Ten Must Have Cooking and Serving Items for Thanksgiving

The days seem to be flying by, and before we know it, we will be planning out our Thanksgiving dinner for family and friends. Whether you are cooking for four, or ten, planning out in advance all the details for your Thanksgiving dinner will reduce the amount of stress when Thanksgiving day arrives. The question is what are the top ten essentials needed for cooking and serving your Thanksgiving dinner? Below I listed the top ten items that are essential for me when I prepare Thanksgiving dinner for my family.

Cooking:

Roasting Pan: To roast your turkey will need to have a roasting pan large enough to accommodate the size of bird you are planning on cooking. The best type of roasting pan to cook with is the stainless steel roaster, which is easy to clean, and will distribute the heat evenly around the bird. If you do not have a stainless steel roaster, a disposable foil pan will be suitable, but will not be sturdy when the time comes to remove the bird from your oven.

Roasting Rack: A roasting rack is shaped like letter U, has two handles on each side of the rack for easier transfer of the turkey to the cutting board. This rack props the bird up off the bottom of pan to allow even distribution of heat around the bird while it cooks. Simply lift the roasting rack from the pan, set onto the carving board, and remove the long pin to release the sides.

Baster: The dual baster from Cuisipro is a must when cooking any poultry. This baster comes with two interchangeable tips, one for basting, and the other for injecting marinades or butter. Cuisipros dual baster will allow you to quickly inject your favorite marinade, or liquid seasoning directly into the turkey breast, a quick tip change, you are ready to baste your turkey with mess.

Potato Ricer: Every Thanksgiving dinner has a large dish of mashed potatoes, a potato ricer or potato masher is another kitchen utensil that is a must have tool when making Thanksgiving dinner.

Gravy Separator: A gravy separator is a must have kitchen gadget for making homemade gravies without excess fat content. All you need to do is pour the liquid from the roasting pan into the pitcher. The pitcher will strain the liquid separating the fat, and gristle leaving behind smooth liquid for a gravy base.

Meat Thermometer: Meat thermometer is important to have to ensure that your turkey is fully cooked. Many times the outside of the bird will be browned to perfection, but the inside may need to be cooked slightly longer to prevent your guests from becoming sick. Using a meat thermometer will reassure you that your bird is fully cooked.

Storage: Storage containers are a must for Thanksgiving dinners. Just about every Thanksgiving dinner has leftovers, and you will need to have storage containers to store them. Tupperware containers will help keep your dinner leftovers organized, and separated to hand out to your guests when they are ready to leave.

Serving:

Platter: Thanksgiving turkeys need a nice large platter to sit on prior to carving. A serving platter will put the finishing touches to your Thanksgiving table set up.

Carving Utensils: A sharp carving knife and fork set will help you carve your turkey in perfect even slices with ease.

Dinner Table: Every host wants to have a beautiful table, and matching dinner plates, glasses, cloth napkins, and napkin rings will make your dining table inviting.

Serving dishes: The serving dishes I like to use is the Corning Ware brand. These dishes have elegant designs, and go from oven, directly to the table keeping food warm.

Serving Utensils: The serving utensils you want to make sure you have at your table are: Salad forks, and several large ladle spoons for each individual serving dish.

Once you have all the needed kitchen and serving essentials for your Thanksgiving dinner, you can now focus on the remaining items like centerpieces, drinks, and after meal activities. I hope this list will help you in preparing for your Thanksgiving dinner, or give you ideas for other cooking and serving essentials you may not have and need.