6 of Ina Garten’s Most Useful Ask Ina Tips for Thanksgiving
It’s that time of year again. Halloween is over and Thanksgiving is just around the corner. That’s right, the holiday season is officially looming. Between wondering where the year went (Seriously, wasn’t it just January?) and heading into the holidays, keep in mind these tips from Ina Garten’s “Ask Ina” Q&A. The cookbook author’s shared cooking and entertaining advice, much of which is great for Thanksgiving.
1. Ina Garten ‘Ask Ina’ tip for Thanksgiving: Getting food on the table when it’s warm
“When you have guests … How do you get the food to the table warm if not indeed hot … without cooking in front of them?” a fan asked Garten on her Barefoot Contessa website. The Modern Comfort Food author’s response? Something that can easily apply to Thanksgiving dinner.
“I make a game plan for the dinner before I finalize the menu, and I tend to make one thing in the oven, one thing on top of the stove, and one thing at room temp that I can make in advance,” Garten said.
“I either make the main course earlier in the day and reheat it, or I have the dish assembled and it goes into the oven before guests arrive,” she explained. “I try not to do any cooking while the guests are there. It takes a lot of planning, but I am so much more relaxed when everyone arrives.”
In an effort to not be sweating it out in the kitchen when the doorbell rings, do what Garten does. Avoid playing musical chairs with turkey and sides by preparing some in the oven and others on top of the stove. It just might be the most useful tip of the bunch.
2. Ina Garten ‘Ask Ina’ tip for Thanksgiving: Bring chocolate, granola, or coffee as a hostess gift
OK, so this one applies to those who are guests at Thanksgiving dinner but it’s a valuable tip all the same.
“For a hostess gift, I prefer not to bring something that the host feels obliged to serve for dinner,” Garten said. “Instead I bring something they can serve after dinner, like a box of Fran’s Chocolate’s caramels, or for breakfast the next day, like my favorite coffee and granola.”
Stock up on some delectable chocolates or breakfast favorites and be ready for any Thanksgiving dinner. Pro tip: keep a few hostess gifts in the car in case one is forgotten.
3. Ina Garten ‘Ask Ina’ tip for Thanksgiving: Keep it traditional
Thanksgiving isn’t the time for the unexpected, according to Garten. When a fan asked if they should have seafood because they’d be spending the holiday in Siesta Key, Florida, she dismissed the idea.
“I would make a traditional Thanksgiving dinner,” she replied. “It’s the one time of year when you get to cook classic Thanksgiving dishes, and in my experience, guests are always a little bit disappointed when they don’t see their favorite dishes on the table!”
Stick to the classics and family favorites.
4. Ina Garten ‘Ask Ina’ tip for Thanksgiving: Leave butter out overnight
Here’s yet another perhaps game-changing Thanksgiving tip from Garten. Soften butter the slow way. “When I need room-temperature butter, I leave it out on the kitchen counter for several hours, or even overnight, to make sure it is completely soft,” she said.
Whatever’s on the menu, leave a few sticks of butter — Garten prefers Cabot unsalted — out on Wednesday night so come Thanksgiving there’s soft butter. Put it on top of rolls or yams or use it to bake cookies. Chances are softened butter will be needed.
An additional tip for those moments when there’s simply no time to soften butter overnight. Grate cold butter so it melts on a roll or slice of bread faster.
5. Ina Garten ‘Ask Ina’ tip for Thanksgiving: Soak sheet pans overnight
Leave the dishes from Thanksgiving dinner until Black Friday. Yes, really. Garten says. Sharing how she cleans sheet pans, the Barefoot Contessa host said she lets them soak.
“If any food is baked on after I use them, I put them in the sink with the hottest tap water and soap and let them soak overnight,” she said. “The next morning they should come out perfectly clean, using a Brillo pad if necessary.”
6. Ina Garten ‘Ask Ina’ tip for Thanksgiving: Ask guests to help clear the dishes for the next course
Forget what to do when guests are late for dinner. What about clearing dishes after the meal’s over? “I never want to break up the momentum of the conversation yet do not feel so proper about leaving empty finished dinner plates in front of my guests,” a fan told Garten.
The Food Network star shared she typically sets up a buffet. “But when it’s time to clear the dishes and serve the next course, I actually ask my friends to help,” she said.
“That way, they feel like they’re on the team! I think people don’t feel comfortable being waited on by their friends and would prefer to help,” Garten concluded.
