{"id":13723,"date":"2019-10-23T15:17:22","date_gmt":"2019-10-23T19:17:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.eztaxreturn.com\/?p=13723"},"modified":"2023-06-06T07:23:37","modified_gmt":"2023-06-06T12:23:37","slug":"5-biggest-thanksgiving-dinner-mistakes-and-how-to-fix-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.eztaxreturn.com\/blog\/5-biggest-thanksgiving-dinner-mistakes-and-how-to-fix-them\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Biggest Thanksgiving Dinner Mistakes & How to Fix Them"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ah, Thanksgiving<\/a>.\u00a0 It\u2019s a day many people look forward to because we get to combine our two greatest loves; family and food.\u00a0 However, nothing kills the mood faster than realizing the items on your plate don\u2019t taste half as good as it looked.\u00a0 Whether you\u2019re hosting your first Thanksgiving dinner or you’re a seasoned pro, you want it to go off without a hitch.\u00a0 Here are some common Thanksgiving dinner mistakes and how you can avoid becoming the laughing stock of your family.<\/p>\n

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Not thawing your turkey early enough<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The safest way to thaw a turkey is to put it in a pan and give it a few days in your fridge.\u00a0 Leave it in its original packaging and sit it breast side up.\u00a0 You\u2019ll need about 24 hours for every 4-5 pounds of turkey.\u00a0 However, waiting until the last-minute doesn’t necessarily mean all hope is lost.\u00a0 You’ll just need to take a different approach to speed up the process.\u00a0 Leave the turkey in its packaging but place it in cold tap water with the breast side down.\u00a0 You must change the water every 30 minutes.\u00a0 The thawing time will take about 30 minutes per pound.\u00a0 Here\u2019s a quick cheat sheet on how long both methods will take based on the turkey weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Turkey weight<\/strong><\/td>\nFridge thawing time<\/strong><\/td>\nCold water thawing time<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4 to 12 lbs.<\/td>\n1 to 3 days<\/td>\n2 to 6 hours<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
12 to 16 lbs.<\/td>\n3 to 4 days<\/td>\n6 to 8 hours<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
16 to 20 lbs.<\/td>\n4 to 5 days<\/td>\n8 to 10 hours<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
20 to 24 lbs.<\/td>\n5 to 6 days<\/td>\n10 to 12 hours<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

You\u2019ll know your bird is ready to go when the breast meat feels springy and the legs and wings move loosely.\u00a0 There also won\u2019t be any ice crystals inside and you\u2019ll be able to easily remove the giblets.<\/p>\n

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Underestimating your cooking time<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The best meals take time.\u00a0 When you\u2019re in a rush, you\u2019re more likely to cut corners or forget key ingredients.\u00a0 Once you have a menu in place, decide what dishes can be made in advance and what needs to be saved for Thanksgiving Day.\u00a0 Cooking times can vary depending on the type of stove you have so always give yourself more time than the recipe suggests.\u00a0 By the way, Thanksgiving isn\u2019t the time to gamble with a recipe you\u2019ve never tried before.\u00a0 So, stick to dishes you already know how to make even if it’s not traditional items.<\/p>\n

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Not cooking your turkey to the proper temperature<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Roasting a turkey can be tricky business.\u00a0 Take it out too early and your turkey can make people sick.\u00a0 Leave it in too long and your bird will be dry as the Sahara<\/a>.\u00a0 The key to avoiding this Thanksgiving dinner mistake is to properly check the turkey\u2019s temperature.\u00a0 Toss the plastic pop-up thermometer that most turkeys come with and invest in a meat thermometer<\/a> instead.\u00a0 Pop-up thermometers are usually set for 180\u00b0F which will leave your turkey overcooked.\u00a0 To check your bird, stick the thermometer in the meatiest part of the thigh but avoid hitting the bone.\u00a0 You\u2019ll know it\u2019s ready when the temperature holds steady at 165\u00b0F.\u00a0 If your turkey starts getting dark too quickly, don’t turn down the oven.\u00a0 Instead, cover the turkey with aluminum foil to slow down the browning.\u00a0 Once you take it out the oven, let it rest for 20 minutes before carving.<\/p>\n

Helpful tip:<\/strong>\u00a0Forget what the name implies, stuffing doesn\u2019t belong inside the turkey.\u00a0 Baking them together will result in an overcooked bird or undercooked stuffing, there\u2019s no in-between.\u00a0 Feeding your guests undercooked food puts them at risk for salmonella poisoning.\u00a0 Save yourself the headache and just cook the dishes separately.<\/p>\n

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Throwing away the turkey drippings<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Why are you pouring all that delicious goodness down the drain?\u00a0 Rather than let your turkey drippings go to waste, use it as a base to make your gravy.\u00a0 A basic recipe includes:<\/p>\n