Thanksgiving becomes less stressful when you have the right equipment. Your menu will determine what the right tools are going to work well for you. I do a conventional meal, so these are some of the tools I use to make the holiday cooking easier. Tie the turkey legs and wings with twine so that they stay in place while in the oven. Have a great pan and rack so you can elevate and roast your turkey correctly. Use a meat thermometer to ensure your turkey is cooked to an internal temperature of 165-degree F. Under cooking the bird is unhealthy and overcooking can cause the turkey meat to be dry.
After the turkey is finished, resting on a carving board with recessed edges & covered with foil, you can use the drippings to make gravy. A fat separator and strainerdo the trick. Cheesecloth is nice to have on hand for straining soups and sauces, basting turkey, forming packets for herbs and spices and straining jams and jellies. I like to use a ricer to make my mashed potatoes and they are silky this way. My go to dessert for the holidays is a two-layer pie (pecan layer over pumpkin). A large, deep pie dish works well and has a nice presentation.