OT: What's the Worst Mistake You've Made While Preparing Thanksgiving Dinner?
by Emily Abbate
In my family, Thanksgiving stuffing isn't exactly a science. It usually comes from a bag, gets cooked in whichever way the instructions say you're supposed to cook it, and then the flavor doesn't matter because it's doused with gravy. With that said, I feel sort of bad that we haven't given the stuffing the attention it deserves the past, oh, 20 years or so. The hard truth? Homemade stuffing is totally amazing. Heck, it can be fantabulous! I've seen the light -- and that light is homemade stuffing.
The only catch? You just have to go about making it the right way. Here, check out these 5 mistakes that ruin stuffing:
1. You make it ON Thanksgiving: If you're making your stuffing from scratch, the bread you're using needs time to dry out. If the bread is more than a day old, then it will be stale, better for use, and your stuffing won't dry out.
2. You try to make it "skinny": Oh come on, Thanksgiving happens once a year. If you try to reduce the amount of butter you use for your stuffing recipe, you'll be majorly sacrificing on taste.
3. Cooking it in the turkey: Whatever stuffing you make inside your turkey is totally NOT the kind of stuffing you want to serve your guests. Why's that? Because in order for the stuffing to cook, in the center of the turkey, the temperature needs to be at 165°F. You know what that means? By the time you get the right temperature for your stuffing, your bird is kaputz. Overcooked. In other words, not tasty.
4. You forget to take its temperature: With that said, taking the temperature of your stuffing IS important because there's usually raw egg in there. Like I said, the temperature should be 165°F.
5. You don't make enough: This is the WORST. Everyone loves stuffing. And when you run out, you essentially ruin Thanksgiving. Don't be the woman who ruins Thanksgiving!
What's the worst mistake you've made while preparing Thanksgiving dinner?