Come all ye self-styled chefs and kitchen users, we must talk.

bhchrist wrote:

Yogurt is also quite easy to make in the Instant Pot. I have done so a number of times.

Recipe?

In the Instant Pot book. I get a yogurt with pro-biotics, use a good quality whole milk, and set it to the yogurt mode. These two are good step-by-steps of the process.

LINK 1

LINK 2

Only the 7-in-1 has a yogurt setting, by the way. That's because the 6-in-1 only has one temperature it operates at.

Yogurt mode sounds like a lame superhero power....

manta173 wrote:

Yogurt mode sounds like a lame superhero power....

Primary ability of Yogurt Shepard. He's probiotic, and this gyro stand is his favorite shop on The Citadel.

LouZiffer wrote:

Only the 7-in-1 has a yogurt setting, by the way. That's because the 6-in-1 only has one temperature it operates at.

I wonder which one I have. Mine is missing settings from many of the recipes. But it's stuff like there being no "chicken" button.

manta173 wrote:

Yogurt mode sounds like a lame superhero power....

IMAGE(https://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/psychonauts/images/4/45/Milkman.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120215201234)

manta173 wrote:

Yogurt mode sounds like a lame superhero power....

How about Skyr mode?

Jonman wrote:
manta173 wrote:

Yogurt mode sounds like a lame superhero power....

IMAGE(https://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/psychonauts/images/4/45/Milkman.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120215201234)

Are you the milk man?

So I just discovered that we'll be hosting Thanksgiving dinner at my house, with a total of 24 people coming over. That's a lot of food, and I'll be making most of it (long story). Any thoughts, or suggested recipes, to help coordinate such a big meal?

Make an oven Gantt chart - what needs to cook for how long, what can be kept warm in a crock pot or reheated right before, what can go in side-by-side, etc. Helps you see where you have wiggle room and what your critical path is.

Crock pots are excellent for spreading out that cooking load - we do stuffing in one and use another to keep potatoes warm. Pies can be made ahead and popped in the oven to reheat during dinner or in that post-dinner coma before serving dessert. (Fruit pies like apple actually benefit from sitting overnight since flavors can meld and the juices set a bit more!)

I have never been in charge of Thanksgiving, but am one of five kids so most holiday meals growing up were big productions even if we didn't have family in town.

trichy wrote:

So I just discovered that we'll be hosting Thanksgiving dinner at my house, with a total of 24 people coming over. That's a lot of food, and I'll be making most of it (long story). Any thoughts, or suggested recipes, to help coordinate such a big meal?

Make it a pot-luck.

Seriously though, delegate. Grandma - you bring a salad, Uncle Wotsisname, you're in charge of the pumpkin pie.

Also, design your menu to maximize the opportunity to do as much as you can the day before. Then make a timetable of what needs to happen when on T-day itself, or you'll get lost in the weeds. And if you don't delegate, deputize.

Jonman wrote:
trichy wrote:

So I just discovered that we'll be hosting Thanksgiving dinner at my house, with a total of 24 people coming over. That's a lot of food, and I'll be making most of it (long story). Any thoughts, or suggested recipes, to help coordinate such a big meal?

Make it a pot-luck.

Seriously though, delegate. Grandma - you bring a salad, Uncle Wotsisname, you're in charge of the pumpkin pie.

Also, design your menu to maximize the opportunity to do as much as you can the day before. Then make a timetable of what needs to happen when on T-day itself, or you'll get lost in the weeds. And if you don't delegate, deputize.

What is your kitchen set up like? Do you have the ability to do some food prep outside on a grill or smoker? there are a number of things you can do to free up indoor space .

trichy wrote:

So I just discovered that we'll be hosting Thanksgiving dinner at my house, with a total of 24 people coming over. That's a lot of food, and I'll be making most of it (long story). Any thoughts, or suggested recipes, to help coordinate such a big meal?

I'd suggest making stuffing in a big slow cooker. It frees up oven space, and keeps it warm all day. Just don't forget to stir every once in a while or the bits nearest the heating element will burn.

Some dishes reheat perfectly, so make as much as you can the day before. Stuff like green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, most veggie dishes, and sweet potatoes can be thrown in the microwave before serving.

Speaking of sweet potatoes, it's absurdly easy to make a huge cauldron with this recipe. I pretty much fill my dutch oven and have sweet potatoes for days.

In general, don't feel pressured to make every signature dish for Thanksgiving. Almost all of them are results of marketing to baby boomers. If you don't have time, space, or effort to make something, just skip it.

Don't underestimate the awesome cop out of a big old ham or a smoked turkey. Neither need cooking!

trichy wrote:

So I just discovered that we'll be hosting Thanksgiving dinner at my house, with a total of 24 people coming over. That's a lot of food, and I'll be making most of it (long story). Any thoughts, or suggested recipes, to help coordinate such a big meal?

My Super AwezomeSauze Tgiving Hack of Awesomeitude™ was one of the best things I ever did. Also pretty damn easy.

I had around 30 the last time we hosted. We delegate some, but most of the cooking is on us. There's always some things that make ahead and reheat well — target those first. But my big win was with the turkey.

I was reading from Serious Eats that salting the bird up to 3 days ahead of time and putting it in the fridge — some call this dry brining — is even better than traditional wet methods. So I got two 16-lb turkeys and broke them down into eighths on Tuesday morning. Salted the meat and put it into the fridge, then spent the rest of the day making stock from the two carcasses. This had the double-awesome bonus of (A) getting to use the fresh stock for all the things that stock makes better, like gravy and stuffing, as well as (B) making it so that I didn't have to spend Friday, hung-over and not wanting to look food in the face, making stock all day.

I smoked the turkeys outside, allowing a slower and easily controllable process that left plenty of room in the oven. It was also incredibly delicious. Since it was broken down into pieces it was easier to fit, cooked faster, and didn't require nearly as much post-cook resting. Also, the damn thing didn't get stone cold as I spent a ton of time carving a whole bird, as it was already mostly deboned and super fast to cut.

None of the process was that complicated, honestly, but it easily made for the least stressful thanksgiving ever. I was able to relax and enjoy the company instead of worrying about the bird and worrying about fitting dishes into the oven and then pulling the bird and OHsh*tOHsh*tMAKETHEGRAVYFAST and whatnot. YMMV, I suppose.

One thing people often overlook is that turkey big enough to feed 24 will need nearly an hour's resting time. So nearly all of your veg won't go on until the turkey has come out of the oven. The only exceptions to this are things like baked potatoes.

One thing my wife and I do is assign dishes to guests. We'll provide and cook the backbone of the meal, usually the Turkey, mashed potatoes and one of the desserts. Then we assign all the other ancillary side dishes and desserts to guests to bring along: sweet potatoes, green beans, kale, pies etc. So it's kinda half-organised but half-potluck style. On the day when the Turkey comes out the oven the dishes guests have brought then go in the oven to reheat.

Big +1 on the breaking down the bird. I've yet to persuade the MiL that this is a good plan but I'm a Brit so what would I know about Thanksgiving

Deep fry that bird to leave the oven open. Juiciest way to do it.

If you don't have table settings for 24... good paper plates for cleanup. (Seriously the good ones are worth the extra dollar to save on failed plate related disasters.)

Also, +1 on the ham. Just grab some bread (rolls etc.) so people can make mini sandwiches for snacking should things take longer or guests arrive early.

+1 on premade pies

+1 on pot luck for sides... just no pies as you premade them.

+1 for the oven Gantt chart... and I hate making Gantt charts

Lastly... make a list and check it twice. Day of the big meal you will be too busy to remember details. I think making one for each category of details works better... oven, not oven food, table settings, who's bringing what...

Also... might make 2 birds... smaller and easier to handle... make one the day before and carve it up. Then use it to supplement the one made on the day of.

These tips are awesome. I can't delegate, unfortunately. Some health issues and other factors have left those members of my family that normally cook unable to do so, and part of the reason I volunteered to host was that if I hadn't, we weren't going to be able to do Thanksgiving at all.

Smoking the turkey is ideal, but I don't currently own a smoker. However, I have a beat up grill that I don't use any more, and after some google-fu, it wouldn't be too difficult to turn that into a smoker. I was already planning on doing two smaller birds rather than one big one, and I'm planning on spatchcocking them regardless of how I cook them.

The stuffing in the slow cooker is a great idea.

trichy wrote:

These tips are awesome. I can't delegate, unfortunately. Some health issues and other factors have left those members of my family that normally cook unable to do so, and part of the reason I volunteered to host was that if I hadn't, we weren't going to be able to do Thanksgiving at all.

Smoking the turkey is ideal, but I don't currently own a smoker. However, I have a beat up grill that I don't use any more, and after some google-fu, it wouldn't be too difficult to turn that into a smoker. I was already planning on doing two smaller birds rather than one big one, and I'm planning on spatchcocking them regardless of how I cook them.

The stuffing in the slow cooker is a great idea.

Depending on the type of grill, that may be pretty easy to do. I think I have posted a link here on converting a kettle grill into a smoker. Also, fully agree on spatchcocking or even just cooking in pieces. You can even straight up grill them as well. All respect to Manta, but smoked turkeys have been as juicy as any deep fried that I have had. This is as comprehensive an article on prep and process as I have found: Smoked/Grilled Turkey

You can also buy Turkey breasts to add more meat without having a second bird to break down.

bhchrist wrote:

You can also buy Turkey breasts to add more meat without having a second bird to break down.

This was the breakthrough for me. Not only is it easier to prepare, you also only have to focus on one section of meat. Usually the drumsticks and other dark meat are dry by the time the breast is done. Just having the breast means everything is perfect once it hits 155-160F.

Delbin wrote:
bhchrist wrote:

You can also buy Turkey breasts to add more meat without having a second bird to break down.

This was the breakthrough for me. Not only is it easier to prepare, you also only have to focus on one section of meat. Usually the drumsticks and other dark meat are dry by the time the breast is done. Just having the breast means everything is perfect once it hits 155-160F.

Not a bad idea. I might have to steal this one.

I do concede smoked birds are good too... I just like the deep fried ones better.

manta173 wrote:

I do concede smoked birds are good too... I just like the deep fried ones better.

I feel like deep-frying would be pretty ambitious for a first, at scale, turkey attempt

Honey-Baked might have a storefront in your area. They do stuff like smoked turkeys in addition to their famous hams, and it makes prep really easy. Just order as long in advance as you can afford to, they get *busy*.

Delbin wrote:
bhchrist wrote:

You can also buy Turkey breasts to add more meat without having a second bird to break down.

This was the breakthrough for me. Not only is it easier to prepare, you also only have to focus on one section of meat. Usually the drumsticks and other dark meat are dry by the time the breast is done. Just having the breast means everything is perfect once it hits 155-160F.

If you break the bird apart before cooking, you can pull pieces out as they are done. The best part, is you can debone the thighs, roll them and tie them, which makes them cook evenly and they are much easier to slice.

DanB wrote:

One thing people often overlook is that turkey big enough to feed 24 will need nearly an hour's resting time. So nearly all of your veg won't go on until the turkey has come out of the oven. The only exceptions to this are things like baked potatoes.

Wanted to make sure that this detail wasn't overlooked if you don't decide to break it down! Similarly, if you get a frozen bird, one that can serve even half that group will take days to defrost.

The suggestions that take the bird out to the grill definitely help in the critical path of the oven.