Don't you worry, this list was not created by me (I DON'T cook)... Americans were asked what are the biggest mistakes we make when it comes to Thanksgiving turkey. Here are the top answers:

1.  WAITING TO THAW. This is a big one, seeing as Thanksgiving is TWO DAYS away!!!! You should have already moved the turkey from the freezer to the fridge because a 12-to-16 pound turkey takes FOUR DAYS to thaw in the fridge.  If it's bigger than that, it might take five days.  If it's smaller, two to three. (If you forgot, you can still thaw it in cold water though, which takes about 30 minutes per pound.)

2. Speaking of which: DO NOT KEEP IT IN THE FRIDGE UNTIL YOU'RE READY TO PUT IT IN THE OVEN.  You should let it sit in the pan at room temperature for about an hour first to help it cook evenly.

3.  NOT USING A MEAT THERMOMETER. Would you judge me if I said I've NEVER used a meat thermometer, so I don't even know what the meat is supposed to be at (psh, does it matter? That's what Google is for hehe). Thank goodness for all you helpful Americans who say that "a lot of turkeys come with that little red thing that pops up when it's "done", but they're not that accurate, and a lot of them don't pop up until it hits 180 degrees, which is too hot." Also, according to the Googles, the perfect temperature is really 165 degrees.

4. MESSING WITH THE OVEN TEMP. Once it's in the oven, you shouldn't mess with the temperature too much.  Note, you can keep the skin from burning by putting aluminum foil over it.

5. CARVING THE ENTIRE TURKEY AT ONCE. THANK YOU SO MUCH for helping me avoid dry leftovers. The secret - not carving the WHOLE turkey! It's fine if you're gonna eat it all on Thanksgiving, BUT if you're planning on leaving some for leftovers it's best to cut off one of the legs and breasts, put them in the refrigerator whole, and just cut off slices when you want them.

 

 

 

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