You've just created the kitchen of your dreams—or maybe you're still envisioning your culinary paradise—and your home is going to be full of friends and relatives this Thanksgiving. Because KBD has got your back—or your wing, leg or drumstick—we're sharing some Thanksgiving tips for those who want to cook up a successful and succulent—and less stressful—holiday feast.
Tip No. 1: Order Chinese food. Just kidding! Still, the prep and the cleanup is pretty minimal when you order in!
Let's get serious and start with a bonus tip from the "Stay At Home Chef" that captures the spiritual side of Thanksgiving: "On a day full of gratitude make sure you remember the magic power that food has to unite people across cultures, break down barriers, and give us all something in common. Food brings people together!"
Now, we'll pass it to the "Stay At Home Chef" ad some of our other feasting friends around the Internet for 10 tasty turkey day tips, hacks, time-savers and stress-reducers:
Be adventurous—or not. It all depends on your skills as a cook. NYT Cooking recommends that less experienced home chefs stick with the old standbys: turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, potatoes, gravy and a vegetable. The Times also asks us to consider a simple casserole. Seasoned cooks should "stretch their skills" with smoking or deep-frying the turkey and "a more sophisticated vegetable side, a fancier pie crust or a snappy modern touch like an herb salad."
Tackling the turkey. Jazz up your turkey with a jam glaze or (if you don't have an entire turkey) try a turkey meatloaf. Or, go way out on a limb and roast a chicken and pair it with pizza stuffing, the Today Show suggests.
Bake pies and rolls the day before to free up your oven on the big day, counsels the "Stay At Home Chef," who also recommends putting your Thanksgiving game plan on a spreadsheet that details what needs to be cooked when and when you need to complete other important tasks.
Use your crockpot. Another idea from the "Stay at Home" chef is to prepare dishes such as mashed potatoes in a slow cooker, which will keep side dishes warm for several hours.
Next-level noshing. To put some pizazz into some traditional dishes, put a splash of vanilla or raspberries in your cranberry sauce, filled baked apples with cranberry sauce and use sugar or milk to sweeten up your corn, Taste of Home tell us.
Hack the holiday. The Food Network offers several "sanity savers" such as using a cooler as a an extra drinks fridge, using pennies and foil to keep pie crusts weighed down and keeping your gravy warm in a thermos.
Work smarter, not harder. Decor that doesn't need tending and store-bought items such as veggie trays will knock a few things off your turkey day to-do list, the Food Network notes.
"Think drinks." Set up a separate area for soda, water and seltzer, juice and adult beverage so guests can help themselves, The Spruce Eats urges.
Keep it clean. We don't want to be a killjoy but this tip from the "Stay At Home Chef" will go a long way in reducing turkey day tension. Clean as you go—put dirty dishes right into the dishwasher and empty it as soon as its done. Better yet—and this comes straight from KBD's experts—get someone else to do the cleaning!
Prepare for leftovers. Back to the fun stuff. The chefs over at Southern Living have a host of ideas for livening up the leftovers you don't give your guests to take home. Soups and pot pie are two great ways to redeploy your ham, turkey and veggies.
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