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Make Ahead Thanksgiving

Every year at Thanksgiving I feel like all I'm doing is working, working and more working in the kitchen cooking. So this year I'm trying something different. Which will mean less time in the kitchen and more time with the family.

Tomorrow I will make my homemade stuffing mixture and freeze .

1 loaf of bread cut into bite size cubes

1 cup onion (minced)

1 cup chopped celery (minced)

1 1/2 cups of chicken broth

4 1/2 teaspoon of Bell's Poultry seasoning

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup of butter

1. Saute 1 cup of minced onions and 1 cup of celery in 1 cup of butter in a 10 or 12 in. skillet until tender.

2. In a bowl pour sauteed vegetables and 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth over bread cubes and toss.

3. Add 4 1/2 teaspoons of Bell's poultry season, 1/4 of pepper and 3/4 teaspoon of salt(if desired) toss until mixed.

The unbaked stuffing mixture will freeze great in containers or freezer bags to serve later. To reheat: Thaw and bake it in a greased dish, at 350F until golden brown on top 30-40 minutes.

Another good idea is you can bake stuffing mixture in greased muffin pan or in a loaf pan.

As for my Turkey I will make that ahead of time also and freeze. I will brush my turkey with olive oil mixed with salt, pepper and Bell's poultry seasoning.

2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons pepper and 3 teaspoons of Bell's poultry seasoning.

For a 15lb. Turkey roasting time will take 3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hrs . Once turkey is done I will let it rest for 1/2 hr. and then carve. I will place dark meat and white meat into freezer bags. Pour chicken broth over the meat and freeze.

And for my mash potatoes I will peel and cut them the night before Thanksgiving and place in a big bowl covered in water and some salt. I will mixed together my green bean casserole the night before and cook it Thanksgiving Day.

To serve turkey thaw bag of meat and broth and put into a cover baking dish for 30 minutes at 350 F.

Now that I have the turkey and stuffing done the rest of dinner will be a breeze to make(homemade mash potatoes, green bean casserole). A friend of ours recently said she was going to spend Thanksgiving by herself. No one should be alone on a holiday so I told her she was more than welcomed to spend the day with us. She will bring her famous homemade macaroni and cheese dish. So now I will have more time with the family and friends, stress free day. Happy Thanksgiving!

Learn more about this author, Michelle Curry.
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