Roast Turkey with Old-Fashioned stuffing
List of Ingredients
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup sliced fresh
mushrooms or one 4-ounce
can sliced mushrooms,
drained (optional)
1/2 cup chopped onion (1
medium)
1/3 cup margarine or butter
1 teaspooon poultry seasoning or ground sage
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
8 cups dry bread cubes*
1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken broth or water
1 10- to 12-pound turkey
Cooking oil Recipe
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.
*Note: To make dry bread cubes for stuffing, cut bread into 1/2-inch square
pieces. (You'll need 12 to 14 slices of bread for 8 cups of dry cubes.) Spread
in a single layer in a 15-1/2x10-1/2x2-inch baking pan. Bake in a 300 degree
F oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until dry, stirring twice; cool. (Bread will
continue to dry as it cools.) Or, let stand, loosely covered, at room
temperature for 8 to 12 hours.
Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare stuffing cubes and freeze up to 1 month ahead.
(Do not stuff turkey until just before roasting.)
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