CSP-CKG8332 - Savory Thanksgiving Holiday Feast

Course Description

Create a Thanksgiving feast your family will remember! In this hands-on cooking class, you'll learn how to prepare a delicious holiday meal from start to finish using professional culinary techniques and time-saving strategies. Guided by a chef instructor, you'll roast turkey, prepare traditional side dishes, create seasonal favorites, and learn the planning, organization, and timing needed to bring an entire holiday meal together successfully. Along the way, and you'll gain valuable tips for food safety, make-ahead preparation, carving, and presentation to help reduce the stress of holiday entertaining. Whether you're hosting Thanksgiving for the first time or simply looking to elevate your holiday table, you'll leave with practical recipes, new culinary skills, and the confidence to recreate a memorable feast at home. No prior cooking experience is required& all skill levels are welcome.

Course Outline

Students will learn the techniques, planning, and timing required to prepare a traditional Thanksgiving meal through instructor demonstrations, guided practice, and hands-on cooking activities. Course content includes:

Introduction to Holiday Meal Planning- Overview of menu planning, ingredient preparation, kitchen organization, and strategies for preparing a successful Thanksgiving feast

Turkey Preparation & Roasting Technique Learn how to select, season, prepare, and roast a turkey while exploring food safety, temperature control, carving preparation, and methods for achieving flavorful, juicy results.

Traditional Holiday Side Dishes- Prepare a variety of classic Thanksgiving side dishes while practicing knife skills, proper cooking techniques, seasoning, and efficient kitchen workflow.

Seasonal Desserts & Finishing Touches Create a traditional holiday dessert while learning baking techniques, make-ahead preparation, and presentation ideas for holiday entertaining.

Meal Timing, Organization & Presentation Learn how to coordinate multiple dishes, develop a cooking timeline, organize kitchen tasks, and present a complete Thanksgiving meal with confidence

Hands-On Cooking Lab &Wrap-Up Students will work together to prepare a complete Thanksgiving meal, review techniques learned throughout the class, enjoy samples of the finished dishes, and receive recipes and recommendations for recreating the menu at home.

Learner Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Demonstrate safe food handling practices and proper use of standard commercial kitchen equipment and culinary tools.

Select, prepare, season, and roast a turkey using proper cooking techniques and temperature guidelines.

Prepare a variety of traditional Thanksgiving side dishes using fundamental culinary methods.

Apply knife skills, mise en place, and efficient kitchen organization techniques during meal preparation.

Coordinate the timing of multiple recipes to produce a complete holiday meal served at the appropriate temperature.

Demonstrate proper carving, plating, and presentation techniques for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

Identify make-ahead preparation strategies and time-saving techniques to reduce stress when hosting holiday meals.

Apply seasoning, flavor balancing, and presentation techniques to create an attractive and memorable Thanksgiving feast.

Demonstrate the confidence and skills needed to successfully prepare and serve a complete Thanksgiving meal for family and friends.

Notes

Students must be 16 years of age or older to enroll in this course.

All ingredients, recipes, equipment, and instructional materials will be provided unless otherwise noted.

Students should wear comfortable clothing suitable for hands-on kitchen activities and closed-toe shoes.

Aprons are recommended, as food preparation may result in spills or splatters.

All participants are expected to follow instructor directions regarding food safety, sanitation, and the proper use of kitchen equipment throughout the class.

Students will prepare a variety of traditional Thanksgiving dishes during the class and will have the opportunity to sample the completed menu.

Portions of selected menu items may also be packaged to take home, as available.