4 cups finely crumbled toasted bread (I use homemade)
4 cups finely crumbled cornbread
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black black pepper
1 tablespoon dried sage
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
Turkey broth (from simmering turkey giblets with 3 1/2 cups water for 45 minutes. You can use unused portion to make gravy. You may also use chicken stock.)
4 large eggs, beaten
Directions:
1. Melt butter in a skillet; add the onions and celery and saute until tender.
2. Combine toasted bread and cornbread in a large bowl and mix.
3. Add onions and celery plus their cooking liquid, the salt, pepper, sage, and poultry seasoning and mix thoroughly.
4. Using a bulb baster, add just enough turkey giblet broth to make a very moist mixture, then stir in the eggs and scrape the dressing into a large greased baking pan or dish.
5. Bake in 400 degree F oven until dressing is nicely browned, about 30-40 minutes.
Green Bean Casserole
SERVES 6 -8
2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans French cut green beans, drained
1 (6 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (4 ounce) can French fried onion rings
1 (6 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and sliced
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Combine all ingredients except French fried onions and cheddar cheese.
3. Put in casserole dish; top with fried onions and cheddar cheese.
4. Bake 30 minutes.
Sweet Potato Casserole
SERVES 4 -6
3 1/2 cups mashed sweet potatoes (, fresh cooked or canned, but I prefer to bake and skin them)
2 1/2 cups marshmallow cream
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup melted butter
Topping
1/3 cup butter (melted)
1 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans
Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients.
2. Spread in dish.
3. I use a 9x9 glass oven-proof dish.
4. Topping
5. Mix as listed, drop by spoonfuls on top of potatoes.
6. Places not filled in with topping will be fine, as it will spread while baking.
7. Bake uncovered, at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.
General Turkey Info
Portioning
Up to 12lbs. = 1lb. per person
Over 12lbs. = 3/4lb. per person
Bone in breast = 1/2lb. per person
Boneless breast or role = 1/3lb. per person
Refrigerator thawing is the recommended method for thawing turkey. It used to be common practice to thaw turkey in the sink with cold water. The problem with this method is that bacteria can grow on the turkey while it is thawing. This is the reason that refrigerator thawing is recommended.
6 to 8lbs. = 1 to 3/4 days
8 to 12lbs. = 1 to 2 days
12 to 16lbs. = 2 to 3 days
16 to 20lbs. = 3 to 4 days
Bone and breast = 1 to 2 days
Boneless breast roll = 1 ½ to 2 days
Roasting Tips
Roasting a turkey breast-side down for the first hour at high temperature (475) will keep the turkey moist. Turn turkey over after first hour to finish cooking.
Celery layered at the base of a roasting pan adds flavor to the juices for delicious gravy.
If turkey is browning too quickly, make a tent out of aluminum foil and place over the top of the bird.
Rub a stick of butter over the turkey before roasting for a more moist turkey.
Place sliced lemon, or a whole onion into the cavity of a turkey while roasting, the flavor will create a tasty juice for gravy.
If you have chosen to use a roasting bag, open the bag for the final 15 to 20 minutes of roasting to allow the skin of the turkey to crisp.
Use a meat thermometer to determine the proper doneness, which is at least 170°F for the breast and 180°F for the thigh. After removing the turkey from the oven, the temperature of the meat will increase by about 5° as the turkey rests. It is important to not let the turkey overcook, because the breast meat may quickly dry out.
After removing the turkey from the oven and before carving, allow the turkey to rest at least 20 minutes so that the juices settle within the meat, which will provide the meat with more flavor and tenderness and will also make carving much easier.
Weight
8 to 12 lbs
12 to 14 lbs
14 to 18 lbs
18 to 20 lbs
20 to 24 lbs
24 to 30 lbs
Unstuffy
2¾ to 3 hrs
3 to 3¾ hrs
3¾ to 4¼ hrs
4¼ to 4½ hrs
4½ to 5 hrs
5 to 5¼ hrs
Stuffed
3 to 3½ hrs
3½ to 4 hrs
4 to 4¼ hrs
¼ to 4¾ hrs
4¾ to 5¼ hrs
5¼ to 6¼ hrs
The meat thermometer should be inserted 2½ inches into the thickest parts of the turkey, which includes the breast and the thigh. The thermometer should not be placed near a bone, which will result in a temperature reading that is inaccurate in terms of proper doneness.
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