Welcome to the Cheater's Guide to Thanksgiving

Credit: Credit; Ian Moore / Idahoan

Welcome to The Cheater’s Guide to Thanksgiving. While there are plenty of tips out there for folks making scratch desserts and artisan loaves, the Cheater’s Guide focuses on the person who could use a helping hand—even from some unconventional sources. Some might call it “cheating” (like that’s a bad thing), but there’s nothing wrong with using modern technology and supermarket know-how to help you make a bangin’ traditional feast—with much less of the traditional work.

Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away, and that means it's time to begin feast planning, folks. That’s either music to your ears, or an ominous summoning to the kitchen.

I expect those of you already polishing your turkey-shaped napkin rings can hold your own this year—this is a series for the the rest of you. To the reluctant cooks, the overwhelmed multitaskers, and anyone who has ever wondered why scratch-made everything is such a big freakin’ deal, welcome to the Cheater’s Guide to Thanksgiving. 

I truly believe anyone can make a delicious, satisfying, multi-course Thanksgiving meal from scratch, but that doesn’t mean it’s always a good idea. As devoted as I am to cooking and baking, Thanksgiving still stresses me out. And if the pressure of cooking the big meal outweighs the pleasure you get from doing so, then something’s got to change. That is where this helpful guide comes in. 

The Cheater’s Guide to Thanksgiving is a handy cooking resource that tells you when and how you can fake a dessert, fudge a classic cooking method, or forgo preparing your own turkey. It’s a reminder that you have a lot more at your disposal than the limited stove top and slow-poke conventional oven. This guide can help you plan ahead, decide where to delegate side dishes, and understand which modern appliances are best for a given job. 

More than anything else, I hope that the Cheater’s Guide to Thanksgiving can take some of the pressure off. Thanksgiving is a time to eat and catch-up with the best folks in your life—which is hard to do if you’re attached to the stove. This series, publishing throughout the day, will take you through the key areas of cheating the Thanksgiving feast—and I mean “cheating” in the cleverest, most resourceful way possible. Via unconventional cooking methods, sneaky side dish recommendations, and perfectly plated store-bought desserts, I want this series to give you some breathing room in the kitchen.