Thanksgiving! What Yuns Making? What Yuns Doing?

We are having our traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Me and the missus do everything, but we keep hoping one day our 49yo and 39yo daughters will say it's time for them to be responsible for Thanksgiving dinner... but it ain't happening this year ;)

Menu:

Turkey breast with cornbread stuffing
Honeybaked ham
Sweet potato casserole
Scalloped oysters
Homemade cranberry relish
Mixed green salad
Dinner rolls
cheesecake with a snickerdoodle crust and apple cider caramel for dessert ( the dessert changes each year )

copious amounts of wine, vodka, gin, and bourbon
 
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We'll be hosting about 15 people at our house. Pretty standard food. Going to try to smoke a turkey this year on the Traeger; I've never cooked it that way before, so does anyone have any advice for that cooking method? Internet seems divided on aspects of that method, including:

  • Cover with foil and place on rack, leave uncovered directly on rack, or cook inside a roasting pan inside the smoker? (I think I'm leaning towards cooking it mostly covered in foil, then finishing uncovered for crispy skin?)
  • Cook low (225) for longer, or higher (300) for shorter? (My plan is to go for 225 for 5-6 hours then switch to 300 when I uncover it; thoughts?)
  • To brine or not to brine?
  • Should I baste it throughout? If so, with what?
 
GeeWhy said:
Only one rule - no politics or Trumpers. So, the parents aren't invited this year. Not because of politics. They've been dead since before the dark times.

I was hoping to escape turkey this year. No such luck. I don't set the menu. Traditionally, it's turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, candied yams, one or more green veggie, rolls, the canned cranberry goo. Usually, some kind of pie for desert. I think that covers it. I don't care for most of it. Will be missing one of my sisters this year as she is in a nursing home. My brother and possibly my other sister will take her food and spend a few hours with her. Very unlikely I will join in that visit. Gotta love the holidays.
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I saw Jesse Watters parents uninvited him to the family Thanksgiving dinner.
 
OGtruthhurts said:
Nephew in Greensboro has a get together. Hate the drive, but good seeing kin folk I hardly see. I always take homemade deviled eggs from my farm.
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If you need some extra kin folk, my mom's in Greensboro.

We can't seem to get an answer from her about the holidays.
 
I plan to do nothing for Thanksgiving. FIL is bringing a ham and the kids are making sides.
 
Driving to South Charlotte for dinner with younger sister’s family. Pretty traditional meal. Visiting wife’s relatives on the way back to Atlanta. I-85 Holiday.
 
rodoheel said:
We'll be hosting about 15 people at our house. Pretty standard food. Going to try to smoke a turkey this year on the Traeger; I've never cooked it that way before, so does anyone have any advice for that cooking method? Internet seems divided on aspects of that method, including:

  • Cover with foil and place on rack, leave uncovered directly on rack, or cook inside a roasting pan inside the smoker? (I think I'm leaning towards cooking it mostly covered in foil, then finishing uncovered for crispy skin?)
  • Cook low (225) for longer, or higher (300) for shorter? (My plan is to go for 225 for 5-6 hours then switch to 300 when I uncover it; thoughts?)
  • To brine or not to brine?
  • Should I baste it throughout? If so, with what?
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I've done the last 4 or 5 on the traeger.

I've got the best results when i Brine the turkey.

Uncovered.

Start slow to get the flavor, then increase the temp to crisp the skin.

The last I did I spatchcocked it and it went really well.

I rub butter on the skin and baste.
 
rodoheel said:
We'll be hosting about 15 people at our house. Pretty standard food. Going to try to smoke a turkey this year on the Traeger; I've never cooked it that way before, so does anyone have any advice for that cooking method? Internet seems divided on aspects of that method, including:

  • Cover with foil and place on rack, leave uncovered directly on rack, or cook inside a roasting pan inside the smoker? (I think I'm leaning towards cooking it mostly covered in foil, then finishing uncovered for crispy skin?)
  • Cook low (225) for longer, or higher (300) for shorter? (My plan is to go for 225 for 5-6 hours then switch to 300 when I uncover it; thoughts?)
  • To brine or not to brine?
  • Should I baste it throughout? If so, with what?
Click to expand...
5-6 hours, that must be a very big bird.
 
Long time significant other and I will be going to sister's who is bringing in the Brier Creek Country Club take home dinner. Turkey, bunch of other stuff. Always more than we can eat. No muss, no fuss. A gathering of who is left of our families in NC - three oldsters.
 
UNCatTech said:
I've done the last 4 or 5 on the traeger.

I've got the best results when i Brine the turkey.

Uncovered.

Start slow to get the flavor, then increase the temp to crisp the skin.

The last I did I spatchcocked it and it went really well.

I rub butter on the skin and baste.
Click to expand...
Thanks! Someone else suggested spatchcock as well. May give that a try, though I also don’t want turkey juice all over the kitchen.
 
aGDevil2k said:
Speaking of Mexican food from my post and Greensboro, Vaqueros on Gate City is a hidden gem
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I’ll have to try that out - haven’t been.

My favorite Mexican food in town is from the taqueria at El Mercadito on Muirs Chapel Rd. Excellent tacos. Good roast chicken too.
 
rodoheel said:
Not that big - like 13 pounds. So maybe that’s too long, even if doing it at 225? I just have no experience with a whole bird on the smoker, I mainly do chicken wings and pork shoulder.
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The times are different between whole and spatchcock. It will take longer at the low temp, but I believe it's around 3-4 hours for that size. Monitor the temp and you'll be fine.
 
Poultry really soaks up the smoke, I usually go light on any chips or added smoke because it can get a bit too heavy pretty easily IMO.

I'm hanging with the fam, will be about 12 of us total. Traditional meal with an egregious amount of deserts and some banging mac n cheese.
 
Last year our dinner included two exchange students, a Chinese guy and a Belgian girl. It was cool to share with them, infortunately they will not be with us this year. Funny memory, our oven went out a day or two before Thanksgiving last year, but we made it work with an electric roaster, the grill and my mom pitching in.

This year it will be me, the wife, my two sons (23 and 21) my mom, two family friends and my oldest son's gf. 'Twill be a good crowd. Standard menu, I suppose. I'll grill carrots and something green, probably Brussels sprouts and make a stew with leftovers. I think I'll try a creamy stew thus year.

Of course, the piece de resistance will be a trip to Clemson to watch my beloved Tigers vanquish the Chickens!!! 🤞
 
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