HOUSTON – Roasting a bird while also putting together all the fixings can give anyone a headache. Here are some easy ways to make sure you don't overcook anything, while also using some tricks to speed up your meal prep.
1. Ice the bird
Did you know it's a good idea to ice down the turkey breast before you put it in the oven? That is because the white meat cooks faster than dark meat. The ice will help make sure both meats cook evenly, preventing you from overcooking the bird. You can put ice packs on the breast or just ice in a Ziploc bag. Remove the ice packs before cooking the turkey.
2. Speedy spuds
One staple side dish is the mashed potatoes. The prep is time-consuming, but there are ways around it. You can microwave the potatoes, instead of boiling. Add a touch of baking powder to make them fluffier. You can also wash the potatoes in the dishwasher to avoid all that scrubbing.
If you don't want to peel the potatoes, just boil them first. The skins will slide right off.
3. Stuffing for all
If you're tired of people fighting over getting the best part of the stuffing or dressing, cook the mixture in muffin tins. This makes sure everyone gets crispy dressing and the serving sizes are all worked out.
4. Relaxed crust
Don't forget about dessert. Bakers will spend hours cooking the perfect pie, but there are easy ways to get that perfect crust. After you've rolled out your dough, you can freeze the crust while you are making the filling. This lets the gluten relax and keeps the crust from shrinking. A bag of rice is a good tool to weigh the crust down.
5. Decorated dessert
If you want an easy way to decorate your pie, try using a beaded necklace on the raw dough to imprint a design on the pie crust.
What are your go-to Thanksgiving meal hacks? Tell us in the comments below.