Roast Turkey With Bread Stuffing Recipes

ROAST TURKEY WITH CORNBREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees, with only one rack in the lowest position. Stir together melted butter and wine in a bowl. Fold a very large piece of cheesecloth into quarters so that it is large enough to cover breast and halfway down sides of turkey. Immerse cloth in butter mixture.
• Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Fold wing tips under. Season inside turkey with salt and pepper. Loosely fill body and neck cavities with stuffing. Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Fold neck flap under; secure with toothpicks. Rub turkey all over with the 4 tablespoons softened butter; season with salt and pepper.
• Remove cheesecloth from butter mixture, squeezing gently into bowl; reserve butter mixture for brushing. Lay cheesecloth over turkey. Place turkey, legs first, into oven. Roast 30 minutes. Brush cheesecloth and exposed turkey with butter mixture. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Roast, brushing with butter mixture every 30 minutes and rotating once, 2 1/2 hours; tent with foil if browning too quickly. Pour 1/2 cup water into pan if juices are very dark brown.
• Discard cheesecloth; rotate pan. Baste turkey with pan juices. Roast, rotating pan halfway through, until skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh (and the stuffing) registers 165 degrees, 1 1/2 to 2 hours more, basting turkey every 30 minutes. Transfer to a platter. Let turkey stand at room temperature 30 minutes, tented with foil, before carving. Garnish with herbs if desired.

ROAST TURKEY WITH HERBED BREAD STUFFING AND GIBLET GRAVY

Steps:

• Make turkey giblet stock and herbed bread stuffing.
• Roast turkey:
• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper inside and out. Loosely fill neck cavity with some of stuffing. Fold neck skin under body and fasten with a small skewer. Loosely fill body cavity with some stuffing and tie drumsticks together with kitchen string. Transfer remaining stuffing to a buttered 3-quart shallow baking dish and chill, covered. Secure wings to body with small skewers if desired for a nicer appearance.
• Put turkey on a rack set in a flameproof roasting pan. Roast turkey in middle of oven 30 minutes. Melt 1/2 stick butter. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F and pour melted butter over turkey. Roast turkey, basting every 20 minutes, for 3 to 3 1/2 hours more, or until a thermometer inserted in center of stuffing in body cavity registers 165°F (thigh will be about 180°F). Transfer turkey to a heated platter and keep juices in pan. Remove skewers and discard string. Transfer stuffing from cavities to a serving dish and keep warm, covered. Let turkey stand at least 30 minutes and up to 45.
• Increase temperature to 375°F. Stir together chicken broth and water and drizzle over uncooked stuffing in baking dish. Dot stuffing with remaining 2 tablespoons butter and bake in middle of oven 40 minutes while turkey stands; for moist stuffing, bake covered entire time; for less moist stuffing with a slightly crisp top, uncover after 10 minutes.
• Make gravy:
• Skim fat from pan juices and reserve 1/4 cup fat. Add 1 cup giblet stock to roasting pan and deglaze over moderately high heat, scraping up brown bits. Add to remaining 3 cups stock and bring to a simmer. Whisk together reserved fat and flour in a large heavy saucepan and cook roux over moderately low heat, whisking, 3 minutes. Add hot stock to roux in a fast stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in additional juices from turkey platter and season gravy with salt and pepper.

ROAST TURKEY WITH BREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 500 degrees.
• Make the stuffing: chop together (by hand or in a small food processor) the butter, liver and parsley; stir in the shallots and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread half the mixture on 4 of the bread slices; top each with another slice of bread, then spread the remaining mixture on the outsides of the sandwiches. Cut each sandwich into 6 pieces.
• Rinse the turkey and remove the giblets. Sprinkle the bird with salt and pepper to taste. Loosely pack the turkey cavity with the stuffing, and then tie the legs together to enclose the vent.
• Place the turkey on a rack in a large roasting pan. Add 1/2 cup water to the bottom of the pan, along with the turkey neck, gizzard and any other trimmings. Place in the oven, legs first.
• Roast 20 to 30 minutes, or until the top begins to brown, then turn the heat down to 350 degrees. If the bottom dries out, add water to coat the bottom of the pan. Continue to roast, checking every 30 minutes or so; if the top browns too quickly, lay a piece of aluminum foil on it. The turkey is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees. If, when the turkey is nearly done, the top is not browned enough, turn the heat back up to 425 degrees for the last 20 to 30 minutes of cooking.
• Remove the turkey from the oven. Take it off the rack, and make sherry reduction gravy (see recipe) while the bird rests for about 20 minutes before carving.

ROAST TURKEY WITH OLD-FASHIONED BREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• For stuffing, in a medium saucepan cook celery; fresh mushrooms, if using; and onion in margarine or butter until tender but not brown; remove from heat. Stir in poultry seasoning or sage, pepper, and salt. Place dry bread cubes in a large mixing bowl; add onion mixture and, if using, canned mushrooms. Drizzle with enough broth or water to moisten, tossing lightly.
• Season body cavity of turkey with salt. Spoon some of the stuffing loosely into neck cavity. Pull the neck skin to the back; fasten with a skewer.
• Lightly spoon more stuffing into the body cavity. (Place any remaining stuffing in a casserole, cover, and chill. Bake stuffing alongside turkey for 30 to 45 minutes or until heated through.) Tuck the ends of the drumsticks under the band of skin across the tail. If the band of skin is not present, tie the drumsticks securely to the tail. Twist wing tips under the back.
• Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Brush with oil. Insert a meat thermometer into the center of one of the inside thigh muscles. The thermometer bulb should not touch the bone. Cover turkey loosely with foil.
• Roast turkey in a 325 degree F oven for 3-1/4 to 3-1/2 hours or until thermometer registers 180 degrees F. The internal temperature of the stuffing should reach 165 degrees F. After 2-1/2 hours, cut band of skin or string between the drumsticks so thighs will cook evenly. When done, drumsticks should move very easily in their sockets and their thickest parts should feel soft when pressed. Uncover the last 30 minutes of roasting.
• Remove turkey from oven. Cover; let stand 15 to 20 minutes before carving. Use a spoon to remove stuffing from turkey; place in a serving bowl. Carve turkey. Makes 12 to 14 servings.

ROAST TURKEY AND BREAD STUFFING.

Steps:

• Bread Stuffing:.
• In large saucepan,over medium heat melt butter; cook celery and onions until soft, about 10 minutes.
• Add salt, poultry seasoning sage, thyme, marjoram and pepper; stir well until thoroughly mixed.
• Stir in bread cubes and broth; mix together well.
• Turkey Broth:.
• In saucepan over high heat, heat to boiling giblets, necks, celery, onion, 1 teaspoon salt and water and chicken bouillon powder. Reduce heat to low; cover; simmer 1 hour until giblets are tender.
• Drain, reserving broth.
• Turkey:.
• Preheat oven 325°F.
• Rinse bird with running cold water; drain well.
• Spoon some stuffing lightly into neck cavity (do not pack).
• Fold neck skin over and fasten with skewers. With bird breast side up, lift wings up toward neck, then fold under back of bird, so they stay flat and keep neck skin in place.
• Spoon remaining stuffing lightly into body cavity; don't pack; place the remainder in a casserole and microwave for 15 minutes.
• Fold skin lightly over opening; skewer closed.
• Tie legs and wings with string, or push drumsticks under band of skin or use stuffing clamp.
• On rack in open roasting pan, place bird breast side up.
• Brush skin lightly with salad oil.
• Cover loosely with foil.
• Roast at 325°F for 4 1/2 to 5 hours.
• Check doneness during last 30 minutes. Toward end of roasting, remove foil.
• When turkey is done, remove rack from pan.
• Use a spoon to remove stuffing from turkey; place in a serving bowl. Mix together with stuffing you cooked earlier in the microwave.
• Cover turkey and let stand 15 to 20 minutes before carving.
• Gravy:.
• Bring turkey dripping to a boil.
• Whisk in flour.
• Gradually whisk in reserved broth to roasting pan; stir until brown bits are loosened. Add salt and pepper.
• Add water if necessary.
• You might find it easier to make your gravy in another saucepan.
• Carve turkey and serve with stuffing and gravy.
• Tip;.
• I often make my stuffing a day or 2 ahead and refrigerate it until I am ready for it. At that time I use chicken broth instead of turkey broth to make it.
• For Thanksgiving I use my fresh herbs to the stuffing and triple the amount.

ROAST TURKEY WITH APPLE-SOURDOUGH BREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• In a small bowl combine all the dried herbs together. Rub the turkey parts with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then rub with all of the dried herbs. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Arrange the turkey in 1 layer in a large roasting pan.
• Put the turkey in the oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the deepest part of the thigh reads 160 to 165 degrees F, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven and let stand, covered with aluminum foil. It's ready to serve in 10 to 15 minutes, but can stand, covered, for up to 1 hour so that the stuffing or other side dishes can be completed. Transfer to a serving platter.
• Meanwhile heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, apples, and celery and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the parsley, sage, and thyme and stir to coat the apples and vegetables with the herbs. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the cubed bread and the warm chicken broth. Toss to combine and season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Transfer the stuffing mixture to a 5 by 8-inch baking dish and bake in the oven at 350 degrees F until golden brown on top, about 45 minutes.

ROAST TURKEY WITH CORN BREAD STUFFING AND GIBLET GRAVY

Steps:

• For turkey:
• Combine 4 quarts water and 1 cup coarse salt in very large bowl. Let stand until salt dissolves, whisking occasionally, about 10 minutes. Place turkey in salted water, turning to coat. Let turkey stand at room temperature 2 hours, turning occasionally. Rinse turkey and pat dry with paper towels. Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan. Tuck wings under turkey body.
• Position oven rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 325°F. Whisk butter, orange juice, lemon juice, thyme, orange peel, lemon peel, 3/4 teaspoon salt and pepper in medium bowl until well blended. Rub 1/4 cup thyme butter inside turkey. Spoon stuffing loosely into main cavity and neck cavity. Generously rub remaining thyme butter over turkey. Tie legs together loosely to hold shape of turkey.
• Roast turkey until golden, basting occasionally with pan drippings, about 2 hours. Cover entire turkey loosely with heavy-duty foil and roast until meat thermometer inserted into innermost part of thigh registers 180°F or until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced with skewer, basting occasionally with pan juices, about 11/2 hours longer. Transfer turkey to platter. Tent turkey with foil and let stand while preparing gravy.
• For gravy:
• Strain pan juices from roasting pan into large glass measuring cup. Spoon fat off top of pan juices. Pour juices and Giblet Broth into heavy medium saucepan. Boil broth mixture until reduced to 3 cups, about 10 minutes.
• Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour; cook until golden brown, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Whisk in reduced broth mixture. Simmer until gravy thickens, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add reserved chopped neck meat and giblets, eggs and brandy; simmer 5 minutes longer. Transfer to bowl. Serve gravy with turkey.
• For Giblet Broth:
• Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add neck and giblets; sauté until brown, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer neck and giblets to plate. Add carrots, onion and celery to pot. Sauté until vegetables brown, about 10 minutes. Add water, wine, neck and giblets to vegetables; bring to boil.
• Add all remaining ingredients to pot. Reduce heat to medium-low; partially cover and simmer until giblets are very tender, about 11/2 hours. Using slotted spoon, transfer neck and giblets to plate. Cool. Carefully remove all meat from turkey neck. Chop neck meat and giblets; reserve for gravy. Strain broth into bowl, pressing on solids. (Broth and giblets can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill.) Makes about 3 1/2 cups.

CLASSIC ROAST TURKEY WITH HERBED STUFFING AND OLD-FASHIONED GRAVY

Steps:

• Place oven rack in lowest position and preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 8-inch square baking dish or 2-quart casserole. Lightly brush roasting rack with vegetable oil and place in roasting pan.
• Remove plastic or paper packet of giblets from turkey (usually in small cavity). Remove from packaging and rinse; reserve gizzard and heart; discard floppy, dark purple liver. Remove neck from large cavity. Remove from packaging, rinse, and reserve. Using tweezers or needlenose pliers, remove any feathers and quills still attached to skin (kosher turkeys tend to require this more than others). Pull off and reserve any visible pale yellow knobs of fat from either side of tail (not found on all birds).
• Rinse turkey inside and out with cold water and pat dry. Loosely fill small (neck) cavity with stuffing. Fold neck skin under body and fasten with metal skewer. Loosely fill large body cavity with stuffing. Transfer remaining stuffing to buttered dish and drizzle with 1/4 cup stock. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate until ready to bake.
• Transfer turkey, breast-side up, to rack in roasting pan. Tuck wing tips under breast and tie drumsticks loosely together with kitchen string. Rub turkey all over with softened butter and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Tightly cover breast area with foil, leaving wings, thighs, and drumsticks exposed.
• Transfer gizzard, heart, neck, and reserved turkey fat to roasting pan around rack. Pour 2 cups stock into pan.
• Roast turkey 45 minutes. Baste with pan juices (lift up foil to reach breast area) and continue roasting, basting every 45 minutes, 1 1/2 hours more (2 1/4 hours total). Baste again and, if pan juices have evaporated into glaze, add 1 cup stock to pan. Roast another 45 minutes (3 hours total). Remove foil from breast area, baste, and add stock if necessary, until instant-read thermometer inserted into fleshy part of thigh (close to but not touching bone) registers 180°F, about 1 hour more (4 hours total).
• Insert instant-read thermometer into center of stuffing in body cavity. If thermometer does not read 165°F, transfer stuffing to microwave-safe baking dish and microwave on high until 165°F, about 3 minutes for 10 degrees. Cover and keep warm. Using turkey holders (or by inserting large metal serving spoon into body cavity), transfer turkey to large serving platter. Let stand 30 minutes before carving.
• Meanwhile, bake extra stuffing and make gravy: Raise oven temperature to 350°F. Remove giblets and neck from roasting pan and discard. Pour pan juices into measuring cup or gravy separator. Let stand until fat rises to top, 1 to 2 minutes, then skim off and reserve fat or, if using separator, carefully pour juices into measuring cup, reserving fat left in separator.
• Transfer foil-covered dish of extra stuffing to oven and bake 10 minutes. Meanwhile, add enough remaining stock to pan juices to total 4 cups. Measure turkey fat, adding melted butter if necessary to total 6 tablespoons. Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners on moderate heat and add fat. Whisk in flour, scraping up browned bits on bottom of pan, then cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Whisk in pan juice-stock mixture and bring to a boil, whisking often. Reduce heat to moderately low and simmer, whisking occasionally, until gravy thickens, about 5 minutes. Whisk in remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and keep warm. (Gravy can be kept warm over very low heat, covered, up to 20 minutes. If it thickens, thin with additional stock before serving. If skin forms on top, whisk well to dissolve.)
• When extra stuffing has baked 10 minutes, remove foil and bake, uncovered, until heated through, about 10 minutes. Pour gravy through fine-mesh sieve into large bowl, then transfer to gravy boat. Carve turkey and serve gravy and stuffing alongside.
• Test-Kitchen Tips:
• •To combat dryness, most frozen turkeys and some fresh are injected with a saline solution. This is not a good thing, though: Injected birds generally lack flavor and can have a mushy texture. For this reason, we recommend buying a fresh turkey and checking the label to be sure there aren't any additives. (Look for the words "all natural.") Don't be too concerned, though, with the many other terms that can be applied to turkeys, such as free-range, organic, or heritage. All can be excellent.
• •When buying a fresh bird, be sure to purchase it no more than two days before Thanksgiving. If you must get a frozen bird, defrost it in the refrigerator in a pan to catch drips, allowing a full 24 hours for each 5 pounds.
• •Warm, moist stuffing is an optimal environment for bacteria such as salmonella or E. coli to multiply, so it's important to follow safe procedures. Be sure to make the stuffing at the last minute so it can go into the bird warm. This helps it move above the "danger zone" (the optimal temperature range for bacteria growth) more quickly during roasting. When you remove the turkey from the oven, be sure to check the temperature in the middle of the stuffing to make sure it's 165°F, the temperature at which bacteria will be killed. If it's not 165°F, scoop it out of the cavity and microwave it as directed in the recipe.
• •More stuffing tips: Be sure not to overpack the cavities, as the stuffing will expand during cooking. Loosely fill the turkey, then spread the extra in a casserole dish (no more than 2 inches deep) and bake it after the turkey comes out (be sure to refrigerate it until then to impede bacteria growth). Drizzle the portion in the casserole dish with extra stock to make up for the juices it won't get from the turkey. If you want the stuffing that's cooked inside the turkey to be extra-moist (as opposed to having a crisp crust where it's exposed), cover the exposed portion with a small piece of aluminum foil.
• •Opinions vary on whether or not to stuff the bird-some people think it can cause uneven cooking. If you prefer not to stuff your bird, fill the cavities with a chopped vegetable and herb mixture that will impart its flavor to the meat and pan juices: Chop 1 onion, 1 celery rib with leaves, 1 carrot, and 3 tablespoons fresh parsley. Mix this with 1 teaspoon each dried rosemary, sage, and thyme. Sprinkle the cavities with salt and freshly ground black pepper and place the mixture inside. An unstuffed bird will take about 15 minutes to a half hour less to cook than a stuffed bird. When the turkey is cooked, tilt it to allow any juices that have collected in the cavity to drain into the pan. Do not serve the vegetable mixture, as it may not have cooked to a safe temperature.
• •This recipe can easily be scaled up to serve more people. Estimate about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds per person. Cooking times (for a stuffed bird, cooked at 325°F to an internal temperature of 180°F) will be as follows: 8 to 12 pounds: 3 to 3 1/2 hours 12 to 14 pounds: 3 1/2 to 4 hours 14 to 18 pounds: 4 to 4 1/4 hours 18 to 20 pounds: 4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hours 20 to 24 pounds: 4 3/4 to 5 1/4 hours
• •Some experts prefer to cook their turkeys to an internal temperature of 170°F (rather than 180°F, as in this recipe). If you don't mind having the meat slightly pink, this is perfectly safe and makes it more moist. However, Rick Rodgers, who created this recipe, believes that the dark meat in particular does not achieve its optimum flavor and texture until it reaches 180°F. If you choose to stuff your turkey and cook it to only 170°F, its stuffing will almost definitely not reach the safe temperature of 165°F. When you remove the turkey from the oven, be sure to check the temperature in the center of the stuffing, and if necessary remove it and microwave it as directed in the recipe.
• •Letting the turkey stand for half an hour after it comes out of the oven is an essential part of the roasting process. When meat roasts, its juices move to the outer edge of the flesh. Letting it rest gives the juices time to redistribute, making for a moister turkey. An added bonus: The resting time provides an excellent window of opportunity to make the gravy and reheat the side dishes. There's no need to cover the bird-it'll stay warm enough, and covering it would only soften the crispy skin.

EASY BEGINNER'S TURKEY WITH STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Rinse turkey, remove giblets and place in a shallow roasting pan.
• Prepare stuffing according to package directions. Mix in water.
• Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and slowly cook and stir the celery and onion until tender.
• Mix celery, onion, and toasted bread pieces into the stuffing, and season with salt and pepper. Loosely scoop stuffing into the turkey body cavity and neck cavity. Rub the exterior of the turkey with vegetable oil.
• Loosely cover turkey with aluminum foil, and roast 3 1/2 to 4 hours in the preheated oven, until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 180 degrees F (85 degrees C) and the interior of the stuffing reaches 165 degrees F (70 degrees C). Remove foil during the last half hour of cooking to brown the bird.

ROAST TURKEY WITH CORNBREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• In skillet, saute celery and onion in butter until tender.
• Place in a lg bowl with corn bread, fresh bread crumbs, sage and poultry seasoning.
• Mix eggs and chicken broth; add to dry mixture, stir gently to mix.
• Stuff the cavity and neck of turkey.
• Fasten openings.
• Tie legs together.
• Place on rack in roasting pan.
• Brush with melted butter.
• Bake at 325* for 4 hours (cover with a foil tent), or until turkey tests done.
• Let stand for 20 minutes before cutting.