Classic Turkey Dinner
The best Thanksgiving dinner is the one you enjoy the most with your family. Do not confine yourself in the kitchen for days before turkey day. Bake a classic turkey this holiday and make it easy on yourself. If you cannot get a fresh turkey, that’s okay, get the frozen whole turkey, just remember to let it thaw 24 hours for every 4 pounds, so plan ahead. Thaw it in the refrigerator with the breast side down, this will allow for the juices to flow to the breast. Do not remove it from its wrapping. Thawing may take 3 to 4 days, but once it’s thawed try not to let it sit in the fridge longer than 2 days.
If you want left overs for after Thanksgiving consider planning for a pound of turkey per person.
For the stuffing don’t bog yourself down with complicated recipes, just get your favorite box of stuffing mix and bake the turkey without stuffing. For the sides, instant is the way to go.
Classic Turkey Dinner Ingredients:
1 Turkey (about 12 lbs yields for 15 people)
2 lbs. of vegetable spread or butter with salt
Black Crushed Pepper to taste
Stuffing mix for turkey (a 6oz. box usually yields for 6 servings of 1/2cup/ea.)
Instant mashed potatoes
Your favorite gravy mix (usually 1oz. packet yields 4 servings)
Canned green beans (a 15oz. yields for 3 servings)
Canned whole corn (a 15oz. yields for 3 servings)
Grapes for decoration
Clean the turkey:
Remove the neck and the giblets (save them for some other day). Rinse the turkey in and out with cold water and blot dry with paper towels.
Roasting:
Butter the turkey, make small incisions on wings and try to get some butter on the breast under the skin, and don’t forget the inside too. The 2 lbs of butter make it extra juicy.
Put the turkey inside a turkey-size oven bag and make a couple of slit to let the steam out. Then, place on a roasting pan, breast side up and roast to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 ½ hours, until it reaches 170-180 degrees. Check the temperature with a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the breast making sure it doesn’t touch the bone.
Remove from oven and let it sit before cutting bag open, wait 15 to 20 minutes before carving.
Follow the instructions on the box for the mashed potatoes and stuffing, and follow the packet directions for the gravy. Pour the corn and the green beans in microwave safe dishes each and add butter and pepper to taste.
For presentation decorate with red and green grapes. Serve stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn and green beans on its own container so everyone can self-serve their portions.
Enjoy, and Happy Thanksgiving!
