the bottom of the oven will hold corn pudding and something else.
Cakes,pies made ahead. Green beans on top of oven I start today with soup, cornbread for stuffing, pie filling, birthday cake for youngest grandchild, cranberry relish. Tomorrow - finish up whatever possible before Thurs.
I actually have a lecture on Thurs. morning which i am planning on attending.

Just take a deep breath and jump in.

 
Time line chart-restaurants do it. I do it for holidays or if I have a

large dinner party. I start early and write down what needs to be completed each hour. It works for me!

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top