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Six Steps to Carving the Perfect Turkey
Beef Tenderloin- How to Trim & Tie
Schedule a couple of days to go shopping for the items on your lists. Here is a simple countdown to take you through the final two weeks leading up to the big day.
Two Weeks Before:
One Week Before:
Two Days Before:
One Day Before:
Day of the Party:
Preparing a holiday meal doesn’t need to stressful. Many dishes can be prepared many hours in advance of the meal. Some preparations benefit from sitting for a time before being served. Even if the whole dish cannot be completed early in the day, the preparation of the ingredients can be. Ingredients can be cleaned, cut, blanched, and otherwise made ready for their final cooking.
Plan Ahead
If you decide what to cook early, have all ingredients on hand, and cook some of the meal ahead of time, you can save yourself a lot of stress. On the day before you can make and refrigerate your stuffing or dressing, clean and truss your turkey, then refrigerate it. You can finish preparing and bake your pies, and prepare and refrigerate salads.
Simplify Cooking
If you can take shortcuts, take them. Bake your turkey in a plastic bag, which keeps it moist as it cooks and makes clean-up easier. Opt for instant mashed potatoes, pre-cut green beans, and pie from the store.
Cut Down On Food
If you’re cooking for only a few people, you may consider cooking a turkey breast—rather than the whole bird—to save time and energy. Turkey breasts cook more quickly, take less preparation, leave no carcass behind, feed several people, and supply delicious white meat, which is lower in fat. While it’s fun to have leftovers, if the idea of turkey soup and turkey sandwiches for the next two weeks doesn’t appeal, this is a good place to simplify
Try Fewer Side Dishes
It’s a lot of fun to have a feast, and there are many creative recipes this time of year, but if you cut down on side dishes, you can save yourself quite a bit of time and effort. Just pick a vegetable or two, and rolls, and make a lot of them. This way, while there’s less variety, there’s plenty of food.
Let Others Help
Another fun way to simplify your meal is to let others help with the side dishes. If you’re having other people come, you can just let everyone bring a side dish or dessert while you supply the turkey. If you’re only cooking for your own household, you can let everyone in the house be responsible for one side. This lets everyone feel good that they’ve contributed to the joy of the feast.
Final Tips
Try to relax and enjoy your guests. Accept help when it’s volunteered – you don’t have to do it all by yourself. Remember that everything doesn’t have to be perfect to build those long-cherished memories. Many times it’s the little imperfections that nestle into the warmest spot of your heart.
Whether you’re lighting up the grill on the 4th of July or just having a BBQ, a good one takes planning. So, if you’re like us, you don’t just want to throw a good BBQ, you want to throw the best damn barbecue the free land has ever seen, so start getting your game plan together now.
Here’s how to do it:
When cooking for a large gathering make sure you prepare something for everyone. Throw on a couple of Hot Dogs for the kids while you are grilling the rest. In fact, try getting the kids fed first to alleviate their hunger for summer foods and let them finish off with some flag fudge.
Cooking and Recipes
When putting together a meal decide the best way to prepare the dishes quickly and easily. Start off with some great appetizers for the grill or other appetizers.
If you want tradition then you need a good recipe for Potato Salad, Cole Slaw or Barbecue Beans. There are over 400 recipes on this site for you to choose from to create a great menu for your next BBQ.
| Appetizers | Marinades | Rubs | Chili | Vegetables | Sandwiches
| Pizza | Meats | Sauces | Breakfast | Desserts | Holiday | Drinks |
Vegetarians at a BBQ?
If you or some of your guests are vegetarians you can still do some 4th of July entertaining, only vegetarian style. Vegetarian grilling can be more than just veggie burgers, but you will be a success if you make them from scratch.
Desserts
Remember to cool things off with some Frozen Delights or go the extra mile with Italian ice cream. There is a lot you can do with desserts like a nice dish of dirt, Summery Fruit Candies or a margarita pie.
Drinks
Don’t forget the iced tea, or even the iced coffee. Coordinate your drinks with the meal and the season. A nice Sangria will go great with grilled foods. There are also a lot of cool,refreshing summer cocktails you can choose from. You might even what to check out some patriotic drinks for this July 4th. Of course no great cookout is complete without beer. What you need to make this even particularly patriotic is a good selection of beers. Refresh your knowledge of all things whiskey. You will know what you are talking about.
FANFOOD BBQ Tips & Tricks:
Here are some tips that will ensure you’ll be the perfect barbecue host
John’s Thanksgiving Roast Turkey
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