Well it is a change of the times this year. . . . after cooking Thanksgiving for 20+ years at my home, this year I have to cook it “on the road”. My mother-in-law has decided that travel is too much now, so we are taking Thanksgiving to her. We are renting an Air-BnB, arriving Tuesday morning and I’ll be having to split my time between visiting with her in the senior center and figuring out how to get T-day dinner on the table.
As of right now I have no idea what cookware is in the Air BnB but I’m sure it isn’t equipped for a full Thanksgiving dinner. (I’m guessing there will be 8 of us for dinner - not confirmed, but hey its Thanksgiving so anyone is welcome). I’ll be bringing a potato ricer and some parchment sheets with me. I’ll buy a cheap but sharp knife there (it just has to stay sharp 3 days).
I’m thinking I’m going to end up doing a lot of the baking/cooking/roasting in tin foil pans . . . .I can’t think what else I could do. The turkey should be fine that way (I’ll roast some necks and make a stock for gravy maybe . . . ). I’m going to have to skip making the rolls (usually home made, but no time this year). I’m going to preorder a turkey from Whole Foods (2 miles away from house) - I was going to order a few sides but what they have online seems basic and not worth ordering (e.g. green beans in garlic butter - I can do that in 10 minutes, why order that?). Oh and ordering pies - no time for making pies.
(I think for me - making the turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, and the family corn pudding recipe are the most important to be home-made and still feel like Thanksgiving. Or at least that is what I’m thinking right now . . . )
But I’m worried about presentation . . . . I won’t have luggage space for serving dishes - and serving everything from foil pans seems . . . “rustic” for Thanksgiving.
Anyway - has anyone done a big meal like this on the road? Any suggestions or pointers for serving dishes or baking dishes to improve upon a sea of foil pans?