My oven is broken the night before Thanksgiving!

My oven died about an hour ago. I am responsible for the sweet potato casserole (which I'm pretty sure I can put together here and bake at my daughter in law's house tomorrow), a pecan pie (fingers crossed...toaster oven? Has anyone ever done this?), and Brussels sprouts, which I was going to roast, but.... Am now thinking of braising in a Dutch oven...has anyone done this? Any suggestions for keeping them from turning to mush? Thanks everyone.

Posted by: drbabs
November 21, 2012

9562 views
21 Comments

21 Comments

susan G. November 25, 2012

Sorry I didn't think to mention this earlier -- a while ago I found my oven not working just as I went to heat it for a yeast bread. I asked Hotline, then called the serviceman. He suggested turning off the circuit breaker for 30 seconds, then on again. It worked, and has several times since. ...a check-this-first for an electric oven. (We're fortunate that we've missed kitchen disasters for big event meals!)

drbabs November 25, 2012

Hi susan. Yes, I actually got out the manual, and that's what it said to do. Unfortunately, that didn't work.

drbabs November 25, 2012

Hi, pegeen, yes, I was happy with the pie. I have a rather deep toaster oven, so an 8inch pie dish fit fine. It took an extra 10 minutes or so, but it was good! Hope you've gotten your disposal and dishwasher fixed.

Pegeen November 25, 2012

Drbabs, so glad it worked out. Wondering if you were happy with the pie? I've had to do a few pies in toaster oven - had to rework the pie into two smaller dishes, but result was fine. Our Thanksgiving malady stories are about the sink disposal and the dishwasher. You could easily live without either, but there were so many people around who were disappointed with the football that day, they could not keep their hands off "fixing" things - which caused more trouble than the malfunctioning equipment. :-)

drbabs November 24, 2012

Oh, calendar girl, a clogged sink sounds almost as bad. Thanks and next to you also. XO

calendargirl November 24, 2012

Hi drbabs, missed this while dealing with a clogged sink. These things always happen on holidays, don't they? You managed beautifully and the pie is glorious! For reference when dealing with future disasters or non disasters, I routinely bake pies in our toaster oven with excellent results. Best to you, xx

mainecook61 November 23, 2012

Reminds me of the time the refrigerator failed on the day before a big Christmas dinner. Fortunately, it being Maine, it was cold and everything could be hauled into the wood shed, which functioned as a giant walk-in (albeit a bit of a walk) refrigerator.

drbabs November 24, 2012

You could call that exercise, which would give you an excuse to eat more.

Reiney November 23, 2012

Wow, well done! A couple years ago my parents' induction stovetop broke 2 days before Christmas (and couldn't be fixed until well after)... so I feel your pain. But nothing like improvising to bring out the true chef! ;)

drbabs November 24, 2012

Ugh, that sounds awful. But yes, the improvising turned out to be a lot of fun.

hardlikearmour November 23, 2012

Whoa! Congrats on pulling it off - though I have complete faith in your ability to improvise! Happy Turkey Feast Recovery Day!!

drbabs November 24, 2012

Thanks, hla! Happy recovery day to you as well!

SeaJambon November 23, 2012

So happy! See, we knew you'd do it! Bet it was the best ever, and next year everyone asks if you can do those "small batch" brussel sprouts again!

drbabs November 24, 2012

:)thanks again,

drbabs November 23, 2012

Hi everyone. Thank you again. I pan roasted the brussels sprouts in small batches as Kristen recommended. They heated up beautifully while the turkey rested. And here's the pie that was baked in the toaster oven:

mrslarkin November 21, 2012

Never a dull moment! For the pie, I would definitely try the toaster oven, if it fits.
How about Brussels Sprouts on the grill? http://food52.com/recipes/1299_grilled_brussels_sprouts
Or caramelized on the stovetop in butter and bacon fat? http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Brussels-Sprouts-and-Bacon
Good luck drbabs, and happy Thankgiving to you and yours.

drbabs November 21, 2012

Thanks, mrslarkin. Grill could work if it's not too cold. But no butter and bacon fat...some family members still pretend to keep kosher around here! My brother in law is here, and he's a great baker. We've decided to try the toaster oven for the pie. I'll report back later. Happy thanksgiving to you and yours also!

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SeaJambon November 21, 2012

While I don't have any additional thoughts, I'm sending love and patience your way! Just know that all of us who have followed you so loyally for so long, know that you'll come out of this smiling and with wonderful Thanksgiving contributions! Based on past performance, we know you'll find a way that will somehow turn out more magnificent (and definitely more memorable!) than what you initially planned.

drbabs November 21, 2012

Seajambon, you just about made me cry! That is so sweet. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Kristen M. November 21, 2012

Can you do the brussels sprouts in batches in a couple skillets? Then I'd let them cool enough so that they won't steam and get mushy before loading them into a vessel for transport. They'll be good at room temp or gently re-warmed. As for the pecan pie, can you: a) bake it at a neighbor's b) bake it at your daughter in law's c) come up with a contingency pudding or ice cream with caramel pecan sauce that you can make stove-top?

We feel your pain! But you can make it work, and everyone will completely understand if the pie isn't exactly pie.

drbabs November 21, 2012

Thanks, Kristen, these are great suggestions. Happy Thanksgiving! XO

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