Thanksgiving Dinner

Everyone has their own Thanksgiving traditions and recipes. Some people probably eat the same thing year after year, while others look for new ideas and incorporate them around a few standards. But what if you're just starting out, or starting over? Maybe you would be looking for an all-in Thanksgiving collection of recipes that would yield one perfect dinner without hell-day in the kitchen. Well, look no further. Minus any dessert, here is a fool-proof recipe for a turkey and some easy side dishes that will make for a perfectly timed dinner that all comes out of the oven at the same time.

I have four tips to a great Thanksgiving turkey.

Tip Number One: Buy a fresh turkey, not a frozen one.

Fresh turkeys are almost always available around the holidays. Buy one on Tuesday or Wednesday before Thanksgiving and you will wind up with a tastier, juicier dinner. Fresh turkeys are actually partially frozen, being refrigerated right at the temperature of 32-34 degrees Fahrenheit. They are cold and there will be some iciness inside the cavity of the bird, but the meat remains unfrozen in that hard, glacial state and it requires no thawing time. Frozen turkeys, on the other hand, are maintained at sub-zero temperatures. They are rock solid, dangerous if dropped, take days to thaw properly, and I find their meat is usually drier and less flavorful than a fresh bird.

Tip Number Two: Wrap your turkey in bacon.

Yes, just ordinary or thick-sliced breakfast bacon. Wrap it where all top-facing surfaces of the turkey are covered with a slice of bacon. Roast your turkey 3/4 of the way through (about three hours) before removing the bacon, then finish the bird without the bacon for the last 1/4 of its cooking time (about an hour). The turkey will require no basting and will come out of the oven a beautiful golden brown every time. The bacon also makes a nice little appetizer about an hour before dinner.

Tip Number Three: Use a meat thermometer.

Like many other recipes in this blog, I strongly urge the use of a digital meat thermometer to eliminate the guess work. Under-cooked turkey is dangerous to eat. Overcooked turkey is terrible and ruins the meal entirely. Only a meat thermometer will get you to the right point in time, perfectly, every time. I personally like the kind of thermometer that has an oven-proof probe attached to a control unit that remains outside the oven.  Click here to see an example of one. Place the thermometer probe in the thigh portion of the turkey, just below the breast meat. Be careful it is not touching bone. Roasted to a temperature of 155-degrees Fahrenheit, the turkey will be absolutely perfect if allowed to rest covered in its roasting pan for thirty minutes after being removed from the oven.

In terms of how big a turkey to buy, I suggest a 12-pound turkey for 3-4 people, and add a pound or so for every additional person thereafter. I personally think that the smaller the bird, the better the meat.

Tip Number Four: Use a disposable roasting pan.

I know this sounds silly, but really, do this. Buy two of them and stack one inside the other, so you don't have to worry about the thing cratering on you. This makes clean-up so much easier and does nothing to diminish the quality of the product. The only drawback is that you cannot put this over the stove to make your gravy, but with my method as noted below, you don't have to.

Now, let me say one thing about the broccoli rice casserole. Ordinarily, I shun the semi-homemade approach to cooking. When fresh product is available, I prefer it. When there are convenient quality alternatives to a very time-consuming and complex homemade product, like Bordelaise, I also prefer that. I make my own Hollandaise and Bearnaise sauces, and generally make my own salad dressings. I don't often open a can of whatever to fix anything. But there are some church cookbook recipes that make a lot of sense for a Thanksgiving dinner, including casseroles made with cans of Campbell's Soup. Alton Brown and Anthony Bourdain can be damned, and so can all other food snobs. Sandra Lee, here I come. This casserole is terrific, would take infinitely longer were the soup ingredients to be reconstructed from scratch, and I am not sure there would be any appreciable improvement in flavor.

Although this may sound like I am talking out of both sides of my mouth, I do suggest that you not buy that pre-made cranberry relish, and certainly not cranberry jelly in a can. Yech! Buy fresh cranberries and make your own. It is surprisingly simple and infinitely better tasting.

Oh, and one more thing: to stuff or not stuff the bird? Personally, I don't and I'm not sure I understand the concept. You don't have enough to serve everyone, and end up having to put half of your stuffing in casserole dishes anyway. So then you wind up with two different products (because they will taste differently), and you have significantly increased your workload and the amount of time it takes to cook the turkey. Why bother? Just put all your dressing in a casserole dish, and leave the bird un-stuffed. However, I do recommend a few aromatic fruit and vegetables in the cavity of the bird as a flavor and moisture enhancement, as you will read below.

The Menu
for 3-4 people

Bacon Basted Roast Turkey
Cornbread Sage Dressing
Turkey Gravy
Cranberry Orange Relish

Broccoli Rice Casserole
Sauteed Green Beans Sesame
Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients
For the turkey
12-pound fresh (not frozen) turkey
1 pound thick-sliced smoked bacon
2 tbsp rubbed sage
2 tbsp ground thyme
1 apple, cored and quartered
1 small onion, peeled and quartered
3-4 sprigs of fresh sage
3 tbsp olive oil
black pepper

Ingredients
For the cranberry orange relish
1 16-oz package fresh cranberries (yields 4 cups)
1 cup Splenda
1 cup water
1/2 cup port wine
1/2 tbsp allspice
juice of one fresh orange
1 tbsp orange zest
1 small cinnamon stick

Ingredients
For the dressing
8 oz dried corn bread dressing (like, Pepperidge Farm)
8 oz dried white bread dressing (like, Pepperidge Farm)
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1 cup celery, finely diced
8 oz fresh button mushrooms, sliced (you can substitute canned)
2 fresh eggs, beaten
5 tbsp rubbed sage
3 tbsp olive oil
1-1/2 sticks butter
3-4 cups chicken stock (like, Swanson's or Kitchen Basics)
salt & pepper
non-stick cooking spray (like, Pam)

Ingredients
For the broccoli rice casserole
4 cups par-cooked white rice** (like, Uncle Ben's long grain converted white rice - do not use instant or "minute" rice)
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 medium stalk fresh broccoli
2 tsp minced garlic
1 can cream of mushroom soup (like, Campbell's)
1 can cream of chicken soup (like, Campbell's)
2 cups Velveeta cheese
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 stick butter
2 tbsp olive oil
non-stick cooking spray (like, Pam)

Ingredients
For the creamy mashed potatoes
6 large Russet baking potatoes, peeled
4 quarts salted water
1 cup heavy cream
1 stick butter
salt & pepper

Ingredients
For the turkey gravy
reserved neck from the turkey
1-1/2 cups dry white wine
1-1/2 chicken stock (like Swanson's or Kitchen Basics)
1/2 small yellow onion
2-3 sprigs fresh sage
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp pan drippings from the turkey
6 tbsp flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp Kitchen Bouquet
salt & pepper

Ingredients
For the saute green beans sesame
12 oz fresh green beans, snapped and any strings removed
1 tsp olive oil
dash soy sauce
1 tsp sesame seeds

The Recipes
First, start the turkey:
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees and make sure the oven racks are situated such that the oven will accommodate the height of your turkey in its roasting pan.

First you have to rinse the bird and remove the neck and giblets, so you want to be mindful of cross-contamination. I recommend that you do everything over a sink, washed thoroughly both before and after you rinse your turkey. Take the turkey out of its packaging. Remove the packets of gizzards and giblets that are generally placed in the neck cavity. I personally hate this stuff, so I discard it. Some people like to cut it up in their gravy. If that floats your boat, fine, but don't invite me over for dinner. Do, however, reserve the neck of the bird, which has generally been placed in the main cavity of the turkey. Place this in a medium sized sauce pan for the moment.

Thoroughly rinse the turkey inside and outside with cold running water. Drain it thoroughly and the place the turkey on top of some paper towels and pat dry. Put the turkey in your disposable roasting pans (I stack two, one inside the other, for added stability).

Pull the wings of the turkey up and then behind the bird to get them out of the way. Your turkey should have come with something to keep the legs together. In some cases, this is a metal (or other oven proof material) cuff. In other cases, the legs have been bound together with the excess skin from the turkey. In either case, you'll need to free the drumsticks so that you can access the cavity of the bird.

Rub olive oil over all the exposed surfaces of the bird. Dust the bird with the sage, thyme and black pepper.

Stuff the apple, onion and sprigs of fresh sage into the cavity of the bird. This will not be eaten, but will provide moisture and aromatic flavors to the bird during cooking. Once you have placed these items into the cavity, you can return the drumsticks back to the device that was holding them together.

Layer the bacon one strip at a time over the entire exposed surfaces of the bird. It's okay if some of the slices overlap other slices. Be sure to lay slices of bacon over the legs of the bird as well.

The roasting chart below will give you a general guideline, but ultimately, you will want to ensure your turkey is done by using a meat thermometer. In our case, a twelve pound turkey will take right at about 4 hours, more or less. You want to roast your turkey 3/4 of the total time before taking the next step, so I suggest you set your oven timer to three hours for now and place your bird in the oven. You don't need to insert the meat thermometer at this point.

Approximate Roasting Times for Un-stuffed Turkey
Turkey Weight	Hours
6 to 8 pounds	2-1/2 to 3 hours
8 to 12 pounds	3 to 4 hours
12 to 16 pounds	4 to 5 hours
16 to 20 pounds	5 to 5-1/2 hours
20 to 24 pounds	5-1/2 to 6 hours

While the bird is cooking, prepare your side dishes. Start with the base for the gravy:
In the saucepan where you placed the neck of the turkey, also add the dry white wine, chicken stock, the small onion, cut in half, and the sprigs of sage. Set on a back burner on your stove on very low heat. Cover and let it be for now. You don't want it to simmer, but merely to sit and steep for three hours, trouble free.

Next, prepare the cranberry relish:
Place the four cups of washed cranberries, water, Splenda, allspice, orange juice, port wine and orange zest in a medium sauce pan on high heat. When it comes to the boil, add the cinnamon stick, turn the heat down to medium, and simmer for thirty minutes.

The cranberries will pop open and the liquid will reduce and thicken. When you have the consistency of runny jam or preserves, turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool. It will thicken even more after cooling to the consistency you'll want for the table. Place the mixture in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

After the turkey has cooked a couple of hours, it's time to make your dressing and broccoli rice casseroles. Start with the dressing:
Heat the olive oil in a skillet, and saute the celery and onion until they have collapsed and are translucent. Do not caramelize. Add one stick of butter and allow it to melt, then add your mushrooms. If using fresh mushrooms, saute until the mushrooms have collapsed and are starting to turn brown.  If you're using canned mushrooms, drain all the liquid off first, then add to the skillet and heat through.

In the meantime, put the cornbread and white bread crumbs in a large mixing bowl. Add the celery-onion-mushroom mixture and stir to combine. Add the sage, salt and pepper, beaten eggs, and stir to combine. Then, pouring the chicken stock a cup at a time, continue stirring the mixture until it all begins to clump together. You want your dressing very moist, but not runny. It will dry out some in the oven during cooking, so you want the dressing a little more moist than dry.

Use a casserole dish that has a lid and coat it with the non-stick cooking spray.  Press the mixture down into the casserole dish so that it is level, fairly dense and has an even consistency. Dot the top of the dressing with the remaining 1/2 stick of butter. Cover and place into a 325 degree oven for one hour during the last hour of cooking your turkey.

Then, make the broccoli rice casserole:
Cut the broccoli stalks down to individual florets and steam them five minutes. Heat the olive oil and melt the 1/2 sick of butter in a skillet, then saute the onion and garlic until slightly browned.

Remove the broccoli, onion and garlic to a large mixing bowl, and add the par-cooked** white rice, contents of both cans of soup and the two cups of Velveeta. Mix well to combine. Lightly coat a casserole dish that can be covered with non-stick cooking spray, and fold in the rice broccoli mixture. Top with the cup of cheddar cheese. Cover and place into a 325 degree oven for one hour during the last hour of cooking your turkey.

With one hour left to go on the turkey (after about three hours of cooking time), take your turkey to its final stage and start the potatoes:
Remove the bird from the oven and take off all of the bacon, which by now has become browned and crispy. Insert the probe of a tethered electronic meat thermometer into the meatiest portion of the thigh just under the turkey's breast. Be careful it does not touch bone. It will likey register somewhere around 110-120 degrees at this point. Lower the temperature in the oven from 350 to 325 degrees, and return the bird to the oven for the duration of cooking time, which should be around an hour. You will continue roasting the bird until it registers 155 degrees Fahrenheit.

At this point, put your casserole dishes into the oven as well so they can cook an hour at 325 degrees. I have the luxury of having a double stack oven, but if you're putting your casserole dishes into the same oven as the turkey, leave the temperature at 350 degrees for 15 minutes after you return everything to the oven, and then turn the oven down to 325 degrees.

Also, turn the heat up a little on the saucepan with the turkey neck that has been steeping in the wine and chicken broth. Let it come to a boil and then turn down the heat so it simmers and reduces slightly.

While you're making your potatoes, you can be munching on some of that delicious crispy bacon!

Put your potatoes in a large pot with the cold salted water, and crank up the stove. Cook the potatoes for about thirty minutes after the water comes to a boil.

Once the potatoes are done, the turkey will almost be done too, and so will the two casseroles.

Drain the potatoes well and allow them to steam dry for a couple of minutes. Add the cream and butter, salt and pepper, and mix the potatoes with an electric mixer for creamy-style mashed potatoes. If you like your potatoes a little more dense and slightly lumpy, reduce the cream by 1/3 cup, and use a hand-held potato masher.

The potatoes will hold their heat if kept covered and on the warm burner where they originally cooked (but make sure the burner is turned off).

When the turkey is done, take your last steps:
Remove the turkey from the oven and remove three tablespoons of the drippings in the bottom of the roasting pan to a skillet. Then, cover the bird with aluminum foil. Allow the turkey to sit for 20-30 minutes before carving while you prepare the gravy. This is a good time to put any breads or rolls in the oven that you might have in mind for the dinner.

To the turkey drippings in the skillet, melt the three tablespoons of butter, and then add the 6 tablespoons of flour a little at a time to make a roux. Cook the roux until slightly browned, about 15 minutes. Strain out the turkey neck, onions and sage leaves from the turkey broth. Pour the cream and one cup of the turkey broth into the skillet with the roux a little at a time, mixing well with a whisk. Bring it to a bubble after each incorporation before adding more liquid. Finish the gravy with a bit of the Kitchen Bouquet for color and added depth.

Meanwhile, heat up the olive oil for the green beans. Saute the beans about ten minutes on medium high heat, shaking and stirring them frequently. Finish them with a dash of the soy sauce and the sesame seeds.

While you're putting the dressing, broccoli-rice casserole, mashed potatoes, green beans, gravy and cranberry sauce on the table, carve the turkey.  If you don't know how, You Tube has some tutorials you can view.

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**Par-cooked white rice: If you are using dried, converted rice, cook according to the directions on the package, but reduce the total cooking time by 10 minutes. You may substitute two 8.8 oz packages (about four cups) of Uncle Ben's Original Long Grain White "Ready Rice" packages. This rice has been par-cooked, and is designed to be finished in the microwave. It is every bit as good as making rice from the box. Since this rice is already par-cooked, you can use it in this recipe right out of the package. Do not microwave.