Practical solutions for the most common holiday hiccups.
By Amy Traverso
Nov 11 2023
Forgot to thaw the turkey? Gluey mashed potatoes? We’re here to help!
Photo Credit : ShutterstockSo you were supposed to thaw your turkey in the refrigerator ahead of time. But you forgot! What to do? You have two options, short of inventing a time machine and going back far enough to give the turkey a full day in the refrigerator for every four to five pounds of weight:
First, if you have five or six hours, you can defrost the turkey in cold water for 30 minutes per pound. Be sure to change the water every 30 minutes. Once thawed, pat the turkey dry, let it air dry for 30 minutes at room temperature, then roast according to your recipe.
Believe it or not, you can also roast a frozen turkey. It will take about fifty percent longer, but it’s doable. Season the frozen bird all over with salt, pepper, and any herbs or spices you like and place, breast-side-down, on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet or shallow baking pan. You want maximum air circulation here. To that end, do not stuff the bird! If you want dressing, bake it on the side.
Roast the turkey at 325℉ for two hours without opening the door. After two hours, take the turkey out. Try and remove the bag of giblets in the neck cavity. If it is still frozen solid, don’t force it. Likewise, if you can remove the neck from the abdominal cavity, do that. Brush the skin with butter or oil and return the turkey to the oven to roast for another 45 minutes to an hour. Remove and take out the giblets. The key is to get that bag out before it heats up and releases harmful chemicals.
Continue roasting until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 160℉ to 165℉ (the temperature will continue to rise a bit after you take it out of the oven). The thighs should read 175℉. If you want to brown the skin on the breast of the turkey, turn the bird breast-side up for the last hour of cooking. Final cooking times will vary by the size of the bird and how frozen it is at the start, but here is a rough guide:
When cooked, remove the turkey from the oven, tent with foil, and let it rest 30 minutes before carving.
A single residential oven can only do so much, especially if the turkey is taking up most of the space for multiple hours. Four strategies can help:
Appetizers can feel like overkill when you’re making so much food, but dinner often takes longer than expected and it’s good to have a couple of recipes in your repertoire that you can make from pantry staples. My favorites: cheddar gougeres, Deviled eggs, garlicky cream cheese dip, and clam dip (made with canned clams). Do you have a can of chickpeas? Drain, rinse, and dry them, toss them with salt, pepper, paprika, and coriander or cumin to taste, and roast them on a rimmed baking sheet at 400℉ for 15 minutes, then drizzle with some olive oil, stir to coat, and roast for another 15 minutes. Crispy, delicious, and easy.
Carve the meat and put it on a platter. Mix equal parts gravy and chicken (or turkey) stock. Pour a generous amount over the meat, then cover the platter with foil and put it in a 200℉ oven for 20 minutes.
If you overwork your mashed potatoes by beating them aggressively or using an electric beater, the cells will rupture and turn your fluffy mash into a gluey mess. Fortunately, adding butter to the mix will fix the problem.Gently fold in 1 tablespoon of salted butter per pound of potatoes. Taste and add additional butter as needed.
Food Editor Amy Traverso oversees the Yankee Magazine Food department and contributes to NewEngland.com. Amy's book, The Apple Lover's Cookbook (W.W. Norton), won an International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) cookbook award for the category American.
More by Amy Traverso