5 Sneaky Shortcuts to a Healthier, Easier Thanksgiving Dinner

8tbsp. unsalted butter

1/4cup turkey stock or water

 Cheesecloth

The day before, rinse turkey under cold water and pat dry. Season inside and out with salt; cover in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 24 hours. Remove 1 to 2 hours prior to cooking to bring to room temperature. (Key, or your bird will be undercooked!)

Preheat oven to 425°F, and set rack on lowest rung. In the turkey's neck cavity, place a few cloves garlic, two sprigs each oregano and thyme, and 1 lemon quarter; wrap neck skin over and around the cavity. In the body cavity, place half the remaining garlic, oregano, and thyme, 2 lemon quarters, half the onion and fennel, and fennel leaves. Put turkey, breast side up, on a rack set in a roasting pan. Tuck wing tips under bird.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add remaining garlic, oregano, thyme, lemon, onion, and fennel, plus stock, and boil. Then simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Soak a double layer of cheesecloth big enough to cover the bird in butter mixture; drape over breast and legs of turkey. Pour remaining mixture over bird.

Place turkey in oven and roast for 45 minutes; lower to 375°F, and roast until a thermometer inserted into thigh reads 160°F, about 30 minutes more, discarding cloth for final 10 minutes. (Cooking times may vary.) Remove from oven; let rest for 20 minutes (so temp rises to 165°F); carve. Serves 6.

Next: Tasty Cranberry Ideas »

Try the quick tangy two-step sauce or elevate a canned version with a crunchy topping.

__3. How can I make a great cranberry sauce—fast?

—Claire H., 31, Oxford, Miss.__

"If you're rushing, it takes only a few minutes to give canned sauce extra pizzazz. Or in just 25 minutes, you can cook up a sweet and tangy bowl from scratch," says Eisenpress, the genius behind the book In the Small Kitchen and the blog Big Girls, Small Kitchen. Try one of her recipes here.

BOOST a basic can…

"A walnut and coconut topping adds heartiness to a store-bought sauce," she says.

Cut a 14-oz. can cranberry sauce into eight slices; put in ramekins. Mash, if desired.

Coarsely chop 1/2 cup walnuts; toast in a dry frying pan over medium heat until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Using the same technique, toast 1/3 cup__unsweetened coconut flakes__ until edges turn golden, 2 to 5 minutes.

Divide nuts, coconut, and 1 cup dried cranberries over cranberry sauce in ramekins. Serves 8.

…OR Do it homemade

Eisenpress's secret ingredient: orange juice. "It brings out the fruitiness in the cranberries," she says.

In a medium saucepan, combine 4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, 2 cups__sugar__, 1 1/2 cups__orange juice__, and 1/2 cup__dried cherries__. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat (it takes about 10 minutes; the mixture will look foamy), stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar.

Reduce heat and simmer, stirring until berries burst and cherries expand, about 15 minutes. (Frozen cranberries may take longer to cook.) Let cool. Serves 8.