Holiday Dinner Hotline:  Host A Stress Free Dinner

I know there’s a lot of 1st timers out there…Newly married, away from home and can’t make to Mom’s? Whatever your situation may be don’t panic, there’s help just a phone call away!   I have compiled a Holiday Dinner Hotline List.  The key to your success will be to plan your menu early.  If you’re having guest you may request that they bring a dish, this will lighten your load and give you the opportunity to shine with your preparation of the guest of honor the Turkey!

Holiday Dinner:  Prepare Early

 

Prepairing some dishes early not only helps with the stress but some dishes taste better once the flavors have had time to marry into on another.  Some of the things that you can do in advance would be chopping of vegetables making glazes and a biggie would be putting together the stuffing.  Have dishes ready to just pop into the oven on the morning of the holiday.  

I always suggest that you bake your cakes and pies a few days in advance as long as you can resist sneaking a little taste in the middle of the night!  The cure for this would to bake one of each for your self and one for the dinner.

Foolproof your holiday dinner, no one will ever know that it’s your first time laying out a holiday spread!

 In case of a Holiday 911 – I’m sure you’ll find these Holiday Dinner Hotlines helpful!

• USDA’s Meat and Poultry Holiday Dinner Hotline

(888) 674-6854 from 10a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. Closed weekends and holidays, except Thanksgiving. Special hours of operation on Thanksgiving are 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time.

• Reynolds Turkey Tips Line

(800) 745-4000 Open through December 31, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

• Butterball Turkey Talk Line

(800) BUTTERBALL (800-288-8373) Available November 1 through December 28, weekdays 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CST; Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. CST; Thanksgiving Day, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. CST; Nov. 24 to Dec. 25, weekdays, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. CST.

• Honeysuckle White Holiday Dinner Hotline

(800) 810-6325 Recorded answers to frequently asked turkey preparation questions.

• Crisco Pie Holiday Dinner Hotline

(877) 367-7438 toll-free. Provides answers the most common questions about baking pies for novice bakers as well as offering tips that will benefit the most seasoned baker. The hotline also offers the option for callers to connect to a live pie expert for pie baking guidance. Hours: 9 – 7 EST except for: Nov. 12 – 21 (8am – 8pm EST) and Dec. 12 – 22 (8am – 8pm EST).

• Foster Farms Holiday Dinner Hotline

(800) 255-7227. Live operators answer your questions 24 hours a day November 19 through December 1. The rest of the year, hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST, Monday through Friday.

• Perdue Chicken

(800) 473-7383 Available weekdays year-round (except the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Day) 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time. Thanksgiving week: Monday and Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST, Nov. 27, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST, Thanksgiving Day, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST.

• Shady Brook Farms Turkey Line

(888) 723-4468. Available 24-hours, 7 days-a-week, automated messages by famous chefs and winemakers, through Jan. 1.

• Empire Kosher

(800) 367-4734. Year-round Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EST; Fridays, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. EST. Closed on Jewish and secular holidays.

• Land O’ Lakes Holiday Bakeline

(800) 782-9606 Available through Dec. 24 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., CST, 7 days a week.

• Betty Crocker

(888) ASK-BETTY (888-275-2388) Open 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. CST weekdays; staffed year-round.

• Fleischmann’s Yeast Baker’s Help Line

(800) 777-4959 Weekdays, 9am to 4pm CST, year round advice for bread bakers.

• Nestle Toll House Baking Information Line

(800) 637-8537 Year-round baking help, plus recipes, from 10am to 6pm.

• Ocean Spray Holiday Dinner Hotline

(800) 662-3263. Staffed year-round, weekdays (open Thanksgiving Day; but not Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and other major holidays) 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., EST.

Hope this helps with all of your holiday dinner dilemmas!