Thanksgiving Recipes

There are a few things to keep in mind when defrosting your turkey.

The top top top thing you need to remember is Time. If you don’t get this thing done in time your dinner will be ruined! Of course as a last resort you will have the microwave or warm water but that could do some serious damage to the taste of your turkey.

1 - If you check your local ads NOW (it’s about 2 weeks to the day), you might be able to find some good deals on a fresh bird! Of course, if you have limited fridge space then that’s another issue. No need to buy a new fridge just for this day. Go with a frozen bird.

2 – If you choose to melt it in water, do NOT use warm water; it will begin cooking the meat and could create complications down the road.

3 – Do not defrost your turkey unwrapped at room temperature. Bacteria love that environment. Do it in water – either in a giant cooler or bowl if you have one, or try your bathtub or a sink you’re not using. Don’t just leave it out to sit there.

4 – Thawing in the fridge is a whole ‘nother story. It will take about 24 hours for every 5 lbs so make sure you are on time.

Set a reminder in your phone right now to put that thing in the fridge or in the water in time for the holidays!!!

Hey guys… I spent a long time typing up a post on how to cook a turkey but then found this really short and useful YouTube video that makes it all very easy! Enjoy!

Here is a wonderful idea for a turkey meatloaf recipe. Make sure you have some ground turkey available – you can either buy it at the store or grind it yourself. If grinding yourself be sure to go for the leanest cuts possible because you are not actually using that much turkey meat. Might as well use the best! I recommend for going around 95% lean. Anything higher may result in a really dry meatloaf.

Feel free to use turkey burgers for the ground turkey. Read the nutritional facts – cheap turkey burgers can be over 50% fat!

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground turkey
6 slices of bread
2 eggs
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 garlic cloaves finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped bell peppers
1/2 can of chopped tomatoes with garlic
ketchup

Preheat oven to 350F and coat a loaf dish with cooking spray.

Mash turkey together with bread softened by pre-soaking in a cup of water. Add in salt, pepper, onions, peppers, garlic, and eggs. Combine and mold into loaf shape.

Heat loaf in oven for approximately one hour covered in aluminum foil. Desired temperature should be ~160F.

When ready, let stand for 10-15 minutes. Drizzle LIGHTLY with tomatoes and ketchup as desired.

Serve with something liquid and cold – apple sauce, cranberry sauce, sour cream are all great options.

Leave comments if you have your own variation or if this was a success for you!