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holiday meal

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What’s the difference between stuffing and dressing?

For carb-lovers, stuffing is the ultimate thanksgiving side dish. That delicious blend of bread, celery, onions and seasonings when smothered with gravy and served atop roast turkey is truly a feast to be thankful for. (Heck. Forget the turkey! I’d be happy with stuffing alone!) That said, while we all unanimously seem to agree that stuffing reigns supreme, what we disagree on is what to call it. Some people say stuffing. Others call it dressing. So what gives? Avoid these 8 common stuffing mistakes. Well, historically, some people used the terms to note the difference between stuffing (cooked inside the bird) and dressing (cooked outside of the bird, likely in a baking dish). But this wasn’t really ever “official.” Dictionaries no longer even really distinguish the two. The difference in the terminology is actually due to regional dialects. Though both dishes contain the same ingredients, if you’re from a southern…

How to make turkey gravy without the drippings

Thanksgiving dinner just wouldn’t be the same without a generous pour of delicious gravy to soak through that stuffing and bring the whole plate together. But with the popularity of deep fried or air-fried turkeys, some folks are wondering how they too can have homemade gravy (usually made with the leftover drippings from the baked bird). So how do you make homemade turkey gravy without the drippings? What are drippings? In case you’re confused about drippings, let me give a quick explanation. Drippings are the liquid that falls from the bird into the pan as the meat roasts. That liquid caramelizes and browns and takes on a deep, rich flavor (it’s what gives gravy almost all of its flavor). You would take those drippings and add butter, flour, broth, and some seasonings, and whisk that into a delicious gravy. So how to make gravy without drippings? You can still…

How much turkey should you buy per person? And other turkey questions, answered

There are a lot of decisions the Thanksgiving host has to make. Cranberry sauce; fresh or canned? A side of carrots or corn? Pumpkin or apple pie? (That answer there is easy. Both!). But perhaps the most important question of them all: How many pounds of turkey do I need to buy? How much turkey should i buy per person? As a rule of thumb, you should aim for about 1 1/2 pounds of turkey per person. Don’t forget that number takes into considering the weight of the bones, giblets, and a bit of leftovers too. That means, if you’re having 8 adult guests, you’re going to want a 12 pound turkey. Of course, if you have a bunch of big eaters or turkey lovers — or think you might get a few unexpected last minute guests — you’ll want to go up from there. When should you buy your turkey?…

24 grocery stores open on Thanksgiving 2019

It’s Thanksgiving Day and you’ve been planning for weeks. You triple checked your grocery list and have everything in the kitchen under control. And then… oh no! You burnt the rolls! Or you forgot the cranberry sauce, or you dropped the gravy — whatever the mishap, your family will never let you live it down. Off to the grocery store you go. But which grocery stores are even open on Thanksgiving this year? Be thankful this Thanksgiving that lots of grocery stores have your back for when things in the kitchen go a little unplanned. Here are 20 grocery stores that will save you: Food Lion Most Food Lion locations will be open on Thanksgiving Day, though some may close earlier than usual — at either 3 p.m. or 5 p.m. Call your nearby store ahead of time to be sure. Whole Foods Market Run out of wine early? Whole…

Keep potatoes from turning brown this holiday season

When you’re preparing a big meal for the holidays, there are so many ingredients and different dishes to prep that you can easily get distracted. One minute you’re creaming corn, and the next, you’re cleaning up apple pie spillover in the oven. While you may be able to throw away a few forgotten burnt rolls, one mistake will be too obvious to hide — a bowl full of grey mashed potatoes. If you’re not planning to use your potatoes within 20 minutes after exposing the inner flesh to air, you should takes steps to prepare. Here’s how to keep your potatoes from turning grey or brown, so they’re be worthy of praise at your holiday table. Why do potatoes brown? If you ever took a long phone call in the middle of chopping potatoes and came back to a brownish-grey mess on your cutting board, you’ve seen the science in…

How your favorite chefs make mashed potatoes

If there’s one side dish we can all agree deserves a spot on the Thanksgiving table it’s mashed potatoes, but how exactly those spuds are smashed will vary in every home across the country. Not all cooking methods are created equal, so we consulted our favorite celebrity chefs for tips on how to take this traditional holiday dish to the next level. Ina Garten The Barefoot Contessa swears that Yukon Gold potatoes, with their slightly yellow color, are the best variety for mashed tots. She runs them through a food mill, then adds rich butter and sour cream for this good old-fashioned comfort food. https://youtu.be/pTJMM4yusMg ALTON BROWN Alton and Ina must share recipes. This recipe is remarkably close to Ina’s, but it’s probably more of a professional consensus that this is, in fact, one of the best ways to make mashed potatoes. Alton also swears by running Yukon Gold potatoes through a food mill then adding butter, heavy cream,…