Cooking turkey in the dishwasher, and more mind-blowing Thanksgiving meal hacks
TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Whether cooking for two guests or 20, preparing a Thanksgiving meal is often stressful. Thus, CBS11 found some time-saving tips to make your holiday feast as easy to put together as it is to enjoy.
The first holiday hack comes from deep in the piney woods of East Texas. In the city of Marshall, on a quiet two-lane highway, is the Bear Creek Smokehouse, which has remained in the Shoults Family for almost 80 years.
It's not at all surprising that third generation owner, Robbie Shoults, knows a thing or two about turkey and how to prepare it… but what's definitely surprising is how he does it.
"So many people, we tell them that and they look at us like you have lost your mind," said Shoults. "And really, who could blame them? I mean, who ever heard of cooking turkey... in the dishwasher? A lot of times you're short on oven or stove top space. So, we thought, hmm, what can we do, you know, maybe a little hack to show people other ways to heat it? We came up with our fully cooked smoked turkey and put it in the dishwasher and put it on the bottom rack. Leave it in the wrapper and just run it on a regular cycle. And, you know, the hot water and the steam and everything. It just comes out beautiful."
Now, the key words here are fully cooked. Whether it's a turkey or a ham, it already has to be fully cooked and in its original vacuum-sealed wrapper.
"One recommendation I would have," said Shoults, "is whether it's a smoked turkey or smoked ham or whatever, is set it on the kitchen counter the night before. So, it's already got the refrigerator chill taken off of it. And then that that morning you would just take it and place it in the dishwasher. And it's going to heat it all the way through. If it's a big ham, you might want to run it on two cycles. One thing about it with the dishwasher, you can't overcook it."
And perhaps the best part? There's no messy roasting pan to scour, clean-up is minimal. But what about the sides?
Shoults prepared several delicious side dishes, all with a distinctive Texas flair.
From cranberry salsa with fresh cilantro and jalapeno -- to roasted sweet potatoes with chili powder and cayenne pepper.
"It doesn't have, like, all the butter and the marshmallows and all the ooey gooey stuff in there. It's a it's a just a great, healthy alternative to it. And they are fantastic," said Shoults.
The bacon and brown sugar green beans, which as Shoults joked "is like having sides, protein and desert all in one dish," are easy to make.
You can prepare all these dishes a day or two in advance.
But perhaps the most important tip is simply to remember what Thanksgiving is all about... and to make the most of the time spent together.
"You know, nowadays we've got so many electronics things and sometimes it's so easy for parents and kids to become disconnected. And I think it's so great when you can come in and get your kids involved in the kitchen (and they love activities) and actually you're going to be making memories that are going to last a lifetime."
Making memories and counting blessings ... one dish (washer) at a time.
😋 Recipes
- Bacon Brown Sugar Green Beans
4 cans long green beans drained
Half pound smoked bacon
1/4 cup brown sugar
¼ tablespoon garlic powder
Mix together in a casserole dish.
Bake covered at 375 for an hour and a half
- Cranberry salsa
INGREDIENTS:
12 ouces of fresh cranberries
1 cup granulated sugar
6 green onions chopped
½ cup cilantro leaves chopped
1 jalapeno sedded and finely chopped ( add more for desired heat)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
DIRECTIONS:
1. Place cranberries and sugar in a food processor pulse until coarsley chopped
2. In a medium bowl, stir together cranberry mixture, green onions, jalapeno, cilantro and lime juice.
3. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight
4. Serve over cream cheese with assorted crackers, or use as a side for turkey dinner.
- Roasted sweet potatoes
INGREDIENTS
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon black pepper
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Place sweet potatoes in a large bowl and drizzle with oil
3. Add remaining ingredients and stir to coat evenly
4. Spread sweet potatoes out on a large baking sheet
5. Bake 15 minutes, stir and bake another 15-20 minutes. Or until desired crispiness.