# Making Thanksgiving dinner easier **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 15, 2018, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-thanksgiving-dinner-easier/822965 "2018-10-15T06:09:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2018, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-thanksgiving-dinner-easier/822965/21 "2018-10-16T17:09:44Z")
Whatever method you end up going for, try to see that it’s something that “fits” you, and fits the people you’re expecting to some extent as well. Thanksgiving dinner in the US seems to me to have two major themes: 1. Family Discord Mode seems to be switched on, in families that have ever activated that mode in the past; 2. Inflated expectations, including you having inflated expectations of yourself. My own opinion/preference: I’m not a fan of “traditional done in a new way”. I favour either straight-up traditional done in a straight-up traditional way, or else “Different with a capital D”. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2018, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-thanksgiving-dinner-easier/822965/22 "2018-10-16T17:22:13Z")
> [@Alpha\_Twit](#): > > Deep fry the bird! > > My aunt used this trick to get several of the men-folk out of the house on Thanksgiving morning by banishing them to the driveway with a turkey fryer and a couple of birds. There are several advantages to this method. > > Deep fried bird is delicious. > It frees up room in the kitchen and oven while transferring heat and chaos outside. > It gives the men something fiery, productive and potentially entertaining to do while drinking beer. She even moved their big screen TV out there so they could watch a game. > The same turkey fryer can be used to boil big batches of spuds for mashed goodness or can boil two dozen ears of corn at once. I’ve never tried one but the local Popeyes offers fried turkeys around Thanksgiving. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2018, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-thanksgiving-dinner-easier/822965/23 "2018-10-16T17:41:20Z")
We’ve also done turkeys on the Weber grill (charcoal). Very good, not too difficult but you do have to watch it. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2018, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-thanksgiving-dinner-easier/822965/24 "2018-10-16T18:29:00Z")
> [@TRC4941](#): > > We’ve also done turkeys on the Weber grill (charcoal). Very good, not too difficult but you do have to watch it. Or a gas grill, if that’s what you have. It opens up the oven for all the other stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2018, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-thanksgiving-dinner-easier/822965/25 "2018-10-16T19:03:57Z")
> [@TRC4941](#): > > We’ve also done turkeys on the Weber grill (charcoal). Very good, not too difficult but you do have to watch it. Did you spatchcock that or smoke it intact? I’ve done a spatchcocked bird a couple of years back and wanted to compare styles. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2018, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-thanksgiving-dinner-easier/822965/26 "2018-10-16T22:01:40Z")
Our family never seemed to do the discord thing - until about 15 years ago, mom did all the cooking with various people working for her peeling or prepping stuff. After some 50 odd years of making Thanksgiving dinner, she had the timing down to a T. mrAru and I took over about 1 years ago, and we made her menu and used her timing, and it worked. As she went gaga with Alzheimers we changed the menu slightly, omitting the green bean glop for chinese style fried green beans with garlic, went to a 50/50 white potato/sweet potato mash, and made dressing instead of stuffing. Last year and the year before we did the 1700 [Thanksgiving menu](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsVoPH3uCHE&list=PL4e4wpjna1vx7lPCiPJfXSZ6NbGyYfqPC&index=6)from Townsend’s youtube channel and it was yummy. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2018, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-thanksgiving-dinner-easier/822965/27 "2018-10-16T22:13:36Z")
> [@PackerMan](#): > > My best tip for making Thanksgiving easier is to make the turkey so it is ready 2-3 hours before you plan on eating and putting it into a cooler. That gives you time (and oven space) to get the sides ready. A side benefit is that it really keeps the meat moist because it has had plenty of time to rest. A decent cooler will keep it at a good temperature for quite a while. I discovered this one year when the turkey finished cooking and my in-laws told us they would be a couple hours like. I was freaking out and decided to give it a try. Now I do it every year and get rave reviews on how moist the white meat is. > > If you have the time and fridge space, the other thing I have found to lower the stress is the make the sides in the days before so that all I need to do on the big day is warm them up. Both of these. And get the family to bring some of the sides. We, too, discovered that turkey is moister and better if it rests for a couple of hours. And we, too, discovered that because a relative came really late. We didn’t even have a cooler, we just left it sitting in the kitchen. If you leave a thermometer in it, you will notice that it stays warm for an awfully long time. If you want to keep if warm for 5 or 6 hours, use a cooler, but for one or two hours, it’s not really needed, just leave it in a warm spot in the kitchen and the interior will stay above 140F. We do the pies the day before, do the turkey, stuffing, gravy, and mashed potatoes the day of, and get relatives to bring most of the rest of the food. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2018, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-thanksgiving-dinner-easier/822965/28 "2018-10-16T22:18:56Z")
I’ve done the Weber gas grill thing. I was living in China, and Asian stoves are too small for turkeys! It worked well. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2018, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-thanksgiving-dinner-easier/822965/29 "2018-10-16T22:34:56Z")
My extended family has done a potluck Thanksgiving for as long as the original children were adults and had their own kitchens (about 40 years now). Easiest if the person hosting it does the ham or turkey. Everyone does ONE dish. Since the women usually cook, the men traditionally wash up and put the extra chairs back in storage etc. Usually about two dozen people. Thanksgiving has got to be the easiest big meal ever invented – all the dishes are incredibly simple, even the pies. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2018, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-thanksgiving-dinner-easier/822965/30 "2018-10-16T23:54:02Z")
We’ve just gone to the Chinese buffet the last five years or so for Thanksgiving and Christmas… ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-thanksgiving-dinner-easier/822965/31 "2018-10-17T00:43:02Z")
> [@InsomniaMama](#): > > So I’m thinking: all the normal sides (which I love and am very good at) and then order some fried chicken. My kneejerk reaction was, of course, _ **sacrilege!** _ But then I thought more about it. Traditional Thanksgiving sides and fried chicken? It quite frankly sounds amazing. You should do it. I’ve always been of the opinion that the turkey is the least exciting part of the meal. It’s also the single most intensive dish in terms of oven space, prep time, and cook time. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-thanksgiving-dinner-easier/822965/32 "2018-10-17T11:39:33Z")
I don’t consider the turkey to be the main problem with Thanksgiving dinner. You spend some time prepping it and putting it in the oven, then do practically nothing for 4 hours. It’s hardly more difficult than roasting a chicken. The problem, as I see it, is three fold. First, you’re making 5-6 side dishes to go along with it. Mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, carrots, green beans, rolls, the list goes on. Second, you’re making all of it for 3-5x as many people as you usually do, plus leftovers. If it normally takes you 5 minutes to rinse, peel and cut potatoes for Mashed, it now takes 15+ minutes, that stuff adds up. Third, you’re making special versions of everything, no Stove Top stuffing today, you’re cutting up an artisan loaf of bread, you’re snipping the ends off 300 fresh green beans, making 2 versions of cranberry sauce, and making a sweet potato recipe with 10 ingredients that you keep having to check, because you only make it once a year. ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-thanksgiving-dinner-easier/822965/33 "2018-10-17T11:57:57Z")
Make it a pot luck. You do the meat and potatoes; they bring everything else. Why bust your ass and spend all of your money for people you don’t really give a fig about? And even if you do like them, potluck style still works. Everyone contributes. Most family gatherings I’ve been to over the span of my life have been pot-luck style, with the exception of when literally _all_ of my family lived hours away. Even then, they brought cookies that traveled well or bought ingredients for a few dishes and made them in my kitchen the night before. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-thanksgiving-dinner-easier/822965/34 "2018-10-17T14:07:08Z")
It used to be that you had to pay someone to haul away used cooking oil. Those days are gone. Enough people are using the stuff for fuel that you should at least be able to find someone to take it off your hands for free, and possibly even pay you for it. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-thanksgiving-dinner-easier/822965/35 "2018-10-17T14:59:43Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > Honeybaked Ham is often a good turkey alternative. > > Depending on what part of the country you’re in, BBQ restaurants may sell smoked turkeys. > > If you are ordering something, make sure you reserve early as they often sell out. Second (or third) the Honey Baked Ham. It’s always a hit. I also rely heavily on side items like frozen biscuits. They turn out great and you can use the extras after the meal (or over the next few days) for ham biscuits. I get a variety of salads from a (decent) local market and I’m pretty much ready to go. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-thanksgiving-dinner-easier/822965/36 "2018-10-17T15:00:49Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > I don’t consider the turkey to be the main problem with Thanksgiving dinner. You spend some time prepping it and putting it in the oven, then do practically nothing for 4 hours. It’s hardly more difficult than roasting a chicken. > > The problem, as I see it, is three fold. First, you’re making 5-6 side dishes to go along with it. Mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, carrots, green beans, rolls, the list goes on. > > Second, you’re making all of it for 3-5x as many people as you usually do, plus leftovers. If it normally takes you 5 minutes to rinse, peel and cut potatoes for Mashed, it now takes 15+ minutes, that stuff adds up. > > Third, you’re making special versions of everything, no Stove Top stuffing today, you’re cutting up an artisan loaf of bread, you’re snipping the ends off 300 fresh green beans, making 2 versions of cranberry sauce, and making a sweet potato recipe with 10 ingredients that you keep having to check, because you only make it once a year. This is my experience, too. The turkey is easy. Certainly not much effort per calorie that will be consumed. 😉 But this is one of two times each year that i make gravy, and there are only two days wheni might prepare more dishes than i do for Thanksgiving. (The Passover Seder and new year’s Eve.) ---
**Author:** ![InsomniaMama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ad7895/32.png) [@InsomniaMama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InsomniaMama)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-thanksgiving-dinner-easier/822965/37 "2018-10-17T16:27:28Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > But then I thought more about it. Traditional Thanksgiving sides and fried chicken? It quite frankly sounds amazing. You should do it. I feel so incredibly validated right now! Thank you, yes! ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-thanksgiving-dinner-easier/822965/38 "2018-10-17T16:57:01Z")
> [@ZonexandScout](#): > > Second (or third) the Honey Baked Ham. It’s always a hit. Just please don’t get a spiral sliced ham. They’re convenient but that thin slices allow them to dry out into well season ham jerky in no time. ---
**Author:** ![4d3fect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/4d3fect/32/9728_2.png) [@4d3fect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/4d3fect)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-thanksgiving-dinner-easier/822965/39 "2018-10-17T18:25:37Z")
I say wake him up. This is important! ---
**Author:** ![BetsQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@BetsQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BetsQ)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2018, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-thanksgiving-dinner-easier/822965/40 "2018-10-17T19:28:32Z")
The one and only time I’ve ever prepared a Thanksgiving meal, we had the side dishes and skipped the turkey entirely. I’m vegetarian and my husband doesn’t much care for turkey, so everyone was fine with that. If I were hosting these days, I’d bake a few pies (pumpkin, apple, pecan, chocolate cream) and then just order pizza. This is probably why I’m not hosting. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-thanksgiving-dinner-easier/822965.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-thanksgiving-dinner-easier/822965.md?page=3)