A beautiful setting, a house filled with warm spices, a juicy poultry centerpiece - Savory Spice always recommends going above and beyond to create a special and memorable Thanksgiving meal. With nearly 30 shops and a robust e-commerce site, Savory Spice is the Turkey Day destination for handcrafted poultry seasoning, Turkey Brining Kits, warm spices and blends like Pumpkin Pie Spice and Supreme Saigon Cinnamon, Spiced Apple Bake, and so much more.
Ahead of Thanksgiving Day, Savory Spice’s Product and Food Media Manager Michael Kimball has put together a comprehensive guide of common mistakes and solutions for your Thanksgiving meal.
Imbalance of flavor – Oftentimes, there’s a sweet potato casserole that’s too sweet, gravy that’s too salty, and overall too many heavy, starchy dishes. Find balance in each dish by adding contrasting and complementary elements. Add a salty and savory topping to sweet potato casserole, such as Parmesan cheese, Savory Spice’s Italian Black Truffle Salt, pine nuts, pancetta, fresh herbs, and/or lemon zest. Enhance one-note gravy with aromatic, sweet, and earthy Homestead Seasoning, a sweet and salty paprika-based blend. Make sure your menu contains a balance of colors, flavors, and lighter vs. heavier dishes.
Lackluster mashed potatoes – After examining the science behind mashed potatoes, we recommend boiling potatoes in cold water, using a mix of Russet and Yukon Gold potatoes, rinsing the potatoes after cooking, and warming your milk before adding it to the mashed potatoes.
Dry turkey – To avoid the all-too-common dried turkey, start roasting your bird breast side down with the legs towards the back of the oven where it’s hotter. Halfway through cooking, turn the turkey breast-side up so the skin can brown and crisp and help it cook more evenly. Brining your bird with a turkey brining kit also prevents the dreaded dryness by dissolving muscle proteins so the meat loses less moisture.
Hesitancy to experiment – Find innovative ways to spice up old favorites and/or try out a new recipe to make it a meal to remember. Some of our favorite nontraditional twists include garam masala in cranberry sauce, Black Onyx Cocoa Powder in pie crust, Jamaican Jerk Seasoning in sweet potato casserole, Smoky Hills Cheese Powder in mashed potatoes, Good On Ya Vegan Chicken Salt in gravy – and many more.
This Thanksgiving, don’t let the meal intimidate you. Not everything has to be perfectly homemade from scratch. Decide where you want to focus your efforts and let your friends, family, and Savory Spice help you out with the rest.