dry herbs and spices of your choice (thyme, sage, chili powder, basil, parsley, garlic powder)
2 onions
2 long carrots
2 celery sticks
stuffing (homemade or store bought)
meatthermometer
turkey baster
shallow pan
aluminum foil
Instructions:
Start by properlythawing out your turkey. You must thaw it the proper way. Thaw it out by leaving it in the refrigerator a day or two prior. Oven temperatures won't always kill harmful microbes that can multiply very quickly if left on thecounter to thaw.
Once your turkey is thawed, remove it from its wrapper and place it in a shallow pan breast side up. Remove the neck and giblets which can be cooked separately to make gravy or a broth.
Coat the entire turkey in oil or vegetable spread and apply your herbs, spices and seasoning to the skin.
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
Peel the onions and carrots.
Dice the onions, carrots and celery sticks. Place them into the pan so that theysurround the turkey completely.
Prepare your stuffing and stuff your turkey. Do not mix your dry and wet ingredients until you are ready to stuff your turkey.
Place your turkey into the oven.
If your turkey is self basting, you can skip this step. A self basting turkey is injected with butter, oil or broth and doesn't need to be manually basted. Check your packaging for details. If your turkey isn't self basted, you'll need to baste every 30-45minutes by collecting the fluid from the bottom of the pan with a baster (or large spoon) and spreading it over the turkey. This will keep the turkey moist.
You'll notice that each time you check your turkey, it gets darker and darker. Once it gets dark enough for your tastes, place a sheet ofaluminum foilover the turkey.
Acalibrated meat thermometer is the only way to tell if a turkey is done. Check the temperature at the thickest part of the breast, innermost part of the thigh (not touching the bone) and the middle of the stuffing (if you stuffed the turkey).All three temperatures should be at least 165 degrees F.
Once the turkey has reached an internaltemperature of at least 165 degrees F, remove it from the oven. You can use the turkey juices and vegetables at the bottom of the pan to give your gravy some extra flavor. Let the turkey sit for 15-20 minutesand carve.
For more information about Turkey Cooking Times, visit How Long To Cook A Turkey
