Every home warms and comes alive with a gathering and a home cooked meal. Most homeowners love to have their family and friends gathered for holidays like Thanksgiving. Yet for the home cook it can be a stressful affair. The desire to please and entertain with delicious Thanksgiving meals for example, can be very hard work. So in this article we offer you the secret top tips used by the best chefs.

Top Tips to making the most delicious Thanksgiving meals

The Thanksgiving dinner has evolved to be one of the most complicated meals you can make. In addition to cooking a massive bird, you also have to prepare the many dishes to serve alongside it.

Cooking a typical thanksgiving meal is a fantastic fear that often beats many. You need to be prepared and put in the effort if the meal is to be successful. A thanksgiving meal should be not only plentiful but also tasty. The following are some tips to make the most delicious Thanksgiving meals and to add incredible flavour:

• Mashed potatoes

Mashed potatoes are a favorite dish and one you are almost guaranteed to see at a thanksgiving meal. If you want to make excellent mashed potatoes for your Thanksgiving dinner, you should freeze them or embrace the make-ahead casserole.

It would be best if you made the mashed potatoes as you regularly would but ahead of time. Ensure you use enough cream and butter and freeze it in a plastic container or bag in the freezer. Please put it in the fridge one or two days before Thanksgiving to let it slowly defrost. It will be ready to cook by Thanksgiving.

You can also make mashed potato casserole with a golden crust and delicious potatoes underneath. The casserole can be made ahead of time then refrigerated and defrosted.

• Turkey

The turkey is the main dish of Thanksgiving, and the holiday would be incomplete without one. If you want to serve your family and friends a delicious bird, you should prepare it beforehand. Preparation is half the skill in achieving delicious Thanksgiving meals.

If you are bringing the turkey, then you should do it about three days before Thanksgiving. You may also decide to rub the bird with butter before you roast it, in which case you can store the butter in the freezer for weeks before using it.

When cooking the bird, you will have to baste it. You should select one of the best turkey basters to do the job. It would be best if you also basted the turkey every forty to forty-five minutes to avoid opening the oven door frequently, which can reduce the heat and take the meal too long to cook.

As far as the stuffing is concerned, it would be best to cook it outside the turkey rather than inside it. The reason is that when you freeze the turkey, you will also freeze the stuffing, and when you cook the turkey, the stuffing might not reach a temperature high enough to cook.

Moreover, a thermometer to test the temperature of the turkey as it cooks is a good idea.

• Gravy

Everything’s better with a little everything, and so is a large thanksgiving meal. You want to ensure you make enough gravy for starters, so there is enough to go around.

You can roast several turkey pieces and use them to make stock, plus the drippings for the gravy. Freeze the gravy and defrost it the day before or on Thanksgiving. You will have to whisk it to eliminate any separation.

• Cranberry sauce

People love to have cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving, and thankfully, you can make it far ahead of time. Cranberry sauce is like a jam that you can keep in the fridge or freezer for a long time.

The cranberry sauce will still have its consistency if you make it ahead of time, and it might taste better because the flavors will have plenty of time to mix and mingle. The easiest way to make cranberry sauce is to make it on the stovetop or using a slow cooker on a free afternoon.

• Stuffing

If you are going to make stuffing for your turkey, which you should, it would be best if you made it and put it in the freezer. If you use bread in the stuffing, doing it beforehand will allow you enough time to bake the bread.

The same goes for any homemade stock or toasted nuts that will be in the stuffing. Toasted nuts will be very fresh if you store them in the fridge. The stock can also last for weeks and still be good.

• Herbs and spices

If you want to make a delicious Thanksgiving dinner, herbs and spices should be part of your grocery list. Both will add incredible flavor to your meal and make it memorable.

Fresh herbs like rosemary, parsley, basil, and garnish will add freshness and flavor to your dinner. Your guests will greatly appreciate spices like turmeric, ginger, and masala.

Enjoy your delicious Thanksgiving meals – Now you know too!

Making an excellent Thanksgiving dinner takes some doing and plenty of planning. The best way to make a delicious Thanksgiving meal is to plan and make preparing the foods easy. The above tips should give you a solid foundation for a great and enticing meal that your guest will savor.