Turkeys were on sale this week at the grocery store and Thanksgiving is a mere two and a half weeks away. . .so I know it’s time to create the turkey post. This is a post of all of my collected tips, or self discovered tips, on roasting a turkey. I have to admit, I’ve never actually done a turkey for Thanksgiving. We are generally at my in-laws and if we’re not, I bake roasted chicken or ham instead. For some reason, we’re not big turkey eaters unless someone else is doing the cooking. However, I have collected my fair amount of turkey tips so here they are for you along with the basics:
Turkey Basics
In general, you should plan on cooking a turkey for approximately 20 minutes per pound of meat. I find best results by using a lower temperature and cooking longer. . .but then again, I have a gas oven. If you’re going to try sticking other stuff in the oven to cook, make sure you plan even more time for the turkey. Nothing says, “Don’t eat there for Thanksgiving,” like under cooked turkey.
#1 Keep the turkey from sticking to the pan. . .
. . .by putting celery underneath the turkey before baking. When you do this, the turkey won’t stick and the celery adds a nice flavor to the gravy.
#2 Try seasoning the turkey by. . .
. . .stuffing spices and seasonings into holes pierced into the turkey skin by skewers. The flavor will be different but because you’re cooking for a long time, it will seep through every part of the turkey. Make a paste of seasoning using a little olive oil or butter.
#3 Basting the turkey. . .
Okay so I’m lazy. If you put bacon over the turkey it will self baste. You can save the bacon for adding to leftover turkey sandwiches later on. (Keep an eye on the bacon. . .you’ll need to change it after a few hours.
As Thanksgiving approaches, look for more great recipes and holiday tips!
Other Turkey posts:
Lally and the Might Turkey Hunter
Is Ground Turkey Better Than Ground Beef?