Moms Holiday Turkey Recipes

MOM'S THANKSGIVING TURKEY RECIPE

Steps:

• Thirty-five minutes before you need to start roasting the turkey, set out a large roasting pan with a rack. Take the turkey out of the fridge and remove the wrapping. Remove the plastic ring from the turkey legs. There is no need to rinse the turkey, unless there is any ice remaining inside the cavities. If so, rinse the cavity to loosen the ice so you can remove it.
• Check both cavities of the turkey to remove the bag of giblets and the neck. Either save the neck for stock or discard it. Pat the turkey and cavities dry and place the turkey on the rack in your pan. Wash your hands well.
• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F and make sure there is room for the turkey on the center rack with nothing above it. Rinse and dry your orange and lemon. Cut them in half, then in half again. Peel your onion and quarter it. Peel your garlic and leave the cloves whole. Set a couple tablespoons of butter next to your turkey.
• Add salt and pepper to the turkey's large cavity. (If you'll be using salted butter, just lightly sprinkle the cavity with salt.) Stuff the cavity with the quartered orange, lemon, and onion. Add the garlic cloves.
• Rub two tablespoons of butter all over the outside of the turkey. You can place some under the skin if there's extra. Tuck the wings under the shoulders so the tips won't burn during roasting. Wash your hands well.
• To make the basting sauce, melt a stick of butter (8 tablespoons) in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock and a cup of white wine. Squeeze in the juice of one lemon. Peel two garlic cloves and add them to the pan, along with the pepper. Whisk to combine and cook until it's heated through.
• Pour half of the basting sauce all over the turkey. Loosely cover the turkey with foil and place the turkey in the heated oven. Set a timer for 3 hours (or 13 minutes per pound). Set a second timer for 45 minutes, because you will be basting the turkey every 45 minutes. The sauce can stay at room temperature for up to two hours. Refrigerate it at that point and reheat it on the stove before basting again.
• Every 45 minutes, take the turkey out of the oven and quickly close the door so the heat won't escape. Baste the turkey with some basting sauce (if you don't have a turkey baster, just spoon some of the sauce over the turkey.) If the pan juices are getting dried out, add some water to the pan. Cover the turkey loosely with foil and continue baking.
• Remove the foil during the last hour of roasting, so the skin can brown.
• Use an instant thermometer to check for doneness. The turkey needs to reach 165 degrees F to be fully cooked. Check the temperature of the breast, a drumstick and thigh to make sure they're all at least 165 degrees. If the temperature is less than that, roast the turkey for another 15 minutes or so.
• When the turkey is done, place it on a cutting board and loosely cover it with foil. Let the turkey rest for 20-30 minutes to let the meat absorb the juices.
• While the turkey is resting, make the gravy. Melt five tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute while whisking.
• Add 2 1/2 cups chicken stock and 1/2 cup water to the saucepan. Whisk to combine. Add your Worcestershire, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Whisk constantly as the gravy cooks.
• To thicken the gravy, add a teaspoon of corn starch to a tiny bowl. Spoon some of the gravy over the corn starch and whisk to combine. Add this mixture to your saucepan of gravy and continue whisking until the gravy thickens. Keep in mind, it will thicken further when it cools.
• Carve the turkey and serve with gravy. Store leftover turkey and gravy separately in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

MOM'S BARBEQUE STYLE TURKEY

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Place onion, celery, and green pepper in the skillet, and cook 5 minutes. Mix in the ketchup, brown sugar, chili powder, and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt. Cook over low heat until bubbly. Stir in the turkey, cover, and simmer 30 minutes.

MOM'S HOLIDAY TURKEY AND DRESSING

Steps:

• Make your dressing the day before your meal.
• Remove heart, gizzards, liver and neck from thawed turkey and place in pan with enough water to keep covered while boiling; skim off foam.
• Add salt, pepper, onion, parsley flakes and bay leaf.
• Cook about 3 hours or until tender; remove from heat; save broth for later.
• Depending on size of turkey, grind the celery, onions, heart, gizzards, liver and meat from neck.
• In 10 inch fry pan, fry ground up mixture in 1/4 lb. oleo or butter until water evaporates; cool.
• In a large roaster, using your hands, combine stuffing cubes and eggs with fried mixture; moisten with broth. Salt and pepper to taste.
• Refrigerate overnight.
• To prepare turkey, stuff both cavities with the dressing and close up.
• Melt oleo or butter; pour over turkey.
• Cover wings and legs with foil.
• Pour remainder of broth on turkey.
• If needed, add water so you have 2 inches of liquid in roaster.
• Roast at 375 degrees for 3/4 hour uncovered.
• Turn oven down to 325 degrees; cover and continue cooking until legs begin to pull away from turkey.
• Baste occasionally.
• From a distance, make sure the little ones get to see that bird coming out of the oven to be basted. It's a real treat for them.
• When done, remove stuffing to serving dish.
• Good luck removing turkey from roaster. Carve, serve, and give thanks.

MOM'S ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Make sure turkey is thawed. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Rinse inside of turkey, pat inside and outside dry with paper towels. Sprinkle inside of turkey with a little lemon pepper.
• Prepare turkey dressing, spoon into turkey cavities. (If do not use stuffing inside turkey, place large pieces of onion inside.). Tuck ends of drumsticks under band of skin across tail or wire or nylon leg clamp. Twist wing tips under back.
• Brush the whole turkey with oil/butter. Season the whole turkey with seasoning salt and lemon pepper lightly.
• Place the turkey breast side down; on a rack in a roasting pan. (I know! Everyone bakes them breast side up but that makes the breast dry! Cooking it breast side down lets the yummy juices flow into the breast.).
• If using a meat thermometer, insert it into the center of inside thigh muscle. The thermometer should not touch bone. Cover turkey loosely with foil.
• Roast turkey for 2 1/4 hours. (Adjust baking time according to turkey size).
• Remove foil; cut band or string between drumsticks so thighs cook evenly. Continue to cook until meat thermometer or instant-read thermometer registers 180 degrees F. Juices should run clear and drumsticks should move easily in sockets.
• Remove turkey from oven. Cover loosely with foil; let stand for 20 minutes before carving.