The holidays can be quite demanding, we not only spend time sharing with family, but also cooking, serving, and entertaining. Thanksgiving Day meal planning is essential in guaranteeing that your family meals are made safely and that everyone leaves with fond memories, including those in charge of cooking the meal. Today, we want to share with you a few secrets to make your Thanksgiving as easy as possible.
Four tips to make your Thanksgiving Day easier:
- Plan ahead your meals: make a list of all the dishes you will be preparing for that day, including ingredients that you already have and those that need to be bought. Categorize them between perishable and “non-perishable”. This will make your food shopping easier, letting you know what and when you need to buy each ingredient.
- Prepare as many dishes in advance as you can: vegetables and gravy can be cooked and refrigerated for up to 2 days. For dishes that need to be cooked on the day of, try to do prep ahead of time (washing, peeling, chopping, and seasoning), so they are ready for cooking, baking, or roasting.
- Set the table the night before: this will allow you to have a smoother day, the day of the feast.
- “Make your own breakfast” policy: if people in your household are old enough to make their own breakfast, establish that policy in advance and include guests as well. This will allow you to focus on the main meal of the day with ease.
Hopefully, after Thanksgiving you have succeeded by applying some of the tips shared above, but what happens next? That is right! If you are hosting, chances are you have food left and you want to take advantage of all the time and effort put into your Thanksgiving dishes.
What to do with leftovers? Recycle them! Here are two simple ideas to power you and your family through the week.
Prepare a filling harvest stew: Start with the unused gravy after the fat has been scraped off. To make the stew substantial, add any leftover turkey pieces and vegetables. To thicken, mix in sweet potatoes or mashed potatoes. Reach 165°F for safe reheating of leftovers.
Make a turkey-berry wrap: Whole-wheat tortillas filled with chopped turkey, cranberry sauce, and shredded greens. If you have any toasted pecans, feel free to add them.
Sources:
https://www.fda.gov/consumers/free-publications-women/food-safety-home https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/keep-food-safe.html https://www.eatright.org/health/lifestyle/holidays/reinventing-thanksgiving
