Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Thanksgiving Checklist

If you weren't able to catch The Rachael Ray show yesterday, you missed some tips, that you should have on your Thanksgiving Checklist. Fortunately for you, I didn't! So I thought I would post them here and hopefully help someone out.
Checklist

Check thermometer for accuracy: Bring a pot of water to a boil to test; when you place your thermometer in boiling water it should read 212°F.

Check oven temperature: Calibrate your oven; make sure your oven is keeping the proper temperature. In other words, use an oven thermometer to see if the temperature you set the oven to is in fact the temperature it reaches. If it’s not, do the math to figure out what you should set the thermostat to in order to get your desired temperature.

Thawing out your turkey: Make sure you give yourself enough time to thaw your frozen turkey! Put your turkey on a baking sheet, and put it in the bottom of the refrigerator, just in case it leaks. If you haven’t thawed out your turkey in the refrigerator, you can put the turkey in cold water, but there needs to be a constant exchange of water.

Turkey
Size

4 to 12 Pounds

12 to 16 Pounds

16 to 20 Pounds

20 to 24 Pounds

Refrigerator
Thawing Time

1 to 3 Days

3 to 4 Days

4 to 5 Days

5 to 6 Days

Roasting Pan Size: If you’re going to get a disposable pan, you should still put the roasting pan on top of a baking sheet so you have some stability when taking it in and out of the oven. But whether you’re using a regular roasting pan, or a disposable roasting pan make sure your turkey will fit comfortably in the pan!

An alternative to making one large turkey is making two small turkeys; you can carve one turkey entirely and platter up the other turkey.

Dry Turkey Fix: Always make sure you have chicken stock and/or turkey stock on hand to fix any type of burns or dry areas of your turkey. Heat up the stock and drop in slices for a minute.

Keep Your Turkey Warm: Put foil over the turkey and place a heavy towel on top and the turkey will stay warm until you’re ready to serve.

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