Savory Apple Onion Turkey Recipes

SAVORY HERB RUB ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• 1. Place oven rack in lowest position. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place roasting rack in shallow roasting pan. Mix sage, paprika, seasoned salt, garlic powder, pepper and nutmeg in small bowl.
• 2. Place turkey, breast-side up, in prepared pan. Sprinkle about 1/2 of the seasoning mixture inside turkey. Stuff with onion and bay leaves. Brush turkey breast with oil. Spread remaining seasoning mixture over entire surface and under skin of turkey. Add 1/2 cup water to pan. Cover turkey loosely with heavy duty foil.
• 3. Roast 1 hour. Remove foil. Roast 2 to 2 1/2 hours longer or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F (175 degrees F in thigh), basting occasionally with pan juices. Remove turkey from oven. Let stand 20 minutes. Transfer to platter or carving board to slice. Reserve pan juices to make gravy or to serve with turkey.

APPLE-SAGE ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. In a small saucepan, combine apple cider, jelly and butter. Cook and stir until butter is melted. Remove from heat and set aside., In a small bowl, combine minced sage and butter. With fingers, carefully loosen skin from the turkey breast; rub butter mixture under the skin. Brush turkey with apple cider. Sprinkle salt and pepper over turkey and inside cavity., Place apples, onion and sage leaves inside the cavity. Tuck wings under turkey; tie drumsticks together. Place breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan., Bake, uncovered, 3-1/2 to 4 hours or until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 170°-175°, basting occasionally with cider mixture. Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly. Cover and let stand 20 minutes before slicing. Freeze option: Place sliced turkey in freezer containers; top with any cooking juices. Cool and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a covered saucepan, gently stirring and adding a little broth or water if necessary.

APPLE & HERB ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Combine sage and rosemary. With fingers, carefully loosen skin from the turkey breast; rub herbs under the skin. Secure skin to underside of breast with toothpicks., Place breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Place apple, onion and celery in turkey cavity. Brush turkey with butter., Roast, uncovered, until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 170°-175°, 3 to 3-1/2 hours. (Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly.) Remove turkey from oven; brush with apple jelly. Tent with foil and let stand 15 minutes before removing toothpicks and carving.

CARAMELIZED APPLES AND ONIONS

Steps:

• In 10-inch skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Cook onions in butter 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden.
• Stir in apples; cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until caramel colored. Remove from heat; stir in salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve warm.

ALMANZO'S FRIED APPLES N ONIONS

Steps:

• Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat; cook and stir apples, onion, brown sugar, and cinnamon in the melted butter until onions are translucent and sauce is slightly reduced, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool before serving.

SAVORY APPLE-ONION TURKEY

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°. Prepare turkey for roasting, reserving giblets to make Giblet Stock if desired.
• Fasten neck skin to back of turkey with skewer. Fold wings across back of turkey so tips are touching. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the onion salt in cavity.
• Place turkey, breast side up, on rack in shallow roasting pan. Starting at back opening of the turkey, gently separate skin from turkey breast, using fingers. Place half slices of bacon under the skin; secure skin at lower edge with toothpick or metal skewer. Place onion and apple in turkey cavity. Brush oil over turkey; sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon onion salt. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is in thickest part of inside thigh muscle and does not touch bone. (Do not add water or cover turkey.)
• Roast uncovered 3 hours to 3 hours 30 minutes. While turkey is roasting, make Giblet Stock to use in gravy. After roasting about 2 hours, when it begins to turn golden, place a tent of aluminum foil loosely over turkey.
• About 40 minutes before turkey is done, heat jelly and mustard to boiling in 1 1/2- quart saucepan; reduce heat. Simmer about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until jelly is melted. Set aside until turkey is almost done. Generously brush apple glaze over turkey frequently during last 30 minutes of roasting.
• Turkey is done when thermometer reads 180° and juice of turkey is no longer pink when you cut into center of thigh. The drumstick should move easily when lifted or twisted. If a meat thermometer is not used, begin testing for doneness after about 2 hours 30 minutes. When turkey is done, place on warm platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Let stand about 15 minutes for easiest carving.
• Make Apple Cider Gravy. Serve gravy with turkey. Cover and refrigerate any remaining turkey and gravy separately.
• Method for Giblet Stock: Place all ingredients in 3-quart saucepan; add enough water to cover. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer1 hour. Strain the stock through colander or wire strainer, discarding giblets, neck and onion. Refrigerate until need to make gravy. Method for Apple Cider Gravy: Pour drippings (turkey juices and fat) from roasting pan into 4-cup measuring cup, leaving brown bits in pan. Add enought Giblet Stock to drippings to measure 3 cups; pour into 3-quart saucepan and set aside. Pour apple cider into roasting pan; cook over medium heat, stirrin constantly, until all browned bits are released. Transfer cider mixture to liquid in 3-quart saucepan. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat. Beat flour and water in small bowl with wire whisk until well blended. Beat flour mixture into boiling liquid, using wire whisk; continu boiling and whisking 1 minute. Stir in salt and pepper.

MOM & DAD'S ROASTED TURKEY WITH SAVORY APPLE-WALNUT DRESSING

Steps:

• STEPS TO PREPARE THE TURKEY FOR ROASTING:.
• Arrange the racks in the oven so that the turkey will fit on the middle shelf. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Use a tablespoon of vegetable oil to lightly grease the bottom of the roasting pan, fit a roasting rack inside the pan. DO NOT STUFF THE TURKEY UNTIL JUST BEFORE ROASTING.
• When ready to stuff and roast the turkey, remove the neck, giblets, heart and livers; set aside for the stuffing. Rinse the outside and cavities of the bird under cold, running water. Place the turkey on several layers of paper towels to drain. Using additional paper towels, pat the outside and cavities dry; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• STEPS TO PREPARE THE STUFFING:.
• Carefully wash the giblets, heart, livers and neck previously set aside; drain and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in a small pot and cover with water. Bring to a simmer over a medium flame; simmer for about 1 hour - uncovered. Strain the stock into a container for use with the stuffing. Place giblets, heart and livers in a medium bowl (BOWL #1). Remove meat from neck and add to the bowl.
• In a medium saute' pan, brown the sausage roll over a medium flame. Drain the meat and add to BOWL #1. Reserve the sausage drippings.
• Using the same saute' pan to brown the sausage roll, saute' the onion over a medium-high flame with the reserved sausage drippings. Cook until soft (not browned), about 5 to 8 minutes; add to BOWL #1.
• Extract about 1/3 cup of the reserved turkey stock; set aside. In the remaining reserved turkey stock, soak the bread cubes. Squeeze the excess liquid from the bread and put into a large mixing bowl (BOWL #2).
• Toast the walnuts by heating them in a non-stick skillet over a medium-high flame for 2 to 3 minutes; swirling the skillet until they are slightly browned (not burned). Let cool and then coarsely chop. Add walnuts to BOWL #2.
• Beat egg; add to BOWL #2 along with the apple, parsley, and poultry seasoning.
• In a meat grinder or food processor, alternate between BOWL #1 and BOWL #2 to grind up mixtures - START WITH THE SAUSAGE MIXTURE FIRST, BOWL #1. Transfer the ground-up mixture (dressing) to an extra-large mixing bowl (BOWL #3). As desired, moisten the dressing with the turkey stock set aside earlier - Add a tablespoon at a time until you've reached desired moistness. (COOK'S NOTE: The dressing should be moist, not overly dry, since heat destroys bacteria more rapidly in a moist environment.) Salt and pepper the dressing, to taste.
• STEPS FOR STUFFING THE TURKEY:.
• First, stand the bird on its tail end in an extra-large mixing bowl. Using a tablespoon, loosely stuff the neck cavity. Put the neck skin over the dressing and fasten it to the body with a poultry pin.
• Next, turn the bird around (neck in the bowl); stuff the body cavity loosely with dressing. When stuffing the bird, press down but be very careful not to over stuff. Press bread slice into the cavity at the wide opening to keep the dressing inside so that it will not fall out while the turkey roasts. If desired, you may also cook the stuffing outside the bird in a casserole dish.
• Finally, place the stuffed bird breast side up on a piece of waxed paper. Pull the legs to its body and tie the ends together with kitchen twine. (COOK'S NOTE: Some frozen turkeys are packed with a metal clamp to secure the legs, in which case it is not necessary to tie the legs with twine.) Now, fold the wings under the bird. YOUR STUFFED TURKEY MUST BE COOKED IMMEDIATELY.
• TO ROAST THE STUFFED TURKEY:.
• Transfer the stuffed bird to the prepared roasting pan, BREAST SIDE UP. Brush it generously with vegetable oil; sprinkle (to taste) with your choices of herbs, spices, salt and pepper.
• Insert a meat thermometer into an inner thigh area near the breast. (THERMOMETER'S TIP SHOULD NOT TOUCH THE BONE.) Cover loosely with heavy aluminum foil, leaving space between the bird and the foil. Place the roasting pan in the preheated oven and roast for 15 to 20 minutes per pound, depending on the freshness of the bird. (COOK'S NOTE: Fresh turkeys tend to cook much faster than those that have been frozen.).
• Baste the bird every hour or so with the liquids that have accumulated on the bottom of the roasting pan. About 20 minutes before the cooking time is up,uncover the bird and allow it to brown.
• Once the meat thermometer reaches 180°F, and the juices run clear, remove the bird from the oven and place on a serving platter or a carving board; cover loosely with aluminum foil and let it stand about 10 minutes before carving. Remove the stuffing from the bird and place in a warmed serving bowl.
• Carve your perfectly roasted turkey and serve with all the trimmings!
• COOK'S NOTE: A FROZEN TURKEY must be defrosted in the refrigerator. This can take several days depending on the size of the bird. Also, never try to defrost a turkey directly on the kitchen counter or the kitchen sink, as this can result in the growth of harmful bacteria.
• COOK'S NOTE: TO STORE LEFTOVERS, cut the turkey into small pieces. Refrigerate the turkey and dressing separately in shallow containers within 2 hours of cooking. Use the leftover turkey and stuffing within 3 to 4 days or freeze these foods. Reheat thoroughly to a temperature of 165°F or until hot and steaming.

APPLE-ONION ROAST TURKEY WITH PAN GRAVY

Steps:

• Place turkey neck, heart and gizzard in large pot. Add 8 cups cold water and 2 celery stalks; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 1 hour. Strain into large measuring cup. Return turkey stock to pot; simmer until reduced to 4 cups, about 30 minutes. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)
• Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Rinse turkey inside and out; pat dry. Remove excess fat from neck and main cavities. Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan. Place onion, apple and remaining 2 celery stalks in main cavity. Rub outside of turkey with bacon drippings; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Loosely tie legs together to hold shape. Cover breast portion of turkey with sheet of heavy-duty foil. Pour turkey stock into pan around turkey.
• Roast turkey 1 1/2 hours. Remove foil from over breast. Baste turkey with pan juices. Continue to roast turkey until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180°F, basting occasionally with pan juices, about 1 1/4 hours longer. Transfer turkey to platter; let stand at least 20 minutes.
• Pour juices from roasting pan into large glass measuring cup. Spoon off fat, reserving 2 tablespoons. If necessary, add enough chicken broth to degreased pan juices to measure 2 1/2 cups. Heat 2 tablespoons turkey fat in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour; whisk until beginning to color, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in pan juices and any collected juices from platter holding turkey. Boil gravy until thickened enough to coat spoon, whisking often, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve turkey with gravy.

SARASOTA'S SAVORY ROASTED CHICKEN, APPLES & ONIONS

Steps:

• Glaze -- Add the jelly, garlic and thyme to a small measuring cup and microwave for just 30 seconds on medium. This will warm it up just enough so the jelly is easier to brush on the chicken.
• Chicken -- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. Season well with salt and pepper on both sides.
• Apples -- Slice the apples, peels on, but you can peel them if you want and toss with lemon juice. This will just prevent them from browning.
• Casserole -- In a 13x9" pan, spray well with a non-stick spray and add the chicken. Add the apples and onions around the chicken. Mix the wine, cider, salt and pepper and pour over the apples and onions. Break up the sprigs of thyme and lay around the chicken.
• Glaze -- Brush each of the chicken thighs with the glaze.
• Bake -- Middle shelf in the oven at 375 degrees, uncovered. They will take about 30 minutes, but this will depend on what type and size of chicken parts you are using. As the chicken cooks, make sure to glaze the chicken at least one more time.
• Serve -- As I mentioned, I prefer mashed parsnips or even a baked sweet potato, but, it is up to you. Most of the sauce will have cooked down, but you can always use any leftover sauce over the onions and apples. ENJOY!

SLOW-ROASTED TURKEY WITH APPLE GRAVY

Steps:

• Brine the turkey: Tear the bay leaves to release their natural oils. Place in a large bowl with the buttermilk, sugar, salt, black pepper and cayenne, and stir to dissolve the sugar. Place the turkey in a brining bag or clean unscented garbage bag, pour in the buttermilk mixture and tightly tie the bag closed. Place in a pot or bowl that holds it snugly, making sure the legs are fully immersed in the brine, and refrigerate for at least 48 hours and up to 72 hours.
• Make the turkey: Position a rack at the bottom of the oven and heat oven (not convection) to 450 degrees. Tear the bay leaves to release their natural oils. Spread the apples, fennel, onions, 12 bay leaves and half of the thyme, ginger, garlic and orange across the bottom of a large roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt and the whole peppercorns.
• Drain the turkey and wipe dry. (Discard the brine.) Place the turkey in the pan breast side up, and rub its cavity with salt and ground pepper. Stuff the cavity with the lemon and the remaining bay leaves, thyme, ginger, garlic and orange. Tuck the wings underneath and tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Sprinkle the turkey with salt and ground pepper, and drizzle everything with oil. Drizzle more oil all over the turkey and rub to generously and evenly coat the skin. Transfer to the oven and roast until browned in spots all over but not burned, 20 to 40 minutes. (Ovens vary widely in how quickly they brown such a large bird, so start checking at 20 minutes and keep going until it's spotted all over.)
• Pour 2 cups water into the pan, cover the turkey with foil and loosely crimp around the edges of the pan. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees and slide the pan back into the oven. Slow-roast until the turkey is almost cooked through (a meat thermometer will register 150 degrees in the thickest part of the breast and 160 degrees in the thigh), about 4 hours.
• Uncover, baste all over with the pan juices and roast uncovered until the skin is more evenly browned and the meat registers 155 degrees in the breast and 165 degrees in the thigh, 30 to 45 minutes. The internal temperature will continue to rise as the turkey rests. Let cool slightly in the pan, then transfer the turkey to a serving platter.
• Make the gravy: Smash the fruits and vegetables in the roasting pan. Set a colander with small holes or a medium-mesh strainer over a bowl or pot, and pour in everything from the pan, working in batches if needed. Press hard on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible along with fruit and vegetable pulp. Discard the solids in the colander; scrape any strained pulp into the bowl. Skim and discard fat from the strained juices.
• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk until deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. While whisking, add the defatted pan juices a little at a time, whisking until smooth, then stir in the brandy. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Keep warm over low.
• When ready to serve, season the gravy to taste with salt and pepper. Carve the turkey and serve with the hot gravy.