Thanksgiving Countdown; Tips and Crustless Pumpkin Pie

Preparing Thanksgiving dinner is enough of a pressure cooker, never mind having to do math in your head just to get it right.  Here are  some of the numbers to have a safe, worry-free and meaningful Thanksgiving Day dinner. 

Turkey

For turkeys under 16 lbs, estimate basically 1 pound per serving (this accounts for bone weight.)  For larger birds, a bit less is fine;they have a higher meat-to-bone ratio.  However, if your goal is plenty of leftovers, (that turkey sandwich with mayo and cranberry sauce to boot) aim for 1 1/2 lbs per person whatever the turkey’s size.

• For 8 people:   purchase a 12 lb. turkey
• For 10 people: purchase a 15 lb. turkey
• For 12 people: purchase an 18 lb. turkey
• For 14 people: purchase a 20 lb. turkey

The Thaw

Technically, the safest way to thaw a frozen turkey is in the refrigerator.  Figure about 24 hours per 4-5 lbs of turkey.  Another method would be to put the turkey is sink filled with cold running-water.  Change the water every 30 minutes, and plan for about 30 minutes per pound.

Holiday Hot Lines plus, a click-a-way

• Crisco Pit Hotline: 877-367-7436
• Butterball Turkey Talk-Line: 1-800-butterball or www.buterball.com
• Empire Kosher Poultry Customer Hot line:  1-717-436-7055 or www.empirekosher.com/index.html
• Fleischmann’s Yeast Baker’s Help Line: 800-777-4959 or www.breadworld.com/help.aspx
• Foster Farms Turkey Helpline: 800-255-7227 or www.fosterfarms.com
• General Mills: 800-248-7310
• King Arthur Flour Co Bakers Hotline: 802-649-3717
• Nestle Toll House Baking Information Line: 800-637=8537 or www.verybestbaking.com
• Ocean Spray Consumer Help Line: 800-662-3263 or www.oceanspray.com
• Perdue consumer Help Line: 800-PERDUW or www.persue.com
• Reynolds Turkey Hot Line: 800-745-4000 or www.reynoldskitchens.com
• US Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry Hotline: 888-674-6854 or www.fsis.usda.gov/Food_Safety_Education/Ask_Karen/

 

LITE ‘n EASY CRUSTLESS PUMPKIN PIE

Ingredients:

1. 2 Tbsp water
2. 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
3. 2 1/4 cups Carnation Evaporated Low-fat 2% Milk
4. 1 15oz.can Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin
5. 1/2 cup of packed brown sugar or low calorie sweetener equivalent
6. 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
7. 1 tsp vanilla extract
8. Light whipped topping
9. Fresh Fruit (optional)

Preparation:

1. Coat 1” deep-dish pie plate with non-stick Cooking spray.
2. Place water in a medium bowl; sprinkle gelatin over water. Let stand 5 – 10 minutes or until softened. Mixture may be firm.
3. Bring 1 cup of evaporated milk to boil in saucepan. Slowly stir in hot evaporated milk into gelatin. Stir in the remaining evaporated milk, pumpkin, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla extract.
4. Pour mixture into prepared pie plate. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set.
5. Garnish with whipped topping and fresh fruit, if desired.

Enjoy!

Makes 8 servings; Adapted from Nestle Carnation