When it comes to one of the biggest meals of the year, do you have one dish that you always seem to mess up? The dressing’s too dry or the gravy’s too lumpy? You know what I’m talking about!
Today, I’m going to save you from making some of the most common Thanksgiving dinner flubs this year and every year to come!
Dry dressing. If your dressing isn’t as moist as you’d like it to be, I have an easy fix. Melt some butter with some chicken broth and toss the mixture in the dressing. Fluff the works with a fork and serve. Bye bye dry dressing!
Thin gravy. If your gravy isn’t as thick as you’d like, you just need to add more flour. I always use a jar with a lid to minimize the lumps. Put three tablespoons of cold water in a jar with one tablespoon of flour. Secure the lid and shake the jar violently. Have your pan of boiling gravy ready on the stove and whisk in the roux. Whisk, whisk, whisk. As you whisk, the gravy will thicken for you.
Lumpy gravy. If your gravy is always on the thick side, your roux isn’t smooth enough. If you have a lumpy mess of gravy on your hands, all you need to save the day is a blender. Put the gravy in your blender (only fill half way) and mix the heck out of it. Return the gravy to the pan, and now you have lump-free gravy!
Runny cranberries. If you have cranberry sauce that’s a little on the juicy side, it’s probably because you didn’t cook them for long enough (which helps to bring out the pectin and thicken the fruit). Rather than waste time trying to thicken the sauce, just pull out the strainer, drain off the juice and put the sauce in a serving dish.
Turkey not cooking. Every time you open the oven door, you’re losing about 25 degrees. My suggestion is to not open the oven at all, but if you do, raise the temperature by 25 degrees for about an hour.
Using these tips, the only mess you should have to deal with this holiday are those post-meal dishes. Happy Thanksgiving!
– Dinner Diva column by Leanne Ely/SavingDinner.com
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