Here's your ultimate Thanksgiving guide to celebrate at the Jersey Shore
Editor's note: Parts of this story have been previously published.
What's the best holiday of the year? Thanksgiving! It's about family and friends and, of course, food!
Turkey, sweet potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pecan pie.
Apple pie.
Pumpkin pie.
Are you hungry yet?
We want your Thanksgiving to be joyful and delicious, so we've created this guide. Whether you need some cooking tips or where to buy knockout desserts, here are our recommendations for all-things Thanksgiving.
Get a fresh turkey
The countdown is on to Thanksgiving Day, and if you haven't done so already, now is the time to reserve a turkey from a New Jersey farm for the holiday on Thursday, Nov. 23. Most farms require advance orders, but some will have extras available for walk-in customers — be sure to call before stopping in. How big of a turkey will you need? Count on roughly 1 pound of meat per person, or 1½ if you want leftovers (and who doesn't want leftovers?). For eight people, buy a 12-pound turkey; for 10, buy a 15-pound turkey; for 12 people, buy an 18-pound turkey, and for 14 people, buy a 20-pound bird. Here's where to order.
Duck, goose and other birds
If you're in a turkey rut — bored, or disappointed, or both — why not take the advice of chefs and food industry professionals and try a different bird. An alt-turkey, if you will. A capon is one option — or consider a heritage turkey, duck or goose.
Let others do the cooking on Thanksgiving
Juicy turkey with crispy brown skin, savory stuffing with sausage and apples, decadent pumpkin pie. Sounds delicious, doesn’t it?
The bad news? Someone has to cook this Thanksgiving feast. The good news? It doesn’t have to be you.
Chefs at the Shore are planning holiday meals for us to enjoy in their restaurants or at home. They will cook traditional dinners with all the trimmings, plus their own twists on holiday dishes. But you may want to reserve now since reservations go fast. Here are Jersey Shore restaurants open for Thanksgiving or offering meals to take home with you.
Get a dessert (or two!)
Turkey may get all the attention on Thanksgiving, but let's be honest, pie is where it's at. There are the traditional holiday flavors — pumpkin, apple and pecan — and the popular places to get them, like Delicious Orchards in Colts Neck, Battleview Orchards and Wemrock Orchards in Freehold Township, and Emery's Berry Farm in New Egypt.
But smaller bakeries and restaurants will be baking both classic and creative takes on those flavors. Here are some to try. And if you want more than just pie, these Jersey Shore spots have cakes, chocolate pizza, s'mores bars, tarts and more.
Stores open on Thanksgiving
The fear of forgetting a crucial ingredient can loom large. Fortunately, several local grocery stores will remain open on the holiday, ensuring you have everything you need for a stress-free feast. Here are the latest Thanksgiving Day hours for grocery stores around the Jersey Shore. By the way, the cost of the Thanksgiving spread won't hit you as hard in the wallet this year, but you'll still pay a whopping 25% more than you did back in 2019, according tot he American Farm Bureau Federation's annual survey.
A guide to help you prepare
There's no better stress-buster than timely preparation. Doing stuff last minute is not only anxiety provoking but not particularly wise. Stores are crowded, shelves somewhat light and traffic's a nightmare. You've got time now to get your bird, plan your stuffing and learn how to make the juiciest, tenderest, "bestest" turkey. Here's a timeline so you can stay organized and get ahead, making Turkey Day a breeze.
Try our favorite recipes
Part of the fun of the holidays is discovering new recipes — and revisiting old favorites.
If you are searching for something new to serve this year, we want want to help. We gathered our favorite recipes, dishes we cook with and for our families on Thanksgiving. There are appetizers and sides, ways to add flavor to your turkey and sweet endings for your meal. From our kitchens to yours, Happy Thanksgiving!
Let's talk side dishes
On average, Americans serve five side dishes on Thanksgiving every year. At least that's what the folks at Campbell's tell us. They also let us the most popular side dish on Thanksgiving — and you may be surprised to learn it's not stuffing. Campbell's and Philip Ashley Chocolates also announced a limited-edition collection of soup-infused truffles inspired by Thanksgiving side dishes.
How much turkey, side dishes to make per person?
Figuring out how much turkey and side dishes to make can be mind-boggling and sometimes frightening. Here's a cheat sheet to help you start planning for your Thanksgiving or other holiday dinner.
Thanksgiving safety tips
If there's one sure way to ruin Thanksgiving, it's having to call a plumber − or worse, the fire department. For all of its food, family and fun, Turkey Day can also be full of pitfalls. Two New Jersey groups are offering tips to keep your holiday safe and headache-free.
Fat Joe teams with White Castle to create new stuffing
There are a few recipes for Thanksgiving stuffing using White Castle's Impossible Sliders, Bacon Jalapeño Cheese Sliders, and Southwestern Jalapeño Cheese Sliders. A recipe for Kickin’ Southwest Stuffin Muffins, using the spicy sliders, was introduced last year.
This year's new recipe is Fat Joe’s Jalapeño Cheese Slider Stuffing, a collaboration with rapper Fat Joe. It features Jalapeño Cheese Sliders, celery, jalapeño peppers, cilantro, shredded pepper jack cheese and Sazón.
Serving green bean casserole?
Did you know someone at Campbell’s Soup invented the green bean casserole and called it the Green Bean Bake? Needless to say, Campbell’s knows a lot of history concerning this Thanksgiving favorite. Here's the recipe.
What to do with leftovers?
Here are more than 25 ideas for Thanksgiving leftovers, everything from a crispy stuffing waffle topped with a poached egg, gravy and chopped scallions to turkey shepherd's pie with a stuffing crust to turkey chili.
Vegan Thanksgiving
If you're vegan, there are plenty of savory options to try around the Jersey Shore. Check out these restaurants serving "turkey," gravy and all the fixins for takeout.
Grab a Thanksgiving sandwich
Some call it a Gobbler, others a Thanksgiving sandwich. Some believe its authenticity comes from being made at home with Thanksgiving Day scraps, while others are happy to order it from their trusted local deli.
The classics that go into the sandwich are turkey, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy — and sometimes mashed potatoes. Basically, if you could take the entire Thanksgiving Day table and dump it on a roll, you would have a classic Gobbler. But some Jersey Shore restaurants are shaking up the classic Turkey Day staple.
Thanksgiving Eve shows
The big night in clubs and on dance floors, sometimes called Black Wednesday or Drinksgiving, is also almost upon us. It's been gaining momentum since the COVID-19 outbreak took the wind out if its sails for a few years. There are plenty of options to enjoy the a night out. And if you're looking for a Black Friday show, the Smithereens play the Stone Pony.
Watch the parade
On Thanksgiving morning, while many of us are already relaxing after putting a bird in the oven, the 97th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will get underway. The parade will feature 25 balloons, 31 floats, 700 clowns, 11 marching bands and seven performance groups, as well as Santa Claus.
The parade will air from 8:30 a.m. to noon on NBC, Telemundo and will stream live on Peacock. This year, the Rutgers University March Band is taking part, led by drum major Amelia Ainbinder of Middletown.
Can you board a plane with a frozen turkey?
If you want to pack a frozen turkey in your carry-on bag this week, the Transportation Security Administration says: No problem. In fact, throw a chicken, ham and steak in there with it. All good. Who wants to eat an ounce of pretzels in flight when you can gnaw on a ham? The TSA has a list of what Thanksgiving goodies can fly in the stowed luggage above your seat this holiday season, and what items need to travel in the checked baggage.
Closed for Thanksgiving
To help consumers navigate the hustle and bustle of the shopping season Blackfriday.com has released the list of major retailers that have Thanksgiving Day store closures and Black Friday hours. And here's a list of deals you can find, courtesy of USA TODAY.
Weather forecast
A storm is expected to hit New Jersey on Tuesday, bringing rain for the Garden State through Wednesday, the National Weather Service in Mount Holly said. The system is coming from the Great Lakes region.
While the storm is expected to bring considerable amounts of rainfall with some periods of gusty winds that might cause power outages and cancel some flights, the system should be mild in terms of impact in the region, NWS said.
By Thanksgiving, everything should clear out allowing New Jerseyans to enjoy plenty of sunshine during the holiday.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Thanksgiving 2023: Jersey Shore restaurants open plus holiday guide
