How To Cook A Turkey Dinner

As Autumn rolls around and I see all of the fresh produce available at farmers’ markets and grocery stores, my imagination starts up in overdrive as I think of what to make for our biggest turkey dinners at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Since I have been hosting family holiday dinners for over twenty years, you might be interested in how I cook a turkey dinner with all the trimmings. At our dinner table are celiac and gluten-sensitive and wheat and gluten-full eaters. Still, everyone enjoys all the dishes served since everything on the menu is made gluten-free! You may enjoy adapting the following ideas for your holiday dinners.

Cooking a gluten-free turkey dinner sounds daunting, but with these easy steps, you will wow your family, and your guests will never know they are all eating gluten-free!

A Traditional Turkey Dinner Menu

Turkey Dinner Menu Links

1. How To Cook A Turkey Dinner -(You are on this page) includes Turkey Roasting Tips and Recipe for Sausage Stuffing.
   2. Ideas For a Turkey Dinner Menu – includes salad recipes: Cold Beets, Spinach Souffle Salad, and Cabbage Salad with Yellow Peppers and Peas.
   3. More Recipes For A Turkey Dinner Main Course – Includes recipes for Maple Baked Sweet Potato Casserole, Whipped Red Skinned Potatoes, and Tart Cranberry Sauce with Orange.
   4. Pumpkin Pie and Carrot Cake:
   Recipe: In the Bonus Section of my Cookbook, Gluten-Free You Can Do It.

Family Holiday Dinners

Family get-togethers are always fun to plan and exciting to get family members together. It is time to reconnect and enjoy each other’s company, especially when you don’t live near each other. I love it all!

During the holidays, almost every family has one or two people who love to cook and bake. Though planning, shopping, cleaning, cooking, and baking are a lot, I LOVE IT!

Something in me enjoys seeing people eat. I remember when our boys were growing up, and I also worked full time, the thought of all the work sometimes gave me a little twinge. But one or both boys would invariably ask, “Mom, are we having a family dinner for…” So that would always settle it! Whether it would be just the four of us or include extended family, we sat down to a traditional meal (gluten-free, of course), and the memories are priceless!

One thing I like about big family dinners is the leftovers! Not only do you get a real rest from cooking, but there is also lots of ready-made food for the family to ‘Forage’ for a few days. It made cooking more manageable, and we got to try and see how many new recipes we could invent with the leftovers. Since I had to leave food when going out to work, FORAGING at our house has always meant… “Lots of food in the fridge; just help yourselves.”

Every family has their favorite things and some they don’t like. But that is ok; there is enough that each can take what they like best. Sometimes I worried that perhaps I was making too many holiday dinners with the same things, but no, they always encouraged me, saying, “We never get tired of eating your turkey dinners, mom!”

When he visited at a holiday meal, my father-in-law always said, “So where is the seventh vegetable?”

Dad Stewart

For any holiday dinner, variety, old favorites, and a few new twists on the menu are always welcome. It also depends on how many people you expect to come to dinner. I have cooked holiday dinners from four to twenty-four.

Oh, I just about forgot to say that I have also helped cook for crowds of a hundred or more for church-style suppers and fundraisers. You always rely on willing hands to help with these. For one group, I was in charge of roasting the beef for about seven years straight. People would ask, “Is the same person roasting the beef?” They sold tickets based on this.

Planning Your Holiday Family Dinner

When planning a meal for a family gathering or holiday dinner, your notes are invaluable. Save your special recipes in a notebook with what you did ahead of time and how it worked out. That said, most of the time, I scribbled notes each time, made copious plans in my head, and made mental notes of what happened. However, as time passes, I realize more and more how having a running notebook to refer to can save you a lot of time and make things easier next time.

Scratch notes for Holiday Dinners help you plan the menu, locate your favorite recipes, and ensure you have everything on your shopping lists. Because planning a get-together usually involves several non-food related items such as housecleaning, linens, cooking and baking utensils, chinaware, and cutlery needs, plus the possibility of overnight guests coming from a distance; your notes help keep your mind clear. I have often lain awake at night, going over a list in my head, this and that, to do, only to have an almost sleepless night. I tell myself, “Sleep, girl; you can’t do a thing about it until tomorrow!”

Eventually, you will discover what everyone in your family and circle of friends likes, dislikes, and any food-related sensitivities or allergies over time. Sometimes an extensive list like the one below works for a crowd, but you will have to pare it down for an intimate family gathering. This is just a base; I am sure you have your favorite recipes. Another way to make a big dinner is to have a convenor who then asks those attending to each bring a dish. Plan the menu, ask them what they would like to bring, and suggest, if necessary, sharing recipes.

Menu Planning
Appetizers-Snacks	Main Meal	Desserts	Beverages	My Recipes	Shopping

Planning for Overnight Guests: Breakfast, Lunch, Snacks

How to prepare and roast the turkey with gluten-free stuffing

Buying a Turkey: First, decide whether you will have a fresh turkey or thaw a frozen one. Also, you will need the size of the turkey for the guests you anticipate. I usually like to purchase a larger turkey, as I believe there is better value for the dollar due to the bones being almost the same size. When you estimate 1.5 lbs. serving per guest or slightly higher, this will accommodate having plenty of leftovers.
Note: Make sure you read all the ingredients on the turkey or confirm with your butcher before purchasing that the TURKEY is GLUTEN-FREE. These days, some turkeys come already stuffed with wheat dressing and/or seasoned with possibly gluten-containing ingredients.

Number of Guests 1.5 lb. serving	Turkey Size	Thawing Method plus time In the fridge (avoid drips) Or a large cooler with ice.	Roasting time*
1 to 7	12 lb. Turkey	10 to 12 hours	3 to 4 hours
8 to 11	15 lb. Turkey	10 to 12 hours	4 to 5 hours
12 to 14	20 to 30 lb. Turkey	24 hours	6 to 8 hours
15 to 20	30 lb. Turkey plus a Ham	24 to 48 hours	6 to 8 hours
		If fresh, keep refrigerated If brining, no longer than 10 hours

Note: *the oven temperature determines Roasting Time. I do things a little; differently. I usually start the turkey out at 400℉. Oven. I let it roast for an hour, then turn the oven down to 325℉. I think this helps sear in the juices and makes for a browner turkey. I cover the turkey so that it will slowly simmer all the way through and remain moist. Check the turkey periodically. Once the turkey is done, the juices will run clear when stuck deep with a fork near the thigh area. I let the turkey rest for an hour while the potatoes cook and other things are done.

When to do what?

Whenever I plan on a crowd for a holiday dinner, I plan well ahead of time. As mentioned above, there are so many other details and variables to consider. Regarding the meal, though, here is a basic rule of thumb for when to do what.

2 Weeks to just 1 Week Ahead	Verify Guests	Plan Menu	Clean, Decorate, and Shop
5 Days Ahead	Finalize Menu Organize Recipes	Shop	Organize Utensils, Dinnerware, Cutlery, Serving Dishes, Table Linens, Napkins, Table Center.
2 to 3 Days Ahead	Make-Ahead Items	Cranberry Sauce Bake Gluten-Free Bread	Any pre-prep or last-minute shopping.
1 to 2 Days Ahead	Bake Desserts	Ice Cubes for drinks	Cook Sweet Potatoes Make jellied or other salads
Morning of Dinner	Make Stuffing	Stuff Turkey	Start Roasting Turkey
While Turkey Roasts	Peel Potatoes cover and let-sit-in cold water (or if new leave skins on)	Set Table, Organize Serving dishes.	Visit, put out snacks, frost cake, whip cream, etc.
Potatoes 1 hour ahead	Heat Sweet Potatoe casserole	Checklist, enlist some help	Mash Potatoes, Make gravy, and put food on the table.

Everything is a bit hurried at the last minute. I am always grateful that I can count on my husband to help along the way. He is especially helpful when things can get a little harried at the last minute. He also carves at the table in an old-fashioned style. It always looks fantastic. When we were first married, my mother-in-law advised, “Make sure he does the carving, dear; it is a family tradition.” I’ve always been grateful for that advice. It adds such a feeling of elegance and keeps the old days and traditions alive.

No two dinners are alike; things happen. Something goes wrong. You forget to put the salad out. But as my sister-in-law said last Thanksgiving, as she was helping stir the gravy in the pan to thicken it while I mashed the potatoes, I noticed the gravy was getting lumps, “Trina, no one will notice, just let’s eat!” No one did, and it tasted great!

Whatever happens, roll with it. Smile, nod, be gracious, and plan little escapes to the laundry room where no one will come looking for you, and you can take a breath. When you are rested, you will wake up and feel good about it, and who knows what foibles will create the most incredible memories to laugh about later?

Timing a holiday meal is more critical than an everyday meal.

You have to plan ahead to prepare all the dishes you are going to serve. Salads the day before etc. As for the last-minute items, these are always, for me, the mashing of the potatoes and the thickening of the gravy. It is always a bit of a rush as everyone is gathered and waiting.

The Gravy

When you must eat gluten-free, the gravy is most often a definite no for you! It is possible, however, to make a great gluten-free gravy just by using cornstarch instead of wheat flour. Quite a few people prefer cornstarch gravy rather than wheat gravy, anyway. It looks beautiful and glossy. If you like a milkier wheat-like look, you can add a little cream at the end, which will take care of it. A drawback to cornstarch gravy is that it does not heat up as deliciously as it can thicken somewhat the next time.

I use my gluten-free Fine Fine Flour Mix#3 for sauces and gravies; it works well. For a roux sauce that requires browning before adding to the gravy, I use my gluten-free All Purpose Flour Mix #1.

Some people like using potato starch instead of cornstarch, which is also a good substitute. Straight tapioca flour, however, can cause a gelatinous, slimy mess for gravy. Tapioca is used for some oriental sauces very sparingly and creates a lovely clear sauce. However, it does not look or have a pleasant mouthfeel for an American-style turkey or chicken gravy, as it can have a slimy consistency.

When I make gravy, the thickener I use is Trina’s Fine Flour Mix #3. Mix #3 works well every time, re-heats better than cornstarch, and tastes very much like wheat flour gravy. I make my own mixes blending the basic flour ahead of time so that I reach for the flour mixture that works for that recipe at a moment’s notice during cooking.

Gluten-Free, You Can Do It -by Trina Astor-Stewart. The cookbook contains charts for Trina’s Flour and Bread Mixes. Three Series Of Mixes: Original, Corn, Nightshade, Tapioca, and Rice Free Mixes. Over 300 Recipes.