How much turkey should you cook for Thanksgiving?

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Posted: November 13, 2017 - Homebuyer's Blog

Guidelines for determining quantities of turkey and other side dishes

Many people who move into a new Hartz home are excited to invite people over to show off their new digs. And what better time to host guests than for Thanksgiving? With this in mind, Hartz Homes would like to share some holiday cooking guidelines to make your home entertaining a little easier.

How much turkey should you cook? As a general rule, plan on 1 1/2 Pounds of turkey (uncooked) per person. In other words, to feed 12 people, you’d need an 18-pound turkey (12 × 1.5 = 18).

This formula (and this is true for the guidelines that follow as well) will produce generous leftovers. Bear in mind that the suggested quantities are averages, which means they already account for the fact that not everyone eats the same amount. Even so, if everyone in your group is a big eater, then bump it up to two pounds per person just to be on the safe side.

Another approach you can take if your guest list is on the larger side, is to roast two medium birds instead of a single large one.

If you have the oven space, you can roast two 12-pound turkeys and feed 12 to 13 people, which is about how many one 20-pound turkey will feed.

The benefit of having two turkeys is that it’s easier to control the cooking with smaller turkeys, and, of course, they cook more quickly. Plus, you’ll end up with more dark meat this way, as well as doubling your number of drumsticks and wings.

If your group’s preferences lean in that direction, you can, along with your whole turkey, roast an additional turkey breast—either boneless or bone-in.

For a bone-in breast, figure 1 1/4 pounds per person, and for a boneless one, 3/4 pound per person. (This takes the weight of the bone into consideration).

Thus, for example, a 12-pound turkey PLUS a seven-pound bone-in turkey breast will feed around 12 people.

As you may have already figured out, the reason bigger turkeys feed more people per pound is due to larger birds having a higher ratio of white meat to bone.

What About the Side Dishes?

Gravy: Gravy is the fuel that powers your Thanksgiving dinner. Plan on a half cup of gravy per person. Even then, you may still run out!

Mashed potatoes: 3/4 cup (cooked) per person (or 1 cup for leftovers). This works out to about 1/2 pound of potatoes, or 1 1/2 medium potatoes, per person.

Stuffing: 3/4 cup (cooked) per person (or one cup per person if you want leftovers). A six-oz box of dry stuffing indicates that it will yield six portions, but beware: this calculation assumes 1/2 cup of stuffing per serving.

Cranberry sauce: 1/2 cup per person (four servings per can, 8 servings per 12-oz bag of fresh cranberries).

Green beans (or carrots or other cooked veggie): 1/3 to 1/2 cup per person. A one-pound bag of carrots will produce three to four servings, which factors in trimming and peeling. Green beans have a slightly higher yield since you don’t have to peel them.

Pie: One pie per six to eight people. This assumes one slice per person, and you can decide whether to divide each pie into six or eight slices.  If you love dessert, figure six slices per pie.

Please check out these new home communities from Hartz Homes:

Armitage Pointe of Addison, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
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Shannon Estates of New Lenox, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Lago Vista of Lockport, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Leigh Creek of New Lenox, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Marquis Pointe of Montgomery, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Marywood Meadows of Montgomery, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Nantucket Lakes of New Lenox, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Oliviabrook of Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Park West of Manteno, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Playa Vista of Plainfield, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Sky Harbor of New Lenox, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Whisper Creek of Mokena, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)

Hartz Homes has new home communities in:
Addison, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Aurora, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Bolingbrook, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Lockport, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
New Lenox (Chicago area new home construction)
Manteno, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Mokena, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Montgomery, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Plainfield, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Oakbrook Terrace (Chicago area new home construction)