GARNER, N.C. — With Thanksgiving being one of the most celebrated meals of the year, it's no surprise that holiday cooks want a flawless meal for their family and friends. That's why this year, Butterball is gathering years of questions and cooking knowledge to compile their top "make it better" tips. Expert advice and suggestions from delicious side dishes to cooking methods will be shared via live chat on Butterball.com, Facebook, Twitter, emails and calls at 1-800-BUTTERBALL (800-288-8372).
"Cooks can reach us in more ways than ever this year for our best tips for a picture-perfect Thanksgiving," said Mary Clingman, director of the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line. "Whether Thanksgiving cooks read the 60 tweets per minute we share on Thanksgiving Day, seek bilingual assistance, watch how-to videos on Butterball.com or send us questions via email, our best advice is always plan ahead."
Top Five "Make It Better" Tips
Here are a few ways Butterball will help Thanksgiving cooks make this year's Thanksgiving meal even better:
•Thawing with Ease: Thawing in the refrigerator is the recommended method. For every four pounds of turkey, allow at least one day of thawing in the refrigerator. However, if your turkey is still frozen and you're short on time, submerge the turkey in cold water. Leave the turkey in the wrapper, place it in a tub or sink of cold water and allow 30 minutes of thaw time for every pound of turkey.
•Food Prep 101: Practice good food safety procedures: wash hands often; keep raw turkey and ready-to-eat foods separated; cook foods to proper temperatures – the turkey should reach 180° F in the thigh, 170° F in the breast and 165° F in the center of the stuffing; and refrigerate cooked turkey promptly to reduce temperature to below 40° F.
•It's All About How You Cook It: The Butterball Turkey Talk-Line experts recommend the open pan roasting method using a flat rack in a shallow pan so that the turkey cooks evenly and is raised off the bottom of the pan. If you don't have a flat rack, take a long piece of Reynolds Wrap® Aluminum Foil and crinkle it the long way to create a tube like shape. Then shape the tube of foil into a medium sized circle to place at the bottom of the pan. Place the turkey on this homemade cooking rack – this elevates the turkey, reduces the amount of dishes (just toss the rack in the trash) and cooks the turkey evenly.
•Bites of Wisdom: Recipes don't have to be trendy or complicated to impress guests. Butterball's Master Chef Tony Seta suggests taking traditional mashed potatoes and adding simple ingredients – Butterball Turkey Bacon and Asiago cheese – that'll create a little extra flavor. Don't anticipate any leftovers!
•Don't Break the Bank: Start thinking about the meal in advance and look for ways to save. Butterball provides easy ways for Thanksgiving cooks to save by partnering with brands synonymous with Thanksgiving including Stove Top® Stuffing Mix, Heinz® HomeStyle Gravy, Pillsbury®, Reynolds and more!
If you need more help, access Thanksgiving advice from the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line experts no matter where you are – in the aisles, at the dinner table or in the kitchen.
•Live Chat: Engage with our turkey experts during live chats throughout the month of November and receive real-time suggestions and advice to ensure a flawless holiday.
•Facebook and Twitter: Help is also available through the Butterball Facebook and Twitter pages with real-time tips and turkey prep information.
•Butterball.com: Log on the website or mobile site to receive turkey advice, promotions, and new recipes. In addition, three popular food and lifestyle bloggers will post recipe ideas and personal anecdotes, including special tips on how to make your Thanksgiving better than ever.
•1-800-BUTTERBALL: Turkey Talk-Line experts will be available this season starting November 1, 2011, through December 25, 2011, to answer questions and assist Thanksgiving cooks.
About the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line
One of the first national, toll-free consumer help lines, the original Turkey Talk-Line staff of six home economists fielded questions from 11,000 turkey-troubled Americans during its first season in November 1981. On Thanksgiving Day, the small group took hundreds of calls – with only a rolodex of notes and their own knowledge to help them answer the nation's questions. Today, professionally trained turkey experts assist more than 100,000 cooks each year in the United States and Canada during the holiday season. With 50 staff members, the Turkey Talk-Line has the resources to answer questions from either English- or Spanish-speaking callers, as well as respond to questions via email.
About Butterball, LLC:
Butterball, LLC offers consumers opportunities to celebrate traditional holidays and every day meal occasions with the Butterball branded line of products. As the most recognized name in turkey, the brand represents more than 50 years of cherished memories with consumers by providing quality, great tasting products that make meals something to celebrate every day.
As an industry leader in quality and food safety, the company employs numerous processes to ensure the health of flocks and implements recognized prevention measures to exceed food safety standards in its six plants, located in North Carolina, Colorado, Arkansas and Missouri. In addition, Butterball has surpassed important workplace safety and health benchmarks set forth by OSHA's Voluntary Production Program.
Headquartered in Garner, N.C., Butterball, LLC is the largest producer of turkey products in the U.S. – producing 1 billion pounds of turkey each year. The company's retail and foodservice products are distributed throughout the U.S. and in more than 50 countries
For more information about Butterball, visit www.butterball.com, or call 1-800-BUTTERBALL (1-800-288-8372) for answers to your turkey preparation questions.
Source: Butterball, LLC
