Quick and Easy Turkey Stuffing Recipe Tips

Turkey Stuffing Recipe Tip #1) Should I stuff the turkey, or roast without the stuffing?

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends cooking the turkey stuffing outside of the turkey to make sure the bird gets cooked all the way through, however many consumers prefer the traditional method of stuffing the bird.

An un-stuffed bird requires less cooking time, leaving the breast meat more moist. You can still make the bird recipe flavorful by placing onions, apples and rosemary leaves in the cavity. The stuffing can be baked in a casserole dish in a 350º F. oven. The internal temperature of the stuffing must reach 165º F., which usually takes about 45 minutes. For any turkey stuffing recipe if you want a more moist and flavorful stuffing, moisten with some pan juices or chicken broth, and bake uncovered for an additional 20-30 minutes.

Turkey Stuffing Recipe Tip #2) How do I stuff a turkey, if I choose to cook the stuffing in this manner?

Prepare the turkey stuffing recipe as directed, cool to room temperature, and loosely stuff the turkey. The turkey stuffing in this turkey stuffing recipe will need space to expand, and tightly packed stuffing may cook unevenly. For any turkey stuffing recipe you should use about 3/4 cup of stuffing for each pound of turkey. Roast the turkey immediately after stuffing. You must ensure that the center of the stuffing reaches 165º F or else harmful bacteria may be found in the stuffing. For any turkey stuffing recipe a food thermometer is recommended to check the inside of the stuffing to ensure that the temperature does reach 165ºF., even if the pop up timer on the turkey indicates that it is cooked. You may choose to let the turkey stand for about 20 minutes to let the juices set. If so, remove all of the stuffing from the turkey immediately after the standing time.

Don't forget to promptly remove all stuffing from the turkey and either serve or refrigerate the stuffing in a separate container.

Turkey Stuffing Recipe Tip #3) Can I stuff the turkey the day before?

For any turkey stuffing recipe make sure to never stuff a turkey ahead of time, only stuff right before you are ready to roast it. Stuffing ahead may enable harmful bacteria to grow in the turkey and stuffing.

Turkey Stuffing Recipe Tip #4) Can I prepare the stuffing ahead of time, and then re-heat it?

For any turkey stuffing recipe you can prepare the stuffing the day before, and refrigerate the stuffing in a covered casserole dish or mixing bowl until you are ready to use it.

Turkey Stuffing Recipe Tip #5) Is the preparation the same whether I stuff the bird or bake in a casserole dish?

Yes, the preparation of this turkey stuffing recipe is the same for either bake method. Water and butter are heated to a boil and the dry stuffing added and lightly mixed until stuffing is moistened.

Visit http://turkeystuffingrecipe.blogspot.com/ for more turkey stuffing recipes and tips about turkey stuffing recipes. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=C._Hopkins

Quick and Easy Turkey Recipe Ideas

Thanksgiving is coming soon, and most folks will prepare and sit down to a huge traditional turkey day meal. A few days ago my oldest son, now twenty-three, made me stop and think about how necessary all of that food really is. I mean really, do we need to roast a twenty pound bird every year? My son commented on how ridiculous it all can be at times when the true meaning of the holiday is to show gratitude for what we have. Right?

For those among us who aren't interested in cooking a massive dinner, or for those small families who just want to have a 'taste' of the holiday, there is an alternative. Of course you can always just order pizza and let everyone take turns saying what they're thankful for, but there are some die-hard 'Thanksgiving-ites' who, although they don't want all the mess and excess, still would appreciate the 'essence' of the traditional holiday fare. So, what's the compromise in this situation? The following is a quick and easy turkey dinner idea along with easy trimmings that will leave you feeling comfy and grateful, yet not about to pop or anxious about the mess in the kitchen.

Quick and Easy Thanksgiving Turkey and Dressing to Really Be Thankful for

4-6 turkey breast slices
½ c chopped green bell pepper
2 tbsp water
1 - 12 oz jar turkey gravy
1 c chicken broth
3 c dry stuffing mix
1 - 6 oz package dried fruit pieces

Spray large skillet with cooking spray. Add turkey and season as you prefer. Cook 4 minutes or until turkey is golden brown and not pink in center. Turn once and remove from skillet. In same skillet, add bell pepper and water, cook for 2 minutes. Take out ¼ cup of gravy from jar or can and add the remaining gravy and broth to skillet; mix well. Bring to boil and remove skillet from heat. Add the stuffing and fruit pieces and stir until moist. Return your turkey to skillet and add the rest of the gravy. Cover and let stand about 5 minutes before serving.

You can double this entire recipe if you have more folks to serve. Another thought I had about making this even easier for larger groups-give this recipe to a few members of your family and let them prepare and bring their own dish to the occasion. This will travel well in a casserole dish and makes a wonderful Thanksgiving Potluck idea.

What quick and easy trimmings go well with this delicious recipe? How about some dinner rolls, cranberry jelly, butternut squash and green beans? Simple and yummy too. Serve a ready made apple or pumpkin pie with whipped topping and it's a hit all round.

For more delicious quick and easy dinner ideas and easy crock pot recipes please visit 'Quick and Easy Dinner Recipes' http://quickandeasydinnerrecipes.blogspot.com and 'Family Crock Pot Recipes' http://familycrockpotrecipes.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sherry_Frewerd

Tips to Preparing to Carve Your Thanksgiving Turkey

The first time you host Thanksgiving dinner at your house there are so many things to consider. After a week of preparing delicious side dishes and baking scrumptious Thanksgiving pies carving the turkey may be the farthest thing from your mind. However, when you remove your perfectly roasted Thanksgiving turkey you will be faced with the inevitable turkey carving.

If you ask advice from friends and neighbors you will get as many recommendations as you have friends. To ease confusion here are four recommendations on carving the perfect Thanksgiving turkey.

Recommendation One: Remove the roasted turkey from the oven 20 minutes before you are ready to serve. The turkey will remain hot and this resting time will allow the juices to incorporate into the turkey meat. Otherwise the turkey juices will flow all over the platter.

Recommendation Two: Be sure to choose a platter large enough to hold the turkey and any garnish you will serve next to the turkey. If you are serving a small group and plan to rest carved turkey on the platter be sure to leave ample room.

Recommendation Three: Remove stuffing from turkey cavity before carving. The stuffing can be placed on the platter with the turkey or in a separate serving dish.

Recommendation Four: If this is your first Thanksgiving plan a practice turkey carving session. Use a small roaster chicken and carve as you would the turkey.

Shauna Hanus is a gourmet cook who specializes in creating gourmet recipes. She has extensive experience cooking with easy to find grocery items to create delightful gourmet meals. She has put together a special Thanksgiving report that gives you 73 recipes to use with your leftover turkey as well as a special holiday ice cream cookbook that includes favorites like pumpkin pie ice cream and pecan pie ice cream. She has also put together a holiday planning guide to help you have the most enjoyable Thanksgiving ever. You can find all of these at http://www.turkey-leftovers.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shauna_Hanus

Deep Fried Turkey Practice

While your neighbors are putting up their Halloween decorations and scouring supermarkets for bargain candy, it’s the perfect time for you to deep fry a turkey. If you’ve been thinking about deep frying a turkey for Thanksgiving but want to try it first, October is the perfect time. It’s close enough to Thanksgiving for you to gain some valuable experience but still far enough away that your family won’t get tired of turkey sandwiches.

In October, Thanksgiving is still over a month away. It's the perfect time to dig your turkey fryer out of the attic, buy some peanut oil and test out some new dry rubs or injector sauce recipes. Let’s face it once November comes it’s too late to subject your family to a turkey test run when they're going to have it again in a few weeks on Thanksgiving. That’s a lot of turkey. And Thanksgiving dinner is a time to be thankful, not a time to try out new recipes. What if your bird tastes terrible? You don’t want your family to remember this year as the one where Dad ruined Thanksgiving.

Deep frying a practice turkey a month early will increase your comfort level on Thanksgiving. Let’s face it when working with five gallons of boiling oil you can use all the comfort you can get. And you’ll also get to enjoy a wonderful deep fried turkey without all the stress and the hassles that the holidays bring.

Your prep work should include making sure your propane tank is full and check to see if your fire extinguisher is charged and ready for action. Be sure to find your gloves and goggles and collect all the necessary equipment that you’ll need for the big day. Put it somewhere on hand like the garage. This way when Thanksgiving comes you’ll have one less thing to worry about.

And remember when you deep fry a turkey you won’t have turkey drippings to make gravy. October is the perfect time to plan your gravy options. You could fry up the giblets and neck in a pan and use those drippings to make your gravy. Or you could buy your gravy at the store. The deep fried turkey will be moist enough that gravy will be more important for the mashed potatoes but it’s still a good idea to plan ahead.

Here’s an excellent injector sauce recipe to try:
Buttery Injector Sauce
1/2 cup Chicken Broth
4 tbsp Butter
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
Salt to taste

Melt Butter in a pan or microwave
Mix butter in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients except salt
Add salt slowly and taste. The sauce should only taste slightly salty
Whisk or use electric mixer until well blended and ready to be injected
Inject mixture into turkey
Place turkey in oven bag or in a large bowl with a cover
Refrigerate overnight

Whether it’s your first deep fried turkey or you are an old pro, try using October to practice. It will make Thanksgiving a little more relaxed and enjoyable. The more prepared you are, the smoother your day will go and that’s something to be thankful for.

Anthony Tripodi is the webmaster of BigTurkeyFryer.com - The Deep Fried Turkey Guide. For more information about Deep Fried Turkey including deep fryers, recipes for injector sauces and dry rubs, and more, visit http://www.bigturkeyfryer.com

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How to Make an Easy Turkey Gravy

I’m not sure I’ve ever met anyone who does not enjoy pouring gravy over turkey and mashed potatoes. There are only a few times a year when I make gravy and we always seem to look forward to those particular meals.

There is a world of difference between home made and store bought gravy. I’ve tried store bought, both in a jar and powdered and they just don’t compare to homemade gravy.

Before ever cooking your turkey, you’ll want to make turkey stock. This is basically turkey soup. Start with 4 cups water. Add some turkey parts. We don’t eat dark meat, so I use the dark meat to make the stock. Add one onion, chopped; a stalk of celery, chopped; and a couple of carrots, chopped. Let it simmer about an hour.

When you cook your turkey, you need to save all of the drippings. You’ll use both the stock from above and the drippings to make your turkey gravy.

Pour the drippings through a strainer and then measure. Add enough turkey stock to the drippings so that you end up with 4 cups of drippings/stock.

Melt ½ cup of butter in a saucepan. Add in ½ cup of flour, whisking constantly, for about 3 minutes. Very slowly add in your 4 cups of drippings/stock. Whisk as you are adding the drippings. Keep your heat on medium low and whisk until the gravy begins to thicken. You will probably need to add more flour. Add another ¼ cup as needed to achieve the right thickness. Add salt and pepper to your taste.

I’ve seen many recipes that call for cornstarch instead of flour. I prefer flour. I find it easier to work with.

If you want your gravy a bit lumpy with a dark rich color, scrape the bottom of the roaster. Those small chunky pieces are full or both flavor and color. Add them to your gravy.

You can pour this gravy over turkey, potatoes and stuffing.

Bon Appetite!!

Audrey’s mom always entertained when she was growing up. Audrey learned to prepare for large groups and has often entertained 15-30 people in her home at a time. You can find more great recipes at http://www.recipe-barn.com

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