Mois Turkey And Dressing Recipes

PERFECTLY MOIST AND TENDER TURKEY

Steps:

• Allow turkey to stand at room temperature for about an hour.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees with rack in lower third of oven.
• Use a serrated knife to cut off top of bread to create a flat surface, if necessary. Cut bread lengthwise, without cutting all the way through. Open bread like a book. Evenly spread butter over cut-side of bread. Place bread, buttered side up, in large, heavy-duty roasting pan.
• Liberally season turkey inside and out with salt and pepper. Truss legs together using kitchen twine, and tuck wing tips under the breast. Place turkey, breast side down, on buttered bread. Place in oven, legs first if possible, and roast for 45 minutes. (If it's not possible to position turkey in oven legs first, rotate roasting pan halfway through cooking time.) Remove turkey from oven and reduce temperature to 350 degrees.
• Using a wooden spoon and side towels, carefully turn turkey so it's breast side up. Place in oven, breast side first if possible, and continue roasting, turning and basting with pan juices every 15 minutes until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (avoiding bone) reaches 165 degrees, about 1 1/2 hours more. (If it's not possible to position turkey in oven breast side first, rotate roasting pan halfway through cooking time.) Let turkey rest at least 30 minutes before carving.

VERY MOIST AND FLAVORFUL ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Cut butter into 1-tablespoon pieces, quarter the pieces, and refrigerate butter until needed.
• Use your fingers to loosen the skin over the turkey breast and thighs. Cut a hole in the turkey skin between tail and body (to affix legs); cut a hole on each side of the turkey beneath each wing (to affix wings). Rub the entire skin with vegetable oil.
• Toss apple and onion wedges, garlic cloves, and celery in a large bowl until combined; sprinkle poultry seasoning over the apple mixture and toss again to coat. Stuff the body and neck cavities with the apple mixture. Insert each wing tip into the hole under the wing to secure wings; insert both legs into hole near tail to secure legs.
• Place turkey onto a rack and set in a roasting pan. Insert cold butter pieces under the loosened skin, distributing the butter as evenly as possible.
• Roast the turkey in the preheated oven until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh, not touching bone, reads 160 degrees F (70 degrees C), about 3 1/2 hours. Check for doneness after 3 hours.
• Remove roasting pan containing turkey from oven and cover with aluminum foil, lightly pressing the foil directly onto the bird. Let the turkey rest for 40 minutes before carving.

CLASSIC STUFFED TURKEY

Steps:

• In a large skillet, saute the onions, celery and mushrooms in butter until tender. Add broth and seasonings; mix well. Place bread cubes in a large bowl; add mushroom mixture and toss to coat. Stir in enough warm water to reach desired moistness. , Just before baking, loosely stuff turkey. Place any remaining stuffing in a greased baking dish; cover and refrigerate until ready to bake. Skewer turkey openings; tie drumsticks together with kitchen string. Place breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Brush with melted butter., Bake turkey, uncovered, at 325° for 3-3/4 to 4-1/2 hours or until a thermometer reads 180° for the turkey and 165° for the stuffing, basting occasionally with pan drippings. (Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly.), Bake additional stuffing, covered, for 30-40 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until lightly browned. Cover turkey with foil and let stand for 20 minutes before removing stuffing and carving. If desired, thicken pan drippings for gravy.

MOIST POULTRY DRESSING

Steps:

• In a large skillet, saute the mushrooms, celery, onions and parsley in butter until the vegetables are tender. In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes with salt, sage, poultry seasoning, thyme and pepper. Add the mushroom mixture. Combine eggs and broth; add to the bread mixture and toss. , Transfer to 5-qt. slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until a thermometer reads 160°, 4-5 hours.

GRANDMA STOLL'S MOIST DRESSING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13x2-inch ovenproof serving dish or spray with nonstick spray.
• Put the turkey giblets in a medium pot, add 1 1/2 cups broth, place over high heat, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, adding water if the liquid boils out. Strain and reserve the broth. Coarsely chop the giblets, removing any bones or extra fat. You should have about 1 cup giblets.
• In a large bowl, mix together the turkey giblets and the bread. In a large skillet on medium-high heat, heat the butter until it sings (is foamy). Add the onions and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Pour into the bread mixture. Stir in the poultry seasoning, parsley, salt, and pepper, and enough reserved giblet broth to moisten the mixture, adding plain broth, if necessary, so that you are using about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 cups all together. Toss thoroughly and pour the dressing into the prepared dish. Bake 30 minutes, adding more stock as needed to keep the dressing moist.
• The dressing can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Let it defrost in the refrigerator overnight, cover with foil, and reheat at 350°F. for 30 minutes.

THE BEST TURKEY DRESSING (STUFFING)

Steps:

• Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a large frying pan. Add onions. Cook over medium heat until onions are quite soft and tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer onions and butter to a large mixing bowl. Set aside. Melt another 6 tablespoons butter in the same frying pan. Add apple. Cook over medium heat, until lightly colored but not mushy. Transfer apples and butter to mixing bowl with onions.
• Crumble sausage into frying pan. Cook over medium heat, until lightly browned. With a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to mixing bowl. Reserve fat. Add remaining ingredients, except eggs and stock, to mixing bowl. Mix well. Add eggs. Mix. Add enough stock to bowl to make a moist, but not runny, mixture. Add fat to stuffing if desired. Stuff a 20-lb. turkey. If cooking dressing separately from turkey, pour fat over dressing in casserole. Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes, or until nicely browned and cooked through.

MOIST BREAD DRESSING OR STUFFING

Steps:

• Bring water or broth to a boil in a small saucepan. Add giblets, neck, bay leaf, salt (if using), and peppercorns, and simmer for about 45 minutes or until tender and cooked through.
• Remove bay leaf, giblets, and neck from pan. Discard bay leaf.
• Mince giblets. Remove as much meat as possible from neck bones and mince. Add minced giblets and meat back to broth.
• Add butter and onion to pan, bring to a simmer, and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place remaining ingredients except eggs into a very large bowl.
• Pour giblet mixture over bread mixture and toss to mix together well.
• For Stuffing: Stuff turkey loosely (do not pack) and roast as usual for stuffed turkey. Bake any leftover stuffing in a covered casserole alongside turkey until done, about 30-45 minutes at 350* F, depending on quantity (should be set, not wet, in the center). Adjust times as needed to bake at same temperature as turkey. Makes enough to stuff about a 16 lb turkey.
• For Dressing: Mix in eggs. Transfer to one large or two smaller baking dishes. Cover tightly and bake along with turkey for about 40-45 minutes for two small dishes or about 50-60 minutes for one large dish, at 350* F or until cooked through (should be set in middle, not wet). Adjust times as needed to bake at same temperature as turkey.