THE ATTENTION-HUNGRY TURKEY OF MOISTNESS

The Attention-Hungry Turkey of Moistness image

I made this at a Christmas party last year. It was the first time I'd ever done a turkey by myself, and my mother told me I was basting too much. I showed her; it was the most tender turkey any of the guests had ever had. Better than the woodchips she fed us every Christmas Day!

Provided by strictlyrouge

Time 4h20m

Yield 18

Number Of Ingredients 4

Ingredients

1 (18 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
8 cups prepared stuffing
½ cup softened butter
salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Set oven rack to the lowest position so the turkey will fit.
Rinse the turkey and pat dry. Place in a large roasting pan and loosely fill the cavity with stuffing. Rub butter all over the outside, and season with salt and pepper. Use a large sheet of aluminum foil to make a tent over the bird.
Place in the preheated oven, and here's where it gets interesting. Baste every 5 to 10 minutes - everywhere! Whenever you're not doing something, baste! If you are too busy to baste, take turns with someone else. After 2 hours, remove the foil tent. Keep roasting until the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees F (82 degrees C) when taken in the thickest part of the thigh. It should take about 4 hours total.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 883.1 calories, Carbohydrate 19.3 g, Cholesterol 281.8 mg, Fat 44.6 g, Fiber 2.6 g, Protein 94.8 g, SaturatedFat 14.1 g, Sodium 870.7 mg, Sugar 1.9 g