Thanksgiving Dinner: What to Make Homemade and What to Buy
Posted November 15, 2011 by Deborah Goldstein
What’s better than a warm Thanksgiving meal with homemade everything, from the stuffing to the cranberry sauce?
Prepackaged food.
No, seriously. The Thanksgiving season is upon us, and families everywhere are gearing up to cook amazing feasts … but not every part of the meal deserves equal attention.
Think of this as the high-low approach to a Thanksgiving feast.
Instead of hand-making and splurging on every single item, we’ll help you spend time and money where it really matters (when taste buds will notice)–and our recommendations even take into account things you’ll have to prepare after your guests arrive, to help you maximize family time and minimize needless work.
Below, you’ll find when going all-out is better, and when buying prepackaged is okay. Trust us … no one will know the difference.
Turkey
Go all-out
Sure, you can “win” a turkey at your grocery store, but free turkeys given out by supermarkets tend to be lower quality. Turkey will be the centerpiece of your meal, so splurge on a bird with better taste and texture. Commercially-raised turkeys are fed antibiotics and animal byproducts, so consider a {cms_selflink page=’home’ text=’“Certified Humane®” ‘}bird. Contrary to belief, these deluxe turkeys aren’t ridiculously expensive, either. You’ll generally pay about $2.99 per pound.
Stuffing
Skimp
Making stuffing from scratch is relatively inexpensive, but it is time-intensive because of all the chopping and cubing. Quick-prep alternatives can save time and cash without sacrificing flavor. (Premade stuffing from Pepperidge Farm is about $4, serves nine people … and your guests will be just as happy as if you’d slaved.) If you feel like something’s missing from boxed stuffing, throw in some extra “custom” ingredients like onions and celery. But one note: If you go for instant stuffing, inspect the box carefully to make sure it doesn’t have insanely high sodium levels.
Gravy
Skimp
Most homemade gravy is made using turkey drippings that are only available after the turkey has finished cooking, so going premade means you’ll spend less time in the kitchen and more time with your guests. We think that family time is worth more than the dollar or so you’ll spend on a jar of gravy, and unless people have come to expect your fabulous homemade recipe every year, going premade won’t hurt the overall taste. If you can, opt for the jar variety, not packaged dry gravy mix, because the latter still requires you to pay attention to consistency. When choosing a jar, scrutinize the ingredients to look for real turkey stock instead of bouillon, which is basically flavored salt.
Mashed Potatoes
Go all-out
Hands down, homemade spuds triumph in the taste department, and they aren’t hard to make. It’ll take just 45 minutes and about $5.50 to go homemade on this holiday fave. Meanwhile, boxed potato “flakes” are quicker to make … but they taste, well, like the box.
Cranberry Sauce
Skimp
It’s a snap to make cranberry sauce from scratch, but unless you’re feeding foodies, most people actually enjoy the taste of the canned product better—and the price of packaged and homemade is the same (roughly $2 for six servings).
How Do You Save on Thanksgiving?
Do you have any tips or tricks that save you time or money on Thanksgiving dinner? We’d love to hear them. SHARE
To Read the Full Article, go to http://www.learnvest.com/moms/food/thanksgiving-dinner-what-to-make-homemade-and-what-to-buy/
learnvest.com
Posted: November 15, 2011 by Certified Humane
Thanksgiving Dinner: What to Make Homemade and What to Buy
Posted November 15, 2011 by Deborah Goldstein
What’s better than a warm Thanksgiving meal with homemade everything, from the stuffing to the cranberry sauce?
Prepackaged food.
No, seriously. The Thanksgiving season is upon us, and families everywhere are gearing up to cook amazing feasts … but not every part of the meal deserves equal attention.
Think of this as the high-low approach to a Thanksgiving feast.
Instead of hand-making and splurging on every single item, we’ll help you spend time and money where it really matters (when taste buds will notice)–and our recommendations even take into account things you’ll have to prepare after your guests arrive, to help you maximize family time and minimize needless work.
Below, you’ll find when going all-out is better, and when buying prepackaged is okay. Trust us … no one will know the difference.
Turkey
Sure, you can “win” a turkey at your grocery store, but free turkeys given out by supermarkets tend to be lower quality. Turkey will be the centerpiece of your meal, so splurge on a bird with better taste and texture. Commercially-raised turkeys are fed antibiotics and animal byproducts, so consider a {cms_selflink page=’home’ text=’“Certified Humane®” ‘}bird. Contrary to belief, these deluxe turkeys aren’t ridiculously expensive, either. You’ll generally pay about $2.99 per pound.
Go all-out
Stuffing
Making stuffing from scratch is relatively inexpensive, but it is time-intensive because of all the chopping and cubing. Quick-prep alternatives can save time and cash without sacrificing flavor. (Premade stuffing from Pepperidge Farm is about $4, serves nine people … and your guests will be just as happy as if you’d slaved.) If you feel like something’s missing from boxed stuffing, throw in some extra “custom” ingredients like onions and celery. But one note: If you go for instant stuffing, inspect the box carefully to make sure it doesn’t have insanely high sodium levels.
Skimp
Gravy
Most homemade gravy is made using turkey drippings that are only available after the turkey has finished cooking, so going premade means you’ll spend less time in the kitchen and more time with your guests. We think that family time is worth more than the dollar or so you’ll spend on a jar of gravy, and unless people have come to expect your fabulous homemade recipe every year, going premade won’t hurt the overall taste. If you can, opt for the jar variety, not packaged dry gravy mix, because the latter still requires you to pay attention to consistency. When choosing a jar, scrutinize the ingredients to look for real turkey stock instead of bouillon, which is basically flavored salt.
Skimp
Mashed Potatoes
Hands down, homemade spuds triumph in the taste department, and they aren’t hard to make. It’ll take just 45 minutes and about $5.50 to go homemade on this holiday fave. Meanwhile, boxed potato “flakes” are quicker to make … but they taste, well, like the box.
Go all-out
Cranberry Sauce
It’s a snap to make cranberry sauce from scratch, but unless you’re feeding foodies, most people actually enjoy the taste of the canned product better—and the price of packaged and homemade is the same (roughly $2 for six servings).
Skimp
How Do You Save on Thanksgiving?
Do you have any tips or tricks that save you time or money on Thanksgiving dinner? We’d love to hear them. SHARE
To Read the Full Article, go to http://www.learnvest.com/moms/food/thanksgiving-dinner-what-to-make-homemade-and-what-to-buy/
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