Make ahead turkey lets you spend dinner in the dining room, not the kitchen
Last week I entertained at a dinner party for ten people. Eight is usually my limit, but make ahead turkey saved my bacon - if you'll forgive that mixed metaphor.
I ordered a free range turkey from the local specialty butcher. I blanched at the extra cost, but in the end this make ahead turkey was worth every penny. The gravy was delicious, this easy Christmas turkey was moist, and it all reminded me of the turkeys of days past, before they all grew in turkey kennels. Here's how I did it.
Directions for make ahead turkeyThis page talks about how to cook your turkey a day ahead, slice it, put it in the frig and reheat the next day.If you want to make your turkey even farther head and freeze it, you can still do it with the same delicious results. Just cook your Christmas holiday turkey according to your favorite recipe. When it is cooked, let it cool for about twenty minutes, then put it in the frig. Don't leave it sitting out longer than about twenty minutes. After a few hours, your turkey will have cooled down. Now it's time to slice it. If you've never sliced a turkey before, go online and get simple directions for making attractive slices. Put the meat into a pan you can use in the oven. Cover the turkey meat with tin foil and leave it in the frig until about 45 minutes before you want to serve it. Then take it out, and put in your oven at medium heat. Keep an eye on it. About half an hour is plenty, you just want to heat it, not dry it out! Delicious make ahead gravyYou can make the gravy too. How great is that! Imagine, no last minute gravy, no dirty oven pans cluttering up the stovetop.Again, just use your favorite gravy recipe. Let the gravy cool for a few minutes and put it in the frig promptly. I stored mine in a pot that would go straight onto the stove when it was time to reheat it. The next day, all you have to do is reheat the gravy. Stir it while it reheats, and add liquid if it has become too thick. Another bonus with gravy in a pot is that you can leave it on the lowest stove setting to keep warm so it is ready when you need to replenish your gravy dish with more gravy.
Here's the best part - your own make ahead turkey secretOne of the enjoyable parts of anticipating Christmas turkey, or holiday turkey is the yummy aroma that fills the house when you roast it.So I made sure that my guests could smell this aroma when they arrived. All I did was to buy a couple of packages of turkey wings, and a package of legs. They are very inexpensive. For these purchases I didn't worry about getting free range turkey, I just used the supermarket packages. On the day of the party, I roasted them for a couple of hours. They provided that lovely turkey aroma, so nobody was the wiser. Try it. What a stress-free way to serve delicious holiday turkey.
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