*My 1st Turkey Day*?

Question

Hey guys...I need a little help. This is my first Thanksgiving being married and my first time cooking the dinner. I need a basic, beginners recipe for roasted turkey. I want it a little brown and crispy on the outside. (Kinda like the routisserie chicken you can buy already cooked). I'm usually a great cook, but this TurkeyDay has me a little nervous!
Please Help!!
Thanks!

Answer 1

Best of luck...have fun and don't stress out LOL....it will all turn out just great. I hope this helps

Roast Turkey:

1 16 to 18 pound turkey
1 tablespoon dried rosemary, crumbled
2 teaspoons ground sage
2 teaspoons dried thyme, crumbled
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
kosher salt
salt pork (optional)
bacon (optional)
1 stick butter, melted
garlic powder
paprika
1 can broth, for basting

Choose a plump turkey. Clean and dry thoroughly inside and out. Remove giblets and turkey neck from inside of turkey and rub liberally with kosher salt. Brine turkey, if desired. Combine rosemary, sage, thyme, salt and pepper in small bowl. Rub some in each cavity.
Pack body cavity loosely with the stuffing (see below) you will be using, or prepare stuffing separately (do not stuff turkey until the last minute before cooking). If turkey is being stuffed, truss or sew closed, or fasten with small lacing skewers and cotton string. Tuck in wings and fold tail in over the stuffing.

The skin over the breast of the turkey can be loosened and thin strips of lean salt pork may be placed just under the skin to keep the breast meat moist. The wings and thighs can also be wrapped with bacon strips, if desired. Brush the top of the turkey generously with melted butter, and sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper, and paprika.

Roast turkey, uncovered, at 375°F, basting frequently with melted butter and turkey or chicken broth, or pan juices. After 1 hour, baste and sprinkle with seasonings again, then make a tent with aluminum foil and cover breast loosely. Reduce heat to 325°F and continue roasting for another hour, basting occasionally.

Uncover breast and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest portion of the thigh registers 165°F (be careful not to allow the thermometer to hit a bone or the reading will be false). This will take about 90 to 110 minutes longer, depending upon the size of the turkey and the oven being used. (Convection oven cooking time should be reduced by 25% - see your oven manual).

While the turkey is roasting, prepare giblet gravy (see below).

When turkey is golden brown and done, allow it to sit for 20 minutes to rest before carving. Transfer turkey to a serving platter. Reserve the pan drippings for gravy. Don't wait for the little plastic "pop-up" devices to pop, or it's likely that the bird will be overdone and dry.

If you don't own an instant read thermometer, test to see if turkey is cooked by inserting the tines of a large fork into the upper thigh. If juice is not pink, then turkey is done.

Carve turkey by removing drumstick, wings and thick by running a sharp carving knife through joints. Remove breast and slice diagonally across the grain. Serve with stuffing, gravy, and your favorite sides.


Giblet Gravy:

giblets
2-3 celery stalks
2-3 bay leaves
1 onion
3-4 garlic cloves
salt
pepper
Wondra or all purpose flour
turkey/chicken bouillon or soup base
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
5-7 sage leaves, minced
pan drippings


Simmer giblets (save liver for something other than gravy) with a few stalks of celery and several bay leaves, an onion and 3-4 cloves garlic in a medium saucepan. Season with salt and pepper, to taste and simmer, reducing volume until broth is flavorful. Thicken with Wondra or all purpose flour to desired thickness. Add Turkey or chicken bouillon or soup base, if desired, and 1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms. Stir in 5-7 leaves fresh sage, minced or 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage. When turkey is done, add some of the pan drippings to this gravy, pouring off excess fat first.
If stuffing is to be baked outside of the turkey, place this in the oven during the last 45 minutes of roasting, alongside the turkey.


Stuffing:

1 lb. chicken gizzards, finely chopped
1 lb. pork sausage, crumbled
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 shallot
2 stalks celery, minced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 teaspoon sage, chopped
1/2 teaspoon paprika
pinch of celery seed
2 1/2 cups Swanson Chicken Broth
1 stick butter
Pepperidge Farm Herb Cubed Stuffing cubes
1-2 eggs
3-4 tablespoons parsley, chopped


For a flavorful stuffing, saute finely chopped chicken gizzards and crumbled pork sausage in 1 tablespoon each olive oil and butter with 2-3 cloves minced garlic, 1 shallot, 2 stalks minced celery, 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh sage, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, and a pinch of celery seed. Add 2 1/2 cups Swanson Chicken broth and 1 stick butter. When butter melts, stir in 1 14 oz. package of Pepperidge Farm Herb Cubed Stuffing cubes. Mix well; remove from heat and quickly stir in 1-2 eggs, and 3-4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley.
Pack stuffing into a buttered baking dish, cover with aluminum foil, removing foil to allow stuffing to brown during the last 20 minutes (the stuffing can be browned after the turkey is removed by increasing oven temperature to 425°F.)

Answer 2

First of all, calm down. Baking a turkey is no worse than baking a chicken. Keep your menu simple. For a really great roasted turkey? Use the stuffing you normally would do to your and your family's taste, set aside. Clean your bird well, dry and pat off with paper towels. Now, take some butter, soften it, add fresh thyme, garlic, rosemary, a small bit of crumbled bayleaf, and sage. Season with salt and pepper to taste, roll it in saran into a log. Freeze this. Pull it out when you are ready to do your bird. Slice disks of the butter and place under the skin. Do this all over. This keeps the bird tender, juicy and seasoned. It also crisps the skin. Fill your bird, tht you also put pats of the butter in, close the skin, tie, and bake for 3 hours at 325. Now, before you bake, do ths also. Make a mirre poix, of carrots, celery, onions, root veggies you like, chop them and let your bird sit on this. Add a bottle of white wine to the veggies. This will help become a base for your gravy. As the bird bakes, baste it with wine from the bottom of the pan and brandy. Talk about a feast. Girl you can't lose with this. Its easy, makes you look like a pro in the kitchen. Cook your sweet potatoes, ect, as you normally would, and if you are fearfull about baking? Get pies from your bakery. Done. This will blow away anyone who you want to impress.

Answer 3

See Butterball.com recipes.
See Meat Mgr @ local store.
BBQ the turkey.
Add Cajun spice to mix.
Make Unique.
Be daring.
Serve wine.
Garlic potatoes.
Black beans
Have a Theme Turkey dinner.
IF U want.
Be creative.
Serve Vodka martinis.
Have FUN.
Test ideas out on others.
Poll friends.
Get Help Thanksgiving day alone.
Dont cook alone.

Answer 4

You may need both for your daily intake i wood express just as good as the other person. Granta

Answer 5

Will depend on on the context really. Which is better as a snack - fresh fruit personally. It's tastier and gives you that little of sweetness. Which can be better as a snack if you are trying hard to slice back on sugar and lose weight vegetables

Answer 6

just follow the directions on the package

make sure it is cooked enough

Answer 7

You don't have to make as big a spread as you may remember at your mom's or grandmother's home! Let yourself off the hoook and enjoy it. Time to make new memories!

Perfect Roast Turkey

1 fresh turkey (12 pounds)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch of fresh thyme
1 lemon, halved
3 Spanish onions
1 head garlic, halved crosswise
4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick), melted
1/2 cup good olive oil
8 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
10 red new potatoes, halved
3 heads fennel, fronds removed, cut into wedges through the core

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Take the giblets out of the turkey and wash the turkey inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the turkey cavity. Stuff the cavity with the thyme, lemon, one of the onions (quartered), and the garlic. Brush the outside of the turkey with the butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey. Peel and slice the remaining onions, toss them with 1/4 cup olive oil, and scatter them around the turkey.

Roast the turkey for 1 hour. Toss the carrots, potatoes, and fennel with 1/4 cup olive oil and add to the roasting pan. Continue to roast for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Remove the turkey to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil; let rest for 20 minutes.

Stir the vegetables and return the pan to the oven. Continue to cook the vegetables while the turkey rests. Slice the turkey and serve on a platter with the roasted vegetables. Serves 8.

--Ina Garten
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Want a couple other easy but yummy sides? :-)

Butter Pecan Sweet Potatoes

8 med. sweet potatoes (5 lbs.)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Kosher salt
2 Tbsp. cold butter, cut into small pieces
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1/3 cup pecans
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Peel potatoes. Halve lengthwise, slice crosswise into ½” thick slices. On a baking sheet, toss potatoes w/ olive oil and salt. Transfer half the potatoes to a 2nd baking sheet. Bake until tender about 25-35 min., tossing occasionally. Toss potatoes with butter, brown sugar, pecans, and cayenne pepper, dividing evenly between both baking sheets. Bake again until sugar is caramelized and hard, about 10 minutes. Gently toss and serve. Serves 8.

--Everyday FOOD
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Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
Kosher salt
3 pounds boiling potatoes, such as Yukon gold, peeled
1/2 cup milk
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a large pot, boil 4 quarts of water and 2 tablespoons of salt. Cut the potatoes into 1½”cubes and add them to the boiling water. Bring the water to a boil again, lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes, until the potatoes fall apart easily when pierced with a fork.

Meanwhile, heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan, making sure it doesn't boil. Set aside until the potatoes are done.

Drain potatoes and mash w/ hand masher or food mill. Stir in the hot milk-and-butter mixture with a whisk or rubber spatula. Add enough buttermilk to make the potatoes creamy. Add 2 tsp salt and the pepper, to taste, and serve hot.

--Ina Garten
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Green Bean Bundles
(can make a day or two before, and toss in the oven on T-Day!)

2 (16 oz) cans whole green beans
8 slices of bacon, cut into halves I use the Center cut bacon
1 tsp. garlic powder, or to taste
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Drain beans and arrange into bundles of 5 beans. Wrap each bundle with 1/2 slice bacon. Arrange seam side down in baking dish with sides not touching.

Sprinkle with garlic powder. Drizzle with mixture of butter and brown sugar.

Bake for 30 minutes or until bacon is cooked through.
Yield: 16 servings
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Green Beans with Bacon-Balsamic Vinaigrette
2 pounds green beans
2 bacon slices
1/4 cup minced shallots
3 Tbsp. coarsely chopped almonds
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar

Cook green beans in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain well; set aside.
Cook bacon in a small skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet. Crumble; set aside. Add shallots to bacon fat in skillet; sauté 1 minute. Add almonds; sauté 1 minute. Remove and let cool. Add sugar and vinegar; stir until sugar dissolves. Add crumbled bacon.
Pour vinaigrette over beans, tossing gently to coat.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)

CALORIES 75(31% from fat); FAT 2.6g (sat 0.5g,mono 1.4g,poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 3.4g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 54mg; SODIUM 50mg; FIBER 2.8g; IRON 1.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 11.8g
Cooking Light, November 1996.

--Cooking Light Complete Cookbook
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Cranberry Fruit Conserve

1 (12 oz) bag of fresh cranberries, cleaned
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 orange, zest grated and juiced
1 lemon, zest grated and juiced
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Cook the cranberries, sugar, and water in a saucepan over low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the skins pop open. Add the apple, zests, and juices and cook for 15 more minutes. Remove from the heat and add the raisins and nuts. Let cool, and serve chilled.

--Ina Garten