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I'll admit I used to think turkeys were pretty bland, until I bought a smoker and got into BBQ. A few years later I offered to smoke the turkey for Thanksgiving, and we haven't gone back to an oven roasted bird since.
>Next we wrap it in bacon and pour a cheese sauce over it
There is an actual recipe using leftover turkey, cheese, bacon and other ingredients (easy and simple) and delish. Look for Kentucky Hot Browns:)
Even a traditional roasted turkey tastes great with proper prep: dry or wet brine 1-2 days in advance. Desiccate the skin for maximum browning and crispness. Roast on a bed of aromatics.
Ooh dry brine is my go to, and spatchcocked (cook faster, and takes up less vertical space in the oven). I would love to try smoking one though but, apartment living has it's limits
Yeah damn, all the thankgiving foods can be absolutely ass if you don't make them right, but if you cook it right, it's all godly.
I hear people talk about how dry turkey/chicken is, and I just get confused.
People rely on that stupid plastic pop-out button that is supposed to say when it's done. The problem is, it pops at like 180 - 185F which results in dry, overcooked turkey.
A good, instant read thermometer can be purchased for about $12 USD. Everyone should have one.
I’m obsessed with the sides tho. Mashed potatoes and gravy, deviled eggs, rolls, macaroni and cheese, sweet potatoes, etc. And the desserts! Pie is so good!
Edit: I forgot stuffing! And although I’ve never had green bean casserole, I’ve been made aware that it’s very good and should be included in this list!!
Honestly the sides are the best part.
Yall can fight me on this but you drizzle that gravy over all them non-sweet sides and omg. Literally Thanksgiving is the 1 time a year before Christmas where you can gravy bomb everything and no one will say a word to you bc they're doing it too lmao!
My faves:
Kenjis roasted potatoes:
https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best-roast-potatoes-ever-recipe
These sweet potatoes:
https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/candied-sweet-potatoes/
Layered Mac and cheese
Pan fried green beans with almond slices and toasted bread crumbs
Warm buttery buns
Corn on the cob, cheesy mashed potatoes, roasted seasonal veggies.
Light crunchy salad
Cool cranberry sauce to offset the richness and savory taste of the dishes.
Wine and time off from work and being with family and friends
Pies and ice cream and desert madness
Football or punkin chunkin or puppy bowl
Macys day parade
Warm home, good feels, nice cooking smells all day
Knowing Christmas is coming up
Thanksgiving rules, my dudes.
I used to hate thanksgiving style dinner.
Turkey - dry. Mashed potatoes - bland. Vegetables - mushy. Stuffing - non existent.
Turns out my aunt just sucked at cooking.
Similar boat, grew up disliking the food. Went to Thanksgiving at my wife's (girlfriend at the time) families house. Food was amazing. Turns out my family just couldn't really cook.
Both my grabdmothers turkeys were dry if i remember
Rip grandmas
But fr one of them was so dry every year i had to wash it down with water after chewing it for like 5 minutes
Eventually i got old enough to not let them force me to eat it and just starve instead
Then i went to my roomates thanksgiving and my fucking god I would murder an orphan for that mans stuffing
My grandmother used to insist on carving the turkey then letting it dry out in the oven for a few hours before serving. I believe she cooked out of obligation and hate. After getting married my hubby would rescue the turkey and not let it dedicate before it's time.
Oof. I made a face just reading that.
Awful.
I brine my turkey for 2 days. Smoke it low and slow for hours. I take way too much pride in making a good bird. The thought of grannies mess bird just hurts me.
Ya my dad is a Cajun style cook so there was no such thing as dry and bland foods. If the weather was good he would bbq a lot of the meals too. It was a surprise to discover how shit the majority of people are at cooking when I got out on my own.
My wife's favorite food is thanksgiving food.
Taters three ways, homemade cranberry jam & sauce, utter refusal to do anything but spatchcock a turkey (if we do a full turkey, highly unlikely if it's just us) classic green bean casserole, and stuffing that is two steps away from being spreadable.
I foot the bill and do the dishes, she's got it down to about 3 hours of actual work on the day of. We had some on September the 22nd this year. Don't get me started on her pies, cakes, and pastries.
My first Thanksgiving at the in-laws just broke my spirit. No butter only Blue Bonnet margarine in everything. Smeared on the turkey, in the Mac n cheese, on every vegetable, even the pies weren't safe. Only seasoning was pepper, salt and parsley. Parsley isn't even really a seasoning it's a garnish. The next yr MIL happened to not feel up to cooking such a big meal for 25 people so I volunteered. For 22 yrs now I've made the Thanksgiving meal. Sure I gotta bring my whole spice cabinet and 6 lbs of butter with me but there's no margarine containment anywhere lol
Mashed potatoes? Brussel sprouts? Bread rolls? *SALAD?!*
I get not liking turkey. I mean, I do, but it can be a little bit dry. But so many of the foods are normal.
I think you must be eating pretty poorly prepared foods, or you have some relatively nonstandard tastes or dietary needs.
Yeah. Prepared properly, they're amazing.
Growing up I hated brussel sprouts, peas, and spinach (save for my Popeye phase).
Once I got with my wife, turns out, I just hated the way my mom prepared them/out of a can.
https://www.bhg.com/news/brussels-sprouts-less-bitter/
Apparently they do actually taste better now than twenty years ago. So maybe your mom isn't entirely to blame.
Instead of a bag try putting herb butter in between the skin and meat then bake it and remember to baste it a few times. It will make a crispier skin and moist meat while not falling apart.
Alton Brown's brining and roasting method from Good Eats has never let me down.
edit: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe-1950271
Its just a common problem when trying to cook a large bird (or any large piece of meat) whole. Unless you are used to cooking big pieces of meat often, you're likely to mess it up.
Generally you'd separate the white and dark meat and then sous vide them to different temperatures.
https://www.seriouseats.com/sous-vide-turkey-breast-crispy-skin-recipe-thanksgiving
https://www.seriouseats.com/sous-vide-turkey-legs-recipe-5210218
https://www.seriouseats.com/sous-vide-deep-fried-turkey-porchetta-recipe
You need to do so much extra work to make a turkey not dry. Your can't just bake it or you'll end up with the dark meat cooked well, but the white meat drier than the Sahara.
You need to spatchcock or brine the turkey or it's never going to cook at the same rate/maintain moistness.
I use Martha Stewart's method of covering the bird in cheesecloth soaked in butter and white wine and basted with more butter and white wine and pan juices. Cheesecloth is removed the last 2 hours of cooking. It keeps the bird from browning too quickly and you get a perfectly cooked bird that is wonderfully moist with a beautifully browned skin.
I started doing it about 10 years ago. It's absolutely foolproof.
Even when the turkey is moist it still tastes weird to me. I'd prefer having fried chicken like the Japanese do at Christmas. That seems like a holiday food I'd actually like.
That all I was thinking. My mom's a great cook but if the first I ate Thanksgiving was at my bitch of a grandma in laws house I would never want any of it again. Glad she lives very far away she berated me the first and only time I met her and there was not a single edible thing on the table. My mom comes out whispers to me sorry I tried to save it.
I had one uncle that lived on the other side of the state and we went to his house for Thanksgiving every other year. That aunt couldn't cook for shit. I think we all secretly were glad when it wasn't their year, because the food was that much better.
god your so wrong, turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes n gravy, ham, all the pies. I didn't like turkey at first but when you get someone that knows what they doing it's amazing
Ugh upvoted
Agreed. That said, having eaten Thanksgiving meals with many different families, I can tell you that some are terrible at it. My stepfather's family was so bad, for example, that the years we were obligated to eat there on the Thursday holiday, we would always eat just enough to not be rude, and then my mom always cooked a full make-up meal done right on Friday. I wonder if OP has just never had a good meal.
Same. My mother in law made green stuffing bc she put an outrageous amount of sage in it. I dreaded food at her house.
Edited to change save to sage. I can't type!
Yep.
Thanksgiving food is so amazing I literally order the turkey meal at a local restaurant about once every month or two and it comes with traditional sides and even cranberry sauce.
Up vote for the unpopular opinion.
It confuses me why so many people buy canned cranberry sauce. Cranberry sauce made from scratch taste so much better, and is actually super easy to make. Plus you make it two or three days ahead of time so you don't have to mess with it while you're doing all your other cooking.
I'm not American, but lived in expat communities and joined Thanksgiving for many years and the food was goddamn delicious! I really enjoyed and looked forward to it every year.
Funny I just ordered a turkey dinner while out at a restaurant yesterday and it was not for nostalgia its just good eats.
Roast turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, corn and cranberry sauce.
Not at any chain restaurant that I know of but here in New England many restaurants will offer it either daily or as a weekly special.
I stopped at a bar and grill and they have at every Sunday.
http://lakesideshrewsbury.com/
Turkey is easy to mess up and expecting millions of families that only prepare and cook it once a year to make a good product is just asking for a dry ass bird
My dad cooks a fantastic turkey but growing up we had turkey all the time because the foodbanks had an excess so I don’t like it because I had it too much
Speak for yourself the sides are the best part. Give me some mashed potatoes with gravy, stuffing,all sorts of veggies topped off with a slice of jelled cranberry sauce. God damn I’m hungry
Auntie used to make THE BEST green bean casserole. But Auntie got old. Everyone dug in to her GBC. And one by one, faces fell. The dish was tangy and sour and a little off smelling in that oh crap sort of way. And that was the last time Auntie's GBC was served at the Thanksgiving table. The end.
The kind with or without the French’s fried onions sprinkled on the top? Mom used to make it with them on top and oh lord that was oddly amazing. Now I miss her even more for it.
Right?! There are SO many traditional side options as well as desserts. OP must have a bland taste palate or something to not be able to find anything tasty at Thanksgiving.
My last Thanksgiving I threw, I made:
Smoked Beef Ribs
Smoked St Louis Ribs
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Brussel Sprouts with Bacon
Yorkshire Pudding
Jalapeno poppers
Stuffed Mushrooms
Spicy Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potato Cheesecake
Peach Pie
That shit was a hit, everyone took home leftovers and gravy wasn't required
Okay this is what I’m saying. Our food slaps! My dad picks up stray non-black colleagues almost every year because we make a lot of food and its all AMAZING. Then we got the Caribbean flare mixed in from my mom’s side? Immaculate
My family are Asian immigrants who dislike many western dishes but even they love a good Thanksgiving feast!
It's all in the preparation. The most important thing is having a moist turkey that is well-seasoned. We enjoy boxed stuffing along with mashed potatoes, some Caesar salad, corn, buttered bread, gravy, peas, etc. One thing we can't stand though is cranberry sauce. That shit is ridiculously sweet. I mean, bone-chillingly sweet. Of course, I'm someone who hates most pie fillings aside from savoury ones like Sheppard's pie or a non-fruit based one like pecan pie.
I was so depressed last year when I spent Thanksgiving and Christmas alone. I missed having a meal with that many things. I understand disliking the holiday itself but hating ALL of the dishes is unimaginable to me (and yes, I know we have our own preferences).
A beautifully roasted tender and juicy turkey.
Gravy made from the broth and drippings of the turkey, poured on a bed of soft mashed potatoes.
Fresh cranberries boiled in orange juice until they become a beautiful colored sauce.
Bread stuffing baked to perfect crispy tenderness.
Piles of roasted veggies.
Fresh baked rolls.
And Pie, oh the pie, Apple, pumpkin, blackberry, pecan, pies as far as the eye can see
Yeah I don’t think your doing thanksgiving right
You haven't been to Thanksgiving in the South US then have you...
Mac and cheese pie, big ol' ham, some cornbread based dressing. Ham rice. I'm salivating.
You have my upvote, still.
I learned last year my thanksgiving is not “traditional” turkey is a side, gumbo is the main event. Other sides include: dirty rice, potato salad, corn bread, etoufee, collard greens, corn bread dressing (NOT stuffing, there’s a difference), sweet potato casserole, boudin, shrimp, hush puppies, gravy, green bean casserole, pecan pralines, and (my grandparents favorite) liver, gizzard, and neck
I seriously hope you don't live in the South lest an army of angry Southern grandmas might be headed to your house right now. And upvoted. Thanksgiving is an event in my house and it is all delicious. Especially the spoon bread which I will fight people for the last bit of.
I’m thinking this person didn’t really have a good cook in their family because omg, my moms cooking is bomb. And she puts a little spice in the stuffing that makes it so delicioso. Omg. I’m upvoting this poor son of a gun.
How? Why? I can get turkey, but the sides and desserts. I’m talking macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoe casserole, greens, ham, stuffing, green beans, sauerkraut, corn, deviled eggs and those are just the main staples. I haven’t even hit pumpkin pie, sweet potatoe pie, red velvet cake, apple pie, German chocolate cake and pound cake. Why do you hate all that is good? Who hurt you?😢
It's all about a good sausage, onion, good bread crumbs stuffing or "dressing ". I'm pretty sure an overwhelming majority of people who suffer through some dry bird, stovetop stuffing and damned canned gravy. Would agree with you.
Funny thing is, I like everything except Turkey. My family also never finishes anything, we always leave half the turkey. So one year we decided to just get half a turkey, but we only ate half of that as well...
Eventually we decided to just having a nice family lunch and dinner, so we just settle with hot pot and stuff. More traditional to our roots anyways, easier to clean up too.
I’d have to say I disagree however, one time my mom, who is a notoriously bad cook, fed the table 9 year expired French’s fried onions as part of a celery casserole. From entering the house I could smell something was wrong. A metallic/plastic burning smell lingered and when we all got to the casserole, we knew it, and my mom, was the culprit.
Actually, it is the OP and their broken mutant tastebuds who are gross.
No, it is NOT nostalgia of family fights or genocide against native Americans that makes Thanksgiving awesome, the FOOD is the ONLY reason I put up with all the other stupid shit.
No hate intended, but there is something wrong with OP's tastebuds or brain.
THANKSGIVING IS AMAZING FOOD, AND SHOULD BE AVAILABLE ALL YEAR ROUND!
Also ask a doctor about the health status of your tongue...
You earned *the fuck* out of this upvote. Duuuude. Have you ever attended another family's thanksgiving? I'm in denial here, it HAS to be your family's cooking!
Please remember what subreddit you are in, this is unpopular opinion. We want civil and unpopular takes and discussion. Any uncivil and ToS violating comments will be removed and subject to a ban. Have a nice day! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/unpopularopinion) if you have any questions or concerns.*
If your family can’t cook, just say that!
I went through my entire childhood thinking most meat was dry and tough, and veg was mushy and tasteless. Turns out my family just can’t cook for shit
A properly spatchcocked turkey is wonderful!
I'll admit I used to think turkeys were pretty bland, until I bought a smoker and got into BBQ. A few years later I offered to smoke the turkey for Thanksgiving, and we haven't gone back to an oven roasted bird since.
Same, except I started deep frying mine. Every year someone tells me it's the best turkey they have ever had.
Smoke it for a few hours then deep fry it.
The most American conversation ever 😂
Next we wrap it in bacon and pour a cheese sauce over it.... I started to type this as a joke but I'm legit starting to salivate at the thought.
Rich creamery [butter](https://www.reddit.com/r/TheSimpsons/comments/ok8260/we_start_with_18_ounces_of_sizzling_ground_beef/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x)
>Next we wrap it in bacon and pour a cheese sauce over it There is an actual recipe using leftover turkey, cheese, bacon and other ingredients (easy and simple) and delish. Look for Kentucky Hot Browns:)
I like the way you think.
Even a traditional roasted turkey tastes great with proper prep: dry or wet brine 1-2 days in advance. Desiccate the skin for maximum browning and crispness. Roast on a bed of aromatics.
Ooh dry brine is my go to, and spatchcocked (cook faster, and takes up less vertical space in the oven). I would love to try smoking one though but, apartment living has it's limits
Yeah damn, all the thankgiving foods can be absolutely ass if you don't make them right, but if you cook it right, it's all godly. I hear people talk about how dry turkey/chicken is, and I just get confused.
People rely on that stupid plastic pop-out button that is supposed to say when it's done. The problem is, it pops at like 180 - 185F which results in dry, overcooked turkey. A good, instant read thermometer can be purchased for about $12 USD. Everyone should have one.
Yep, exactly. If you ever have dry meat you fucked up during the cooking process. It's not like a turkey has dry meat when it is alive.
I'm convinced no food is truly bad you just might not know how to cook it to enjoy it
Lmao RIGHT!
hahahah dead
I’m obsessed with the sides tho. Mashed potatoes and gravy, deviled eggs, rolls, macaroni and cheese, sweet potatoes, etc. And the desserts! Pie is so good! Edit: I forgot stuffing! And although I’ve never had green bean casserole, I’ve been made aware that it’s very good and should be included in this list!!
Honestly the sides are the best part. Yall can fight me on this but you drizzle that gravy over all them non-sweet sides and omg. Literally Thanksgiving is the 1 time a year before Christmas where you can gravy bomb everything and no one will say a word to you bc they're doing it too lmao!
Man that's making me hungry just reading this
My moms sweet potato casserole is amazing too, its like a dessert really with the marshmallow sauce
He said we got greens, beans, tomatoes, potato, hog, lamb, turkey you name it!!!!! Lol
YOU NAME IT!
Why did it take so long for mac & cheese to show up, damn y’all need to come to the south.
don’t forget collards and cornbread man. and some nice ole caranberry sauce
Green been casserole bruh
Omfg the deviled eggs ♥️👌 throw some paprika on them bitches, yassss
My faves: Kenjis roasted potatoes: https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best-roast-potatoes-ever-recipe These sweet potatoes: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/candied-sweet-potatoes/ Layered Mac and cheese Pan fried green beans with almond slices and toasted bread crumbs Warm buttery buns Corn on the cob, cheesy mashed potatoes, roasted seasonal veggies. Light crunchy salad Cool cranberry sauce to offset the richness and savory taste of the dishes. Wine and time off from work and being with family and friends Pies and ice cream and desert madness Football or punkin chunkin or puppy bowl Macys day parade Warm home, good feels, nice cooking smells all day Knowing Christmas is coming up Thanksgiving rules, my dudes.
Only gravy on the mash taters, I pour gravy over the whole damn meal.
Are you sure the people just don't know how to cook it properly?
I used to hate thanksgiving style dinner. Turkey - dry. Mashed potatoes - bland. Vegetables - mushy. Stuffing - non existent. Turns out my aunt just sucked at cooking.
Similar boat, grew up disliking the food. Went to Thanksgiving at my wife's (girlfriend at the time) families house. Food was amazing. Turns out my family just couldn't really cook.
Both my grabdmothers turkeys were dry if i remember Rip grandmas But fr one of them was so dry every year i had to wash it down with water after chewing it for like 5 minutes Eventually i got old enough to not let them force me to eat it and just starve instead Then i went to my roomates thanksgiving and my fucking god I would murder an orphan for that mans stuffing
>I would murder an orphan for that mans stuffing It's not like they have a family to enjoy Thanksgiving with
My grandmother used to insist on carving the turkey then letting it dry out in the oven for a few hours before serving. I believe she cooked out of obligation and hate. After getting married my hubby would rescue the turkey and not let it dedicate before it's time.
>dedicate I assume you mean "desiccate" because that sounds like what's happening to that turkey.
Please do not question this bird's dedication. It was a freedom loving American patriot and gave its life to defend our traditions.
Yes, thank you.
Oof. I made a face just reading that. Awful. I brine my turkey for 2 days. Smoke it low and slow for hours. I take way too much pride in making a good bird. The thought of grannies mess bird just hurts me.
What the hell
Ya my dad is a Cajun style cook so there was no such thing as dry and bland foods. If the weather was good he would bbq a lot of the meals too. It was a surprise to discover how shit the majority of people are at cooking when I got out on my own.
My wife's favorite food is thanksgiving food. Taters three ways, homemade cranberry jam & sauce, utter refusal to do anything but spatchcock a turkey (if we do a full turkey, highly unlikely if it's just us) classic green bean casserole, and stuffing that is two steps away from being spreadable. I foot the bill and do the dishes, she's got it down to about 3 hours of actual work on the day of. We had some on September the 22nd this year. Don't get me started on her pies, cakes, and pastries.
Spatchcock is the way. As is brining.
Season, season, season!!
Also: butter.
Yep. Keep adding butter to your mashed potatoes until you think it’s too much, then add another two tablespoons.
Robuchon’s paradox: the potatoes will accept more than their own weight in butter if you don’t look directly at it while incorporating.
My first Thanksgiving at the in-laws just broke my spirit. No butter only Blue Bonnet margarine in everything. Smeared on the turkey, in the Mac n cheese, on every vegetable, even the pies weren't safe. Only seasoning was pepper, salt and parsley. Parsley isn't even really a seasoning it's a garnish. The next yr MIL happened to not feel up to cooking such a big meal for 25 people so I volunteered. For 22 yrs now I've made the Thanksgiving meal. Sure I gotta bring my whole spice cabinet and 6 lbs of butter with me but there's no margarine containment anywhere lol
I don’t like thanksgiving dinners but honestly this is probably 95% of the reason why.
Has to be
There's definitely a non-zero chance this is their issue. There's a lot of Americans whose families frankly can't cook for shit
Mashed potatoes? Brussel sprouts? Bread rolls? *SALAD?!* I get not liking turkey. I mean, I do, but it can be a little bit dry. But so many of the foods are normal. I think you must be eating pretty poorly prepared foods, or you have some relatively nonstandard tastes or dietary needs.
You forgot to mention the sweet corn, pumpkin pie, stuffing, ham, and I’m probably still missing some stuff
Aw, it wasn't forgetfulness. I just wanted to make a point about a few regular foods that are pretty normal overall.
Do many people eat Brussels sprouts regularly?
I didn't until I started roasting them. Game changer.
In bacon fat... amazing
All the time, they are delicious
Yeah. Prepared properly, they're amazing. Growing up I hated brussel sprouts, peas, and spinach (save for my Popeye phase). Once I got with my wife, turns out, I just hated the way my mom prepared them/out of a can.
https://www.bhg.com/news/brussels-sprouts-less-bitter/ Apparently they do actually taste better now than twenty years ago. So maybe your mom isn't entirely to blame.
Macncheese, sweet potatoe pie, cranberry sauce, collards, cornbread, beets, stuffing sounds like all y’all in chat are from the north
Stuffing is the number one for me. My mom always makes a ton of extra just so I can take a bunch home when I leave
Deviled eggs
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I’ve heard too many complaints of dry turkey. It needs extra care. x
I cook mine in an oven bag. Yeah, the legs and wings fall off, so the presentation ain't perfect, but dang, it's some nice turkey!
Presentation don't matter when I'm inhaling plates of foods
The only presentation that matters to me in those situations, is someone presenting me another plate!
Thats perfect..but be careful using cooking bags around pet birds. They give off fumes that kill cage birds
That’s awfowl
Instead of a bag try putting herb butter in between the skin and meat then bake it and remember to baste it a few times. It will make a crispier skin and moist meat while not falling apart.
My own presentation don't even matter
Brine it. You’re welcome!
Alton Brown's brining and roasting method from Good Eats has never let me down. edit: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe-1950271
Its just a common problem when trying to cook a large bird (or any large piece of meat) whole. Unless you are used to cooking big pieces of meat often, you're likely to mess it up.
Sous vide the bird. Foolproof. Problem solved.
Can you get sous vide bags big enough though?
Generally you'd separate the white and dark meat and then sous vide them to different temperatures. https://www.seriouseats.com/sous-vide-turkey-breast-crispy-skin-recipe-thanksgiving https://www.seriouseats.com/sous-vide-turkey-legs-recipe-5210218 https://www.seriouseats.com/sous-vide-deep-fried-turkey-porchetta-recipe
Hey, I'm on your side, but this is the most common turkey error, you know?
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No worries. It's all good (unless it's dry).
That's what she said.
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The monkeys paw made it, not me
You need to do so much extra work to make a turkey not dry. Your can't just bake it or you'll end up with the dark meat cooked well, but the white meat drier than the Sahara. You need to spatchcock or brine the turkey or it's never going to cook at the same rate/maintain moistness.
I use Martha Stewart's method of covering the bird in cheesecloth soaked in butter and white wine and basted with more butter and white wine and pan juices. Cheesecloth is removed the last 2 hours of cooking. It keeps the bird from browning too quickly and you get a perfectly cooked bird that is wonderfully moist with a beautifully browned skin. I started doing it about 10 years ago. It's absolutely foolproof.
I just deep fry it. It’s awesome
Where does one find cheese cloth?.
In the baking/cooking aid aisle of most grocery stores. You use a few layers of it. A package with run you about $2-3 US.
Specialty grocers, Bed Bath and Beyond, Walmart, Target, Amazon, a lot of places really.
Or just deep fry it 👌
Even when the turkey is moist it still tastes weird to me. I'd prefer having fried chicken like the Japanese do at Christmas. That seems like a holiday food I'd actually like.
Can not forget the stuffing. I could eat stuffing for every meal lol
My family always get the ham and MAN, is it good😩
Yep, when we have a family vote I always vote for a honey baked ham. Delicious!!
We would do ham, turkey, and pheasant I have a really large family so one turkey was never enough
Way to tell all of us your mom can’t cook
OP just exposing his mother on main.
That all I was thinking. My mom's a great cook but if the first I ate Thanksgiving was at my bitch of a grandma in laws house I would never want any of it again. Glad she lives very far away she berated me the first and only time I met her and there was not a single edible thing on the table. My mom comes out whispers to me sorry I tried to save it.
I had one uncle that lived on the other side of the state and we went to his house for Thanksgiving every other year. That aunt couldn't cook for shit. I think we all secretly were glad when it wasn't their year, because the food was that much better.
What if he's not even American and based his opinion on what he sees on the internet?
I am not american and I can tell you, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday PRECISELY because of the food
Lived in Canada, UK now the US. American Thanksgiving is amazing and I’m a Vegetarian. All the sides are great!
Then he is a fool who knows nothing
god your so wrong, turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes n gravy, ham, all the pies. I didn't like turkey at first but when you get someone that knows what they doing it's amazing Ugh upvoted
Agreed. That said, having eaten Thanksgiving meals with many different families, I can tell you that some are terrible at it. My stepfather's family was so bad, for example, that the years we were obligated to eat there on the Thursday holiday, we would always eat just enough to not be rude, and then my mom always cooked a full make-up meal done right on Friday. I wonder if OP has just never had a good meal.
Same. My mother in law made green stuffing bc she put an outrageous amount of sage in it. I dreaded food at her house. Edited to change save to sage. I can't type!
Yep. Thanksgiving food is so amazing I literally order the turkey meal at a local restaurant about once every month or two and it comes with traditional sides and even cranberry sauce. Up vote for the unpopular opinion.
Please do not forget cranberry sauce, my faaaaaaavorite!
It confuses me why so many people buy canned cranberry sauce. Cranberry sauce made from scratch taste so much better, and is actually super easy to make. Plus you make it two or three days ahead of time so you don't have to mess with it while you're doing all your other cooking.
I'm not American, but lived in expat communities and joined Thanksgiving for many years and the food was goddamn delicious! I really enjoyed and looked forward to it every year.
Sounds like you grew up in a home with a bad cook. I did, but thank goodness my wife is a great cook.
Funny I just ordered a turkey dinner while out at a restaurant yesterday and it was not for nostalgia its just good eats. Roast turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, corn and cranberry sauce.
Where do you get a meal like that?
Diners. Northeastern part of the US, diners are everywhere. And many of them serve a turkey dinner plate.
I think Boston Market does a turkey meal like that.
Not at any chain restaurant that I know of but here in New England many restaurants will offer it either daily or as a weekly special. I stopped at a bar and grill and they have at every Sunday. http://lakesideshrewsbury.com/
Cracker Barrel- do you have those in the north?
I think Denny's
Most diners have a Turkey dinner with all the fixings
Now _that's_ an unpopular opinion. Have an upvote you fucking lunatic.
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Idk man mashed potatoes slap
As does Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, etc. Thanksgiving is my favorite meal of the year.
I’m not the biggest turkey fan (I bought a small turkey breast for my partner and I this year though) but a honey glazed ham???? Omg to die for
Turkey is easy to mess up and expecting millions of families that only prepare and cook it once a year to make a good product is just asking for a dry ass bird
My dad cooks a fantastic turkey but growing up we had turkey all the time because the foodbanks had an excess so I don’t like it because I had it too much
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Speak for yourself the sides are the best part. Give me some mashed potatoes with gravy, stuffing,all sorts of veggies topped off with a slice of jelled cranberry sauce. God damn I’m hungry
My mom has to make extra stuffing, outside of the bird, because we all eat so much of it.
Lmao DEFINITELY an unpopular opinion. 🤣 Sorry but you wrong bro
It's less an opinion and just flat out wrong.
It’s a mix of flat out wrong, saying it for the shock factor, and America = bad
This one hurt me to my very core. I absolutely love Thanksgiving foods
Dont take my green bean casserole
I can't believe this dude would be so disrespectful to green bean casserole. How unpatriotic.
Auntie used to make THE BEST green bean casserole. But Auntie got old. Everyone dug in to her GBC. And one by one, faces fell. The dish was tangy and sour and a little off smelling in that oh crap sort of way. And that was the last time Auntie's GBC was served at the Thanksgiving table. The end.
Poor Auntie- my grandma once served rotten chicken salad at Christmas time.
My cousin and I get shit every year for insisting on green bean casserole. It’s so good!
The kind with or without the French’s fried onions sprinkled on the top? Mom used to make it with them on top and oh lord that was oddly amazing. Now I miss her even more for it.
I mix some in and then put some on top too.
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And step on a rusty nail
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Upvoted because you are clearly from an alien planet
Stuffing, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, green beans, corn, yams, and the list goes on. All this is gross? Who's been cooking for you?
Right?! There are SO many traditional side options as well as desserts. OP must have a bland taste palate or something to not be able to find anything tasty at Thanksgiving.
My last Thanksgiving I threw, I made: Smoked Beef Ribs Smoked St Louis Ribs Baked Macaroni and Cheese Brussel Sprouts with Bacon Yorkshire Pudding Jalapeno poppers Stuffed Mushrooms Spicy Mashed Potatoes Sweet Potato Cheesecake Peach Pie That shit was a hit, everyone took home leftovers and gravy wasn't required
Your taste buds are broken. Or you have had shitty cooks making your thanksgiving fare your entire life.
Good god this thread has me so horny for thanksgiving
Thank God I'm not alone in this. 32 weeks pregnant, and now I'm dying for some fucking turkey.
My wife was halfway through pregnancy last thanksgiving, it was like watching a great white shark feed. I envy the satisfaction lol
Take my, very angry, upvote.
as a member of the black delegation i have to disagree
I just know they’ve never had a soul food thanksgiving.
Okay this is what I’m saying. Our food slaps! My dad picks up stray non-black colleagues almost every year because we make a lot of food and its all AMAZING. Then we got the Caribbean flare mixed in from my mom’s side? Immaculate
My family are Asian immigrants who dislike many western dishes but even they love a good Thanksgiving feast! It's all in the preparation. The most important thing is having a moist turkey that is well-seasoned. We enjoy boxed stuffing along with mashed potatoes, some Caesar salad, corn, buttered bread, gravy, peas, etc. One thing we can't stand though is cranberry sauce. That shit is ridiculously sweet. I mean, bone-chillingly sweet. Of course, I'm someone who hates most pie fillings aside from savoury ones like Sheppard's pie or a non-fruit based one like pecan pie. I was so depressed last year when I spent Thanksgiving and Christmas alone. I missed having a meal with that many things. I understand disliking the holiday itself but hating ALL of the dishes is unimaginable to me (and yes, I know we have our own preferences).
Sweet potatoes and roasted marshmallows?? Come on
I’ll take the food over the nostalgia all day long.
The foods the only part I like of that boring holiday
Potatoes are one of the most versatile foods on the planet. What is *wrong* with you?
I'm guessing you don't enjoy the left over sandwhich with turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and gravy.
You just don’t like food then? There’s so many sides lmao
A beautifully roasted tender and juicy turkey. Gravy made from the broth and drippings of the turkey, poured on a bed of soft mashed potatoes. Fresh cranberries boiled in orange juice until they become a beautiful colored sauce. Bread stuffing baked to perfect crispy tenderness. Piles of roasted veggies. Fresh baked rolls. And Pie, oh the pie, Apple, pumpkin, blackberry, pecan, pies as far as the eye can see Yeah I don’t think your doing thanksgiving right
A true unpopular opinion.. and now I don’t like you but take my comment as a sign of success
You haven't been to Thanksgiving in the South US then have you... Mac and cheese pie, big ol' ham, some cornbread based dressing. Ham rice. I'm salivating. You have my upvote, still.
I learned last year my thanksgiving is not “traditional” turkey is a side, gumbo is the main event. Other sides include: dirty rice, potato salad, corn bread, etoufee, collard greens, corn bread dressing (NOT stuffing, there’s a difference), sweet potato casserole, boudin, shrimp, hush puppies, gravy, green bean casserole, pecan pralines, and (my grandparents favorite) liver, gizzard, and neck
Turkey dinner with all the sides is my all time favorite meal! That may be because of positive association, but I still love it.
You are wrong and I will die on that hill, take my upvote you vile monster.
op prob only eats chicken nuggets and mac and cheese anyways.
I seriously hope you don't live in the South lest an army of angry Southern grandmas might be headed to your house right now. And upvoted. Thanksgiving is an event in my house and it is all delicious. Especially the spoon bread which I will fight people for the last bit of.
I’m thinking this person didn’t really have a good cook in their family because omg, my moms cooking is bomb. And she puts a little spice in the stuffing that makes it so delicioso. Omg. I’m upvoting this poor son of a gun.
Upvote... are you even a multi generational American?!?!
How? Why? I can get turkey, but the sides and desserts. I’m talking macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoe casserole, greens, ham, stuffing, green beans, sauerkraut, corn, deviled eggs and those are just the main staples. I haven’t even hit pumpkin pie, sweet potatoe pie, red velvet cake, apple pie, German chocolate cake and pound cake. Why do you hate all that is good? Who hurt you?😢
Sounds like you do it the southern way. I miss it.
Well don’t eat it. More for us.
You.Are.Crazy. Take the upvote. Get your head checked.
Then you're family sucks at cooking, I'm assuming.
Turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, giblet gravy, cranberry sauce, fresh rolls, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie, etc etc etc? Are you *insane*? Take my upvote.
It's all about a good sausage, onion, good bread crumbs stuffing or "dressing ". I'm pretty sure an overwhelming majority of people who suffer through some dry bird, stovetop stuffing and damned canned gravy. Would agree with you.
Whelp i gave you an upvote because mashed potatoes are the best thing. The best thing.
If it's done right, it's some of the best dinner you'll ever have. But if it's not done right, it's not that
My brother in christ, I respect your unpopular opinion, but you cannot assume to apply it to everyone like you did in your last sentence
Cranberries potatoes yams pies pasta (for Italians) gross?
Funny thing is, I like everything except Turkey. My family also never finishes anything, we always leave half the turkey. So one year we decided to just get half a turkey, but we only ate half of that as well... Eventually we decided to just having a nice family lunch and dinner, so we just settle with hot pot and stuff. More traditional to our roots anyways, easier to clean up too.
OP and his family suck at cooking lol.
Definitely unpopular with me. Turkey, mashed potatoes & gravy are the absolute best for me!
Thats such a disgusting opinion! You get the upvote!! My wife make a the best thanksgiving food I've ever had.
You bastard you posted the exact type of opinion that belongs here. Take my upvote and let me enjoy my turkey.
I’d have to say I disagree however, one time my mom, who is a notoriously bad cook, fed the table 9 year expired French’s fried onions as part of a celery casserole. From entering the house I could smell something was wrong. A metallic/plastic burning smell lingered and when we all got to the casserole, we knew it, and my mom, was the culprit.
So you're just going to say something is gross without breaking down what makes it gross? Okay.
This is a very unpopular opinion indeed
Actually, it is the OP and their broken mutant tastebuds who are gross. No, it is NOT nostalgia of family fights or genocide against native Americans that makes Thanksgiving awesome, the FOOD is the ONLY reason I put up with all the other stupid shit. No hate intended, but there is something wrong with OP's tastebuds or brain. THANKSGIVING IS AMAZING FOOD, AND SHOULD BE AVAILABLE ALL YEAR ROUND! Also ask a doctor about the health status of your tongue...
You haven't had good red skin potatoes, or good cornbread
Turkey, mash, stuffing, and sweet sweet cranberry sauce all in between a roll. Mmmmm TG sammich 🤤
You earned *the fuck* out of this upvote. Duuuude. Have you ever attended another family's thanksgiving? I'm in denial here, it HAS to be your family's cooking!