Making a delivery during Thanksgiving can be a lonely experience for anyone. It’s you, your truck and the open road. Many people outside of the trucking industry have the same experience and many have their own way of celebrating the holidays while out on delivery.
Cooking a Turkey
We understand that the requirements to cook a full-sized turkey while on the road can be difficult. The space required alone can leave you without any room for a side dish. Don’t worry, there are a plethora of different sized birds you can choose from.
The best way to have Thanksgiving on the road is to purchase a small turkey. The shortest prep time for small turkeys is roughly three-hours. Now, for a trucker, three hours is a long time to sit and wait for something to cook, so maybe have it prepared before you leave. They can be transported with ease and will provide enough food for a couple of days. This will save you time and money while on the road.
A great way to save time while cooking the bird is a simple crockpot. This will allow the turkey to cook without drying out or frying! Simply throw any diced onions, gravy or any other vegetable that you may want into the pot. You may need to purchase a power inverter if you don’t already have one, but all you need to do is secure the lid, set it on low-temp and hit the road!
Thanksgiving Side Dishes
Everyone has a preference for side dishes. Thanksgiving is all about stuffing your belly to the brim so having plenty of options can be beneficial (as long as you have enough space in your truck). We have a few easy side dishes to make your holiday feel like home.
Mashed Potatoes
Sure, there are plenty of recipes out there if you were to make mashed potatoes from scratch, but you’ve put all your efforts into cooking a turkey. Unless you have multiple power inverters, you will need to wait till your bird is ready before you can start on the next section. Mashed potatoes are an easy way to be ready with a side before your turkey is done. Most places you stop at (whether it is a truck stop or gas station) will likely have a box of ready-to-make mashed potatoes. The other ingredient is milk or butter. These can also be found at the same store. Another factor to note is that most of these places also have a microwave. Simply purchase the above ingredients, mix them together, throw them in the microwave for a couple of minutes and you’ll be ready to eat!
Cranberry Sauce
This is an easy one. This Thanksgiving you may only need a can of cranberry sauce and a can opener. Simply open the can, layout the sauce and you’ll be ready to eat. You can’t get much easier than this!
Thanksgiving Stuffing
This one requires your crockpot but won’t take nearly as much time as the turkey. This would be a good cooking start for your trip. Simply throw the stuffing in the pot and add anything from cranberries onions, and sage, set the temp to low, and wait! Again, this is best done before your turkey. You can use a Tupperware container and then reheat the stuffing once your turkey is done. Buying a bag of stuffing will keep you fed for a few days at least!
Your Own Thanksgiving Dinner
Everyone has their own way to celebrate the holidays. If you have a special way to make dinner, then add it to the mix! This is simply a guideline to make an easy and delicious Thanksgiving meal.
