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Prep
Difficulty
Easy
Time
Estimate
over 1 hour
This meal includes a recipe to brine the Turkey and a separate recipe to roast it. Count on about one pound of meat per person at dinner, which will guarantee enough food with some leftover meat. Add a couple pounds if you are especially excited about leftover turkey. Plan ahead. Your turkey needs to be defrosted and ready to brine 12-24 hours before you roast it. Most turkey’s need at least two days in a fridge to defrost. Buying a fresh bird could solve this problem and there are more available recently through local farms.
This meal includes a recipe for drying out your own bread for stuffing which can be done days ahead or dried out in the oven for a couple hours the day of. Feel free to purchase the dried cubes as well.
Plan to bake your stuffing in a separate container to help the bird cook faster and more thoroughly. If you like the flavors of stuffing roasted in the bird, fill up the cavity for the final 15 minutes of roasting.
Brining a turkey is such a fabulous almost lazy way to guarantee moisture hits your bird.
Your bird needs to be defrosted and a bit of equipment is also required, including: a large bringing bag or an XL Ziploc and a large roasting pan. Refrigerator space is helpful too. However, a larger cooler with a few ice packs could work in a pinch. The recipe calls for spices, but a small handful of mulling spices could be substituted instead of buying the individual spices.
During the holidays finding dried out day old bread is not a challenge. Sometimes though you may want a different type of bread. This is barely a recipe, but rather a few pointers and tips to make your own. Try any gluten-free variety, cornbread, Harvest bread with dried fruits & nuts, challah, whole-grain, or whatever suites your fancy.
Easier than pumpkin pie, mostly Turkey just needs a bit of baby-sitting, but some equipment is very handy to make your life easier:
a large roasting pan, meat thermometer, baster, butcher’s string/cooking twine (ask your butcher for a couple feet) and wire mesh sieve for the gravy.
Defrost your turkey at least 2 or 3 days prior to brining or roasting.
The sausage brings so much flavor to this T-Day side, so be sure to select your favorite. Turkey, pork, chicken, breakfast, or a seasonal sausage all work well. Make your stuffing cubes from scratch or buy oil-less dried out bread cubes which are readily available during the Holiday season.
