When I host Thanksgiving, I rate the food in a folder I keep. I started in 2008 keeping track because I was not liking the birds for one reason or another and playing around with different dressings, cranberry sauces, gravy, etc. I am still playing with different birds. Some have tasted old, or had a chemical taste, or were too dry even when cooked to precise suggested temps and times. I think I have settled on a dressing, made a day ahead and cooked in a Crockpot. Saves oven room, and attention time. I have several excellent cranberry recipes but still rate them every year. Mashed potatoes are a no brainer ever since I learned to rice them and not put them into a mixer, years ago.
I like to do my gravy ahead and add turkey drippings after the bird is resting. Still working on a salad, that would be a "must have" by everyone.
How about you, do you just wing it and know it all will be excellent and who cares anyway, or do you keep notes each year and try to improve next year?
