What is a Turducken?

That was my question last year. I first heard about it on the radio so naturally I had to find out all about it. It seems that a Turducken is a chicken stuffed into a duck that is then stuffed into a turkey. I really wonder who ever came up with this. Apparently, there are many people enjoying this dish for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The first Turducken is traced back to Paul Prudhomme, a creole chef. It is said he created the dish for the Duvell Festival in Washington . There is a company called Herbert’s Specialty Meats in Maurice Louisiana that prepares around 5,000 Turducken orders a week during Thanksgiving. I guess there are quite a few people out there that like Turducken!

I am not so sure this would be something I would like. I am not especially fond of duck. Although a chicken in a turkey might not be so bad. Hmm. Turchicken anyone?

8 Easy Steps to a Stress Free Thanksgiving Dinner

Anybody who has prepared a Thanksgiving meal knows it can be quite time consuming. Some families assign certain dishes to each family member making it easier to prepare the overall meal. Years ago when we moved out of state I was faced with preparing the complete meal by myself for the first time. I soon found out that good planning was essential in order to pull off the entire meal by myself. I have come up with an organized system designed to make the process easier with minimal work.

1. Start by shopping for all items needed to prepare the dishes to be served. It is best to shop a week ahead of time. Doing this insures that you miss the holiday rush on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. I used to work for a grocery store and trust me when I say that Wednesday is the single busiest grocery shopping day of the year. The turkey also needs about a week to thaw in the refrigerator so do shop ahead.
   
2. Make sure you have a list of all items needed. This will prevent any forgotten items and another trip to the grocery store.
3. On the Tuesday before the holiday make any pies that you plan to serve. They will be fine in the refrigerator.
4. On the Wednesday before the holiday prepare your side dishes. Mix the stuffing and place in a plastic container. Boil the potatoes, cook the yams and if you plan on making deviled eggs then boil the eggs too. Then finish any other side dish you plan to serve.
5. On Wednesday night set the table and put out your floral arrangement.
6. Now it is Thanksgiving morning and time to pop the turkey in the oven. If you stuff your turkey the stuffing is already to go in the bird. If you bake it in the oven or crock pot you can do that after the turkey is in the oven.
7. They only thing left to do is prepare any appetizers you might be serving. Right before dinner is served put the dinner rolls in the oven.
8. Serve dinner!

The key is to plan and prepare ahead of time. Following these steps will make the preparation for your Thanksgiving dinner painless and easy.