When the holidays come around we start thinking about that mouth-watering turkey. Every year, poor mom spends Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve getting up to baste the turkey several times in the night. As children, we never realized exactly how much trouble she went to for our enjoyment.
Well, times have changed and I have found a perfect turkey recipe that requires no basting or checking at all. Sound too good to be true? I know, I couldn't believe it either until I tried it.
\"how To Barbeque\"
No-Baste, No-Trouble Roasted Turkey
1 12-pound turkey, completely thawed, all giblets removed
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter (softened)
2 tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
2 stalks celery, cut in lengths to fit turkey cavity
1 medium sweet onion, cut in half
1 large carrot
2 cups boiling water
Adjust the oven racks so the covered roasting pan fits easily inside the oven. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
Rub the butter on the outside and in the cavity of the turkey. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the inside and on the outside of the turkey. Put the celery, onion, and carrot in the cavity. Place the turkey, breast side up, in a large roasting pan. Pour the boiling water into the pan. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and put the pan in the preheated oven.
Start a timer when the oven temperature returns to 500 degrees. Bake for exactly 1 hour and turn off the oven. (Yep, turn it off.) Do not open the oven door.* Leave the turkey in the oven until the oven cools; this may take 4 to 6 hours. Reserve the pan juices and refrigerate the turkey if it will not be served soon after roasting.
Serve with cornbread dressing and giblet gravy.
You won't believe how great this turkey will turn out and you will definitely never go back to cooking it the old fashioned way. You will probably want to pick up some extra turkeys while they are on sale to keep in the freezer for in-between holiday meals. It's so easy to cook it this way that you won't mind doing it more often.
*Note: If necessary, hang a sign that threatens the family with bodily harm if they even think about opening the oven door to peek! LOL
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Easiest Holiday Turkey Ever
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