Josh Elledge - Chief Executive Angel
If you haven't already bought your turkey, you're still in luck.Plenty of stores have turkeys at great prices this week. And what if you pretty much didn't plan, well,anythingyet?? Don't panic (save that for Christmas Eve Day) ““ pretty much all of the things you'll need are on sale this week. Plus, you'll have these ideas to help you pull it off ““ even last minute.
The Turkey
Thawing:You need time for a turkey to thaw, but if you're short on time, you can speed up the process and still be food safe. Place the bird, still in the package, breast-side-down in cold water. Be sure the water completely covers the bird. Change the cold water every 30 minutes. For each pound of meat, you'll need 30-40 minutes to thaw. And don't worry too much if the bird is still slightly frozen when it goes in the oven. This will only add to the cooking time, and not really affect the outcome.
Roasting with little prep:A delicious turkey needs moisture, sothe plastic cooking bag, made for this purpose,is the procrastinator's best friend. A bagged turkey doesn't need a lot of basting, can make up for not brining ahead, and can cover the missed herb-butter you never made. Get one at your local dollar store to save on this little turkey-helping wonder.
Before you start the bird:Before throwing the bird in the oven, do a little planning to save frustration later.While the oven is still cold,move the racks into position.You'll need to have the bird in, and be able to add other dishes later. So set your still-packaged bird into the roasting pan, and work it out before you start the oven. You've already used your quota for procrastinating on planning ““ so there is none here to neglect oven management.
The Potatoes
Mashed:Never underestimate the delicious power of the humble mashed potato. No need for fancy potatoes. After peeling them, the hot water does most of the work. For great mashed potatoes,throw peeled garlic cloves and some diced onion right into the waterwith the potatoes. Be sure the water is very salty (potatoes need salt). Then once the potatoes are soft, drain, and smash away with cream cheese (yup, we went there), pepper, butter, and milk. You'll smash the cooked onion and garlic cloves right into the potatoes for that extra boost over boring potatoes.
Twice-baked:These are for the semi-procrastinator who doesn't want to make everything Thanksgiving morning. Make the mashed potatoes mentioned above the night before, then lay them in a pan. Refrigerate. The next day, they go in the oven about 1-1.5 hours before the turkey is ready.
You can do this with sweet potatoes or yams, too.
The Cranberry Sauce
The true procrastinator would probably just dump a gelatinous cylinder of canned cranberry out on a plate and slice it. But even a last-minute Thanksgiving deservesdelicious cranberries.
Clock yourself doing this 10 minute prep alternative:In a glass bowl, with a metal spoon, stir 1 cup boiling water into 2 envelopes (about 6 ounces total) black cherry or raspberry gelatin until dissolved. Stir in 1/2 cup cold water. Add 1 can (15 ounces) whole cranberries, 1 can crushed pineapple (about 15 ounces ““ with the juice), and 1/4 cup crushed walnuts or pecans. Stir well. Cover and refrigerate until firm. If you want the results more like a gelatin, decrease the amount of pineapple. More like a turkey-worthy “sauce”, use the larger amount of pineapple, and stir gently before serving.
The Stuffing
If you think you're only choice last minute is salty boxed stuffing don't worry, you can still have great stuffing ““ even last minute.
Grab a bag of herb-seasoned stuffingandget mixing. In a large bowl, mix the bag of stuffing, a crushed sleeve of saltine crackers, 4 cups chicken broth or stock, and ““ if you have time ““ 1 pound cooked sausage. (You can either buy pre-cooked, or quickly brown it.) Set aside. In a small skillet, caramelize in butter a thinly diced small onion, and one-half of a stalk of celery (diced small) until brown and smelling great. Mix into your stuffing mix and bake for 45 minutes alongside the turkey. For softer stuffing, bake covered; for crunchier, bake uncovered.
The Dessert
Nothing says Thanksgiving like pumpkin pie”¦ pecan pie”¦ apple pie and”¦ well, the procrastinator has no shot at any of these homemade. If you don't want to just buy the desserts, and you can't shanghai someone else into bringing them, go semi-traditional instead.
Not only are these ideas less traditional, but much, much faster. In fact, you can whip both up, and bake them side-by-side. (Just watch the two separate baking times.) They can be made the night before, or made the morning of, just before you put the bird in the oven.
Key Lime Pie:Beat together 1 cup key lime juice, 2 cans (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk, 4 egg yolks (only the yolks), and a dash of salt. Pour into a pre-made graham cracker pie crust OR a prebaked pie crust if you prefer. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. Remove, allow to cool, and then chill in the fridge a minimum of 2 hours.
No-Crust Pumpkin “Pie”:Beat together 1 package softened cream cheese (8 ounces), 1 can (15 ounces) plain pumpkin, 3 whole eggs, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, 3/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, plus 1/8 teaspoon each nutmeg and all spice or cloves), and 1/2 cup baking mix (like the kind for biscuits). Pour into a greased glass baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Allow to cool, then chill in the fridge a minimum of 2 hours.
