Thanksgiving Troubleshooting

Thanksgiving is one of those rare occasions where entire families gather, appreciate one other's company, and chow down on some seriously decadent dishes. But with so many dishes happening at once and tons of hustling and bustling busybodies in the kitchen, there's room for a lot of minor (and major!) Turkey Day snafus. While we should never expect the worst, being prepared for whatever predicament presents itself will only make you more grateful.

• Is your turkey still frozen? There's a solution for that.
• What to do once you've brined your turkey.
• Find out a cooked turkey's internal temperature.

Keep reading for solutions to have in your arsenal in case your Thanksgiving feast is falling apart.

Did your pumpkin pie never set properly? Did the dog knock over the cheesecake you slaved over? Did you forget about dessert entirely because you were too busy planning an epic feast this Thanksgiving? First of all, take a deep breath. Laugh it off, then take a look at these quick and easy dessert recipes. Some of them require a little more time than others, so depending on your particular situation, you'll have some options.

• Chocolate chip cookies are a classic that puts a smile on everybody's face.
• Use up leftover pumpkin purée and day-old bread to make a heartwarming and filling pumpkin bread pudding.
• Start up the fireplace and roast marshmallows (you can even roast them over an electric stove). S'mores are always a crowd-pleaser!
• If you have an ice cream machine and couple of hours before you want to serve dessert, use up your fresh cranberries in a refreshing cranberry sorbet.
• Shake up a bag of Muddy Buddies and munch on them the rest of the night.
• A simple pear crisp will finish off your Thanksgiving meal perfectly.

What are your Thanksgiving dessert plans?

Generally, I stick to basting or butter rubs to ensure a moist bird, but many Thanksgiving cooks swear by brining.

The Culinary Institute of America certainly does: they recommend brining as the very best method to ensure bold flavor and moistness. Essentially a brine is a seasoned aromatic liquid in which the turkey bathes before roasting. This technique is often used in preparing all kinds of poultry to maximize juiciness in the finished product. The salt in the brine breaks down the turkey's proteins, making it more tender and keeping in moisture that would normally be squeezed out. Here are a few important brining tips:

• Plan ahead: turkeys generally should brine anywhere from 12-15 hours.
• Choose a container large enough to hold the brining liquid and the turkey. You don't want any spillage situations!

For more tips, keep reading.

Thanksgiving typically involves appetizers, a cornucopia of vegetables cooked every which way, a huge turkey, stuffing, and inevitably some kind of pie. This can result in a majorly stressful oven situation considering many (if not all) of these items require oven-cooking. How do you avoid such a traffic jam and make sure that all of your delicious dishes are done at the same time?

Plan ahead! While you're planning your Thanksgiving spread, keep in mind how much oven space you actually have and adjust your menu accordingly. Select appetizers that can be made ahead of time and served cold or that don't require oven time at all. Caramelized leek, goat cheese, and bacon dip or homemade hummus served with sliced bread or fresh vegetables would be two great options. Cook anything that you can in advance the day before to save time and oven space. Also, many vegetable dishes and pies can be made ahead of time and served room temperature.

If worst comes to worst and you find yourself on Thanksgiving Day in a bind, don't be afraid to turn to your microwave to reheat dishes before serving. Also keep in mind that multiple items in an oven often increase the cooking time so you may need to bump up the temperature a bit. And most importantly, be sure to laugh off every little culinary bump. It's Thanksgiving, after all!

Want to make sure your cranberry sauce is perfect? Here's what you need to remember: the jelly needs to be cooked down with enough sugar and have sufficient time to set and chill.

Boil the cranberries for at least 10 minutes — this will allow the berries to release the fruit's pectin. For maximum firmness, include the full amount of sugar in a recipe; it helps the sauce set. (You can use less sugar, but it won't be as firm.) Let the sauce cool at room temperature before chilling it.

As a very last resort, if your cranberries still aren't jelling, try adding a teaspoon of pectin and boiling for five minutes. Cranberry sauce keeps well in the refrigerator, so if you make it the day before, it'll have time to come together well before your guests arrive.

Worried that your turkey's too dry? Gravy's too lumpy? Bread doesn't rise? Then write us in the YumSugar Community to get that problem solved!

Source: Flickr User slgckgc

Turkey day's all about the sides, so if you're hosting or attending a dinner and you've been assigned to a dish as seminal as mashed potatoes, you'll definitely want to get them right. Think fluffy, creamy, and indulgent — never pasty, sticky, or worst of all, gluey.It all begins by selecting your potato: Either one high in starch, like a tough-skinned russet, or waxy (like a thin-skinned, yellow potato). My personal favorite are Yukon Golds, which have a buttery flavor and creamy consistency. Peel them prior to cooking, since otherwise they'll be too hot to handle. Boil them until soft, but not yet dissolving in the pot. Once cooked, steam off any remaining moisture completely, as they need to be as dry as possible before mashing.

To avoid a gummy, overstarched mess, mash the potatoes while they're still hot and dry. Never use a food processor or a blender; these appliances tend to overmash the potatoes, creating an undesirably starchy consistency. Don't have time to fix your gluey mess? Transform it into a gratin: Spread a thin layer across a baking dish, top with butter, cheese, and breadcrumbs, and bake to form a crispy top. How do you make perfect mashed potatoes?

Source: Flickr User plasticrevolver

Whether you're spearheading the entire feast or just bringing dessert, one thing's for sure: You don't want to fudge up everyone's last bite, the pie.

You skip the store-bought stuff in an attempt to make your own from scratch, but the dough won't stop breaking apart when you try to roll it out. What should you do?

If the pastry is crumbly and difficult to roll, then the crust is most likely too dry. Adding moisture will help the dough become more coherent.

Add a few sprinkles of cold water (no more than a teaspoon at a time), handling the dough as little as possible until it's evenly moistened. Is the dough cracking only a tiny bit at the edges? If so, it simply needs to warm up a little bit — but not too much, otherwise the crust won't come out flaky.

Worried that your turkey's too dry? Gravy's too lumpy? Bread doesn't rise? Then write us in the YumSugar Community to get that problem solved!

If it's crunch time and you've reached for the turkey in the fridge, only to realize it's still a frigid solid mass, don't freeze: there are still some methods you can use for quick-thawing. Try submerging the turkey (with its wrapping still on) in a sink or a cooler full of cold water, changing out the water every half hour. Allow 30 minutes to thaw for each pound of turkey.

Hours of thawing time may not be an option, in which case, simply cook the bird in its frozen state: Allow four and a half to six hours, as opposed to the usual three and a half hours, to cook a 12- to 13-pound thawed turkey. Don't stuff it; this will up the cooking time even more. When ready, the turkey should reach at least 165ºF at the thickest part of the inner thigh. If you've ever encountered this problem, what did you do to solve it?

Worried that your turkey's too dry? Gravy's too lumpy? Bread doesn't rise? Then write us in the YumSugar Community to get that problem solved!

Source: Flickr User srqpix

The holidays are supposed to be a relaxing time spent with family, but there's nothing relaxing about ruining a dinner that you've toiled over for hours or days. So to help you out during the season, we bring you our new Thanksgiving Troubleshooting column.

One of the biggest turkey day blunders is gravy — probably due to the fact that it isn't exactly regular meal rotation. If your gravy's runnier than water, begin by simmering the sauce over medium-high heat, stirring it frequently with the lid off in an effort to reduce the water content.

If you don't see results within 10 minutes, whisk in a couple tablespoons of roux of equal parts flour and water, continually stirring over medium heat to cook off any starchy flavors. Worried about a last-minute disaster? Then try a recipe for make-ahead gravy — or, if all else fails, there's always cranberry sauce as a condiment.

Worried that your turkey's too dry? Gravy's too lumpy? Bread doesn't rise? Then write us in the YumSugar Community to get that problem solved!

Source: Flickr User Ben30