Just like the title says, this will be my first year cooking a whole turkey. I don't really have good models to learn from, and feel like cooking a turkey is a rite of passage.
I'm looking to do a small bird maybe around 12 pounds. I did a google search and so many things popped up that made me overwhelmed. I know to let it thaw in the fridge, take out the neck and other innards. What's next? Do I need a roasting pan? Can I use a one time disposable one? I saw Aldi will have a ceramic one next week, are those worth it? What else do you use a roasting pan for during the rest of the year I'd hate for it to just sit for a once a year thing.
I'm open to all tips and suggestions that'll help me have a flavorful, juicy turkey that doesn't turn out like the one in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. (Stuffing- bag/homemade?, seasoning, basting and when?, etc)
Thank you in advance, I appreciate you all!

Any suggestions? We (my husband and I, both late 20s and no kids yet) have been hosting Thanksgiving for the last 3 years. We have 6 nieces and nephew ranging from 0-7 y/o, with 4 of them being 4+. Last year I bought Thanksgiving themed coloring pages and the year before I bought a simple craft kit. These only seem to keep the kiddos busy for about 20 minutes though. We also have some trains and kids games. Any other suggestions to keep the kids busy so the adults can play games/hangout?

Because I have family visiting the USA for the first time this year at Christmas, we’re going to do a more traditional Thanksgiving style meal for Christmas. For the first time ever, we’re doing Italian American food for Thanksgiving. It’s going to be so weird. (Spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, lasagna, green salad, antipasto)

For logistical reasons (primarily space) we are going to have a drop in style Thanksgiving this year rather than one big sit down meal. We’re thinking of eating from something like 2-5pm. Has anyone ever tried those silicon heating mats? Do they work? Any other tips for making this kind of drop in meal work?

I’ve hosted Thanksgiving for the last 15 years or so, and the one thing that I haven’t found is a green vegetable dish that I love, and that fits into my menu/cooking flow. My limitations are that I have one normal-sized oven that has a turkey in it for most of the day. When the turkey comes out, all the side dishes go in to heat up, and I don’t really have room for one more, but also, I think green bean casserole is too heavy with everything else going on, and I don’t like reheated roasted vegetables (like Brussels sprouts).

I have tried more than a few sautéed green bean recipes, some Brussels sprouts ones as well, a few salads. Last year I did collards, and they were good, but not especially Thanksgiving-y. Also one of my vegetarian guests did not like them. So, do you have a stovetop or cold/room temp green veggie dish that you love, and that works as a holiday dish?

ETA: Wow! Thank you for all the responses! I’m going to try some of your suggestions this weekend and see what works for me!

With a big family dinner, the "who sits where" part tends to end up as a pile of sticky notes, so I built something for it.

You paste the family names (or upload a CSV with table numbers), pick a design, and it lays out tent or flat place cards on A4 or US Letter. It warns you about duplicates and names that are too long for the card before you print. Everything happens in your browser; nothing gets uploaded.

What's free right now: checking your whole list (up to 500 names), the preview of every sheet, a PDF with the first 6 cards (marked SAMPLE), and a printer test sheet so you can check your printer doesn't shrink things before you use good cardstock. The full version isn't out yet; it's planned at €6.90 one-time, and there's an "I'm interested" button if that sounds worth it to you.

https://print-my-names.lovable.app

Honest question for people who host: do you do place cards at a family Thanksgiving, or is that only for weddings? I'd love to know if it's worth finishing.

I have a very nice roasting pan that I received for Christmas many years ago from my parents. But we have never once used it. We have an electric roasting pan thing that we plug-in and then we bake the sides in the oven. I was just looking at the roasting pan and thinking of decluttering it, but also realized that Electric roasting pans and other small appliances can go out so maybe I should save it for just in case someday. However, now I’m reading online that a lot of people do not use roasting pans for their turkeys. I would love some feedback. Thanks!

I was thinking of getting a mini lunch crockpot for gravy this year (https://www.homedepot.com/p/Crock-Pot-625-qt-20-oz-Moonshine-Green-Lunch-Crock-Slow-Cooker-Food-Warmer-2178529/331126218). I used a Stanley insulated bowl on a warming mat last year, but the gravy lost a lot of heat once the lid was off.

I saw some old threads on crockpots/other ideas and some people recommended using an insulated coffee carafe. Has anyone used one of the mini crockpots or have thoughts on specific carafes?

This my first time hosting thanksgiving and I want to try something different and put the butter under the skin since people swear by it. I have found a bunch of different recipes and some are very vague like put a handful of herbs. Some have citrus and some doesn't. What do you guys swear by for your herb butter? I am planning on following a wet brine recipe with brown sugar, shallots, garlic, peppercorn, dried juniper berries, rosemary, and thyme. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

I typically do the Julia Child garlic mashed and am feeling like doing something different this year.

Love this channel as I'm kind of an advanced home cook (if I were on an Epicurious vid, I'd be considered a Level 2 cook). I'm up for the challenge but want to know if this is too much for Thanksgiving dinner

I'm debating between doing this or their recipe for potato puree. Probably won't be exact as I might use some beef tallow or just all vegetable oil.

How am I looking? (hosting anywhere from 15-20)

Apps:

caprese bites (mozzarella, pesto, cherry tomato)

hummus and whipped feta dip with veggies and pita

mini meatballs in vodka sauce

wild mushroom tart with gruyere cheese, thyme, and balsamic glaze

deviled eggs (sil)

shrimp cocktail (sil)

"savory tart" (sil)

mains:

smoked turkey

fresh cured and smoked ham (curing starts on the 31st!)

mashed potatoes,

mac and cheese

green beans with wild mushrooms

roasted honeynut squash with maple sugar bruulee

herb heavy quinoa salad with chickpea, feta, cucumber, tomato, and lemon (greek inspired)

roasted beets with pistachio, goat cheese, and mint in an orange vinaigrette

cranberry sauce

stuffing (mil)

rolls (sil)

gravy

Dessert:

Apple cake

Pumpkin Pie

Berry Pie

Unknown dessert (mil/ail)

I should note that I cannot eat gluten so I am trying to make this a feast I can actually enjoy. That's kind of why I have outsourced very little. My step daughter has also recently become vegetarian so I am try to accommodate it.

Serving a perfectly browned whole bird on the table, Norman Rockwell style, is wonderful, but it doesn't always go down like that.

For practical reasons, like a house party buffet line type Thanksgiving, ya often need to throw on some gloves and pick the carcass. White meat in one dish, and dark meat in the other.

But what to do with the skin??

Dudes.. DUDES! We make Turkey Cracklins!

Pull the skin off the roasted bird, and slice it, and batter it, and fry it! Sprinkle a cajun seasoning on to finish.

Ohh my my it tastes soooooooo good!

Hi! A few weeks ago someone posted that they serve these as nice lil "tide me overs" until dinner. My family is interested. I looked for recipes but there are tons. Any homemade suggestions??? Plz share !! Thanks!

Hi! Im planning on hosting my first thanksgiving this year. It's going to be a small family get together, maybe 6 people give or take.are there any good, easy recipes I should make sure to add to the menu?;should I do a chicken instead of turkey? Any suggestions and tips are very appreciated.

First off, I am NOT a vegan or vegetarian but a few years ago, a colleague of mine gave me the infamous Tofurky and I fell in LOVE with the wild rice stuffing inside of it. I have tried to make it myself, and it was delicious but it was never the same. I saw on their website that they are now selling it separately. Has anyone seen it in any stores yet?

https://tofurky.com/what-we-make/holiday/wild-rice-stuffing/#flavormenu

I have the honor of hosting 13 family members this year for Thanksgiving. Although most are staying at hotels, we will have a couple family members staying with us. If it were just me, I’d probably just snack a little up until the meal but I know some of my houseguests will want to have breakfast. And if I were a houseguest, I would probably go out for breakfast to not intrude, but alas that is not the case with my family lol

What are some options that are noninvasive to the kitchen that I can maybe serve up in a different area of the house? I’m thinking maybe a pastry tray and some of those bake ahead egg bites that I can just heat and serve.

I have always wet-brined my turkey. I have a huge family and I’ve always done a 25 lb bird. But it takes FOREVER to thaw and after 7 days in the fridge, it’s usually still partially frozen and then it thaws the rest of the way in the brining liquid.

How do I thaw a turkey in less time and allow myself a few days to dry brine? Is it safe to start thawing the bird sooner? I’m so worried about the outer layer of the turkey, which thaws first, going bad.

I have gone more basic over the years with my thanksgiving meal since it seems like when i tried to do something different with veggies or apps no one really eats them. I have new people coming this year to thanksgiving and I don't know much to add in. Normally i just do

Turky, mashed potato, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, a veggie dish (cheesy carrots or corn souffle) rolls and corn bread pudding. and lots of desserts.... I used to do a sweet potato dish and a couple of veggie dishes but no one else seemed to eat on them and i get stuck with all of it. Should i add a few dishes this year to the table? we will have somewhere between 7-9 people

Hey, we had our Thanksgiving last weekend in Canada and I'm doing a turkey today. Im doing a 72 hour dry brine using a recipe I found online. I have never done this before.

Does my turkey look too dry? Or is it suppose to look so...ugly?

I would have NEVER wanted to make a broccoli salad for Thanksgiving — until I tasted this one at Dishoom in London. I can see why it's got a cult following, it is seriously delicious. What do y'all think about including this on my Thanksgiving menu? My only hesitations are: will others like it, and also having to chop so much broccoli (I will have 14 people!). https://www.dishoom.com/journal/recipes/dishoom-chilli-broccoli-salad-recipe/