WILLMAR, MINN. – Thanksgiving Day is around the corner and Jennie-O has enlisted the help of culinary experts to answer consumers’ questions about preparing their holiday meals. Chefs and other experts will be on hand to take calls at 1-800-TURKEYS. 

From Nov. 19-25, during normal business hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. CDT, the following chefs and turkey aficionados will be working the 1-800-TURKEYS hotline:  

  • Chef MacKenzie Smith – a two-time Food Network champ, social media influencer, blogger and cookbook author, Smith was named one of Refinery29’s Top 10 New York City Food Instagrams to Follow as well as one of Thrillist’s 24 New York City Instagrams You Need to Follow Right Now. She will be answering hotline calls on Nov. 19 and 24. Smith is not only an expert on cheese, she also describes her food genre as “comfort food that feeds the soul.”    
  • Bev Weidner – Weidner has been sharing "simple, fun and fresh" recipes, plus stories, music and advice on her blog BevCooks since 2010. Often seen on Food Network digital, with recipes published everywhere from Buzzfeed to Self to Moms.com, Bev hosts an online community for people who believe that everything is better with creative comfort food, a good rosé and a good laugh. She will be taking calls on Nov. 20.   
  • Chef Hadassah Patterson – holds degrees in both culinary and hospitality management and is fond of global cuisine. Patterson specializes in dedicated gluten-free cooking with an emphasis on remaking American and Southern classics to a standard that is delicious regardless of dietary need. Patterson is Recent Deaf and fluent in American Sign Language. She will be taking calls on Nov. 20, by appointment. Callers can schedule a time to meet with Patterson by contacting a Jennie-O specialist through the online chat on the company’s website, texting the word Turkey to 73876 or by calling 1-800-TURKEYS. 
  • Chef Richard Ingraham – an LA based, private chef to Gabrielle Union and Dwayne Wade and cookbook author. His new cookbook Eating Well to Win, Inspired Living Through Inspired Cooking, showcases delicious, flavorful recipes that help Chef Richard's celebrity clientele of entertainers and top athletes in the NBA, MLB and NFL reach their peak performance. Ingraham’s recipes are also inspired by his soul cooking background. He will be answering consumer questions at 1-800-TURKEYS on Nov. 20. 
  • Chef Sommelier Christina Machamer – Machamer earned the coveted champion title on FOX’s Hell’s Kitchen, served as executive sous chef under Chef Gordon Ramsay and worked with Chef Thomas Keller on the opening of Bouchon Bistro in Yountville, Calif. She specializes in wine country cuisine with French and Northern Italian influence, and will be taking calls on Nov. 20, 24 and 25. 
  • Dan Phelps – Phelps is a BBQ Smoke fan turned social media influencer, and he’s on the journey to becoming a full-time pitmaster. Consumers can ask him for his expert advice about grilling and smoking a turkey on Nov. 23.  
  • Chef Adrianne Calvo – After finishing at the top of her class at Johnson & Wales University, Calvo’s career path led her to become a restaurateur, cookbook author and TV personality. She’s known for a signature style called eclectic maximum flavor. Once named Miami’s Best Chef by Miami New Times, Calvo is chef and owner of two Miami restaurants – Redfish and Cracked – with menus featuring culinary creations ranging from high high-end gastronomy to high-end junk food. Calvo is bilingual, Spanish speaking and taking calls on Nov. 23.   
  • Chef Grace Ramirez – Miami-born and Venezuela-raised, Ramirez has lived all over the world and built a career that is highly engaged in food-related philanthropic efforts with global organizations including World Central Kitchen. In 2018, she was the recipient of the Distinguished Latina Star Award by the Puerto Rican Bar Association and was featured in Cherrybombe’s 100. A cookbook author and TV personality, Ramirez is the host of the hit series Destino con sabor and De chuparse los dedos, and a judge on the all-new original series Chef a domicilio. She is bilingual, Spanish speaking and will be answering questions on the hotline Nov. 25. 
  • Chef Matt Abdoo – This classically trained chef turned restaurateur is owner of Pig Beach in N.Y. and Fla. Abdoo describes his culinary expertise as ranging from New York Times 4-star Italian cuisine to championship low-and-slow BBQ. His bona fides includes taking first place at the World Series of BBQ Competition in Memphis in May and Eater’s Best Burger in New York City, N.Y. Abdoo is scheduled to take hotline calls on Nov. 25.  

Additionally, Patterson, Calvo, Phelps and Ingraham will partner with Jennie-O to offer online cooking classes Nov. 21 via Zoom. Each is set to demonstrate a different technique for cooking a turkey.  

“We know that the holidays are going to look different this year and we expect there to be a lot of first-time hosts making that Thanksgiving meal,” said Nicole Behne, vice president marketing at Jennie-O. “It’s more important now than ever to provide consumers with resources to keep the holidays stress-free and we’re happy to help by providing access to experts like these that can help ensure this meal is a success.”   

Aside from the 1-800-TURKEYS hotline, home cooks can also reach a Jennie-O consumer engagement specialist via live chat at the JENNIE-O brand website and by texting the word Turkey to 73876 through Nov. 29.