WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES NOVEMBER 16, 2017 15
THANKSGIVING
THE KEY TO AN EASY AND
GREAT THANKSGIVING
More than half of all Americans
will feast on takeout this
Thanksgiving, according to
the National Restaurant Association.
It’s easy to guess why. All the things
we love about takeout - such as convenience
and time-savings - are doubly
valuable during the busy holiday
season.
Holiday takeout can be a time-saving,
fuss-free and low-labor way to
have a great meal without spending
a lot of time in the kitchen. Less time
preparing a meal and cleaning up
aft erward means more time to spend
with loved ones so you can do the
things you enjoy during the holidays.
Still, holiday takeout requires some
planning to get it right.
“Thanksgiving is a busy day for
restaurants, too, so it pays to put
some thought into your holiday togo
plans,” says Bill Kintzler, chef for
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store. “In
fact, Thanksgiving is the busiest day
of the year for our restaurants. We
expect we’ll serve about 1.4 million
meals over the nine day Thanksgiving
holiday season.”
Kintzler off ers some advice to ensure
your holiday takeout is a success:
• Place your order on time. Call at
the last minute and the restaurant
may no longer have availability
- and you may fi nd yourself preparing
your own holiday meal.
Cracker Barrel advises customers
to order at least 24 hours before
the holiday.
• Calculate how much food you’ll
need for the number of guests
you anticipate - and don’t forget
to allow extra for leftovers. Generally,
you should allow a pound
of turkey per adult guest, a few
ounces of side dishes per guest,
and at least one slice of pie (about
a 3-inch wedge) per guest. Ask the
restaurant how many guests their
takeout meal should serve, and
request information on portion
sizes.
• Get a clear list of what’s included in
your order, and fi nd out if substitutions
are allowed. For example,
if your family loves turkey but
doesn’t eat as much stuffi ng, will
the restaurant allow you to order
additional meat and gravy and cut
back on other trimmings? Will the
order include entree, sides and
bread? Cracker Barrel’s Thanksgiving
To-Go meal includes turkey
breast, cornbread dressing, gravy,
sugar-cured ham, cranberry relish,
and a choice of sides and biscuits,
corn muffi ns or a sourdough loaf.
• Confi rm your order a day or two
before the holiday - especially if
you’ve placed it well in advance.
Some restaurants may off er email
or text-message confi rmations, but
you should also be able to call and
quickly confi rm the order with the
restaurant.
• Order from established restaurants
and/or caterers that have
a track record of providing good
food and service. Getting your
takeout meal from a restaurant
where you’ve already dined and
had a good experience can help
you be more confi dent that you’ll
get a great meal.
• Ask the restaurant for detailed
reheating instructions and follow
them to ensure the best results.
• Don’t forget that you can always
personalize your takeout meal by
adding one or two side dishes of
your own, as well as appetizers or
a traditional family dessert.
“The holidays are supposed to be
about spending time with loved
ones,” Kintzler says. “Having someone
else prepare your Thanksgiving
meal can help you spend more time
with family and friends and less
time in the kitchen!”
Courtesy BPT