Thanksgiving Dinner - One Oven Problem

I also have 1 oven and the 2 times a year I need more than 1 are Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I make a lot of things ahead of time so I basically just have to warm them up.

I LOVE my Kitchen Aid toaster oven. I've had it about 6 yrs and I paid $150 for it at Bed Bath and Beyond. It is a good solid toaster oven and I have not seen another one with the same quality. I have a huge kitchen with a lot of counter space so it doesn't take over my counter.

We use the toaster oven more than the oven!

Two words, TOASTER.OVEN. My grandmother bought everyone in the family one about 15yrs ago. We've all gone through a couple since then but at $30 a pop not a big deal. They come in different sizes and different options but the cheapest one Walmart sells I've had for over 6 years. It sets on the counter or could be put away if you don't have the counter space.
We've cooked everything from cakes to chicken to cookies and all side dishes in between.
Good luck.

Make the potatoes ahead of time, minus the last five minutes. Take them out of the fridge for a good 30 minutes so they're not cold when you reheat them.
The turkey needs to rest 20-30 minutes before carving anyway, so you can pop the potatoes in the already warm oven at that time, basting with the butter & scallions, salt & pepper right before serving.

I also have the one oven problem. This will be my 4th time hosting Thanksgiving and here's how I've solved the problem. I start the turkey in the oven (just 30 minutes to brown the skin) then I move it to a Nesco electric roaster. This keeps the turkey super moist - it does cook a little faster than in the oven though, so have to keep that in mind, but it frees up the oven entirely. Drippings are transferred to pan later for gravy. In the oven I have corn pudding, sweet potato casserole, stuffing & dinner rolls. I do the mashed potatoes in the crock pot (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooker-mashed-potatoes/) - these are amazingly good. I make them the day before, store in fridge overnight, then cook on low on Thanksgiving Day. Cranberries are made 2 days ahead. Anyway, more info than you wanted, but this is how I handle the one oven problem. Give the electric roaster some thought. :) Happy Thanksgiving!

This is the reason I got myself a Roaster....sometimes called a Roaster Oven.

I store it in my garage then pull it out a few times each year. I cook my turkey in it then my oven is for all the sides. My turkey is always super duper moist and yummy.

Hope you have a Happy Turkey Day!!

Do you have a full sized oven?

If you do you could cook these potatoes on the top rack and roast your turkey on the lowest rack..

Both need to be cooked at 350.. Just plan it out so the potatoes go in the oven the last 2 hours.. Each time you need to work on the potatoes. take them out of the oven and close the oven door.. this will keep the heat in the oven at a level temp.

the turkey needs to rest at least 30 minutes after you take it out of the oven, so that gives you time to finish up the potatoes if they need a bit more time to cook.

Get 2 timers and mark one Potatoes and the other Turkey..

I can't see the recipe, but if it a roasted potato dish I would make them the night before, then put them in the oven for 30 minutes to heat them up while the turkey is resting.

Another vote for the roaster oven. Most of them come with serving inserts so when you aren't using it for a turkey you can use it as a hot buffet.

My parents have a roaster that plugs into the wall. Works great according to them. I hate turkey and don't eat it! I think they said it cooked it a little quicker than the oven. They cooked it in the basement one year ( I hate the smell primarily) and out on the deck last year because it was decent fall weather. Then it frees up the oven, too!

They have cooked a turkey on the grill in the past as well.

Barbecue your turkey. We have been doing that for years. The Weber Grill website has a very easy way to do this. It comes out beautiful and perfect every year!

Do you have an outdoor grill? I was desperate one year - I lost my mind and invited my sister, nieces and nephews! lol! - and ended up using my grill for a couple of the side dishes. Turned out great!!! I also used two crock pots for other side items that normally would have been put in the oven. Everything turned out wonderful and we had a fantastic dinner!! What's that saying? Desperate times call for desperate measures?

Good luck!!

I say maybe cook 3/4 or all the way through the night before and while the turkey rests heat them back up. With some broth or water.

I have one oven and manage to make a turkey and a bunch of sides. My secret is to have things made (potatoes) ahead of time and heat up as I go. Once the turkey comes out, it sits for 25 minutes and then gets carved. That's crunch time. Toss already made veggies into the oven to heat (peas, carrots and mushrooms), put in more veggies (Brussels sprouts) to heat. Asparagus gets done on the grill earlier in the day. You can easily make that recipe earlier and put them under the broiler soon as the turkey comes out, cook half way and finish cooking during carving. Last thing I make is gravy! Oh, and I brown the marshmallows on the sweet potatoes!!

I'm usually able to fit stuff on the top rack with the turkey on the bottom rack. Maybe you can play around with your oven racks so that you can cook the turkey and potatoes at the same time. Good luck!

Are you roasting your turkey at 325 or 350? If you are roasting at 350 - I don't see the problem. If you are roasting at 325, I would prepare the potatoes ahead of time (up to the last step). Then refrigerate. Pull them out of the fridge 90 minutes ahead of serving. Put in oven to reheat (and do last step) when you take the turkey out to rest. It needs 20-30 minutes to rest anyway (tent with aluminum foil if you like) and you need that time to make the gravy.

You might be able to do them in a slow-cooker. We made hedgehog potatoes this way for a church supper.

I saw a similar recipe for this (minus the bacon, but you could just sprinkle those on at the end). It used the microwave to mostly cook the potatoes and it went into the oven just at the end to crisp the skin. You could do that after the turkey comes out of the oven and is resting (as it should...). I made the potatoes and they turned out nicely. Google "accordion potatoes". Just drizzle a bit of butter and sprinkle chopped bacon at the end and you should end up with a similar dish.

I do my turkey in an electric roaster oven. I LOVE IT! It frees up the oven for other things. I actually do my entire Thanksgiving meal in crock pots. It takes about 2 hours for the prep and I'm done. Everything is nice and hot and we serve buffet style so it's easy. Hope you find something that works for you. Good luck!

Here's an Amazon link to see what one looks like: http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-32229-22-Quart-Stain...