THANKSGIVING TROUBLESHOOTING

Cook your best turkey yet, plus solutions to common Thanksgiving food mishaps. Hosting dinner? Follow our work-back schedule for a seamless celebration.

Solutions to holiday mishaps, plus the secret to dinner success

ONE WEEK BEFORE

• Order the turkey. Let the butcher know which day you want to pick it up. Mark that date on your calendar!

• Print out recipes and make your grocery list. Don’t forget cranberry sauce—and ice cream for the pie. • Prepare

pastry for Dark Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie; freeze.

• Delegate appetizers to family and friends—you have enough on your plate! (For appetizer ideas, go to canadianliving.com/holiday appetizers.) • Place an order with a florist so you can guarantee that you get the flowers you want.

THREE DAYS BEFORE

• Roast and peel chestnuts for Haricots Verts With Pancetta. Quarter the shallots; place in a resealable plastic bag with the cooled chestnuts. • Call the

appetizer gang for a check-in.

TWO DAYS BEFORE

• Defrost the pie pastry in the fridge overnight. Set up a baking station with rolling pin, flour, maple leaf cookie cutter and pie plate. • Prepare Sausage & Apple Stuffing (but don’t pour broth over top yet); refrigerate.

ONE DAY BEFORE

• Pick up the flowers and turkey. • Prepare Cider Glaze. • Roll out pastry for Dark Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie; refrigerate. Reroll the scraps and cut out maple leaves. Bake piecrust and pastry leaves. • Chop the squash and slice

the brussels sprouts for Squash & Quinoa Pilaf; store them in separate resealable plastic bags. Cook the quinoa; let it cool in the fridge. Prepare the dressing. Measure out the almonds, pepitas and cranberries; combine, cover and set aside. • Trim haricots verts for Haricots Verts With Pancetta; blanch and cool in an ice bath. Cut the pancetta. • Pull out

serving dishes. Attach sticky notes with recipe names for what goes where. Don’t forget the gravy boat and small bowls for cranberry sauce. • Set the table. • Pour yourself a welldeserved glass of wine.

DAY OF

• Prepare pie filling and bake the pie. • Roast the turkey. As it rests, you’ll free up oven space for other dishes. • Pour broth over Sausage & Apple Stuffing; bake. • Finish Squash & Quinoa Pilaf: Roast the squash and brussels sprouts; reheat the quinoa in the microwave. Assemble and garnish. • Bring haricots verts to room temperature; finish Haricots Verts With Pancetta. • Roast Mini Hasselback Potatoes while the turkey is resting. They taste best straight from the oven, so do this 30 minutes before you’re ready to dig in.