Ep 12. Turkey Day Timeline

In season 7, episode 12 of The Kitchen, the focus is on preparing for the ultimate food holiday: Thanksgiving. The episode is titled Turkey Day Timeline, and understandably so; the holiday has a lot of moving parts, and host Katie Lee Biegel is here to help viewers map out a successful Thanksgiving dinner.

The episode opens with a countdown to Thanksgiving, highlighting the necessary steps to ensure a smooth and stress-free holiday. The hosts discuss how Thanksgiving can be overwhelming, but with the right planning, it can be a fun and enjoyable experience for everyone involved, including the cook.

Katie and co-host Sunny Anderson kick off the episode with some fun and festive cocktail ideas to get the party started. Their Thanksgiving cocktail menu includes a cranberry-old fashioned, a sage whiskey sour, and a warm spiced cider. The hosts focus on planning ahead for drinks, so guests can be greeted with warm, seasonal cocktails upon arrival.

Chef Jeff Mauro shares his tips for keeping the hunger pangs at bay before the main event. He creates a beautiful charcuterie board, complete with meats, cheeses, and seasonal fruits and veggies. Jeff emphasizes the importance of keeping appetizers light and easy, so guests can still save room for the main event.

Next up, Sunny and Katie share their Thanksgiving side dish secrets. Katie gets creative with her sweet potato casserole, using fresh ginger and pecans to add a bit of crunch and spice. Sunny suggests pan-searing Brussels sprouts with bacon and onion, a delicious and simple side dish that is perfect for any Thanksgiving table.

The hosts move on to the star of the show: the turkey. Chef Geoffrey Zakarian shares his recipe for a juicy and flavorful bird. He suggests spatchcocking the turkey, a technique that involves removing the backbone and flattening the bird to ensure even cooking. Geoffrey also shares his tips for a flavorful herb butter rub and suggests roasting the turkey at a high temperature for the first 20 minutes to ensure a crispy skin.

Throughout the episode, Katie emphasizes the importance of keeping a timeline for Thanksgiving day. She shares her schedule, complete with a list of to-dos divided into hour-long increments. She suggests breaking up the tasks into manageable blocks of time, so the cook can enjoy the day and not get too overwhelmed.

The hosts also touch on the subject of leftovers, often the best part of Thanksgiving. Chef Alex Guarnaschelli shares her recipe for a turkey and white bean soup, using leftover turkey and homemade turkey stock. Jeff creates a Thanksgiving leftover quesadilla, complete with turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. The hosts emphasize creativity when it comes to leftovers, and suggest combining different flavors and textures to create a new and exciting dish.

The episode concludes with the hosts coming together for a Thanksgiving feast. Katie and Sunny set the table with festive decorations, while the chefs bring out their respective dishes. The spread includes the spatchcocked turkey, sweet potato casserole, Brussels sprouts, and more. The hosts toast to a successful Thanksgiving and remind viewers that the holiday is all about coming together with loved ones and enjoying delicious food.

Overall, season 7, episode 12 of The Kitchen is a perfect guide for those looking to plan and execute a stress-free Thanksgiving dinner. The hosts offer a variety of tips and recipes, emphasizing the importance of planning ahead and breaking up tasks into manageable blocks of time. The result is a fun and enjoyable holiday that everyone can look forward to.