| Good Saturday, friends. We've officially kicked off the holiday season here at Post Food. Truthfully, it's been many (many) months of feeling like the holidays for us, with so much hard work by the team as we've been developing, testing, editing, photographing and designing all our new recipes and packages. But this week, we finally got to share it with you. The anchor of our Thanksgiving coverage this year is a menu on which everything can be — but doesn't have to be — made fully or partially in advance. Yes, even the turkey! Year after year, we field questions from readers with small kitchens, limited oven space or time, or plans to travel for the big meal, who need recipes and tips for how to get a jump on the cooking. So we put our heads together and built an entire roster of dishes to let them do just that. Aaron Hutcherson's Roast Turkey With Caramelized Onion and Miso Gravy may be a surprising, but no less delicious, centerpiece to cook ahead. The key is to carve the bird, douse it with the delectable gravy (basically a French onion soup!), refrigerate it and then reheat come time to eat. His outrageous Baked Macaroni and Cheese With Parmesan Breadcrumbs can be assembled, refrigerated and then slid into the oven — just hold off on adding the panko topping until that final point. A few other dishes on the menu are best partially assembled but will only require a few minutes of active time on Thanksgiving. My French Bread Stuffing With Pancetta, Figs and Hazelnuts should have its components (bread, meat-vegetable mixture and liquid) kept separately for food safety reasons until you're ready to stir it together and bake. (You can, however, fully bake the stuffing and then reheat, even if the top will not be as crisp.) Make the filling and scoop out the citrus ahead of time for Matt Brooks's Mashed Sweet Potatoes in Orange Cups, then warm the spuds, scoop into the shells, top (with a pecan streusel or marshmallows) and broil. Tom Sietsema's Green Bean and Sesame Seed Salad is simple as can be. Blanch the green beans, make the dressing and combine right before serving. (It also works to fully assemble on Thanksgiving morning.) For Joe Yonan's showstopping vegan main, Phyllo-Wrapped Celery Root With Cider Glaze, roast the starchy veg until tender and hang onto it until you're ready to wrap it in a pretty phyllo parcel. Bake until crisp and golden. Despite his skepticism of leftovers, Tim Carman was thrilled to discover that his Mashed Potatoes With Roasted Garlic reheated beautifully in a double boiler or in the oven, as long as you supplement the spuds with extra cream and take care to incorporate it all. Olga Massov's Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Apple Salad needs no babying. The hearty greens hold up well to the bracing dressing even after refrigeration. And then there's dessert! Cookbook author and baker Maya-Camille Broussard built a lovely spread of five treats that all star the same recipe for Caramelized Apples. Those can be made a few days in advance, ditto the Basic Butter Pie Crust that features in several of the recipes. Depending on your time or ambition, you can choose between an Apple Dump Cake, Caramelized Apple Galette, Apple Crumble Pie, Cranberry Orange Apple Pie and Caramelized Apple Cheesecake. One reader already promised to make every single recipe, and I am here for it! In search of a festive drink? You need to try Allison Robicelli's unexpected yet stunning nonalcoholic Holiday Pumpkin Punch starring canned pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, spices and malt soda. Ellie Krieger's light and fresh Fennel, Celery and Pear Salad would also be at home at any holiday gathering. For even more Thanksgiving planning assistance, don't miss our all-new holiday menu planner, which allows you to customize your own recipe collection, including the ability to save your favorite dishes and generate a grocery list. If you want a bit of counterprogramming, don't miss the Tteokgalbi (Korean Beef Patties) Daniela Galarza shared from the new "Koreaworld" cookbook. Look out for more holiday recipes and advice in the coming weeks, including an extra-long live chat the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. In the meantime, Aaron and I will be hosting our regular hour next week on Wednesday at noon Eastern. Submit your questions now and come back to talk with us in real time. For now, be well and happy cooking. |
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