Thanksgiving 2015: Everything From Turkey Tips To What Restaurants Are Open
Thanksgiving is quickly approaching. It may not be here until next Thursday, but it’ll come sooner before you know it. It’s important that you know what to prepare and how to prepare if you want to make the perfect Thanksgiving meal.
When it comes to making your 2015 Thanksgiving meal, you might want to throw out everything you know about cooking turkey in the oven goodbye, according to AL.com. You may find that it’s easier to deep fry, smoke fry, or even boil your turkey for a change. Cooking your bird outside will also free up the oven for yummy side dishes like sweet potato casserole, or pumpkin pie.
Here’s an easy recipe for deep frying turkey from Springville Fire Chief Richard Harvey. You want to make sure your turkey is completely thawed before you cook it.
“Cook the turkey for 3 1/2 minutes per pound. For example, a 14-pound turkey should cook for 49 minutes, or 14 x 3.5 minutes. The internal temperature in the breast, not touching any bones, needs to be at least 170 degrees.”
If you insist on cooking your bird in the oven, then you should set it at 350 degrees. If you want to figure out how long it will take to cook, most turkeys cook at 20 minutes per pound. There are some turkeys like Butterball that comes with a pop-up timer that will let you know when it’s done.
Don’t even think about stuffing your turkey. Instead, cook the stuffing on the stove as the bird roasts in the oven for a few hours. You should also learn how to make other fixings such as your gravy, casserole, mashed potatoes, and more.
Now it’s time to think of which desserts to have with your Thanksgiving dinner. If you don’t want to bake a pie, you may want to consider some of these Thanksgiving favorites from Chron.com. Find out if these bakeries and establishments are located near you, or if they offer rush delivery in time for the holiday.
- White Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Bread Pudding Pie from Ooh La La Sweets
- Pumpkin Fudge from Urban Eats
- Gingerbread Pie from Three Brothers Bakery
Want to make the best pumpkin pie that will make your family swoon with delight? (That is, if they’re not full from Thanksgiving dinner.) Check out Julia Child’s classic pate brisee sucree crust recipe from the Press Herald. Is cake more your style? Then try Rachael Coyle’s pumpkin and marmalade cake. Or if you’re on a gluten-free diet, then try Phebe Rossi’s gluten-free pumpkin cheesecake.
Maybe you don’t want to make Thanksgiving dinner and dessert. If you’re someone who can’t cook or doesn’t even like to cook, then you probably want to know what restaurants are open for Thanksgiving Day 2015. You’ll be happy to hear that most chain restaurants will be open on the holiday, but make sure to call your local eateries to confirm that they’re, in fact, open.
In fact, well over 40 restaurants will be open for Thanksgiving, 2015, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. That way, you can eat alone or fuel up before the Black Friday deals. Other popular local eats that will be open include Boston Market, Jilly’s Cafe and Steakhouse, Maggiano’s Little Italy, Ponderosa Steakhouse, River City Casino, and Tucanos Brazilian Grill, according to the report.
How are you spending your Thanksgiving this year? Will you be cooking the turkey? Or, will you be eating out or over someone’s house? Share your thoughts below in the comments section.
[Image via Ketzirah Lesser & Art Drauglis Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and Resized | CC BY-SA 2.0]
