Christmas Turkey and Stuffing Recipes

Golden Roast Turkey

     16 lb Turkey
      1 c  Butter or Margarine, Melted
    1/4 ts Salt
    1/4 ts Pepper
      Turkey stuffing (recipe follows)
 
1. Remove giblets and neck from turkey; wash, and set aside.

2. Wash turkey thoroughly inside and out. Pat dry with towels. Remove any excess fat.

3. Prepare your choice of dressing. (Basic Stuffing Recipe follows)

4. Preheat oven to 325øF.

5. Spoon some of dressing into neck cavity of turkey. Bring skin of neck over back; fasten with poultry pin.

6. Spoon remaining dressing into body cavity; do not pack. Insert 4 or 5 poultry pins at regular intervals. Lace cavity closed with twine, bootlace fashion and then tie.

7. Bend wing tips under body, or fasten to body with poultry pins. Tie ends of legs together. Insert meat thermometer in inside of thigh at thickest part.

8. Place turkey on rack in shallow roasting pan. Brush with some butter; sprinkle with salt and pepper.

9. Roast uncovered and brushing occasionally with remaining butter and pan drippings; about 4 hours, or until meat thermometer registers 185øF. Leg joint should move freely.

10. When turkey begins to turn golden, cover with a square of butter-soaked cheesecloth or a loose tent of foil, to prevent burning.

11. While turkey roasts, cook giblets and neck.

12. Place turkey on heated serving platter. Remove cheesecloth or foil, twine, and poultry pins. Let stand 20 to 30 minutes before carving.

13. Make gravy.

14. Serves 14 to 16.

15. NOTE: Approximate baking time is 18 minutes per pound.

Basic Bread Stuffing

    1/2 c  Butter or margarine
      1    Large onion, diced
      1 c  To 2 c diced celery w/leaves
     15 c  Toasted 1/2-inch bread cubes
  1 1/2 ts Salt
    1/4 ts Black pepper
      1 tb Dried sage
    1/2 c  Chopped parsely
      1 c  Turkey stock, water, or milk

Melt butter in large stockpot. Add onion and celery and cook until vegetables are tender but not browned.

Add to bread cubes in large bowl. Add salt, pepper, sage, and parsley and toss until well mixed. Add turkey stock and blend well.

Roast Turkey with Grand Marnier Apricot Stuffing

      1 ea Turkey 21 pounds
      2 ea Oranges cut in half
      1 ts Dried thyme
           Salt pepper to taste
      2 c  Butter, room temp.

STUFFING:
      1 c  Diced, dried apricots
  1 1/2 c  Grand Marnier
           Turkey liver and heart
      1 c  Unsalted butter
      2 c  Coarsly chopped celery
      1 lg Yellow onion,chopped
      1 lb Bulk pork sausage
      1 lb Herb stuffing mix
      1 c  Slivered almonds
      2 c  Chicken stock
    1/2 ts Dried thyme
           Salt and pepper to taste
 
Make the stuffing.

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Rinse the turkey inside and out and pat dry. Squeeze the juice of the oranges all over the turkey and in the neck and body cavities.

Spoon the stuffing loosly into the cavities. Set aside any extra stuffing. Sew up the cavities or close with small trussing skewers.

Place the turkey on a roasting rack in a roasting pan. Sprinkle all over with tyme and salt and pepper to taste. Spread the butter all over the turkey. Turn breast side up in the pan and cover the pan with aluminum foil.

Place turkey in the oven and reduce heat to 425. Roast for 3 hours.

Remove the foil and roast, basting occasionally until the juices run clear when the meaty part of the theigh is pierced with a sharp skewer, about 2 more hours.

Bake the leftover stuffing in a baking dish at 325 for 30 minutes.

Let turkey stand, covered with foil for 15 minutes before carving.
 
Grand Marnier Apricot Stuffing:
 
Place the apricots and 1 cup of Grand Marnier in a small saucepan. Heat to boiling. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Simmer the turkey liver and heart in water to cover in a small saucepan for 5 minutes; set aside and cool.

Melt 1/2 cup of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery and onion and saute for 10 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Cook the pork sausage in the same skillet, crumbling with a fork, until it is no longer pink.

Remove and add to the celery mixture. Add the stuffing mix, apricots with liquid, and almonds. Finely dice the turkey liver and heart and add to the stuffing mixture, stir to combine.
 
Heat the remaining 1/2 cup butter and the stock in a small saucepan just until the butter melts. Pour over the stuffing mixture and add the remaining 1/2 cup Grand Marnier. Stir well to moisten the stuffing. Season with thyme, salt and pepper to taste.
 
Enough for a 21-24 pound turkey.

Roast Turkey with Chestnut Stuffing

1 Fresh turkey; with giblets -- (10 to 12 lbs.)
4 tb Unsalted butter (1/2 stick) -- at room temperature
1 lb Fresh chestnuts; peeled*
3 c Water
1 lb Pork sausage
2 Shallots; peeled -- finely chopped
1/4 c Fresh parsley; finely chopped
1/2 ts Dried thyme
1 Bay leaf
Salt and pepper; to taste
2 Garlic cloves -- peeled and minced
2 Eggs; beaten
1 c Dry white wine
2 lg Onions; peeled -- each cut into 8 wedges
4 md Carrots; peeled -- cut in 2" pieces

*To peel chestnuts, make a small cut on the flat side of each chestnut, making sure to cut all the way through the outer skin.

Place chestnuts in a medium-size saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Then reduce heat to low.

Remove several chestnuts from the water and peel them with a sharp paring knife, being sure to remove both the outer peel and the dark inner skin that is attached to the meat. If the chestnuts cool before you have a chance to peel them, place them back in the water to heat, as it is virtually impossible to remove the inner skin when the chestnut is cool.

Remove giblets and neck from the turkey; set aside.

Rinse the turkey well inside and out until the water runs clear. Pat it thoroughly dry and spread with the butter.

Bring the water to a boil in a vegetable steamer over high heat. Add the chestnuts, cover, and steam until they are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove the steamer basket from the heat.

In a medium-size bowl, gently break the chestnuts into bite-size pieces. Mixing well after each addition, stir in the pork, shallots, herbs, salt and pepper, garlic and eggs. Chop giblets and add them to the mixture, mixing well.

To test for seasoning, pinch off a teaspoon of the mixture and cook it in a small skillet over medium heat until it is cooked through. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.

Fill the turkey with as much stuffing as it will hold, but don't pack it tightly. Truss the turkey and place in a large roasting pan, and pour wine around it.

Roast at 350 F. until turkey is golden, basting every 15 minutes with pan liquids (this makes for a really juicy bird). If the breast is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with aluminum foil.

After 2 hours, add the onions and carrots to the pan, spacing them evenly around the turkey.

The turkey is done when the skin is golden, the thigh is tender when pressed, and the leg joints move easily up and down in their sockets, 3 to 3 1/2 hours more.

Remove turkey from the oven and from the roasting pan; let it rest for at least 30 minutes or as long as 45 minutes before carving.

Reduce the cooking juices slightly over medium-high heat, about 2 minutes, scraping up any brown bits. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain juices and pour into a gravy boat.

Scoop out the stuffing into a serving dish and keep warm while you carve the turkey. Serve; pass the gravy boat.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

The stuffing is good for any poultry, and can be cooked on its own and served as a side dish to pork roast as well.

To cook the stuffing separately, bake it in a covered dish at 350 F. until it is nearly cooked all the way through, about 30 minutes. Then remove the cover and continue cooking until it has browned slightly on top and is clearly cooked through, an additional 10 to 15 minutes. If you cook the stuffing separately, your turkey may take slightly less time to cook.

Also good accompanied by either a red Burgundy or a Volnay.

Apple-Pecan Stuffing

           1/4 c Butter or margarine
    2/3 c  Diced onion
    2/3 c  Diced celery
      3 c  Diced day-old bread
      3 c  Diced apples
      1 ts Salt
    1/2 ts Black pepper
    1/8 ts Ground sage
    1/8 ts Ground marjoram
    1/8 ts Ground thyme
    1/2 ts Dried parsley flakes
    1/2 c  Chopped pecans
    1/2 c  Water
 
Melt 1/4 cup butter in skillet. Add onion and celery and cook until tender. Add to bread.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in skillet. Stir in apples. Cook until golden. Add apples to bread mixture. Mix in salt, pepper, sage, marjoram, thyme, parsley and pecans. Add water and mix thoroughly. Makes enough for 10-pound turkey

Butterball's Ten Most Asked Questions on Turkey Preparation

Visit our Shopping Mall Shoestore | Candy Store | Remote Control Toys | Christmas

 

More Christmas Turkey and Stuffing Recipes

Recipes for turkey leftovers
Turkey Recipes - Fast Turkey