need more cooking help!… turkey/stuffing recipes

[Anonymous]

Hi all!

By now you probably realize that I can’t cook, but since you got me out of my Rosh Hashana bind (thanks Adismom, the recipe worked out well), I thought I’d ask for Thanksgiving help.

Canadian Thanksgiving is the weekend of October 5, and I’ve offered to have it at my house since mil is not well this year. I don’t actually celebrate thanksgiving, but since dh isn’t Jewish, this is a family tradition for him.

I’ve never made a turkey so I could use some advice, and I also need a good stuffing recipe. Dh’s mother is famous for her delicious stuffing, but she won’t cough up the recipe so I’m on my own. Dh’s sister knows the recipe, and hers came out delicous, so I don’t want to have to hear about how mine’s all dry etc. They actually stuff the turkey, so any tips in that regard would also be appreciated.

TIA.

[Anonymous]

Hi Lori,

I can’t make stuffing to save my life, but I made an incredible turkey last thanksgiving. I bought a poultry rub and mixed it into some olive oil and then rubbed that all over the bird. I used one of those needle things to inject some of it right into the bird. I poured chicken broth into the bottom of the pan to keep it moist and add more flavor, and I basted the bird frequently while it cooked. It really turned out yummy.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Our stuffing is very good, but we don’t stuff the bird anymore, it can get tricky cooking-time wise. We usually cook the stuffing separately. The stuffing consists of ground beef, ground pork sausage, chunks of stale Italian bread (Or you can use those packages of bread cubes they sell normally around Thanksgiving), celery and onions diced small, salt, pepper, and Bell’s Poultry seasoning. You brown the meats, then mix it all together and bake it in the oven. we usually use 1 pound of meat, 1 roll of the Parks sausage (take it out of the package & crumble it up to cook it), 1 loaf of bread (or maybe 1 bag of cubes?), maybe 1-2 celery stalks, 1 onion, and then season to taste. You really can’t go wrong with all the meats in it…oh I forgot to mention it’s NOT a diet food! While you bake it, you should also pour some of the turkey juices over it from time to time, to make sure it stays moist, or if you don’t have a lot of juice, you can use chicken broth from a can. We usually stick it all in one of those disposable aluminum pans, then cook it for a while, it should get crusty on top, but I usually mix it up to keep it mostly uniform. Hope this wasn’t too rambling, and helps!

[Anonymous]

Oh man, Lori… thankfully my MIL can’t cook to save her life, so whatever I do is just wonderful!!! But I take the easy way out. I cook the turkey in the baking bag and use Stove Top Stuffing!! Easy, and my family gobbles (ha!) it right up!

[Anonymous]

Thanks all. Thanks for the tip Christine. sounds yummy. Thanks for all the other responses as well. Naomi, I’d love to use a pre-stuffed butterball turkey, but I know I’d get tons of boos for that one. I assume I’d get the same response for stove top… I love it too though!!

[Anonymous]

Christine, btw, hope the kids had great birthdays! Share some pics if you get a chance.

[Anonymous]

Usually, I just wash the bird in the sink with warm water (make sure the sink is really clean) and then rub butter and salt and pepper on the outside. I stuff with a stuffing mix (stove top or whatever). But DO NOT FORGET TO TAKE OUT THE GIBLETS! They are inside the bird in a bag, and I just throw them away. Some people use them to make the stuffing and I think it is supposed to taste really good, but I think they are so YUCKY, that i just toss them. If you get a bird with a pop up timer, you should be fine. I would cover the bird for the first part of the cooking as well. You will do fine!!!! Do some mashed potatoes and a green bean caserole and a nice salad and voila!

You will do great!! Let us know how it turns out.

Ann Marie

[hellbennt]

oh lori you are so brave!

I can’t cook either (well I can make food for dh & the boys and sometimes my parents)- not ‘holiday’ foods like turkey, brisket, roasts, etc…

you are inspiring me to try, LOL!!

maybe you should stuff the turkey with stove top & just don’t TELL them

ok just googled for you- my friends all LOVE these cookbooks- so here’s a recipe from one:

http://kosherfood.about.com/od/fishmaindishes/r/turkey_sf.htm

hellbennt2007-09-23 21:14:24

[Anonymous]

OH, yeah. I forgot to mention the giblets. LOL. My sister once cooked the bird with the giblets inside and it was NASTY. It made the whole turkey taste bitter. Yuck. My poor sis. The following year she went to pull out the giblets (she wasn’t going to make that mistake again) and she pulled out the turkey’s head!!! She screamed so loud I almost dialed 911 before I found out what was wrong.

I’ll try to post some pics soon. The birthdays were fun and happy for both Myles and Eliana. Thanks for asking. Didn’t Sara just have a Birtday too? How was it?

[Anonymous]

Lori,

i hope your turkey turns out delicious. I don’t have much advise as i don’t like cooking holidays dinner very much; too much work. Dh actually cooked last thanksgiving turkey. He used those turkey bags to keep it moist. BTW this is the only big thing he will pretty much try to cook, as he loves stuffing, LOL

Chistine,

sorry I missed your children birthdays. Sounds like they enjoyed it. Happy Belated Birthday to them!

[Anonymous]

I’m laughing so hard I think I might cry… to cover up my anxiety!!! Okay, I have to ask… HOW do you pull a turkey head through the body!!! And why is the head still on! (sorry this is so nasty!) Isn’t the head and neck removed before you buy it? And are these “giblets” not easily identifiable that I’ll know that they’re the giblets instead of the neck and head?! YIKES!….

Okay, another question: Where do you get the turkey? Do they come fresh or do you need to get them frozen?

Also, what is a “pop up timer”?… LOL… if I don’t get one, will I know it’s ready?

Okay, one more- If stuffing the the turkey, do I just shove it right inside the turkey, or do I have to put something inside first? I’ve read about lining the inside with tin foil, or putting a “stuffing bag” inside?

Thanks so much for the help guys, this is really WAY over my cooking ability. My Rosh Hashana meal was very diverse with a lot of new foods all of which turned out great, and so I felt brave and volunteered this, but probably should have kept my mouth shut. For some reason, people are very serious about their turkey!

Christine, thanks for asking about Sarah, her bday is tomorrow… my baby turns 4!!! I can’t believe it. I just realized that I need to bring peanut free cupcakes to the school tomorrow and I forgot to order them!!! YIKES.

[Anonymous]

OK, I can’t help with the head thing!!! I didn’t know it was inside either!!

The giblets are in a bag, so very easy to remove. You will definitely know what it is.

I just buy the turkey at the grocery store, not frozen. The pop up timer is already in the turkey, so you don’t have to do anything there. I just shove the stuffing right inside the turkey and I don’t put anything in first.

I am not the best cook or very domesticated for that matter, but I can do a few things. Now I am also worried about the head and neck!!! LOL!! I wonder if I cooked it inside as well and just didn’t know it? Yikes!

It’s not as hard as it sounds. You are going to do great! Maybe buy one this week and cook it as a practice? You can make lunch meat out of it, turkey surprise, etc… You family will be sick of it, but it may take the pressure off….

Good luck!

Ann Marie

[Anonymous]

Check out http://www.butterball.com, they actually have several videos on their website that will walk you thru on how to do a turkey. They also have people you can call and talk to. They saved me one year!

Most of the turkeys here come frozen so you will definitely need to buy it ahead of time to let it thaw.

Do you have Honeybaked Ham stores in Canada? If worst comes to worst order a turkey breast or whole turkey from them. They are wonderful!!

I’m not sure about stuffing the bird. Luckily, my mom makes awesome pan dressing so we don’t do it but I have heard you have to be really careful because of germs or something from the turkey getting in there.

Good luck!!

Mom2Seth2007-09-24 09:43:42

[Anonymous]

I’m learning lots of stuff from this thread! My DH will usually fry a turkey or smoke one every year.

[Anonymous]

The head is not supposed to be inside the turkey. Someone goofed up and shoved it back inside the bird with the gizzards. Or maybe it wasn’t an accident. Maybe someone had a sick sense of humor. My poor sister!

I always buy frozen turkeys and let them thaw out in the fridge. It usually says on the package how long to thaw and also how long to cook. Calling butterball or checking out their website is a good idea. I’ve never done it but I know people who’ve called and got advice.

Here’s a funny turkey/thanskgiving tidbit. I saw on tv that a man called 911 to ask how to cook his turkey. The police were not impressed and he was fined for his stupidity.

About the stuffing, you really don’t have to cook it inside the bird. Most of the time my mom didn’t and I never have.

If your family prefers white meat anyway you could just buy a turkey breast like Tiffany suggested. I’ve cooked them and they are so nice because they are easy to carve and you don’t have all that waste with the “parts” no one wants.

ndrose2007-09-25 14:55:40

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