I do that all the time, and I've developed a few tricks to keep the meat from being dry. When the bird is done, I let it cool so I can handle it , remove the big pieces of skin from the breast, set them aside, then I remove the 2 big breast pieces as intact as possible, set them aside also, then the legs, same process, then whatever other bits of meat I want to save. Not removing the skin before cooling means that once cold, the skin is stuck to the meat and we don't eat the skin anyway.

I store everything in a tupperware and put the large pieces of skin over everything, it keeps them moist. One advantage to keeping the breast pieces intact is that the next day I can slice them really thin.

I warm up the meat in a chicken broth that is barely simmering, just before serving.

I like to cook huge turkeys because there is more white meat which is what we prefer over the dark one.

I like to remove the hassle of dealing with the carcass the day of the holiday when I have a dozen other things to attend to for the big meal hence I love cooking the bird the day before.

Precook the sides and reheat them while the turkey is resting.

Letting the turkey rest for 20-25 minutes will result in a deliciously moist bird. I found this out by accident. One year my oven wasn't working on Thanksgiving, but my son lived about a 20 minutes drive away. To transport the turkey and its dripping from his place to mine without getting the drippings all over the car, I hit upon the idea to put the bird in a covered canning kettle for the drive back home. Not only did it work in transporting the turkey, but the turkey really enjoyed the rest. It was a moist, delicious bird.You don't have to use a canning kettle, but a loose covering and a 20 or so minute rest is highly recommended.

Last year we got a smoked turkey from a local BBQ place, so, yes, it was cooked the day before. We did have to reheat it on a low temperature with a tent of foil over it. We did not slice it. I want to say we had to reheat it for at least an hour, and I'm thinking 90 min.
I told DH we need to decide if we will do it again this year because it's time to order.

I say try it. As a matter of fact, I think I'll try it if I host this year. I have a very open kitchen, I think I'd prefer to deal with the turkey without an audience.

To me, the turkey is the least important item on the plate. I'd rather spend my time and efforts on great sides.

Voice of dissent here.

Of course you are free to ignore this post and do as you wish.

To me a big part of the sensory Joy of Thanksgiving is that --BAM -- smell of that turkey cooking when you come inside the house from outside.

I will say that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year, and I am totally into it, because it is one of my favorite meals.

I would be disappointed and sad, and feel like I was eating leftovers if I didn't have that hot out of the oven turkey.
To me part of the holiday is the slight uncertainty of the is it ready yet questions, and the last minute frenzy with carving and getting everything assembled for dinner.

About 10 years ago we all went to my mom's for Thanksgiving. About 12 my husband asked me when my mom was going to start cooking the turkey. When I had to tell him that she had already cooked it the day before, and she would just be heating it up for Thanksgiving, Oh My DH was so sad. After that we always hosted our own Thanksgiving. (inviting my parents, of course).

Ina Garten's recipe sounds good.

But I agree with wanting the aroma of the roasting turkey to fill the house on Thanksgiving Day. Turkey and potatoes are the only things I actually cook on Thanksgiving dat.

I do make the rest of sides and the desserts the day before.

The gravy was always the most stressful part for me so a few years ago I started making it (using roasted turkey legs and wings) a head of time and freezing it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ina's make ahead turkey

I was just reviewing the spreadsheet/comment forms that my family fills out for Thanksgiving (and Xmas). It was noted on last year's form "turkey (for the last time)" even though it earned 4 stars. So maybe I won't be trying the pre-cooked method after all.

You have your family Rate your holidays. I love it!

"I was just reviewing the spreadsheet/comment forms that my family fills out for Thanksgiving (and Xmas). "

Okay, I surrender and bow down in front of the UBER gardenwebber Hhireno!
You are the new icon----Marthat Stewart is in the dust! Seriously, I am amazed and impressed!!!!

I love the idea of cooking the turkey the day before and I am mean, so I don't care who would miss the smell of roasting turkey, lol. Our absolute best turkey was the one I brined for two days with juniper berries and all that stuff. It was heavenly, and outshone every side in sight. It was such a hassle I'll never do it again, though.

I did it last year and stored it in a big roasting pan with gravy. It turned out perfect. Next day I just warmed it up slowly on top of the stove. It surely frees up the oven for other things. It still smelled amazing.

You have comment cards for family dinners?! Oh my, if I tried that the smarta$$ remarks that I would get would be unbelievable.

Mmm - Maybe I will try that just for the entertainment value.

I do cook the turkey the day of but just so I can have the smell of it in the house. I make as many of my side dishes as possible ahead of time. Between the time required for resting the bird and my DH carving it is about an hour which is lots of time for reheating the sides.

You can have it all...I do. I dislike dealing with a huge bird, so I buy one 12 pounder, and one 16. Cook smaller one the day before....that's the extra meat turkey, stored in broth as others have described. TG day I roast the " presentation turkey ". :-)
Also, there never seems to be enough gravy, so a few years back I began ordering a quart of gravy from a local restaurant... And it's better than mine !

Mostly the comment form *is* for entertainment. We get fabulously smart-a remarks, which are a joy to re-read the next year. We set the book out, with a new form ready to go, at each holiday.

We like to switch up the menu and try new things and it's a way to keep track of what we had, where we can locate the recipe if we want to have it again, how it scored.

It has areas for: the menu item, its rating, and comments. The guest list. The entertainment. The awards (best dressed is standard but there can be other awards. Most improved or biggest decline in dress. Last year the person with the best shoes suggested a best shoes category. There was a debate about best hair last year; 1/2 the votes went to me! I also won best dressed. I didn't win best shoes.) General suggestions for next year.

Some of my favorite comments over the years:
A lovely meal but my mother wouldn't recognize anything but the turkey (written by my 80 yo mother)
This tastes likes twigs. Followed by different writing: she didn't even eat any.
If all my favorite aunties would just iron one shirt they'd be done in no time (my nephew who arrived with laundry)
Brian is sick and tired of his duck suggestion being ignored
Tom said he doesn't recall casting a Best dressed ballot and feels disenfranchised

It wouldn't work for families that never varied their menu or, and more importantly, don't have a sense of humor or get their feelings hurt easily.

It is the highlight of my holiday.

still OT: That would so work with our family! We have an early family Christmas dinner at the beginning of December where we have a cookie contest (we have a trophy and speeches) and maybe I'll add this to the mix. We already argue about the rules for the cookie contest.

For at least the past 5 years, we have been cooking the turkey on our charcoal Weber grill. It's delicious. This frees up the oven for cooking all the sides. However, as others have noted, we do miss the smell of the turkey cooking in the oven.

That does it! I'm going to hhireno's house!!! Your family sounds like an absolute blast!

So, I'm going to Hilton Head for Thanksgiving this year. Will you be there hhireno???? Love your ideas for comment card and awards. We will have to do this as we are with our hilarious best friends this year and the comments will be outrageous!
Judy

Franksmom, you're welcome to join us, as long as you won't miss having turkey. Wear your best shoes.

Judy,
No, I won't be in HHI at thanksgiving. I was just there and tried a few new places. Lucky Rooster and Java Burrito were both very good; a little bit pricey but they're both farm to table and that doesn't come cheap.

Depending on the size of the group, I typically do two small turkeys, one the day before from which I make the gravy and have a platter of meat. I use this meat for seconds and leftovers/take home plates. I like a platter of thin slices with attached brown skin edging ( slice it cold and carefully).

The presentation turkey is the day of and also eaten hot and fresh from the oven. The pan is saved to make more gravy after guests are gone.

Agree that the aroma and the hot, beautiful turkey is an important part of the atmosphere.

There is a wonderful little ham and goodies place here who has the most delish turkey - and I always take the easy way out and order from them. We prefer white meat, so breast(s) are ordered. Really, my family loves this turkey and a "beautiful" turkey is not of importance to us. LOL I serve this on a platter.
I pick up the turkey the day before Thanksgiving and leave in it's foil covering and heat the next day. So, we do get the aroma LOL. I'm with HH on the sides being of more importance.

We had cooking contests. It had to end, It got ugly.

The first year it was just a dessert contest. Someone casually mentioned "do we vote on presentation, too?" Sure, of course, I said. My banana cream pie with macadamia crust lost. The person who casually mentioned do we vote on presentation, won, with a cheesecake in a spun sugar dome.

However, we all felt awful since we all had to try 14 desserts. Best line of the night from my then 7yo nephew after tasting one more entry "It's delish-eee-ous. May I spit it out?"

We decided savory was better. So next time we did appetizers. I did a whole diorama of a port scene, with malt milk powder over cream cheese as sand, dill for seaweed, a pretzel nugget dock, and delicate little boat shaped tarts with puffed pastry sails. Huh, I will show them.

Next year someone made duck spring rolls. They made the duck first. And the wrapper dough. And the plum suace.

That was the year I made cold beet soup (think Pepto Bismol) in cucumber cups that would not stand up. Not a winner.

But all of that was before we got really competitive.

I haven't read the replies so someone may have mentioned this. Right before reheating, sprinkle little drops of water on the meat. It doesn't take away from the flavor and makes the turkey super moist!

The water also helps when reheating in the microwave for a warm turkey sandwich.

I do a turkey breast, and it's not an arduous process but mashed potatoes were always my bane of Thanksgiving. Wrestling a huge pot of hot 'taters into submission at the same time everything else needed to come out and be plated, served, and ready was a big headache.

Found the recipe below a few years ago. Generally I don't much go for Pioneer Woman recipes as her food is far too meat/butter/oil/sugar/etc heavy for my taste and I don't really care for the cutesy writing style either. But these are a winner as they do hold up beautifully to being pre-made then warmed as needed. Bon appetit!

Here is a link that might be useful: Pioneer Woman Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

MTN: " However, we all felt awful since we all had to try 14 desserts. Best line of the night from my then 7yo nephew after tasting one more entry "It's delish-eee-ous. May I spit it out?"
Lol lol lol LOL...cute!....and:"....and that was before we got really competitive." Again..LOL lol lol! Whole thing read hilarious. :-).
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