By Toi Degree
N.C. Cooperative Extension

Thanksgiving is upon us, and we are officially entering the holiday season. Thanksgiving is the biggest meal of the year and requires a lot of planning to make it a success. Let’s look at how to make the process easier.

• Plan your menu — Pick your favorite turkey recipe today and then plan additional dishes around the bird. If you are not a fan of turkey but are of side dishes, start with your favorite recipes and build from there. Select some dishes that taste good at room temperature, so you won’t have to worry about your hot entree getting cold or your cold dessert melting. Also, consider your drink options and simple bites to serve as guests arrive.

• Decide what can be prepped in advance — After narrowing down your menu, study the recipes to distinguish which (or which steps in each dish) you can prepare in advance. Then, make a list of what you want to get done on each of the days leading up to Thanksgiving. The more time you practice what’s required in your head, the more relaxed you’ll be.

Coordinate with any guests who are contributing dishes. If your Thanksgiving dinner is at least partially potluck, ensure that you don’t end up with five different types of stuffing and no veggie sides, and figure out who will bring what.

• Get your gear — Now is the time to shop for tools you’ll need for the big day. Think about what you needed last year that you didn’t have, or upgrade some of your current tools to help ease the cooking process. Having the correct kitchen utensils makes cooking so much easier.

• Create a shopping list — Make a detailed list and check it twice! But don’t expect to get all your shopping done in one trip. Instead, divide your list into two parts: items you’ll need in advance or that you have room to store and items you’ll need the final day or two before the meal. Planning a second trip not only keeps your refrigerator from groaning but also relieves you of having to remember every stick of butter the first time around. You will also need to compare items on your list against the pantry items you already have. Finalize the list so you can order hard-to-find ingredients online.

• Determine when your turkey needs to start thawing — If you are using a frozen bird, you may need to plan to thaw as early as five to six days before Thanksgiving.

A frozen turkey can be safely thawed in the refrigerator or in cold water:

• When thawing in a refrigerator at 40 degrees or below, allow roughly 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds. Consider putting the turkey in a container or dish to contain juices that may leak.
• When thawing in cold water, allow roughly 30 minutes per pound. Submerge the wrapped turkey in cold water and change the water every 30 minutes until the turkey is fully thawed. Once thawed, cook the turkey immediately.

• Cooking — There are many ways to cook a turkey, but one thing remains consistent: the turkey needs to reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees, as measured by a food thermometer, in three places — the thickest part of the breast, the innermost part of the thigh and the innermost part of the wing. Always use a thermometer to ensure the turkey is fully cooked, even if the turkey has a pop-up temperature indicator. If stuffing your turkey, the stuffing must also reach 165 degrees in the center of the stuffing.

• Serving — When serving food to groups, remember the two-hour rule. Perishable foods that have sat at room temperature for more than two hours are unsafe due to bacterial growth and must be discarded. When you are serving food, keep your hot food hot and cold food cold. This will keep it from developing harmful bacteria. Hot foods such as turkey, macaroni and cheese, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy must be kept at or above 140 degrees, and you can do so by serving them in warming trays, chafing dishes, slow cookers, etc.

Cold foods such as salad, cranberry relish, deviled eggs and dips must be kept below 40 degrees and be served on trays or bowls nestled over ice. Remember to replace the ice as it melts. You can also serve cold foods by dividing them into small portions and serving them a portion at a time, keeping the remainder in the refrigerator.

• Leftovers — Leftovers are arguably one of the best parts of Thanksgiving. For leftovers to be safe to keep, they must be refrigerated within two hours of serving or have been kept hot at or above 140 degrees or cold below 40 degrees. Discard any foods that sat out for more than two hours at room temperature because bacteria that cause foodborne illness could have reached dangerous levels. If you have turkey leftovers, carve the bird into smaller pieces and place them into small, shallow containers so the meat can cool evenly and quickly.

I wish you all a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

Toi N. Degree is assistant family & consumer education agent with the Rowan County Extension. Contact her at 704-216-8970 or toi_degree@ncsu.edu.