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Key Points Bobby Flay shares quick fixes for common Thanksgiving dish problems like lumpy gravy and watery potatoes. The Food Network chef prefers making dressing over stuffing: “I can control it... and it gets a really nice crust.” He recommends simple turkey roasting: “Don’t brine... Season, butter, and roast until nicely browned.” Even seasoned chefs can crumble under the pressure of making Thanksgiving dinner for all of their family and friends! Luckily, most mistakes are fixable and most dishes can be salvaged, especially when you have a list of hacks and tips from legendary Food Network chef Bobby Flay at your fingertips! Related: This Is the Best Fast Food Burger, According to Bobby Flay The Beat Bobby Flay Holiday Throwdown icon took to Instagram on Nov. 9 to share some of his best tips for overcoming some of the most common Thanksgiving dinner cooking emergencies, from lumpy or runny gravy to waterlogged mashed potatoes and more. How to fix lumpy or runny gravy Whether you’re using a make-ahead gravy recipe or making gravy day-of from your turkey juice or drippings, you might find that the fan-favorite sauce isn’t quite the right consistency. Luckily, whether it’s too lumpy or too thin, gravy is generally easily fixable, according to the BBQ Brawl host. “If the gravy is too lumpy, put it in a food processor, add some more chicken broth, and thin it out,” he shared. On the other hand, “if your gravy is too thin, put it in a saucepan on top of the stove, bring it to a boil, and let it reduce and concentrate.” Oops! We’re unable to load this content right now. View directly on Instagram How to make the best creamy mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving If you were dreaming of creamy, smooth mashed potatoes as one of your featured side dishes but yours came out watery, lumpy, or bland, Flay has a hack for that. “After you boil the potatoes, what I like to do is put them in the oven and dry them out so that they’re not waterlogged,” he explained. You could also do this ahead of time to save effort and precious oven space on the big day. Should you make stuffing or dressing for Thanksgiving? Believe it or not, Flay doesn’t love stuffing as a Thanksgiving side dish. Instead, he makes dressing. Here’s the difference: “Stuffing is in the bird, dressing is outside of the bird,” Flay explains. “I make dressing for two reasons,” he continued. “I can control it in terms of how long I need to cook it, and also, it gets a really nice crust on the outside, so it’s got that good contrast.” He’s also said in the past that the bird will cook more evenly and quicker if it’s unstuffed. Time = money on Thanksgiving, after all! 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 Flay’s foolproof Thanksgiving turkey recipe takes the guesswork out of cooking your first bird In 2016, Flay visited the TODAY show to reveal how to make your very first Thanksgiving turkey. “Really simple: Do what I do,” he said. “Don’t brine, put the turkey in a roasting pan, season it with salt and pepper, slather a bunch of melted butter in there, and kick it in the oven.” Then you’ll roast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit “until it gets nice and brown” for about 45 minutes to an hour, then cover and decrease the temp to 350 degrees and “keep roasting” until it’s done. So, how long do you cook it? That will depend on the weight of your bird. Generally, it’s recommended to plan for about 13 to 15 minutes per pound until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Here are some general guidelines for turkey cooktimes: 10–18 lbs: 3 to 4.5 hours 18–22 lbs: 3.5 to 4 hours 22–24 lbs: 4 to 4.5 hours Bobby Flay’s pumpkin pie takes Thanksgiving dessert to a whole new level As with most things, Flay’s iconic pumpkin pie recipe is anything but ordinary. Featuring a cinnamon crunch topping and bourbon-maple whipped cream, fans have described the recipe from his Bobby Flay’s Throwdown cookbook as “the best pumpkin pie ever” and “a definite crowd pleaser.”
