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Thanksgiving Holiday
Thanksgiving requires a few important essentials:
Family, Friends and Food. To help your holiday celebration be the best why not include decorations to make your fall harvest / Thanksgiving dinner party the best.
Cooking .com - Since Thanksgiving meals include a large number of guests, it's essential to have enough side dishes, breads and desserts to go around. For preparing them, we've put together a list of Thanksgiving Essentials -- everything from hand blenders to cookbooks.
Whether you purchase a fresh or frozen turkey, it is important to follow the proper food safety guidelines for storing it to ensure the best quality of your bird.
Storing a whole turkey:
- Refrigerate a fresh or thawed turkey up to 2 days at 35 - 40 degrees F, but no later than the "use by" date on the package.
- Freeze a frozen turkey up to 1 year at 0 degrees F or below.
Thawing a frozen turkey:
The best way to thaw a turkey is in a 40 degrees F refrigerator. To do so, place the turkey in its unopened wrapper on a heavy large baking sheet and keep it refrigerated.
Stuffed Turkey
- Pack the stuffing loosely into the neck and body cavitities of a thawed turkey just before roasting, using about 3/4 to one cup of stuffing per pound of turkey.
- When cooking a stuffed turkey, use an instant-read meat thermometer to take the internal temperature of the stuffing as well as of the turkey. Although the turkey may be adequately cooked, if the stuffing is not between 160 and 165 degrees F, it may still harbor food-borne bacteria.
- If you do not have a thermometer, cook the stuffing separately.
Unstuffed Turkey
- Spoon the dressing into a buttered baking dish. Add enough stock, broth or water to the dressing to replace the juices the dressing would have absorbed from the turkey.
- Cover the dressing and bake for 30 to 45 minutes.
- For a crunchy top, bake the dressing uncovered for the final 15 minutes.
1. In a 425 degrees F oven for the first half hour to brown and crisp the skin. Then the oven temperature is lowered to 325 degrees F and the turkey is cooked until done.
OR
2. In a constant 325 degrees F oven. This method assures that the breast meat is not overcooked.
| >Servings | Approx. Pounds | Approx. Pan Size | >Cook Time** - Unstuffed | Cook Time** - Stuffed |
| >4 | 5-6* | 13x9-in. | 1 1/2 - 2 1/4 hours | NA |
| >6 | 7-8* | 13x9-in. | 2 1/4 - 3 1/4 hours | NA |
| >8 | 9-10 | 14x11x3-in. | 2 3/4 - 3 hours | 3 1/4 - 3 1/2 hours |
| >10 | 11 | 14x11x3-in | 3 - 3 3/4 hours | 3 1/2 - 3 3/4 hours |
| >12 | 13 | 14x11x3-in | 3 - 3 3/4 hours | 3 1/2 - 3 3/4 hours |
| >14 | 15 | 16x13x3-in. | 3 3/4 - 4 hours | 4 - 4 1/4 hours |
| >16 | 17 | 16x13x3-in. | 3 3/4 - 4 1/4 hours | 4 - 4 1/4 hours |
| >18 | 20 | 18x14x3-in. | 4 - 4 1/2 hours | 4 - 4 3/4 hours |
** Using a low-sided roasting pan
The turkey is done when the meat thermometer registers the following temperatures:
The juices should run clear with no traces of blood when the turkey is pierced with an instant-read thermometer. A good place to check for this is in the innermost part of the thigh.
If the breast is done but the thigh is not, cover the breast with foil and continue roasting. Remove the turkey from the oven when it registers about 4 degrees below the desired temperature. Let the turkey rest loosely covered for 20 to 30 minutes.
Oven Thermometers
- Oftentimes, ovens are inaccurately calibrated. It is essential that you monitor the temperature of your oven regardless of whether you are using an oven-proof thermometer or an instant-read meat thermometer.
- Recommended cooking times can vary dramatically if your oven is inaccurately calibrated.
- Disparities between the actual oven temperature and the thermostat may result in a turkey that has a beautifully golden brown exterior but a raw interior. Likewise, if the oven temperature is lower than indicated on the thermostat, the turkey will take much longer to cook than expected and not achieve a golden brown exterior.
Instant-Read Meat Thermometers
- This thermometer accurately reads the turkey's internal temperature within 15 to 20 seconds of insertion. It is not designed to stay inside the turkey while roasting. Remove the thermometer once the temperature is registered.
- To register an accurate temperature, insert the sensor probe into the thickest part of the turkey, but not touching the bones or roasting pan.
- This thermometer is able to check various parts of the meat to determine doneness.
Oven-Proof Meat Thermometer
- This thermometer registers the turkey's internal temperature as it cooks.
- Insert the thermometer into the innermost part of the turkey thigh prior to placing the turkey into the oven. It should remain there until the turkey is done.
- The only drawback is that it remains in one place (the thigh) and does not detect the temperature of the breast meat.
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