Turkey Troubles

[SMW]

I just picked up our fresh turkey, which weighs in at 13 pounds, significantly less than I was expecting. Am I in trouble? I am expecting 15 adults (1 vegetarian) and 6 kids (all under age 7 and none eat very much) and we are also serving a squash lasagne (maybe I'll add an extra layer to that?) as well as the usual assortment of side dishes and appetizers.

How big is your turkey? How many people are you planning on feeding? What's the smallest pound-to-person ratio that can reasonably be maintained?

[SuzySushi]

Rule of thumb is to allow 1 pound of turkey (with bones) per person, so yes, this sounds a bit small. Maybe you can also roast some chicken drumsticks for the kids?

[jamiemaw]

I just picked up our fresh turkey, which weighs in at 13 pounds, significantly less than I was expecting.  Am I in trouble?  I am expecting 15 adults (1 vegetarian) and 6 kids (all under age 7 and none eat very much) and we are also serving a squash lasagne (maybe I'll add an extra layer to that?) as well as the usual assortment of side dishes and appetizers.

How big is your turkey?  How many people are you planning on feeding?  What's the smallest pound-to-person ratio that can reasonably be maintained?

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By rough calculation (having cooked four turkeys in the past month for groups of varying size), you're about 7 pounds shy of dinner; 10 if you enjoy sandwiches. But I'd just get another turkey roughly the same size. Mind you, my brothers are hardly ballet dancers.

Edited November 23, 2005 by jamiemaw (log)

[Jason Perlow]

Our turkey is just under 15lbs and we are feeding 7 people (Six adults, one voraciously hungry toddler). I was concerned we weren't going to have enough food, so this is being supplanted by a 20lb baked ham, however. Even with the side dishes and food other people are bringing, I'm extremely worried that people are going to go hungry. If we don't have enough for leftovers for at least a week I'll be devastated

[kitchenmage]

Our turkey is just under 15lbs and we are feeding 7 people (Six adults, one voraciously hungry toddler). I was concerned we weren't going to have enough food, so this is being supplanted by a 20lb baked ham, however. Even with the side dishes and food other people are bringing, I'm extremely worried that people are going to go hungry. If we don't have enough for leftovers for at least a week I'll be devastated

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I've got one 17 pound turkey in the fridge and another similar one in the freezer -- because it froze in the garage refrigerator and in the debate between trying to thaw it and taking advantage of a decent price for another, the one not requiring a third refrigerator won.

I've also got four -- count 'em, four -- people coming for dinner. That's including us. If I don't have leftovers until the Solstice, I'll be happy.

(edited because I have a finicky "t" key)

Edited November 23, 2005 by kitchenmage (log)

[SMW]

Maybe you could spare me your extra turkey !

Clearly we are in dire straits, I think I will have to send my husband on a turkey hunt tomorrow!!!

[zilla369]

Maybe you could spare me your extra turkey !

Clearly we are in dire straits, I think I will have to send my husband on a turkey hunt tomorrow!!!

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I'll trade you. I'm feeding either two or perhaps three people with a 22 lb. monster that was given to each employee where I work. *sigh*. It's taken me 5 days to thaw it in the fridge, and it's going to be taking up ALL the available real estate in the oven.

[kitchenmage]

Maybe you could spare me your extra turkey !

Clearly we are in dire straits, I think I will have to send my husband on a turkey hunt tomorrow!!!

←

How'd the turkey hunt go? I was in my local (town of <1000) store yesterday and they still had fresh. Sure it's some big-name mass-market turkey, but for your second bird... Of course, with my being on the left edge of the US it might be a bit of a drive for you...

[SMW]

Well all they had was butterball turkeys and we are eco-organic types so we added two large turkey legs and are now having a four legged turkey tomorrow. This puts us over a pound per adult so I feel a little better. I'm just not going to mention the size of the bird because I don't want people to feel like they have to hold back on Thanksgiving! If we run out, I guess it will just enter the family lore.

I prefer the side dishes anyways, and we are having loads of those (I made my lasagne with an extra layer and and in a larger pan than I was planning so that should help.)

[SMW]

The 13 pound turkey held up! We have leftovers in the fridge and we didn't even eat the two 'extra' legs!!

What was relly amazing was how many people didn't realize there was an extra leg on either side of the turkey. Even my mom who has roasted over 40 turkeys took a couple of minutes before she realized there was something off base.

In any case, as far as I could tell, everyone had their fill.