Best Uncle Bills Method For Cooking Turkey Recipes

UNCLE BILL'S BAKED TURKEY BREAST AND THIGHS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Prepare a large enough roasting pan with a metal rack to accomodate both turkey portions in a single layer.
• Place the turkey on the rack.
• Pour olive oil over the turkey portions to coat.
• Sprinkle with granulated garlic powder, black pepper, seasoning salt and dried dill weed.
• Pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of the pan.
• Cover the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil.
• Place roasting pan on middle rack and bake in preheated 425 F oven for 30 minutes.
• Reduce oven heat to 350 F and continue to bake for another 45 minutes.
• At this point, check for doneness by cutting into the breast and thighs to make sure that there is no pink showing and the juices flow clear. You may also insert a meat thermometer into the thickest portion of the breast or thigh and it should read between 175 F - 180°F Do not overcook.
• You may have to remove the turkey breast before the thighs as the thighs take a bit longer to cook.
• When turkey is done, remove from oven, tent and let sit for about 15 minutes before carving.
• You may also wish to use only turkey breast.
• As an added option, you may wish to place some medium size, whole, peeled onions on the rack to bake.
• These are always good served with butter along with the turkey.

THE BEST ROASTED TURKEY

Steps:

• Adjust a rack in the lowest position and preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Remove any turkey parts from the neck and breast cavities and reserve for other uses if desired. Dry the bird well with paper towels, inside and out. Salt and pepper the inside of the breast cavity and stuff the onion, garlic, herbs, and bay leaves inside. Set the bird on a roasting rack set in a roasting pan breast-side up. Brush generously with half of the butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tent the bird with foil.
• Roast the turkey for 2 hours. Remove the foil and baste with the remaining butter. Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F and continue to roast until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F in the thigh of the bird, about 45 minutes more.
• Remove the turkey from the oven and set aside to rest for 15 minutes before carving. Carve and serve.

UNCLE BILL'S TURKEY DRESSING

Steps:

• Purchase an 8 ounce sliced loaf of day old bread, such as homemade, sour dough or Italian bread.
• Cut into 1/2" cubes and place on cookie sheets to dry for at least 1 day or dry in a 250 F oven for about 30 minutes.
• I prefer to buy bread rather than purchasing bread cubes or bread crumbs.
• In a large frying pan, add butter or margarine, onions, green and red peppers, celery and saute' for about 10 minutes; DO NOT BROWN.
• Add chicken soup base and stir well.
• Saute' for 5 minutes longer on medium-high heat.
• In a large mixing bowl, add beaten eggs and milk and mix well.
• Add dried bread cubes and mix well to coat.
• Add mushrooms and mix again.
• In a small bowl, mix together poultry seasoning, ginger, salt, parsley, dill weed, granulated garlic powder, black pepper and mix well to combine.
• Sprinkle mixture over dressing and mix well.
• Add crushed soda crackers and mix well.
• Dressing should be only slightly moist when squeezed and should just hold together.
• If dressing is still too moist, add more crushed cracker crumbs until the desired texture is achieved.
• Adjust spices to taste.
• You may wish to add some dried sage if desired.
• Line the cavity with cheese cloth leaving enough cloth so that it protrudes outside the cavity. Stuff dressing loosely, DO NOT PRESS TIGHTLY, as it will not cook properly.
• You can also wrap the dressing in double aluminum foil and bake in the oven along with your turkey or separately at 400 F for about 1 1/2 hours.
• When the turkey is cooked, pull out the cheese cloth with the dressing. Leaves the cavity clean and you do not need to dig the dressing out.
• NOTE: I prefer to cook the dressing in double aluminum foil in the oven.