Mouthing Off

Here are some healthy ways to repurpose Thanksgiving's most common dishes, including turkey, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce.  

TURKEY

Tacos: Instead of the typical turkey sandwich, wrap the shredded meat in corn tortillas for tacos and top with any leftover vegetables that make sense to you (like green beans and corn). For a little more flavor or heat, try making one of these salsas to go with them.

Vietnamese-style sandwiches: Banh mi are a great way to use up leftover meat—topped with quick pickles, cilantro and chiles, they’re always super-flavorful. For inspiration, here’s a version that uses chicken.

Lettuce wraps: If you’re trying to cut back on carbs, make an easy turkey salad with an herb-inflected mayonnaise dressing and use Bibb lettuce leaves for wrapping. Or, try a version of these spicy Asian lettuce cups with turkey instead of chicken.

Innovative soups: Use the leftover turkey bones and meat to make a warming Mexican-inspired stew known as posole. You can never go wrong with a classic turkey soup. To make it less straightforward, skip the noodles and add kimchi, tofu and ginger for a Korean flavor. Or make a variation of this soothing Colombian soup.

MASHED POTATOES OR MASHED SWEET POTATOES

Make easy mashed potato cakes with olive oil, and top them with a healthy mushroom ragù. Or top a scoop of mashed potatoes with a runny egg and serve with a batch of garlicky braised kale.

Simple soup: Reheat the mashed potatoes gently while whisking in leftover turkey stock for an easy soup. Garnish with a quick herb salad.

CRANBERRY SAUCE

Reinvented condiments: Whisk cranberry sauce with mustard to use as a spread for sandwiches, or blend the cranberry sauce with jalapeños, scallions, cilantro and lime juice to taste to make a salsa for your turkey tacos (see above).

Low-fat dessert: Use the sauce to make easy panna cottas. Instead of making cranberry sauce in Step 1, blend 1/2 cup of prepared cranberry sauce into the buttermilk.

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As amusing as it was to watch William Shatner’s dramatic tale of a fried turkey gone wrong for State Farm this month, we thought it might be useful to provide some grounded tips this Thanksgiving. Deep-frying a turkey can yield incredible results: a glistening bird with golden-brown skin that’s cooked perfectly in minutes. But anyone who’s watched a YouTube video in which a deep-fried turkey goes up in flames should understand that the technique is no joke. Done right, you could be filling your plate in an hour. Done wrong, you could be eating Jell-O at the ER. Here, Food & Wine’s deep-fried turkey tips (use at your own risk!).
 
1. Test to see how much oil you really need. Do not fill the pot with oil yet. Using cold water, measure how much liquid should be put in the pot to cover the turkey without overflowing onto the burner.
 
2. Go outside. Turkey frying should only be done outdoors, on a flat and level surface—not in an enclosed area (like a kitchen or garage) or on a wooden structure (like a deck)! Also, remember that oil is also hard to clean off of concrete. Make sure to clear the area of children, pets and intoxicated relatives.
 
3. Use a fresh bird, or fully thaw a frozen one. The minute any moisture from the turkey hits hot oil, the oil will start to splatter and can cause a spillover effect, starting a fire.
 
4. Skip the stuffing. You’ll have to keep the stuffing on the side when frying a turkey. Michael Symon’s stuffing muffins with lemony mushrooms and pine nuts, or butternut squash with corn bread, are fantastic. Also, remember to remove the giblets from the bird’s cavity before frying.
 
5. Lower the bird slowly into the oil. Do not drop the turkey into the deep-fryer.
 
6. Do not move the pot. Are you Homer Simpson? Adjusting a vat of hot oil is incredibly dangerous.
 
7. Stick around. Never leave the turkey unattended. It can only take a moment for something to go wrong.
 
8. Don’t start drinking until after the oil has cooled. Better to be alert until this bird is cooked.
 
9. Wait to carve. Let the cooked turkey rest for at least 30 minutes, in order to retain the hot juices.
 
10. Keep heavy blankets nearby for emergencies. Water will not extinguish an oil fire, it will only spread the ignited oil. A wool blanket will help put out flare-ups.

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F&W Executive Food Editor Tina Ujlaki reveals the best ways to salvage your Thanksgiving dinner when common turkey disasters strike. Most importantly, remember this: “Gravy has a lot of magical powers,” says Ujlaki.

1. If your turkey hasn’t defrosted… Season the still-frozen bird and put it in the oven. It’s safe to cook a turkey from the frozen state, according to the US Department of Agriculture. Cooking time will be at least 50 percent longer than it is for a fully thawed turkey (for example, a bird that would ordinarily be done in four hours will likely take six hours to cook).

2. If your roasting pan is too small… Roast the turkey on the largest baking sheet in your kitchen or snag a deep disposable foil roasting pan.

3. If you forgot to remove the giblets… Years ago, giblets were usually packed in a plastic bag within the bird, which led to some scary plastic-scented roasts. But now most come wrapped in paper, possibly because poultry companies realized that so many people forgot to remove them. Cooking the paper-wrapped giblets won’t affect the taste or safety of the turkey—just remember to remove them before serving.

4. If you overcook the turkey… Use a very sharp knife to minimize shredding, and make sure you have lots of gravy. “There are so many other foods on the table that an overcooked turkey bathed in delicious gravy won’t be the focus,” says Ujlaki.

5. If you undercook the turkey… Since the breast finishes cooking first, remove the legs and wings, and put them back in a pan to continue roasting on their own. You can always pretend you’re serving the turkey in two courses: white meat first, then dark meat. Or save the dark pieces for awesome leftovers.

6. If one turkey isn't enough… When there’s a risk of last-minute guests, roast an extra breast instead of making two turkeys—few ovens have room for more than one turkey.

7. If your turkey is too salty… Counteract saltiness with a sweet gravy and sweet cranberry sauce.

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On Thanksgiving Day, if life hands you a cracked or undercooked pie, you don’t have to scrap dessert. Here, Food & Wine Senior Recipe Developer Grace Parisi shares recovery tactics for the most common holiday cooking predicaments.

To fix lumpy gravy: Instead of wasting time with a whisk or a sieve, pour lumpy gravy into the blender and puree (but be careful that the gravy isn’t too hot, or the blender could shatter). To avoid lumps in the future, fully blend flour with turkey drippings to make a roux before adding any stock.

To rescue gluey potatoes: If you’ve overworked the potatoes to an unpleasant texture, go French. As in, add a lot of cream to make a creamy potato puree. Then put the puree in a casserole dish, sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top and bake it until browned.

To save overcooked vegetables: You can camouflage mushy texture with deliberate creaminess and crunch. Drizzle the vegetables with a little cream in a casserole dish, sprinkle with bread crumbs and any grated cheese (especially one that’s good for melting, like Gruyère), then pop the casserole dish under the broiler.

To disguise cracked pumpkin pie: Whipped cream can save most dessert imperfections. Mound the cream on top, sprinkle it with candied ginger and it will look even more elegant than an undecorated pie.

To salvage undercooked pie: Reheat the pie in the oven, then scoop the filling over ice cream and crumble the cooked pieces of pie crust on top for a deconstructed pie à la mode.

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(pictured: Grace Parisi's Classic Pumpkin Pie) 

We’re excited to bring one of our favorite new Thanksgiving recipes to a virtual potluck hosted by the Food Network today. In F&W’s November issue, Iron Chef Michael Symon created a heartland Thanksgiving menu that included this staff-favorite side: Michael Symon's Swiss Chard and Leek Gratin. The make-ahead dish combines both Gruyère and Parmigiano-Reggiano in a doubly cheesy topping that becomes crisp and beautifully browned in the oven. Food Network reached out to a range of fantastic food sites to share recipe links, and you can check out the full menu for The Communal Table: Thanksgiving Edition below.

Follow the event on Twitter using #pullupachair.

The Communal Table: Thanksgiving Edition

Cocktails, Appetizers, Salads and Breads:

Liquor.com: Thanksgiving Cocktails
The Kitchn: Goat Cheese Panna Cotta Topped With Canned Cranberry Jelly Cut-Outs
Big Girls Small Kitchen: Braided Biscuits
Epicurious: Chestnut and Sherry Soup
Yahoo! Shine: Spicy Caramelized Onion Jam With Goat Cheese
YumSugar: Kale and Chard Salad with Pomegranates and Hazelnuts
Whole Foods Market: Mixed Green Salad With Pears, Hazelnuts, Blue Cheese and Homemade Croutons

Mains:

FN Dish: Alton Brown's Good Eats Roast Turkey
Eatocracy: Country Ham With Pickled Peaches
BlogHer Food: Root Vegetable Pot Pie With Cheddar Biscuit Crust

Sides:

Cooking Light: Fennel, Sausage, and Caramelized Apple Stuffing
Bon Appetit: Maxine Rapoport's Turkey Stuffing
EatingWell: Green Bean Casserole
Serious Eats: Ultra-Crispy Roasted Potatoes
Oprah.com: David Chang's Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Asian Vinaigrette
Food Republic: Cavatappi With Fontina and Fall Vegetables
Healthy Eats: Green Bean Casserole With Crispy Shallots
Saveur: Green Beans and Tomatoes
Diner's Journal: Fiery Sweet Potatoes
Real Simple: Brown Sugar-Glazed Carrots With Rosemary and Pecans
The Daily Meal: Bacon Brussels Sprouts
AP/ J.M. Hirsch: Ginger-Pear Cranberry Sauce
Food52: Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese
Food.com: Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Food & Wine: Michael Symon's Swiss Chard and Leek Gratin
All You: Sweet Potato Bake

Desserts:

The Blender/ Williams-Sonoma: Deep-Dish Apple Bourbon Streusel Pie
Southern Living: Pumpkin-Pecan Cheesecake
Cooking Channel: Apple Bread Pudding
Fox News: Ginger Molasses Sugar Cookies
Gourmet Live: Pumpkin Coconut Panna Cotta
Melissa Clark: Sweet Potato Ginger Custard Pie
MyRecipes.com: White Chocolate Cheesecake With Cranberry Currant Compote

Plus: Food & Wine's Thanksgiving Recipes

You’ve reserved a beautiful bird, found a big enough pan (that fits in your oven!) and purchased an instant-read thermometer to roast your Thanksgiving turkey to a perfectly moist 160–165°F—but there's still room to go wrong. Here, F&W’s Senior Recipe Developer Grace Parisi reveals the biggest turkey mistakes made by home cooks.

 

What Not to Do:

1. Overstuff the cavity. By the time the stuffing reaches a safe temperature (165 °F) in an overstuffed bird, the white meat will be totally dried out. Parisi’s rule of thumb: Cook no more than five cups of stuffing in a 15-pound bird and bake the rest in a separate dish. She also stuffs the neck, which won't increase overall cooking time.

2. Crowd the oven. Like a teenager, a roasting turkey likes privacy and space. Baking casseroles and other foods with the bird disrupts oven temperature and alters your turkey’s expected cooking time. Also, if the bird is placed too close to the top of the oven, the breast will dry out and the skin will burn; you should remove some of the higher oven racks to make room.

3. Check the bird obsessively. Opening the oven door cools down the oven so much that you’ll end up increasing the cooking time by a lot.

4. Carve the turkey immediately. Turkey needs to rest for at least 30 minutes to keep the juices from flowing out of the bird and drying out your meat. Resist the urge to carve right away and go freshen up. If guests aren't already waiting for you, they'll certainly be there soon.

5. Brine a kosher turkey. Since a kosher turkey has already been treated with salt, brining it will yield an overly salty turkey.

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Food & Wine’s Senior Recipe Developer, Grace Parisi, returns for part two of her live Thanksgiving chat series tomorrow, Tuesday November 8, at 2 p.m. ET on Facebook. Taking over our fan page, Parisi will answer all holiday questions on topics ranging from fast appetizers and showstopping sides to what you should be making ahead of time, starting now. For a roasting warm-up tonight, Parisi's Moroccan Roasted Chicken, rubbed with paprika, coriander and cinnamon, among other spices, makes a fantastic fall meal.

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