Best Holiday Turkey With Apple Pear Stuffing Recipes

APPLE-STUFFED TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• If necessary, unbind legs of turkey. Rinse and dry turkey with paper towels. Place turkey into a roasting pan with a lid, and rub the oil all over the turkey, inside and out. Stuff the body and neck cavities of the turkey with the apple quarters; arrange whole apples around the turkey in the roasting pan. Scatter any extra apple quarters into the pan. Cover the roasting pan.
• Roast in the preheated oven until the skin is browned and the meat is beginning to separate from the legs, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Remove lid in last 20 minutes of roasting if needed to brown skin. Use pan drippings for gravy, if desired.

HONEY SPICE ROAST TURKEY WITH APPLE PECAN STUFFING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. Starting at back opening of turkey, gently separate skin from turkey breast, using fingers. In small bowl, stir together honey, 2 tablespoons melted butter, the chili powder, allspice and cumin; brush half of mixture over turkey breast under skin (reserve remaining honey mixture).
• In 4-quart Dutch oven, melt 1/4 cup butter over medium-high heat. Cook pecans in butter 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted. Lightly stir in apple, stuffing mix and apple juice until moistened.
• Stuff turkey just before baking. Fill wishbone area with stuffing first. Fasten neck skin to back with skewer. Fold wings across back with tips touching. Fill body cavity lightly with remaining stuffing. (Do not pack--stuffing will expand while cooking.) Tuck drumsticks under band of skin at tail, or tie together with heavy string, then tie to tail. Place turkey, breast side up, on rack in shallow roasting pan. Insert meat thermometer so tip is in thickest part of inside thigh muscle and does not touch bone. Do not add water.
• Cover with foil and bake 3 to 4 hours, uncovering and brushing with remaining honey mixture for last 30 minutes of baking, until thermometer reads 180°F and juice is no longer pink when center of thigh is cut. Drumsticks should move easily when lifted or twisted.
• Place turkey on warm platter; cover with foil to keep warm. Let stand at least 15 minutes for easiest carving. Cover and refrigerate any remaining turkey and stuffing separately.

HOLIDAY TURKEY WITH APPLE-PEAR STUFFING RECIPE

Steps:

• Rinse the turkey inside and out and pat dry with paper towels. Season all over with salt and pepper. Place the turkey, breast-side up, on a rack in a large roasting pan. Refrigerate. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the apples, onions, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes, or until softened. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the dried pears, raisins, dried cherries, bread, parsley, thyme, and sage to the apple mixture and season with salt and pepper. Pour the broth over and toss until evenly moistened. Spoon the stuffing loosely into the neck and body cavities. Place the remaining stuffing in a small buttered baking dish; refrigerate. Tuck the turkey skin at the neck end under, fold the wings under, and tie the legs together. Cover with a foil tent. Roast the turkey for 2 3/4 hours, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices. Remove the foil and continue roasting for about 45 minutes longer, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, away from the bone, registers 180 degrees. Let the turkey stand loosely covered with foil for about 20 minutes before carving. Meanwhile, about 45 minutes before the turkey is done, put the reserved stuffing into the oven, and bake for 1 hour. Carve the turkey, spoon the stuffing into a bowl, and serve. This recipe yields 10 servings.