Photo: Cristina Ferrare

For years in my family, every Thanksgiving, a petty argument among the dark meat lovers would start about 20 minutes before dinner. It was always about who was going to get a wing, leg, or thigh, since there are only two of those per bird. The thighs were the easiest to deal with, since I could get two to three servings from each. The wings and legs, not so much. So I decided to make life easier for myself by preparing extra wings, legs and thighs. I also realized by doing this I didn’t have to deal with people who would gather around the dinner table way before it was time to eat so they could be the first to grab the dark meat. Preparing extra turkey parts (I make more than I need) ensured everyone would get what they wanted and it made me feel less anxious since I always play chef as well as referee!


The extra pieces of turkey (here's the recipe) are great because I love, love, love to have leftovers all weekend to make sandwiches, panini, soups, and salads. I think I enjoy the leftovers more than the original dinner, maybe because the stress level is lower, and I can chill out, have a glass of beer, eat a great sandwich and watch football!

Remember to plan ahead and prepare as many dishes that will freeze well as you can. Dishes like stuffing, creamed spinach, and whipped sweet potatoes are perfect for that. Desserts freeze nicely as well especially cookies, pies, cheesecakes and cakes without frosting. You can frost them after they have defrosted and they'll taste like you just baked them.

If you are trying new recipes for the first time try it out first this week to make sure your family and guests will like it. You can follow me on Twitter for even more Thanksgiving recipes.

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