Thanksgiving 911: Food Network host tackles top cooking emergencies

For the harried Thanksgiving cook, the best part of the holiday is when dinner is done, leftovers are stored and there’s a cocktail in his or her hand.

Despite careful planning and the best intentions, holiday meals are rarely flawless. Maybe the mishap is just a hiccup: The sweet potatoes have gone cold before hitting the table; Uncle John forgot whipped cream for the pumpkin pie. Or it’s a disaster: The oven isn’t working properly or Grandma cut her finger while chopping vegetables.

Whatever happens, keep calm. There’s a solution to every problem.

To help with some of the most common Thanksgiving conundrums, we enlisted the expertise of Nancy Fuller, judge of “Holiday Baking Championship” and host of “Farmhouse Rules,” both on Food Network. We asked her how she would deal with seven kitchen calamities. Here are her answers.

PROBLEM: The turkey is still frozen

FULLER: There is nothing worse than taking the turkey out of the refrigerator on Thanksgiving morning to find that your turkey is still frozen. I would recommend placing it in a pot full of cold water to help speed up the thawing process. The water may need to be replaced every 30 minutes or so, until the bird has fully defrosted.

PROBLEM: The turkey comes out dry

FULLER: To avoid having a dry turkey, use a thermometer to ensure that the inside of the bird cooks at the appropriate temperature (minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture). Basting throughout the cooking process helps ensure that the meat stays moist. But if you happen to forget about the bird cooking in the oven and it comes out too dry, my trick would be to carve it off the bone, slice it and pass it through broth to help give the illusion and taste of a perfectly cooked, juicy bird. Plus, don’t forget the gravy, as that will help mask an overcooked bird.

PROBLEM: Your mashed potatoes are sticky

FULLER: Mashed potatoes become sticky when too much starch was released from over-mashing or over-beating the spuds. The best way to avoid this is to put the cooked potatoes in a bowl; hollow out a well to put a pad of soft butter, cream or gravy; and then mix quickly. Be sure to mash all the ingredients together when they are still hot. Don’t let the potatoes cool down before mashing and adding the other ingredients, thinking you can re-heat them before sitting down at the table. It’s better to combine everything while it’s hot and then reheat the fully mixed mash. Trust me, your guests will be much happier.

PROBLEM: The gravy is lumpy

FULLER: Lumpy gravy is caused when the liquid ingredients are too cold or when the flour isn’t fully mixed in. If this happens, the best thing to do is to strain it before serving so that all the lumps are removed. My cooking trick for preparing the perfect gravy is to first make a liquid paste with your ingredients — flour, butter, warm water, drippings or broth — and make sure your whisk is constantly moving when adding more liquid to pan.

PROBLEM: The biscuits are burned

FULLER: Unfortunately, this is one of the worst problems because there isn’t much that can be done with burned food. If the tops of your biscuits get burned, scrape off the part that is charred and drizzle some honey and cinnamon to help disguise the burned top. If the bottom is the part that gets burned, then cut off the bottom and serve — no one will ever know!

PROBLEM: Extra people show up last minute.

FULLER: I always say the more the merrier, but when you are planning a big meal, it’s always preferable to have a head count in advance. But if a few extra people show up and I’m worried about having enough, I tell the kids to go easy on the serving size so there is enough for everyone. I would make sure to cut everything into smaller servings so that there is still plenty to go around. From all the entertaining I’ve done over the years, I’ve learned that not everybody likes everything, so there always tends to be enough and certainly no one leaves hungry.

PROBLEM: You forgot cranberry sauce.

FULLER: I don’t know how you could possibly forget the cranberry sauce! But you can use jam instead, and thin it out with a little water, seltzer, cider or liquor before serving. An alternative is to create a relish with apples, oranges, sugar and some nuts, such as walnuts or pecans. It’s a perfect complement to the turkey.

Thanksgiving cooking resources

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture website has a Consumer Guide to Safely Roasting a Turkey, which explains proper ways to defrost, cook and store whole turkeys.
• The Butterball website offers a step-by-step guide to deep-frying turkey along with safety tips.
• The Pet Poison Helpline is a 24-hour animal poison-control service available throughout the country. If you think your pet has eaten something it shouldn’t have, call 855-764-7661. There is a $49 fee per incident, payable by credit card.