Thanksgiving Feast
All over the world, there are celebrations of the harvest and giving thanks. It’s an opportunity to celebrate and share what we have. Preparing your holiday meal doesn’t have to be elaborate or stressful - here are some simple recipes to get you started.
Prep Ahead
Many Thanksgiving favorites can be made ahead - save your time on the day for celebrating by making these dishes in advance:
You can freeze and reheat mashed potatoes, gravy, and cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie filling, or rolls.
Prepare your spices and components - measure them out in a muffin tin for different dishes to stay organized.
Holiday Meal Makeover
A celebratory dinner should be exactly that: a time to share delicious food with family and friends. While many people wish to serve traditional family favorites, for most, there's still plenty of room to liven up your holidays with a few new flavors, local foods, and even nutritional boosters.
Here are some ideas for making your holiday meals fresh, easy, and fun.
Turkey Tips
Our co-op Meat and Seafood Department shares the necessary tools, tips and preparation method for your best Thanksgiving turkey!
Tools
Kitchen twine to truss the bird to ensure uniform cooking.
Good instant read meat thermometer to get the most accurate internal temperature - breasts should be at about 155, and legs at about 170 -175 when you remove it from the oven. It will continue cooking as it rests.
Preparation
Try using a dry brine and drying out the turkey skin for 24 hours before cooking. This helps flavor the entire turkey and dries out the skin resulting in a crispy exterior.
Use big chunks of onion, carrots and celery to form a natural baking “rack” in the bottom of your roasting pan, and use the drippings and veg to create a flavorful gravy.
Skip the basting to avoid opening the oven - you’ll loose heat and your turkey will take longer to bake.
Use a good amount of butter or oil to create a golden brown exterior. About a teaspoon per pound, to estimate.
Don’t forget to rest the turkey for 20 minutes before carving!
Local Turkeys
Our local farm partner, Veseckys Family Farms in Baldwin City, take pride in their free-range, antibiotic and hormone-free turkeys.
Fresh-never-frozen local turkeys are available beginning Thursday, November 16 at our Lawrence location and throughout the holiday.
Thanksgiving can be a busy time at the grocery store. Get all your holiday favorites through Co+op Curbside!