Do Yourself a Favor and Order a Pre-Cooked Turkey

Welcome to The Cheater's Guide to Thanksgiving. While there are plenty of tips out there for folks making scratch desserts and artisan loaves, the Cheater's Guide focuses on the person who could use a helping hand-even from some unconventional sources. Some might call it cheating" (like that's a bad thing), but there's nothing wrong with using modern technology and supermarket know-how to help you make a bangin' traditional feast-with much less of the traditional work.

In any well-rounded Thanksgiving feast, the turkey is the focal point. It should be delicious, no doubt, but that doesn't necessarily mean you have to be the one cooking it. Wouldn't it be nice to take a break from brining? Or stop worrying about the amount of seasoning necessary? Maybe even save a few bucks? That's why I'd like to encourage you to do something a little bit different this year and buy a pre-cooked turkey.

The turkey that changed my mind

I've hosted a few Friendsgivings and I would always prepare the raw turkey myself. I was pretty much sold on the flavor of dry brining and the even, speedy cooking of the spatchcock method. Last year rolled around and I had received two turkeys from Diestel Family Ranch-a frozen raw turkey and a frozen smoked turkey. I'd never had a smoked turkey for Thanksgiving before, and I was thrilled. Moreover, it was completely cooked-it just needed to be thawed and warmed through.

This smoked turkey arrives frozen. I'll thaw it a day or two before I need it, and then reheat it in the oven. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

I told my friends we'd be having pre-made smoked turkey that year, and not only did no one tsk-tsk or question the reason that I wasn't preparing it myself, but this news was met with excitement. I spent the hours leading up to the feast cooking sides, arranging cheese platters, and plating desserts with an extra layer of calm-I didn't have to cook a turkey. Cool.

When the time came, I unwrapped the thawed smoked turkey, set it up on a roasting pan like the instructions indicated, and heated it through in a 325F oven. Granted, it took an hour, but that's still a lot faster than a raw turkey. I checked the temperature to make sure it was hot, but I didn't have to worry about it being raw or an unsafe temperature inside. I carved it, and served it nestled among a dozen sides.

I think I knew just from the aroma wafting up from the plate that I would no longer be cooking my own Thanksgiving turkeys. This was it. The turkey was gorgeously browned, stupendously flavorful, and perfectly juicy. Clearly the feeling was shared around the table because there was absolutely no turkey left for sandwiches the next day.

Save yourself time and doubt

Having a turkey that had been completely prepared and cooked by professionals took a load off of my shoulders. Not just in regards to timing, but there's a lot of pressure to make the perfect" turkey. And if it's your first time hosting, even the pressure of making an edible turkey can be stifling. There are numerous methods of brining to consider, whether to truss or spatchcock the bird, and the simple act of roasting (let alone smoking or frying) the turkey for hours can be overwhelming. Oh, and then you have to make an entire lineup of side dishes. Right.

If you're going to cheat just one thing about the Thanksgiving meal, I say, order your turkey. Whether it's from a turkey farm that specializes in cooking and shipping ready-to-reheat turkeys, or having it catered from your favorite restaurant, it's absolutely worth it. The professionals have the space and resources to marinade, season, and cook a tasty bird, plus they've likely figured out the best way to pack the turkey so it gets to you in the best possible shape.

Possibly the most surprising thing, at least to me, is cost. Many companies sell equal weight seasoned and cooked frozen turkeys for around the same price, or less, as the raw frozen birds they offer. If you're dropping $100+ anyway, then you might as well have the hard part taken care of.

At home, you've potentially saved yourself from having to store a frozen turkey or the mess of brining a bird in the fridge (no accidental raw poultry leaks this year). You don't have to worry about cleaning up raw bird parts. Heating up the catered roast happens in a fraction of the time it takes to cook one from a raw state. This means your oven space is more available for everyone's true favorites-side dishes and desserts.

Where to buy pre-cooked turkeys

I've already mentioned my personal favorite, Diestel's stellar smoked turkey, but it's worth noting that they also sell a pecan smoked turkey, un-smoked oven-roasted turkeys, and if you'd still like to cook it yourself but don't care to do all that brining beforehand, pre-brined raw ones too.

Although I haven't tested the following, these birds are also available for holiday delivery:

• Omaha Steaks offers a smoked turkey.

• Mackenzie Limited has an herb-roasted whole turkey available.

• Burgers' Smokehouse has a couple of cooked turkeys, including this herb-roasted one.

Consider ordering your turkey as soon as possible; today is not too soon. It's not uncommon for delivery turkeys to sell out or get caught up in shipping delays. Even though the turkey is pre-cooked, it will more than likely arrive frozen. All you have to do is keep it that way, and move it to the fridge to thaw two days before you're ready to heat it.