From roasting turkeys to mashing potatoes to baking pies, a lot of time, effort, and energy goes into making Thanksgiving dinner.
Despite all the necessary prep required to create a delicious holiday feast for family and friends, you can still find easy ways to conserve energy this turkey day.
- Consider buying a smaller turkey for your guests this year. It will require less cooking time and energy.
- Free up your oven space by using smaller appliances (slow cooker, air fryer and Instant Pot) for side dishes.
- Use glass or ceramic dishes vs. metal in the oven to allow you to cook at a lower temperature - with the same results.
- Roast your turkey in an oven-safe bag to reduce cook time by five minutes per pound, while still savoring all the flavor. Here is a step-by-step how-to guide from the Food Network.
- Don’t preheat. When you’re roasting a turkey for several hours, you can skip this stage and save a little energy along the way.
- Add some no-bake items to your menu this year. Check out these 10 easy Thanksgiving recipes that don’t require an oven.
- Once the meal is complete, be sure to let your leftovers cool before placing them in the refrigerator.
- Use an ENERGY STAR® certified dishwasher vs. washing dishes by hand to conserve a significant amount of water (and energy) use.
Sources: Food Network, Well + Good