As you plan for and cook this year’s Thanksgiving dinner, you need to think about safety before you consider flavor. While this might seem like a backwards way of doing things, remember that firing all the burners on the stove, running the oven, and plugging in several small appliances can be quite dangerous if you aren’t truly prepared.
Use these tips to keep everyone safe, cook without worry, and even serve everyone safely.
Cook in Stages
You absolutely cannot cook everything at the same time. Be careful and write a schedule for the entire meal. For example, your turkey might stay in the oven for three or four hours, but you only need 15 - 20 minutes to cook and season a huge pot of green beans.
As you cook in stages, you can leave things to warm on the stove, use chaffing dishes around the kitchen, or stash items back into the refrigerator. Remember, you may need to lightly reheat a few items before serving, but that’s still safer than running everything in the kitchen all at the same time (which will lead you to overcook a few things.)
Don’t Deep Fry Turkey
It’s never a good idea to deep fry a turkey. First, the turkey has to be completely unfrozen and as dry as possible—any extra water will quite literally cause boiling fry oil to explode. Second, you must be prepared to dip the turkey into the oil without getting near the pot. You should complete this process outside and with consistent heat.
All these things come together to make deep frying turkey dangerous, unsustainable, and difficult. You are much better off putting the turkey in the oven, seasoning liberally, and basting as much as needed.
Serve Outside the Kitchen
You should plan to serve all the food for your meal outside the kitchen. You don’t want your guests traipsing around a dirty, hot kitchen with slippery floors. Plus, you need some space to clean up and reorganize.
Clean as You Go
As you’re cooking, clean up what you’ve already used. This serves three simple purposes:
- You move hot items out of the way
- You remove any potential smoke or overheated cooking elements from the kitchen
- You make more space in the kitchen to move around safely
Finally, if the kitchen is already mostly clean, you have time and energy to turn off all the other burners, remove small appliances from the space, and ensure that you haven’t missed something when you sit down to eat.
Keep the Kitchen Clear
Keep pets, children, and guests out of the kitchen. This may sound like a sitcom cliché, but it’s fair to tell your guests (lightheartedly, of course) to stay out of your kitchen.
They can eat when you serve outside the kitchen. Plus, you don’t want pets or kids getting in the way. They’re not thinking about safety at all, and they could make an already tenuous Thanksgiving meal that much more dangerous.
Contact Buren Insurance Group for Assistance with Home Safety and Insurance
Contact our team at Buren Insurance Group for assistance with home insurance and safety. We’ll help you prepare for the holidays, insure your home properly, adjust your coverage, and make absolutely certain that you’re as protected as ever. Taking these simple steps to heart will help you prepare for every holiday, reunion, dinner party, or gathering.