It’s a big menu for this all-American holiday. It can be intimidating, too- so many dishes and preparations to take care of. I’ve found that found that there are a few culinary tasks that can be done well in advance, so helpful with the preparations needed to host a group for Thanksgiving. Time-consuming tasks that make a difference in your recipes are things like baking and making stock. But- these are jobs that can be done ahead of time, too, making the time spent well worth it.

For Thanksgiving, consider making croutons for your turkey stuffing ahead of time. Even taking the time to cut bread crust off and making cubes for freezing will be something you’ll be glad you took the time to do.

If your family loves cornbread stuffing, make a double recipe of your favorite cornbread recipe. Then, enjoy half of it warm and fresh from the oven. The remaining half will be ready for you to cube and freeze- all ready for “turkey” duty!

Another simple, but worthwhile, task is making some homemade, roasted turkey broth. Turkey wings are generally available year ‘round. If you roast a couple pounds of them till they are nicely caramel-brown in color you can simmer them in a crock pot for a few hours. When the meat is nice and tender, remove it from the bones. Then, put the skin, bones, etc. back into the crock pot for another hour or two. Enjoy the wing meat in tacos, pasta, curry- whatever you fancy.

These small, but important steps will put your Thanksgiving menu way ahead, and yet yield you with some fabulous flavor to enhance your family’s most treasured recipes. Remember, it is always ok to reach out to me with any culinary or wine questions you might have. I love to help other cooks!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day