The Turkey:

You haven't put it in the oven yet and guests are arriving soon…
Turn the bird face down and cut out the back bone by running a sharp knife down both sides of the spine where it meets the ribs. Turn the bird face up and open out and press down on the breast bone to flatten the bird out. Place on a rack over a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet. Roast at 450 degrees about 1 hour for a 12-pound turkey.

The skin is getting too crisp but the internal temperature of the bird has not reached 180 degrees…
Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest 20 minutes. Meanwhile, remove the stuffing and place it in a casserole and return to the oven until it registers 165 degrees on thermometer. Carve the turkey and arrange on a heat-proof platter. Cover and return to the oven until all signs of pinkness are gone.

The bird is almost done but the skin is not browned…
Make a mixture of melted butter and dark corn syrup or maple syrup. (1/4 cup butter to 3 tablespoons syrup). Or melt butter together with apple jelly, apricot jam or orange marmalade. Kahlua, Frangelico, Calvados, Grand Marnier or other fruit liqueurs couldn't hurt. Chopped herbs such as rosemary, sage, parsley and thyme will help too. Turn oven temperature up to 450 degrees. Baste with one of the sweet and buttery mixtures. Any of these mixtures should caramelize quickly and provide browning, flavor and crispness to the skin.

The turkey is overcooked, dry and stringy…
Carve the bird and arrange on a heat-proof platter. Spritz or brush it generously with water or chicken broth. Cover with foil and let it "steam" in the oven for a few minutes. To serve, pour a diagonal band of gravy over slices then garnish with red, white and black pepper corns and sage or other herb leaves. Remember, your guests will eat first with their eyes and if it looks good, it will taste better than it might actually be.

The Stuffing:

The turkey is almost up to temperature, but the stuffing is not…
Through the large cavity opening, insert a stainless steel knife all the way into the stuffing. The metal will conduct heat and cook the stuffing from the inside out. Or, transfer the stuffing to a casserole, cover and continue to bake until it registers 160 degrees.

The stuffing is dried out…
Unless it is burned to a crisp, there are dozens of choices for moistening a dry dressing. First, if the dressing was baked in a casserole, stir the driest outer edges into the center. Next, moisten it as needed with chicken broth, apple sauce, apple pie filling, cream of mushroom soup, a can of creamed corn, your (semi) homemade or purchased gravy … or just water and melted butter. Cover it and return to the oven until heated through.

The Potatoes:

Everything else is almost done but the spuds are still hard…
Remove them from the water with a slotted spoon. Turn up the heat under the cooking water. Cut the potatoes into smaller pieces and return to the pan or microwave them in batches. Or just don't sweat it but try to keep everything else warm while you wait on the potatoes.

The potatoes are scorched…
Transfer them to a warm bowl, leaving the burned portion on the bottom of the pan where it belongs. Mash as usual and taste. If you can detect a burned flavor, either enhance it by folding in some crisp bacon bits (real or from a jar in the cupboard) or bits of ham or other smokey meat. Or cover it up with a strong herb or other seasoning such as rosemary, garlic powder, roasted garlic or minced shallots. Wasabi paste, horseradish sauce or pesto sauce might get your in-laws talking about what a clever cook you are. Just a little extra butter, sour or whipping cream can smooth out the flavor as well.

The potatoes are done too soon…
Go ahead and finish them but set aside. While the turkey is waiting to be carved, pop them in the oven, or zap them in the microwave. Or, if you want to mash them at the last minute, drain the cooked potato pieces and cool them under running water. Reheat by steaming them, then add hot milk. They will actually be less gooey, especially if you can put them through a ricer as opposed to an old-fashioned masher. Never use a mixer, blender or food processor unless you want to make glue.

The Gravy:

It's finished, but there's a hold up in the carving of the bird…
Take the gravy off the heat and reheat just when needed. Do not hold over low heat for a period of time because it will separate if too much liquid evaporates. If it does separate, whisk in a tablespoon of water, broth or splash in some wine.

The gravy is lumpy…
This may be because you used low fat milk or yogurt which has less fat (which coats the proteins so they don't clump up). Starch, such as flour, is a good fat replacer here. Stir some flour (Wondra is good) into cold milk, water or broth - try 2 tablespoons flour to ¼ cup cold liquid for each cup of gravy. Strain the lumpy gravy, then set over the heat and whisk in half of the flour mixture. Bring it to a boil and cook 1 minute. If it is not thick enough, add more of the mixture until the gravy is as thick as you like.
Or, if you have a dry gravy mix in your cupboard, prepare that using half the amount of chicken broth than the liquid package directions call for. Strain the lumpy gravy and mix it into the mix gravy. You could also add a jar of a prepared gravy product to the strained gravy.

Since gravy is usually one of the last parts of the dinner to be prepared, just do it right in the first place…
Adding starch to hot liquids, or using a low-fat liquid is what causes lumps. It is best to blend flour into fat, then whisk in liquid. For a medium thick gravy, blend 2 tablespoons flour into 2 tablespoons turkey drippings. Stir over medium heat for a few minutes, then whisk in cooled giblet broth and turkey juices. Or, make a cold roux by blending butter and flour and whisking it into hot broth. The rule for a smooth gravy is hot roux, cold liquid or cold roux, hot liquid. For an extra satiny texture, finish the gravy by whisking in a tablespoon or two of butter pieces or whipping cream.

The gravy looks anemic…
Kitchen Bouquet to the rescue. If you don't have any of this gravy life saver, stir in a teaspoon or two of instant coffee or a few tablespoons of Kahlua.

The Vegetables

To insure bright green veggies, cook them in plenty of water without a lid to dilute the acids that turn chlorophyll from bright to drab. (The flavor of vegetables like carrots and onions are enhanced without color loss by long cooking, but greens can't take more than 6 minutes without suffering damage).

If you have overcooked your broccoli or peas…
Quick a bisque: Place in blender and add milk, cream or broth or canned soup (cheese, potato). Add a shot of sherry if you like. If you have some spinach or other deep green leafy thing, add a leaf or two to pick up the color. Serve in mugs and sprinkle with paprika, grated lemon peel or parmesan shavings.

If you don't want soup, toss the ugly vegetable in some olive oil and grated lemon. Or sprinkle generously with lemon pepper to perk up the flavor. Garnish the dish with something red, like chopped bell pepper. Red is opposite green on the color wheel and it will help the drab green seem a bit brighter.

The Rolls

They have blackened bottoms…
Slice off the burned portion. Butter and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese, or use a cheese spread. Run under the broiler until cheese is beginning to brown.

The Pies

You've burned the crust…
Scoop the filling into custard cups or individual soufflé dishes. Crush up some of that toffee that Aunt Jane always brings and scatter over each dish. Run under the broiler a few minutes. Or, use a mixture of ¾ cup brown sugar, 1 cup chopped nuts and ¼ melted butter and broil but watch carefully so you don't burn it again.
2. Other "ruined" pies can be turned into pretty parfaits by layering them in wine glasses with ice cream, yogurt, or instant pudding. Or whip up some cream cheese with maple syrup, powdered sugar and/or a bit of liqueur, brandy or rum and use that to intersperse with layers of pie.

Salt

If you've over salted…
For a liquid dish such as broth or gravy. Add slices of a peeled potato and simmer 10 minutes. Don't forget to remove the potato before serving.
Or, try adding a bit of maple syrup or apple jelly.
Also, a teaspoon each of lemon juice or vinegar and sugar can help counter saltiness.

Other Important Things to Know:

Temperatures

For the turkey, 180 degrees in the thigh and 170 in the breast, 165 in the stuffing inside a turkey are considered safe temperatures.

Let the turkey rest 20 minutes before carving to allow juices to redistribute evenly and set.

Hotlines

Butterball Turkey Talk-Line 800-745-4000 or www.butterball.com
Land O'Lakes Holiday Bakeline 800-782-9606 or www.landolakes.com
USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 800-535 4553