Cooking Thanksgiving dinner? 3 mistakes to avoid and 4 recipes to try this year

The grocery shopping is hopefully all done. Recipes have been researched, potatoes are ready to be mashed, and the turkey awaits thawing. 

Now, what could go wrong? 

Even when prepared to cook a big Thanksgiving Day feast for the first time, hiccups happen. The almost-baked pie could fall upside down in the oven, the turkey might still be too frozen, or something could burn beyond repair.

Kathryn Fink, the new executive chef at High Stakes Rooftop Grill, 710 E. Jefferson St., has learned to “always have a backup plan,” she told the Courier Journal. 

Fink knows the woes, and highs, of home cooking. As a former human resources case manager, Fink pursued her lifelong passion for cooking during the pandemic, taking online classes and experimenting with recipes as a stress reliever. She then decided to go all in. In North Dakota, she worked under a James Beard Semifinalist for Outstanding Chef at Rosewild at the Jasper Hotel, where she worked her way up from food runner to sous chef. 

Fink has fond memories of Thanksgiving when she and her dad would bond over making from-scratch dishes inspired by Scandinavian cuisine. 

“It's something that I absolutely love doing,” Fink said of Thanksgiving meal-making. “It symbolizes family and love.” 

Ahead of Thanksgiving, we asked Fink and another local culinary expert, Marguerite Schadt, owner of Heitzman Bakery and Deli, for their tips and advice on cooking the perfect Thanksgiving dinner. 

One thing they both agree on? Be prepared.

“Preparation is key,” Schadt told the Courier Journal. “You can’t do everything in one day. Plan a week in advance."

Fink prepared by grabbing extra butter and heavy cream, in case you run out, as those items tend to be used in several dishes.

And don’t forget to have a few bites on hand outside the Thanksgiving theme. 

“When it's like 8 o'clock, I always regret not having a snack that’s not Thanksgiving leftovers,” Fink said.  

With their thoughts in mind, here are some common mistakes to avoid for when you plan, and cook, your Thanksgiving dinner:

Don’t cook too much for your Thanksgiving dinner

Fink, an advocate for sustainability and low food waste, likes to pick dishes that allow her to easily “cross-utilize” ingredients. For example, you could use beets and cranberries as standard sides, as well as incorporate them into a salad. 

Overdoing the number of sides is easy to do, so Fink suggests preparing four sides, plus bread and butter, and making enough so each guest has a 2-ounce serving. 

Though some leftovers are welcome, this won't leave you with leftovers in the fridge until next year's Thanksgiving.

You don’t have to cook turkey the old-fashioned way for Thanksgiving 

Those bountiful turkeys plucked from magazine covers are pretty, but require a lot of work, and hours of preparation and cook time. But Fink says you don’t have to go the traditional route of slow-cooking a whole multi-pound bird.  

“As someone that loves to spend time with my little family, I don't like babysitting a chicken or a turkey for two days,” Fink said.

Instead, the chef suggests something more “efficient.” She likes spatchcocking turkey, a butchering and cooking technique usually reserved for poultry where you remove the backbone and flatten it out.

“It tastes just as good and juicy, if not better, if it’s done correctly,” she said. 

Other pros of the method? It involves a much faster cooking time, between 60 and 90 minutes, and less food waste.

(A full recipe for Fink's spatchcocking method can be found below).

Don’t stress too much about cooking on Thanksgiving Day

Between family dynamics and kitchen timers, Thanksgiving can turn tense.

“I attempt to make it a very peaceful day and try to ease into my day,” Fink said. “I try to make it a really easygoing day.” 

If she invites a few friends over, she also invites them into the kitchen to create a welcoming atmosphere and be part of the process by doing light prep work or “just sitting there drinking a glass of wine.” 

She sometimes doesn't answer her phone for much of the day or just turns it off.

“After we cook and eat and do the dishes, we listen to music and read a book,” Fink added. “I try to make it as low-stress as possible.” 

You don't have to cook if you don't want to this Thanksgiving

No, you don’t have to spend your holiday standing over the stove for hours. Louisville is home to numerous catering options offering homemade Thanksgiving fare for pick-up and delivery.

Home Cuisine offers a-la-carte items, including everything from a whole turkey to steamed shrimp, Southern-style corn pudding, and a Kentucky Bourbon Pecan Pie. For $200, Home Cuisine offers an all-inclusive Thanksgiving feast. Be sure to order by Friday, Nov. 23, and Home Cuisine will deliver your items by the day before Thanksgiving. 

For over 60 years, Heitzman Traditional Bakery and Deli, 9426 Shelbyville Road, has offered to-go Thanksgiving meals for those in the Louisville area. 

Heitzman offers full turkey dinners, with green beans, sugared cranberry sauce, homemade bread dressing, buttered mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, house-made turkey gravy, dinner rolls, and a nine-inch pie.

“The meal does include everything you would need,” Schadt, owner of Heitzman, said.

She says the meals, which vary by price and are fully cooked and come with instructions for heating up, have grown in popularity over the years.

“This gives you more time with your family,” she said. 

If you’re in charge of bringing an item or missing something in your spread, Heitzman also has tons of a la carte items from which to choose. Appetizers include a cheese torte in various sizes, a charcuterie board, a pretzel tray, a sandwich tray, and a vegetable or fruit platter. Plus, more than a dozen side items, including chicken ‘n’ dumplings and roasted carrots, are available to order in 13-inch-by-10-inch pans.

Heitzman is open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Eve, which this year falls on Wednesday, Nov. 27, and 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, which falls on Thursday, Nov. 28.  

Finally, if you want to go out for a Thanksgiving meal, High Stakes is hosting one from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 28.

The prix fixe family-style menu features turkey carved to order, deviled eggs, potato rolls, a house fall salad, stuffing, spiced carrots, Brussels sprouts, potato purée, gravy, and bread pudding. Coffee, tea, and soda are included, and a full bar is available for purchase. The meal costs $75 per adult and $25 for kids ages 10 and under.

Reserve a table by Monday, Nov. 25 via OpenTable.com.

Thanksgiving dinner recipes to try

If you are planning to cook, here are some recipes to try from Kathryn Fink, the new executive chef at High Stakes Rooftop Grill, and the Home Cuisine team.

Spatchcock turkey

Courtesy of chef Kathryn Fink, High Stakes Rooftop Grill, 701 E. Jefferson St.

What you'll need:

• Large roasting pan that can catch juices and hold the turkey
• A 10-12 pound turkey
• Kitchen shears

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Cut along each side of the backbone of the turkey, and remove the backbone (save this if you want to make a turkey stock)

Turn the bird over and press liberally on the turkey's chest until the ribcage is slightly flattened (you will hear a noise).

Whip half a stick of butter with minced garlic, herbs, and spices of your liking, and lightly stuff between the meat and the skin. Season the outside of the bird with salt, pepper, and light paprika.

Add one tablespoon of lemon juice, 1/4 cup chicken stock, 3 Tablespoons water, 3 tablespoons of dry white wine, and a large quartered sweet yellow onion to the roasting pan. Then add your favorite aromatics. Some ideas: mustard seed, coriander, tarragon, thyme, and rosemary. 

Place the bird in the roasting pan. Roast uncovered for 75 minutes. If you have a meat thermometer, cook until it reaches a 175-degree internal temperature. 

Let rest for 20 minutes before carving.

Orange Cranberry Sauce

Makes about 2 pints. Courtesy of Home Cuisine

• 2 12-ounce packages of fresh cranberries
• Zest from two oranges
• 3-4 cinnamon sticks
• 2 cups fresh squeezed orange juice
• Water (to cover cranberries after orange juice is added)
• 1-1/2 cup of sugar
• 2 Tablespoons orange liqueur (Cointreau, Triple Sec, or Grand Marnier)

In a medium-heavy saucepan, combine cranberries, orange zest, orange juice, sugar, and cinnamon sticks.

Add enough water to cover the cranberries then bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for approximately 30-40 minutes, until cranberries thickened.

Taste and add additional sugar if not sweet enough. Let the mixture cool a bit, then add the orange liquor.

Refrigerate in a covered container.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Courtesy of Home Cuisine

• Cooking spray
• 3 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (about five medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 large egg
• 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• Kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mist an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.

Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a pot with a large steamer basket in place. Put the sweet potatoes in the basket, cover, and steam until tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl and let cool slightly.

Add the honey, egg, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cream; whip with an electric mixer until smooth.

Spread the sweet potato mixture in the prepared baking dish.

Mix the brown sugar, pecans, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a bowl, then sprinkle over the potatoes.

Bake until hot and beginning to brown around the edges, 40 to 45 minutes.

Pumpkin Pie

Courtesy of Home Cuisine

• Dough for single-crust pie  
• 1 medium pie pumpkin
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup 2% milk

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-inch-thick circle; transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Trim the crust to 1/2 inch beyond the rim of the plate and flute edge. Refrigerate while preparing the filling.

Cut the pumpkin in half lengthwise and discard the seeds. Place the cut side in a microwave-safe dish; add 1 inch of water. Cover and microwave on high until very tender, 15-18 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Drain pumpkin. When cool enough to handle, scoop out pulp and mash. Set aside 1-3/4 cups (save the remaining pumpkin for another use). In a large bowl, combine mashed pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and cloves; beat until smooth. Gradually beat in milk. Pour into crust.

Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven setting to 350 degrees; bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 40-50 minutes longer. Cover the edge loosely with foil during the last 30 minutes if needed to prevent over-browning. Remove foil. Cool on a wire rack.

Reach food and dining reporter Amanda Hancock at [email protected].