How Do you all?????

Question

First time making thanks giving dinner...How do most of you cook your turkeys in the oven??? Do you wrap it with foil? or use a turkey roasting bag...or do you leave it uncovered??? what do you usually use to season your birds? do you put veggies in or around it while its cooking??? do you stuff yours with stuffing or anything??? any tips you have fo making a turkey would greatly help me oyt !!! thank you

Answer 1

Here's how I do it, let's go basics first, 15min per lb unstuffed, 20min per lb stuffed at 325 oven temp. OK, rinse your bird, pat dry, S&P inside and out, into the cavity AFTER you pull the pouch out with the giblets, I stuff with 1/4C Sage dry or fresh, 1/4C Thyme, dry or fresh, 2 brown onions, rough chopped, 3 oranges, squeezed and pushed inside, 4 crushed cloves of Garlic,inside.
2 sticks of butter softened, are use under the breast skin, just slide your hand between the skin and the breast meat and push the butter in and move it all over in there.
Now, oven @ 450, bird in, 30min, after 30 turn down to 325 and bake for the afore mention per lb time. After the first hour tent the bird with foil to keep it from over browning, if it's not brown enough for you in the last 1/2 hour take the foil off. Instant read thermometer in the thigh should read about 175, the temp will go up around 10 degrees while at rest before you carve.
Make your stuffing on the side, you can control the moisture content better that way. Good Luck

Answer 2

Your first turkey - so I will try to make it easy.

CHOOSING THE TURKEY:
When you choose the turkey, the fresh is best and remember if it's frozen, it has to be defrosted at least 2 days IN YOUR REFRIGERATOR. Roasting takes one hour for each 4 pounds of turkey, and if you have a large crowd and need 20+ pounds of turkey, IT'S EASIER TO HAVE 2 ten pound turkeys that handling one 22 pound turkey...and then you have double the number of drum sticks and wings!

Have a large enough roasting pan and if you use the foil pans, you need two because they are very heavy with the turkey stuffing and you don't want it to be too flexible when you remove it from the oven.
Using the roasting bag method inside of the large roasting pan is the easiest method and may decrease your roasting time by an hour!!! It still makes the top of the turkey brown because you poke holes in the top of the bag after you put the stuffed turkey inside of the bag.
A good idea is to have the turkey sit on a rack - and the best is the rack with the two side handles for ease of removing the turkey after you cut away the bag when the turkey is done and removed from the oven.

1. Stuffing - any day old bread cut into cubes, or the bag of cubes - with no spices or flavoring - because you want to control that.
2. Cut into small pieces: onions (about 2+ large) and a few stalks of celery (fresh). Fry both together in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste (about 1 tablespoon of salt and a little pepper).
I like adding crushed garlic cloves - about 2 and fry them with the same mixture.
3. Buy poultry seasoning (that's the name of it in the grocery store in the seasoning section). Add about 1/2 teaspoon to the fried mixture.
4. Mix the fried mixture to the bread cubes.
5. Add the canned or boxed chicken or turkey broth to make the mixture moist....based on how much stuffing you need, based on the size of the turkey you are choosing.
Cool the mixture and put it aside to stuff the turkey.

Turkey: After it's defrosted, wash it quickly with water inside and outside.

1. Inside put one small onion cut in quarters inside the cavity. Now add your stuffing to both openings. Try to close the openings with a slice of bread and then tie the legs closed when you are finished putting the stuffing inside.

2. Use the roasting bag method if that seems easy to you. This catches the gravy inside the bag...and is easy...just read all of the directions first.

3. Roast about 325 - 350 depending on your oven, according to the instructions on the turkey and the roasting bag.
Generally 4 lbs of turkey takes 1 hour.

Get someone to help you with the gravy. I suggest removing some of the drippings into a separate saucepan. 1/2 teaspoon of corn starch mixed with a little cold water, for each cup of drippings.
You can always add more corn starch & water if you want it thicker. Cook with the drippings in a saucepan about 5-10 minutes stirring constantly so there are few lumps from the corn starch.

Don't forget mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, and salad...and of course deep dish Mrs. Smith's apple pie, or pumpkin pie....the deep dish ones have better crust.

I suggest champagne for the adult drinks or ginger ale!

Answer 3

I roast my turkey in a big roasting pan. The only thing I do before is rub butter on the outside, and add a little salt and pepper. I put it in the roaster, and cover it with the lid, and bake for the required number of hours per pound (usually indicated on the package). I don't put stuffing in the turkey, I make it separate. I take the lid off just before I take it out of the oven so it will brown. I don't put vegetables in with it, I make all the side dishes separate. This always works well, and it always turns out great. Simple, but good.

Answer 4

Steve's got a good answer (usually does). I do not add veggies, they are cooked seperatly.
Roasting means un-covered in the oven. If you cover it it will be basically steamed. I steam for the first hours, then roast for the last 20 - 30 minutes. Your turkey is done when the iinternal temp is 185. Let rest 20 minutes min.. before carving.
Get a meat thermometer!! You will use it for every roast you make, and never again worry about over or undercooking your meat!!
And don't be nervous, it's not rocket science.

Answer 5

I put mine in a big plastic bag filled with water with 1 cup salt and 1 cup sugar and a few garlic cloves to marinate over night. When it's time to cook it, I dry the bird very well and butter it all over. I set the oven to 350. I do not cover the bird. 20 minutes per lb, it takes about 3 to 4 hours depending on the size. You will see how nice and golden brown it is by then. I don't put anything else in the roaster. Nor do I stuff the bird.

Answer 6

We already made ours since we celebrated early. We stabbed ours several times and put garlic cloves in the little holes. Then rubbed it with olive oil and melted butter and lemon juice. Then put the lemon halves in the cavity with fresh rosemary sprigs. It was on a rack in the roasting pan, with a cup or two of chicken broth in the bottom. We loosely put a sheet of foil over it until the last half hour so it would brown on top. It turned out great! And the stuffing was made separately because I'm nutty about food safety. :)