Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. However, I do not appreciate being lumbered with the responsibility of wrangling a mammoth feast for my entire family. Alas, that is the price you have to pay when you’re the only one in the family who knows how to use an oven.
Luckily, numerous products are available on the market that makes Thanksgiving dinner so much easier to prepare. So whether you are slicing the turkey or cooking the yams, these recommendations will make your Thanksgiving meal prep much more enjoyable.
Want to know more? Read on for all our top tips.
Turkey Fryer
While the concept may be alien to some readers, deep frying a turkey is a time-efficient way to prepare your Thanksgiving meat with excellent results. In fact, you can cook a 12-pound turkey in roughly 45 minutes.
Many people prefer the taste of deep-fried turkey because it goes particularly crispy on the outside and ludicrously juicy in the middle. But, of course, you want to ensure that the bird is well-thawed before it goes into the turkey fryer. Also, if you try to deep fry a frozen turkey, you could cause an oil fire, especially if the erupting oil comes into contact with burners.
You can find electric and gas turkey fryers, some of which we have recommended in previous articles.
Roasting Pan
However, if you prefer to cook your turkey the old-fashioned way, you are going to need a good-quality roasting pan. These types of pans are deeper than other baking pans. You can also move some of them to the stove if you are preparing homemade gravy. In addition, many are lidless, which is great if you’re roasting a large turkey, while others come with domed lids that help trap the meat juices and keep the bird moist and delicious.
Crock-Pot
I’ll admit, I would be totally lost without my crock-pot. Nowadays, you can find slow cookers that are completely programmable, meaning you can cook more dishes than ever before. Why slave away over a hot stove when you could leave it all in a slow cooker? Whether you’re cooking vegetables or meat, a crock-pot will enhance flavor and tenderize the protein to perfection.
Check out our picks for the best crock-pots available this year!
Carving Set
One of the most important parts of the Thanksgiving tradition is carving the turkey with the family. For this, you will need an excellent carving set, perfect for carving even and thin slices. Most sets will come with a carving knife and a two-pronged fork that holds the meat in place while you slice.
Pro tip: when buying a carving set, make sure the blade is made from forged or quality stamped steel. You should also look for comfortable yet durable handles.
Potato Ricer and Masher
Is any Thanksgiving meal complete without mashed potatoes? You don't want to ruin the dinner by serving anything other than the lightest and fluffiest spuds. As such, you should invest in a potato ricer. This will make preparing cooked spuds ridiculously easy. In fact, your family will probably marvel at your unparalleled consistency in the potato department. Invest in one of these handy kitchen utensils, and you’ll never have lumpy, unappealing mash ever again.
Final Thoughts
We hope we have given you some food for thought regarding gadgets and utensils that can make Thanksgiving so much easier. After all, this is your Thanksgiving too - you shouldn’t be tethered to the kitchen for the entire day unless cooking is your favorite thing in the world!
Come the holiday period this year, our recommendations should leave you fully prepared for a stress-free day where you reflect on the things for which you are grateful and threaten to burst out of your jeans by the end of the meal.
