so it's been for.EV.er since i posted. but i really don't create as
much as i'd like in the kitchen :( this year, my husband and i (yes, i
got married!) celebrated our first thanksgiving away from family (yes,
we moved to california!), so we had to do turkey day all by ourselves
(with a lot of help over the phone and email). but it turned out to be a
picture perfect meal! and delicious to boot. it wasn't even too stressful (with the exception of dropping a burning hot sweet potato on my foot--no, that one did not make it to the table--and forgetting to turn on the crockpot for a couple hours). so anyway, here's a guide for all of you out there that may be
doing it yourself for the first time, too.
now, we're only 2 people, so i didn't do a billion sides like some people do. we just can't get through it all. i made (from left to right) stuffing, cranberry, gravy, 10lb turkey, and sweet potatoes. other favorites of mine in the past have been green bean casserole, cornbread, salad, dressing, etc. but, like i said, we just don't have the room, either in our tummies or in our fridge/freezer. maybe next year.
now with a 10lb bird, i anticipated 3-31/2 hours to roast, per the directions on the outside of the package. my timeline is based on that figure, beginning about 4.5 hours before you plan to eat.
candied sweet potatoes:
ingredients:
3 medium sized sweet potatoes
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. melted butter
10 oz. (1/2 can) crushed pineapple with juice
equipment:
dutch oven
crockpot
knife
1 hour prior to starting turkey (4.5 hours prior to meal time):
wash the sweet potatoes. fill the dutch oven with water high enough to cover the potatoes. bring water to a boil, and boil potatoes until done (soft when you stick a fork in them). this will take 45ish mins depending on the size of the potatoes. more on this later...
turkey:
ingredients:
10lb. turkey
olive oil
sea salt
pepper
granulated garlic
1/2 red onion
1/2 lemon
2 T. butter
equipment:
roasting pan
tin foil
15 mins prior to turkey going into oven (4.25 hours prior to meal time):
set the oven to 325. rinse the inside and outside of the turkey. pat dry the outside with paper towels. place in roasting pan, and stuff center with butter (solid), lemon, and onion. rub olive oil, sea salt, pepper, and granulated garlic onto outside of skin, both top and bottom. when oven is heated, place on 2nd rack from the bottom and let roast. more on this later...
candied sweet potatoes continued:
4 hours prior to meal time
remove sweet potatoes from water, and peel skins (note: potatoes will be HOT! i know, because as previously stated, i managed to drop one on my food. anyway, i recommend holding the potato with a hot pad and slicing just skin deep the long way. roll the potato in your hand and peel the skin off parallel to the cut you made. it should be very easy to peel at this point). cut the potatoes into rounds and place in crockpot. add pineapple, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar. cover and place on high.
turkey continued:
2.5 hours to meal time
i'm sure this varies depending on the bird, but i first checked in on my turkey about 1.5hrs into cook time. i saw the skin was already browning, so i decided to cover it from here on so it did not dry out too much. if the same is true for you, tent tin foil over the top of the roasting pan, but do not cover tightly.
now you have a rather significant break. take time to sit down, enjoy your loved ones, decorate for the holidays, set the table, etc.
30 mins prior to meal time:
turkey:
when the turkey is done (180 degrees), remove roasting pan from oven and let the turkey rest for about 20-30mins.
stuffing:
i'll admit, i didn't do the stuffing from scratch, i got the packaged kind. but the packaged kind took time for water to boil plus 5 mins to sit (just like cous cous), then time to fluff and dish. took a total of about 10mins, and i did it while the turkey was resting.
gravy:
similarly to the stuffing, i used a gravy packet, which took about 10mins to make, which i did simultaneously with the stuffing.
cranberry:
open the can, shloop it into a bowl.
10 mins prior to meal time:
carve your turkey (amazing method that worked perfectly here). i just did the breast so that we could eat and went back and carved the rest of it after dinner. dish up the rest of your sides, and enjoy!
a very happy thanksgiving to everyone out there. i hope it is a joyous time and that you are able to enjoy it with loved ones. very much love to you all!
now, we're only 2 people, so i didn't do a billion sides like some people do. we just can't get through it all. i made (from left to right) stuffing, cranberry, gravy, 10lb turkey, and sweet potatoes. other favorites of mine in the past have been green bean casserole, cornbread, salad, dressing, etc. but, like i said, we just don't have the room, either in our tummies or in our fridge/freezer. maybe next year.
now with a 10lb bird, i anticipated 3-31/2 hours to roast, per the directions on the outside of the package. my timeline is based on that figure, beginning about 4.5 hours before you plan to eat.
candied sweet potatoes:
ingredients:
3 medium sized sweet potatoes
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. melted butter
10 oz. (1/2 can) crushed pineapple with juice
equipment:
dutch oven
crockpot
knife
1 hour prior to starting turkey (4.5 hours prior to meal time):
wash the sweet potatoes. fill the dutch oven with water high enough to cover the potatoes. bring water to a boil, and boil potatoes until done (soft when you stick a fork in them). this will take 45ish mins depending on the size of the potatoes. more on this later...
turkey:
ingredients:
10lb. turkey
olive oil
sea salt
pepper
granulated garlic
1/2 red onion
1/2 lemon
2 T. butter
equipment:
roasting pan
tin foil
15 mins prior to turkey going into oven (4.25 hours prior to meal time):
set the oven to 325. rinse the inside and outside of the turkey. pat dry the outside with paper towels. place in roasting pan, and stuff center with butter (solid), lemon, and onion. rub olive oil, sea salt, pepper, and granulated garlic onto outside of skin, both top and bottom. when oven is heated, place on 2nd rack from the bottom and let roast. more on this later...
candied sweet potatoes continued:
4 hours prior to meal time
remove sweet potatoes from water, and peel skins (note: potatoes will be HOT! i know, because as previously stated, i managed to drop one on my food. anyway, i recommend holding the potato with a hot pad and slicing just skin deep the long way. roll the potato in your hand and peel the skin off parallel to the cut you made. it should be very easy to peel at this point). cut the potatoes into rounds and place in crockpot. add pineapple, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar. cover and place on high.
turkey continued:
2.5 hours to meal time
i'm sure this varies depending on the bird, but i first checked in on my turkey about 1.5hrs into cook time. i saw the skin was already browning, so i decided to cover it from here on so it did not dry out too much. if the same is true for you, tent tin foil over the top of the roasting pan, but do not cover tightly.
now you have a rather significant break. take time to sit down, enjoy your loved ones, decorate for the holidays, set the table, etc.
30 mins prior to meal time:
turkey:
when the turkey is done (180 degrees), remove roasting pan from oven and let the turkey rest for about 20-30mins.
stuffing:
i'll admit, i didn't do the stuffing from scratch, i got the packaged kind. but the packaged kind took time for water to boil plus 5 mins to sit (just like cous cous), then time to fluff and dish. took a total of about 10mins, and i did it while the turkey was resting.
gravy:
similarly to the stuffing, i used a gravy packet, which took about 10mins to make, which i did simultaneously with the stuffing.
cranberry:
open the can, shloop it into a bowl.
10 mins prior to meal time:
carve your turkey (amazing method that worked perfectly here). i just did the breast so that we could eat and went back and carved the rest of it after dinner. dish up the rest of your sides, and enjoy!
a very happy thanksgiving to everyone out there. i hope it is a joyous time and that you are able to enjoy it with loved ones. very much love to you all!
I'm glad it came out so well. You shloopped the cranberry, yay! That is a great carving method. Congratulations on getting the first of many more together onto the table so successfully. Dad.
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