No Fuss Thanksgiving dinner

For foodies, Thanksgiving is more than a long weekend. It's a time to show off some new recipes for family and friends, or an excuse to head out to their favourite restaurant and sample the Thanksgiving menu offerings. But for people who are already intimidated by cooking, or don't have the time or money to spend on a fancy meal, it's just another day to call for take-out or throw a frozen entree into the microwave. Thanksgiving dinner doesn't have to be an ordeal. Here's a way to have a traditional Thanksgiving meal without driving yourself crazy, or running yourself ragged.

Turkey

If cooking an entire turkey is too much of a hassle, buy individual turkey pieces or a turkey breast roast. Just follow the cooking instructions on the bag, or ask the butcher at your supermarket how long each piece should be cooked. If you want, you can slice the roast before serving it to your guests; as long as everything tastes good, no one will mind not seeing the turkey being carved.

Mashed Potatoes

A package of instant potatoes can be used in a pinch, but be sure to add lots of butter to mask the from-the-package taste (I recommend also adding Farm Boy's Authentic Steakhouse Garlic Dressing. After trying it, you won't be able to eat real or processed potatoes without it).

Gravy / Cranberry Sauce

Some people may turn their noses up at using something out of a can, but unless those people head to the local fish market to get the catch of the day whenever they want a tuna sandwich, they're only fooling themselves. For presentation purposes, the cranberry sauce can be sliced or mashed up a bit to remove the cylindrical shape. Once the gravy is heated and put in grandma's gravy boat, only the most discerning of eaters will notice it wasn't made with pan drippings and meat juices. 

Stuffing

There's a reason why Stove Top is a holiday staple. Take advantage of it.

 

Baked goods

Everyone loves the smell and taste of fresh baked goods. This can be achieved by using either the services of the Pillsbury Dough Boy, or your neighbourhood bakery. Most decent supermarkets have a bakery in-store, but if I may make the suggestion, I recommend a trip to the Murray St. or Bank St. location of  The French Baker (NOTE: the Bank St. location is no more.). While you're there, treat yourself and pick up some dessert.

A bottle of wine or two, your fanciest plates, cutlery and the proper place settings will round out your Turkey Day spread. Remember that even with a few corners cut here and there, the day is about being thankful for what we got. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

This entry was inspired by a feature in Garth Sundem's book "The Geeks' Guide To World Domination".