Turkey, Traditions and Timelines: My Mom’s Perfect Thanksgiving Playbook

The perfectly cooked turkey for Thanksgiving!

I would watch my mom cooking Thanksgiving dinner when I was growing up and it

would always amaze me how everything came together in the right amount of time to hit the table for us to eat. Yes, there would be bumps along the way, but there would be so many dishes spread across the table for us to enjoy.

My Mum

When I moved to Peoria and was living in my own house for the first time in my adult life, I

wanted to throw a Friendsgiving dinner. I wanted to share all of the recipes that I grew up with with my friends and I really wanted to follow in my mom’s footsteps and prepare a delicious Thanksgiving meal for the people in my life that I loved. I called her up a month before Thanksgiving and told her what I wanted to do and asked for her help and she excitedly agreed.

The first thing she told me that I needed to do was order a turkey from Yordy’s Turkey Farm in Morton, IL and to do it right away because they usually sell out. That is where our Thanksgiving turkeys came from while I was growing up although when I was a child, I believed she was shooting our Thanksgiving turkey herself every year because she playfully told me that's where they came from. I think I was in fourth grade when she told me this and I believed her until probably college (I was and still am extremely gullible).

A couple of weeks leading up to my Friendsgiving, we discussed how to prepare everything, timing of the cooking and how to cook the turkey, and she sent me two documents through email, the “Turkey Table Timeline” and all of her Thanksgiving recipes. The Turkey Table Timeline has become an iconic part of the Thanksgiving process for me and I have used it every year since then.

When I hosted my first Friendsgiving in 2009, I borrowed my mom’s holiday China that

my family used every year, her nice silverware, her roasting pan, among many other things.

Eventually, overtime, I grew my kitchen to have all of the necessary items that I needed to be able to cook the entire meal, and after she passed in 2020, I was given the holiday China that we always enjoyed our holiday meals on.

Table set for Thanksgiving Dinner

For Thanksgiving 2020, almost exactly six months after she passed away, I cooked the

Turkey and the majority of the Thanksgiving meal for my entire family. I used her recipes,

followed the Turkey Table Timeline, and it felt like she was there with me while I was cooking. It was a wonderful feeling to be able to follow in her footsteps and I am so thankful that she helped me over the years learn how to cook this meal and do it with all the love that she did.

Please enjoy the Turkey Table Timeline and my family’s Thanksgiving Recipes. The

Timeline is for a bone in breast, but it is the same directions for an entire turkey because it is

based off of the weight of the turkey.

From my family to yours, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

- Heather

Turkey Dinner Cooking Timetable

***This is based on 1.5 hours cooking time for the turkey breast***

As soon as possible in morning: Put turkey necks in large pan of water w/other ingredients,

bring to a gentle boil, then let simmer the rest of the day.

Things to do ahead before your turkey goes in the oven:

·         with as short of a cooking time as you have on your turkey breast I would make the

pork stuffing now, when it is done keep it covered with foil (when you start to cook it

you should have it covered with foil and remove the foil about 15 minutes before it

finishes if needed) - let your oven cool down to warm; and keep it warm in the oven

until you're ready to cook your turkey - OR - if you have room in the oven for your

turkey breast and the pork stuffing have the pork stuffing ready to go into the oven with

your turkey breast - cook it for about an hour - then take it out and put your bread

stuffing in with the turkey. If you don't have room for the plain bread stuffing and the

apple/raisin stuffing, put the apple raisin one in first since the apples/raisins will take a

little longer to cook and the plain bread stuffing just needs to be warmed up.

·         Make your cranberry relish.

·         Make your pies now.

·         Cut up your potatoes into slightly smaller than 1" cubes and put in a pan

of cold water - the cold water will keep them fresh and you can set them aside until you

are ready to cook

·         Cut up your onion & celery for your bread and apple/raisin stuffing. You can even

start to cook them slowly and let them sit there on warm on your stove until you are

ready to use it.

About 30 minutes before you put your turkey breast in start your gravy. This can be a slow

ongoing process for awhile. The key is not to do it too fast, so slow is just fine.

Putting your turkey breast into the oven: season the outside of it w/either any turkey breast seasoning you may have bought from Yordy's OR if you didn't, some pepper, light on the salt and some (go lightly) of the two seasonings that go into your stuffing (look at the recipe I sent you, I can't remember off the top of my head). Cover with foil, tented. Remove the foil the last 20-30 mins to brown it slightly.

When your turkey breast goes in the oven you should:

·         have already made your cranberry relish

·         have already made and cooked your pies.

·         have either cooked your pork stuffing and are keeping it warm or have set it up and

put it in the oven with your turkey

·         have started your gravy

·         you probably already have your bread pudding going in the crock pot too

After you've put your breast in the oven:

·         Continue to monitor your gravy, taste test it every once in awhile and season as

necessary. Once it is to your desired liking for seasoning just make sure you stir it every

once in a while.

·         Set up your bread and apple/raisin stuffing. They can sit on the counter, covered

w/foil until they're ready to go into the oven.  **** Don't forget when you make these

to moisten them w/broth that you've made for the gravy & stuffing..... Recipes for

stuffing to go into the turkey will never list this because the stuffing gets its moistness

from the turkey juices while cooking.... when you don't stuff a bird with it you have to

remember to moisten it. (What makes turkey stuffing taste so good is the juices from the bird - which is why you need to make it w/this broth instead of plain water - tastes much better - also remember that if you get any juices or drippings from your breast, first use it to baste the breast, second use it to add a little additional flavor to your gravy and to your bread stuffing - I would opt for the gravy first, stuffing second if there's enough).

·         Get your carrots ready to cook - figure out how long they'll take to cook and figure

that in to your timetable.

·         About 40 mins before your turkey breast is done put those cut up potatoes on the

stove to cook. Usually takes about 20 mins to cook them once your water gets up to a

gentle boil. When done, mash them just before taking your turkey out and then keep

them covered to keep them warm. 

When your breast comes out of the oven:

·         keep it covered w/foil on the counter and let it rest

·         if you didn't cook your pork stuffing w/the breast and if it needs to be warmed a

little put it back in the oven

·         put your bread stuffing(s) in the oven - warm the plain stuffing about 20 mins (this

could also be done in the microwave at the end of the cooking time for the turkey if you

want to save on time - same w/rewarming the pork stuffing).  ** The apple/raisin

stuffing should warm a little longer, maybe about an additional 5-10 mins.

·         When your stuffing is sufficiently warm and your breast has been resting at least

about 10 mins or so, cut up your breast and serve everything

Recipes

Laurel's Cranberry Relish

1 - 1# Bag Cranberries

2 - Whole oranges w/peels

2 - Apples w/peels and no cores (I generally use the granny smith apples for the tartness and the color) - I use my PC apple corer that sections them as well.

2 Cups Sugar

1/4-1/2 Cup Orange Juice

Tad Lemon Juice

Sort and rinse cranberries. Process all fruit in a food processor. Mix w/sugar, orange juice and lemon juice. Refrigerate. Relish should be prepared at least a couple of hours ahead and refrigerated. You can make this a day or two in advance.

Pork Stuffing

3 potatoes

Finely chopped onion (2 - 3)

1# ground pork, uncooked

1 tsp each of Cinnamon, Nutmeg, & Ground Cloves

Dash of Salt

Pepper

Boil and mash 3 potatoes (just like mashed potatoes but without the butter & milk). Add to this: onion, ground pork and spices. Use a hand mixer. Very tough to mix, gooey like glue.

Bake at 350 for approx. 45 mins. I usually just check the center w/a meat thermometer to make sure it gets to about 170 and doesn't look pink.

Apple-Raisin Stuffing

3/4 C Finely chopped onion

1 1/2 C chopped celery (with leaves)

1 C margarine or butter

9 C soft bread cubes (1 bag store bought bread stuffing cubes)

2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp dried sage leaves

1 tsp dried thyme leaves

1/2 tsp pepper

3 C finely chopped apples (Leave the skins on, an apple that is good for cooking is good to use)

3/4 C raisins

Cook and stir onion and celery in margarine in 10" skillet until onion is tender. While cooking add remaining ingredients except the apples and raisins. Stir in about 1/3 of the bread cubes. Turn into deep bowl and toss with remaining bread cubes and apples and raisins. If you don't stuff the turkey with this stuffing mixture you need to moisten the stuffing mixture with some of the broth that you make for the gravy and some pan drippings. Stuff turkey just before roasting.

If not stuffing turkey w/stuffing cover and heat in 350 oven for approx. 30 mins.

***** My recipe actually calls for increasing the salt to 1 tbsp and decreasing the bread cubes to 7 cups, but I don't like it like that, it's too salty, so, I keep it the same as for regular bread stuffing and just add the apples and raisins to the mixture.*****

Bread Stuffing

The same as for the Apple-Raisin Stuffing but omit the apples and raisins.

Gravy

Broth: Gravy

Turkey necks Broth made from necks

Water Margarine/butter*

Bay leaves Flour

Peppercorns Spices: salt, pepper, sage, thyme, minced garlic

(can use regular pepper) (Yordy's turkey seasoning, in a can, can

replace all except for salt, pepper, maybe garlic)

Few rings of onions if you want,

about 1/3 of an onion.

*For each cup of gravy desired 1 tbsp each of butter & flour. No more than 8-12 of each. If need to, can thicken later w/broth & flour.

Broth:

Simmer the turkey necks in water w/bay leaves (a couple), onion rings (if you want - don't

chop/dice the onions, too difficult to separate out later) peppercorns (regular pepper is ok if

you don't have peppercorns) and salt. Simmer for several hours. Add water as necessary, be careful not to add too much, especially towards the end - you'll water it down & lose some flavor. When using broth to make the gravy be careful not to get any of the peppercorns or bay leaves into the gravy mixture.

Gravy:

Melt margarine/butter. Add flour and cook until a thick paste. Doesn't take long, just a minute or two, don't let the butter/flour mixture brown.

Add broth, about a cup at a time, to the thickened butter/flour mixture while whisking** until

smooth. When you have enough broth added then add some spices, not too much w/the

exception of salt (you can taste your broth before adding to get an idea of how much salt you may need to add initially). Cook over low heat. (See important hints below)

Important hints for making gravy:

*Whisking - NEVER add broth or any additional flour (see below) without whisking - otherwise your gravy will end up w/chunks of flour, etc. and won't be smooth.

Thickening - If your gravy needs to be thickened down the road: use your clear PC Mix & Pour, put some broth in it, approx. 3/4 cup, let it cool down till barely warm, then put approx. 1/3 - 1/2 cup flour in and mix it up w/the black handled plunger thingy.... Slowly add this mixture, while whisking to your gravy.

Adding things to gravy - IMPORTANT: whenever you add any additional flour/broth mixture to it you have to let it cook/sit for about 10 minutes and then taste again for any additional need for seasoning and before serving.... if you don't your gravy will have a heavy flour taste. Whenever you add any seasonings to it, give the gravy about ten minutes to sit while

simmering before tasting again to check for the need for extra seasonings. This allows for

sufficient time to blend the flavors.

This basic gravy recipe can be used for gravies other than turkey, instead of making your own broth w/necks you can replace it with beef broth, chicken broth... If making a beef gravy and you want to add mushrooms to it don't put them in until the end when you are done thickening it, otherwise it's hard to whisk it to keep it smooth.

Starting your gravy: I usually start mine about 90 mins before serving it on Thanksgiving day, this gives me plenty of time to work at it slowly for re-seasoning, tasting, etc. and I'm not rushed, I can be doing other things while it's simmering/sitting, etc.

The best turkey gravy is made from the pan drippings and flour as a base, in the beginning,

however, whenever I start mine I don't always have pan drippings and that is why I use the

butter with the flour mixture. Towards the end, you can always draw some drippings up with

your turkey baster and add them to the gravy. This will give it an enhanced taste.