Thanksgiving, make ahead gravy/stuffing?

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BigAL

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Can I make turkey gravy and stuffing a day ahead of the big meal? Just reheat in oven day of? Never done this.......infact never made homemade stuffing or gravy.:ermm::ohmy::LOL:
 
Depends :) If you're going to bake the stuffing separately from the turkey, you can make it the day before and bake it the day of. If you're planning to stuff the turkey, I'd suggest prepping the ingredients (cutting up veg, etc.) in advance; it really doesn't take very long to get stuffing ready to stuff.

re: gravy, if you make it in advance, you won't be able to use the drippings from the roasted turkey. Again, it doesn't take long to make gravy, but you can make a head start the day before. For the last few years, I've bought a few pounds of turkey necks and roasted them with carrots, onions and celery, and then made a nice turkey stock to use for the gravy. If you do this the day before, you won't have to use a burner making stock or broth the day of. Hope this helps.
 
Good points. I'm actually make'n a turducken and have some legs I'll use to make the gravy in the smoker. BTW, all will be done on a smoker, except actual cook'n gravy. Smoker is my oven.

And it is actually going to be this weekend, opening weekend of pheasant season. Thought if I made gravy and stuffing friday then just reheat on sat when turducken is on. Would give me more time to hunt and talk w/friends.

Just a bunch of guys that will eat anything anyway, so doesn't have to be perfect. I'll make plenty of gravy incase other stuff is dry. lol
 
Yes you can make gravy a day ahead. There are several recipes you can google how to do. We add the drippings from the bird/ minus some of the fat to the already made gravy. Gives it a good flavor boost.

Yes you can make stuffing ahead. Put it in a crock pot ( or borrow one if you don't already have). It will get heated up and stay moist.

One of the things we found, as a 'speriment, was you can also make mash potatoes a day ahead. Peeling 10 or more pounds potatoes is a big job. I didn't make em so I don't know what was put in them, besides the potatoes, butter and milk or cream. Some people put sour creeam or even cream cheese. I am pretty sure these just were made simple, no frills. The DxW put these in a crock pot /fit the liner in the frig overnight, and then just warmed them up in the crockpot the day of. They too turned out hot and just right.

Make lots of gravy. And enjoy your weekend !
 
If you are following a recipe like Paul Prudhomme's for the turducken, then for sure make the stuffing the day before. Heck I'd probably make sure the stuffing was room temp, assemble it (turducken) the day before, refrigerate until an hour or so before it goes in the smoker. Save you a whole bunch of time for beer, err I mean "hunting".:ermm: I'd also make the gravy the day before. Not sure I'd put the drippings from the smoked "bird" in the gravy though. Could be a tad over powering IMO, since you are putting smoked meat in it already.
 
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I've learned over the years to make a nice dark roux the day before and then to add the stock the day of and right before meal time and cook to heat and thicken to a lovely gravy. It's fast and easy and the gravy is always fresh.

Some general notes about roux...


  • I love the flavor a nutty brown roux adds but it's really important to remember that darker roux has LESS thickening ability than the light colored version.
  • You can make roux ahead and even freeze it.
  • Basic proportions for roux are fat and flour in equal volume, heated and cooked either briefly (for a light roux) or cooked until brown (but not burned).
  • 1 Cup of roux is enough to thicken about 6 cups of stock to gravy consistency
To make 1 Cup of roux (generous):


1 Cup of fat or oil (I use butter)

1 Cup of flour

Cooking instructions: Heat fat in sauce pan until warm and melted. Add flour and stir over medium heat for a few minutes until it bubbles. remove from heat and cool. For Browner roux you will need to continue to cook (stirring) until the color changes. This can take about ten minutes depending on the type of fat you used.
 
Consider roasting some turkey parts then make some stock so yo have the parts of a really good gravy. Then go with Janet's roux to thicken the gravy.
 
Thanks for all the help!!! Ordered the turducken, should be here today. Emailed the people, La crawfish co, and they said it has plenty of stuffing. So I probably won't make stuffing, just gravy and corn. My mama is make'n her potatoes everyone loves.

Have a good week and weekend! Thanks again for the help.
 
Silly me, I thought you were actually making the turducken.:rolleyes:
 
What Andy M said. I buy turkey legs and wings and do exactly what he told you. Makes great gravy, although i make it the day of and not before.
 

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