Turkey Day!

Mmmm I love turkey day...aka Thanksgiving.

I love making dinner for my family.  I'm dedicated to the perfect meal and it feels so good when it all turns out perfectly. 

 

 

Turkey

1. Clean it out, wipe it out, dry him up.  Pull out the bag of giblets if included.  I'm not keen on these but I leave them in the pan to cook for the drippings I use for the gravy
2. I salt the outside a bit - usually sea salt for health.  I find that a bit of salt holds in the juices better in all my meats.
3. Butter the outside, I get messy and use my hands to butter that baby.
4. I stuff it sometimes - I know it's not recommended but if you prefer not, I cram with apples and onions.
5. Tie him up, both the neck and the rear.  I use thread and needle to sew with big stitches (maybe four stitches on the back side.  I cover him for the first 3/4 of the cooking
6. Roast the turkey until the meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees F. Don't forget to let the bird rest at least 30 minutes before carving to allow the juices to re-absorb into the flesh. You don't want the moisture to drain out.

Roasting times are for a preheated 325 degrees F. oven.

Approximate Roasting Times for Stuffed Turkey
Turkey Weight	Hours
6 to 8 pounds	3 to 3-1/2 hours
8 to 12 pounds	3-1/2 to 4-1/2 hours
12 to 16 pounds	4-1/2 to 5-1/2 hours
16 to 20 pounds	5-1/2 to 6 hours
20 to 24 pounds	6 to 6-1/2 hours
Approximate Roasting Times for Unstuffed Turkey
Turkey Weight	Hours
6 to 8 pounds	2-1/2 to 3 hours
8 to 12 pounds	3 to 4 hours
12 to 16 pounds	4 to 5 hours
16 to 20 pounds	5 to 5-1/2 hours
20 to 24 pounds	5-1/2 to 6 hours

Stuffing

1 1/2 cups cubed whole wheat bread

3 3/4 cups cubed white bread

1 pound ground turkey sausage

1 cup chopped onion

3/4 cup chopped celery

2 1/2 teaspoons dried sage

1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 Golden Delicious apple, cored and chopped

3/4 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cupminced fresh parsley

3/4 cup turkey stock

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F (175 degree C). Spread the white and whole wheat bread cubes in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes in the preheated oven, or until evenly toasted. Transfer toasted bread cubes to a large bowl.

2. In a large skillet, cook the sausage and onions over medium heat, stirring and breaking up the lumps until evenly browned. Add the celery, sage, rosemary, and thyme; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes to blend flavors.

3. Pour sausage mixture over bread in bowl. Mix in chopped apples, dried cranberries, and parsley. Drizzle with turkey stock and melted butter, and mix lightly. Spoon into turkey to loosely fill.

4. I cook the remaining in a slow cooker on low during the turkey baking.