SPECIAL Edition: Thanksgiving Dinner Disaster-Savers

The 2020 Holidays Recipe Collection

How you doin’? This is a Special Saturday Edition… or as they used to say in the movies--Read All About it!

On top of all the pandemic pressures, newbies have to plan to make Thanksgiving Dinner for the first time. Here’s a story we’ve heard often this week.

Okay, I admit it… I never made a Thanksgiving dinner. I’ve been sponging off my in-laws since I married their son. This year we are practicing social distancing and staying at home with the kids. How complicated can it be to make an exceptional holiday dinner?
 
Goodness knows, the kind co-workers at Perspectives have been providing exacting holiday recipes for the last two weeks. So, what can go wrong with Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner? If 2020 has taught us anything it’s that $#@!t happens! Dry turkey? Lumpy gravy? Burnt pie? Don't panic! When holiday cooking disasters strike, these easy work-arounds will help you fix your feast and make you look a pro. No one will ever know.
 
Got Turkey Troubles?
Problem #1: The turkey is still frozen on Thanksgiving morning.

What went wrong: You may have underestimated how long it would take to thaw the turkey in the refrigerator—about 24 hours for every 5 pounds. Or maybe you waited until the last minute to do your shopping. Stuff happens.
 
What to do: You can speed up the thawing process by placing the wrapped, frozen turkey in your kitchen sink and covering it with cold running water. Use your bathtub if your sink isn't large enough. Drain and refill the water every half hour. The turkey will thaw at the rate of about 30 minutes for each pound. Never, Never, NEVER thaw a turkey at room temperature.
 
USDA thawing information https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2016/11/18/how-safely-thaw-turkey
 
Problem #2: The turkey begins to burn while it's roasting.
 
What went wrong: It could be that your oven needs to be calibrated (too late for that) and that you've been roasting it at a much higher temperature than you thought. (Note to self: purchase an oven thermometer.) Or you may be relying on one of those "pop-ups" to tell you when the turkey is done, which aren't as reliable as a meat thermometer inserted into the turkey.
 
What to do: Flip the bird over immediately and continue to cook breast-side down (which is how we suggested you cook the bird in the first place). When you carve the turkey, begin by removing any blackened skin and about half an inch of the meat below any burnt area. You can then layer slices of the meat on individual dinner plates and ladle plenty of gravy on the slices to hide the problem. You can also cover the dark spots with foil to help prevent them from getting darker.
 
Problem #3: The turkey meat is dry.

What went wrong: The turkey breast meat often dries out before the drumsticks are cooked (reread my Upside Down Turkey recipe #155 before you start cooking).
 
What to do: Carve turkey slices and moisten with turkey or chicken stock. Cover and heat in the oven. Or hide the mistake by covering your turkey slices with extra gravy. Don't toss out the dry meat; use it for turkey soup or turkey salad.
 
Gravy Gone Bad?
Problem #4: The gravy turns out lumpy.
 
What went wrong: The flour may not have been fully dissolved in liquid before you added it to the pan drippings or the gravy may have cooked at too high a temperature.
 
What to do: Pour the gravy through a fine-mesh strainer into a new pan—the strainer will catch the lumps and reheat the lump-free gravy.
 
Problem #5: The gravy turns out thin and watery.
 
What went wrong: There's not enough flour or other thickening ingredient in the gravy.
 
What to do: Put 1 or 2 teaspoons of cornstarch in a small bowl and stir in enough cold water to make a thin slurry. Whisk into the gravy and bring to a boil or mix a small amount of flour and water into a smooth paste and whisk into the simmering gravy until it's thick.
 
Problem #6: The gravy burns.
 
What went wrong: You got busy and lost track of the gravy. Don't beat yourself up; Most mistakes happen right before dinner is served when the cook is distracted trying to pull everything together. It can happen to anyone.
 
What to do: Transfer the gravy to another pan without touching or scraping the blackened bottom. Most of the burnt flavor should stay with the first pan. Smart tip: Keep packaged gravy or a bottle of Kitchen Bouquet on hand as a back-up.
 
Sad Stuffing?
Problem #7: The stuffing or dressing is dry.

What went wrong: There's not enough liquid in the mix to fully moisten the ingredients.

What to do: Place the stuffing or dressing in an oven-safe bowl, pour in a little warm broth or melted butter, and toss, adding just a bit of liquid at a time just until the ingredients are moistened.
Watch out: Too much liquid will make the stuffing or dressing soggy. (Don't worry, we've got a fix for that, too.) Cover the bowl with foil and heat in the oven until steaming hot.

Problem #8: The stuffing is too wet and soggy.

What went wrong: There's too much liquid for the amount of bread or other dry ingredients.

What to do: Add more breadcrumbs or toasted bread or spread the stuffing out on a sheet pan and heat in the oven to dry it out a bit.

Tater Troubles?
Problem #9: The mashed potatoes turned out sticky and gluey.
 
What went wrong: The potatoes were either overcooked or got overworked, possibly because you whipped it with an electric hand mixer for a bit too long.
 
What to do: Spoon the potatoes into a casserole dish, top with butter and cheddar cheese, bake and serve as a mashed potato casserole. You can also add an egg and form the potatoes into patties, chilling for about an hour and then frying until golden brown—Call it Mashed Potato Surprise.
 
Problem #10: The mashed potatoes are lumpy.
 
What went wrong: The potatoes were not mashed enough to break up all the lumps.
 
What to do: Put the potatoes back in the saucepan, add a little hot milk and butter, and continue mashing gently until they're smoother. For the fluffiest mashed potatoes, switch from a hand-held masher to a potato ricer or food mill.
 
Sweet Potato Pandemic?
Problem #11: The sweet potato casserole marshmallow topping is scorched.

What went wrong: Marshmallows burn easily, even when they don't come into direct contact with fire. Maybe your casserole was too close to the broiler element, or perhaps you simply forgot it was in the oven and walked away. Flame on!
 
What to do: Turn off the oven, blow out the fire, and open the windows. When the charred marshmallows cool, use a spatula to remove them. Replace with new marshmallows or a brown sugar topping and give it another go under the broiler. To make sure the new marshmallows don't go up in flames: Lower the oven rack, crack open the oven door so you don't forget it's in there, and watch it like a hawk.
 
Dinner Roll Debris?
Problem #12: The dinner rolls are burnt.
 
What went wrong: Perhaps your oven temperature is higher than you thought (invest in an inexpensive oven thermometer) or maybe you simply forgot the rolls were in the oven—it happens when you bite off more than you can chew.
 
What to do: Slice off the burned tops and add a dab of butter on each roll. If the bottoms burned, simply remove the burnt part, flip them over, top with butter and serve. Or if they're just a little bit scorched, you could try gently scraping off the worst bits with a microplane grater or a serrated steak knife.
 
But not everything has to be homemade… it really doesn’t. Have a great back up plan by using King’s Hawaiian Rolls found in most deli or bread sections of your local supermarket.
 
Dessert Drama?
Problem #13: The pie crust is soggy.
 
What went wrong: The crust wasn't pre-baked and the filling turned the crust mushy. For fruit pies, try pre-cooking half the filling to activate the thickeners and cook off some of the liquid. Remove from heat and stir in remaining fruit for a chunky texture.
 
What to do: Scoop servings of the pie into individual dessert bowls and top with lots of whipped cream or ice cream.
 
Problem #14: The pie dough falls apart.

What went wrong: There's not enough water in your dough.
 
What to do: Incorporate enough water to get the dough wet, sprinkle with some flour and let stand for about 15 minutes. The dough should then roll out just fine. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes before baking.
 
Problem #15: The pie crust is burnt.
 
What went wrong: The temperature was too high or you lost track of the time and didn’t set a timer.
 
What to do: Remove the burnt pie crust edges and cover the surface with whipped cream. For extra camouflage, shave chocolate over the top.
 
Problem #16: The pumpkin pie or cheesecake cracks.
 
What went wrong: Either too much air got incorporated into the batter or the cheesecake was baked at too high a temperature, causing the top to set before all of the steam had escaped from the filling.
 
What to do: If the crack isn't too extreme, use a warm metal spatula to gently press down on the cracked area and spread to blend together or simply cover the entire surface with whipped cream, cranberry sauce, or other sauce. It amazing how whipped cream absolves all sins.
 
I’ve started using my Instant Pot to make most of my custard pies, including pumpkin pie. It makes the perfect 7-inch pie that never cracks or burns. Reference Lesson # 157
 
ChefSecrets:  It’s no secret… we have posted most of these recipes on our website at https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
 
Be Safe:  Perspectives and the USDA want you and your family to enjoy a safe Thanksgiving Holiday--https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2019/11/20/four-steps-food-safe-thanksgiving-feast
 
                                           Thank you to Allrecipes.com for the inspiration.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “In California and New York we've been told that only 6 people are allowed to meet for Thanksgiving Day, but 30 people can gather for a funeral. With this, I am sad to announce that we will be holding a funeral on Thanksgiving Day for our pet Turkey named "Butterball" that will pass away on Wednesday, November 25, 2020. Refreshments will be provided. In lieu of flowers, please bring a side dish.”
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Do you have a question or comment?  Do you want to share a favorite recipe or pictures with our readers?  Send your thoughts to [email protected].  All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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Here is wishing you the very best for the upcoming holidays. To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind welcoming in the holiday season. If you have a little extra in your pockets to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#ThanksgivingTips #Thanksgiving #DinnerSavers #Holidays2020 #Thankful #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                             ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2020

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