The Holiday Thanksgiving Turkey With Flavors

The holiday meal is something many of us dream about all year long. Thanksgiving turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberries and pumpkin pie make the holiday memorable. The soup, the turkey sandwiches and the leftovers are always just as delicious too!

But if it's your year to cook the Thanksgiving meal, then you're likely apprehensive about this daunting process. How long do you thaw the turkey? How many hours will it take and to what temperature does it need to be heated to? The more you're informed ahead of time, the fewer unexpected surprises will pop up later.

The ConAgra "Butterball" is the top-selling turkey for the holiday dinner. With fine grained moist breast meat and distinctive dark meat, this Thanksgiving turkey is sure to give your guests a range of flavors to enjoy.

If you're looking for a kosher bird that has been killed in the most humane way possible, pre-salted, drained of blood and is double-inspected for quality, then the second best option is the Rubashkins Aaron's Best Turkey. The meat is distinctly tender, with a neutral flavor that has little variance between white and dark meat.

A third delicious option is the Bronze Heritage, Wishard Farms turkey from a small farm in Oregon. The flavor gives off "the full essence of turkey," remarks one taste tester. The dark meat is beefy as a brisket, which makes this bird really unique but the white meat taste is also right up there with the best. The problem with many of the organic birds is that the meat is a bit chewier. In some cases it was even described as"styrofoam-like."

To keep the holiday stress at bay, put your jittery energy to good use. Keep a clean, clutter-free counter and put ingredients away between steps. If you're done using a few dishes, wash them before dirtying more. Enlist the help of others if you begin to feel overwhelmed. Kids are often much more helpful than they're given credit for. Often, setting the table and decorating are fun chores for kids to help with.

Teenagers should definitely start to learn the ways of the kitchen too. Don't allow the Thanksgiving stress to take over. If you find it's too much, delegate desserts or appetizers to someone else. After all, Thanksgiving is a time for the whole family to enjoy.

To read more The Holiday Thanksgiving Turkey With Flavors