HELP!! How Do I Cook a Turkey?

J.,

If you buy a frozen turkey, know that it takes a very long time to thaw. You have a little hidden surprise when you buy a turkey--they put the neck, and "giblets" (liver and heart) INSIDE the turkey, sometimes wrapped in plastic or paper. You have to take these out before you bake the turkey. If you do not eat these, you can always put them into a separate small baking dish and cook them while the turkey bakes, then feed them to your dog or cat or neighborhood opossum.

Nowadays, turkeys all come with the little pop-up indicators that tell you when they are done, as well as written directions on the outside of the package. Don't bother putting stuffing into the bird to bake that way. Who started that anyway? It's gross. What, did they just not have another pan?

The internet has about a zillion free recipes if you are looking for something unique. Just put "free recipe sweet potatoes" into your favorite search engine and then pick one that sounds good.

Write a list of what you want to serve, who will be there, and with a plan you'll be fine. Also, if someone offers to bring something, graciously say YES. When they ask what, assign someone the salad, or rolls, or a pie, or a snack. That is one less thing you have to do, and bringing one thing to dinner is really no trouble--it is nice to be able to contribute.

Best wishes,
K.

Id make it easy on myself! Last year I bought two turkey breast from Honey Baked Ham and it was the best turkey that I had ever tasted!!Its glazed and precooked so you just warm it up! My family loved it! Im doing it again this year. I know its not very traditional and its cheating a little, but its easy! Plus the clean up is nothing. Just make all your side dishes homemade and you wont feel so bad! Good luck!!

J., I was in your position 3 years ago and ended up serving the best Turkey I had ever tasted. There is a FABULOUS recipe in the Gourmet cookbook(Roast Turkey with Herbed Bread Stuffing and Giblet Gravy, I didn't do the giblet part[those are the innards everyone's telling you about])The day before Thanksgiving I followed the instructions in the same cookbook for brining the turkey, doing this really made the bird succulent. It had so much flavor and was so juicy, everyone was raving!! The cookbook also has good recipes for the side dishes although searching the internet is also a very good idea.I also prepared the side dishes that would hold(i.e.cranberry orange relish)and prepped the veggies for stuffing etc. as early as possible (if I remember correctly I was prepping for Thanksgiving on Monday or Tuesday) Definitely let other guests help out even if you are only doing the bird, potatoes and stuffing, you'll be busy all day! Good luck, if you'd like me to share the recipe or have any questions let me know!!

Hello,
My suggestion is to let your husband help out too:)
We had Thanksgiving at our house for the first time last year. It was easy because my husband deep fried the Turkey in Peanut Oil. He injected it the night before with garlic butter and left it in the fridge over night. It takes about 3 1/2 minutes per pound at 325-350 degrees.
It was nice because I only had to worry about the side dishes. Plus, my mother and mother-in-law were helping in the kitchen. It was a nice experience:)
The Turkey is GREAT deep fried and I have a hard time eating a regular baked turkey.
If you decide to bake your turkey, you can still inject it with seasining butter. They have several to pick from and it makes the Turkey juicy. You can find the seasonings and injectors at the grocery stores, Gander Mountain, Walmart, etc...
Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving!

Any kind of turkey is fine. Even store brand. It should tell you n the package how long to cook a turkey, I believe it is 20 minutes per lb. I know that it is frozen solid so take it out and clean it 2 days before Thanksgiving. Put it on a platter (or cookie sheet) cover with a couple of dish towels and put in the fridge until ready to make it. I have eard to cook it breast side up, it will be more tender. Most turkeys come with a pop up thermometer and they are ususally right on, although, we always use a poultry thermometer as well. Depending on how many people you are having you might want to think about a couple of turkey breasts.
Good Luck with your dinner!
Jenn.......

My best advice is to visit foodnetwork.com....they have everything, and you will be able to print recipes. They also have a "Turkey Calculator" which will help you determine what size to get and also how long to cook and what time to put it in the oven depending on what time you want to eat. I always consult the experts when I have no idea what the heck I'm doing, and they haven't let me down yet!!! Good Luck and Happy Thanksgiving!

Cooking your first turkey is always an adventure! I didn't know about the bag of innards when I cooked my first one. Plus, I cooked it upside down.

Now I use a cooking bag every year. You put in the thawed turkey, gather it up at the top, twist tie it, slit it , and let it cook according to the directions on the insert which comes in the box. The turkeys don't have to cook as long, cleanup is easier, and the bag holds in the juices so you don't have to baste or anything.

Happy Thanksgiving and Good Luck!

The best way to learn to cook a turkey is to cook a chicken first. When you get the chicken, thaw it thoroughly then remove the packaging from both ends. Sometimes the processing plant will only put stuff in one end, but either way, you'll likely find a bag of organs along with the neck. My grandmother uses the organ meats for her gravy. I toss them. It's up to you. After removing the extras, wash the chicken with warm water and place it into a deep pan. If you want a particularly juicy bird, place it upside down. This will prevent you from serving it on a platter, but it sure makes the meat taste good. If you have a lid that fits the pan, use it to cover the bird. If not, butter one side of tin foil and cover your bird with the butter side touching the bird. Put the bird in the oven on 325 degrees and cook 15 minutes for every pound. Every half hour, remove the tin foil or lid and butter the bird. You won't want to flip the bird, but you will want to put butter on every part you can reach. For the last half hour of cooking, remove the lid or tin foil and butter every 15 minutes. Your bird will come out golden brown, beautiful and tasty!

Good Luck with your meal!