Thanksgiving 2010/ Day 1

I love Thanksgiving.

I thought I would share some of my favorite foods/recipes.

I will post everyday a new recipe that I use or have used for Thanksgiving.

Day 1- turkey

Day 2- mashed potatoes

Day 3- sweet potatoes

Day 4- stuffing

Day 5- cranberry sauce

Day 6- rolls/bread

Day 7- pies apple/pecan tassie & pumpkin

Day 8- Timeline

Day 9- What I am thankful for & pictures of my 2010 Thanksgiving

Day 1- TURKEY

the most important item of the day. I am lucky that we don't eat until 6 pm. No having to get up early and put the bird in!!! I have a basic recipe for turkey. I don't stuff my turkey I cook mine separate. My goal is to have a moist turkey with flavor (aren't we all).

22 lbs turkey

vegetable oil

salt & pepper

thaw turkey according to safety tips below (22lbs=4 days in refrigerator)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove turkey from bag. Drain juices and pat dry with clean paper towels.
Place turkey lifter across full length of flat rack in a shallow roasting pan, 2 to 2 1/2 inches deep.
Tuck wings back to hold the neck skin in place. Doing so will help stabilize the turkey in the pan and when carving. Place thawed or fresh turkey, breast up, on the turkey lifter. Raise one loop over wings and breast, and the other loop over drumsticks. Rest loops on turkey, not over edge of pan during roasting.
Brush skin lightly with vegetable oil or spray with cooking spray to prevent the skin from drying.

Sprinkle salt and pepper on turkey and in the cavity of the turkey
Insert oven-safe meat thermometer deep into the lower part of the thigh muscle but not touching the bone. When thigh is up to temperature and if turkey is stuffed, move thermometer to center of stuffing. Stuffing should be 165 degrees when done.
Place your turkey in the pre-heated oven at 325 degrees.
When the turkey is about 2/3 done, loosely cover the breast and top of drumsticks with a piece of lightweight foil to prevent overcooking.
Your turkey is done when the meat thermometer reaches the following temperatures:
180 degrees deep in the thigh. At this temperature juices should be clear, not reddish pink, when thigh muscle is pierced deeply.
165 degrees in the center of the stuffing, if turkey is stuffed.
Lift roasted turkey onto platter with turkey lifter and discard lifter.
Before removing stuffing and carving, let your turkey stand 15 minutes to allow juices to set.

I cover my turkey with tin foil and a kitchen towel to keep warm while resting.

22 lbs = 3 1/2 to 4 hours un-stuffed

4 1/2-5 hours stuffed

**great tool @ butterball.com to determine thawing time, cooking time and how big of a turkey you will need**

Turkey Safety Tips:
Thawed turkey may be kept in the refrigerator up to 4 days before cooking.
Use paper towels, not cloth, to wipe off turkey and clean up juices.
Combine stuffing ingredients and stuff turkey just before roasting, not the night before.
Food Safety Tips:
Keep cold food below 40 degrees and hot food above 140 degrees.
Thaw your frozen meat on a tray in the refrigerator or in cold water with the breast side facing down. Once thawed, prevent uncooked juices from dripping onto other foods in the refrigerator by placing packaged meats on a separate tray or in a sealed dish.
Cook fresh meat as soon as possible, but no later than the Use-By date on the package. Fully cooking meat destroys bacteria that could cause food-borne illness.
Store raw meats away from the cooked meats, as well as away from fresh fruit and vegetables, to prevent cross contamination from occurring.
Store cooked meats in the refrigerator as soon as your meal is over. The maximum time limit for keeping cooked meat at room temperature is 2 hours.
When transporting cooked meat from your home to a party or another location, remember to keep it cold in a cooler or similar vehicle.
Experts recommend using two cutting boards, one strictly to cut raw meats and the other for vegetables and cooked foods. Cutting boards should be washed thoroughly in hot, soapy water after each use and allowed to air dry or be dried with clean paper towels.
Wash hands, work surfaces, and utensils touched by raw meat and its juices with hot, soapy water.
Use a meat thermometer to determine turkey’s doneness. If you don’t have a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature of the stuffing in the turkey, the stuffing should be cooked separately.

Use cooking methods that allow the turkey to reach an internal temperature of 140 degrees in less than 4 hours and a final temperature of 180 degrees in the thigh. If stuffed, the stuffing should reach 165 degrees. Avoid using a low roasting temperature or partial cooking method.
Store turkey, stuffing, gravy, broth, and other leftover cooked foods in separate containers in the refrigerator within 2 hours of cooking. Remove turkey from bones before storing.

I hope this helps!

Day 2 mashed potatoes