The other day we celebrated Thanksgiving... in July. I know, it's crazy, but there is a reason for my madness. A while back I found that it was easier to buy 5 or 6 rotisserie chicken from Sam's, tear all the meat off and freeze it. I can then pull this out when I need shredded chicken in a recipe. It's already cooked and ready to go, I just add it to my recipe and finish making the dish. When Thanksgiving rolled around last year, I thought why not do the same with a turkey? I knew I was getting a food saver for Christmas so I thought it would work great. Turkey's were on sale and I had a deep freeze, so why not? Fast forward about 8 months you get Thanksgiving in July!!
This was my second time baking a turkey and it turned out just as great as the first time. The recipe I found on Allrecipes.com is so flavorful, juicy and is now my favorite turkey recipe. So much so that I might even try making it for a huge family gathering sometime. Jason and I both agreed this was the best turkey we have ever tasted.
Juicy Roast Turkey
1/4 cup ground mustard
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 T. olive oil
1/2 t. white vinegar
1 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
1 turkey (10 to 12 lbs.)
1 medium onion, quartered
2 celery ribs, quartered lengthwise
Fresh parsley sprigs
2 bacon strips
1/4 cup butter, softened
Additional olive oil
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
Combine the first six ingredients in a small bowl; stir to form a smooth paste. Brush over inside and outside of turkey. Cover or place in a 2-gal. resealable plastic bag; refrigerate for 24 hours.
Place turkey on a rack in a large roasting pan. Place the onion, celery and parsley inside turkey cavity. Lay the bacon across the breast. Spread butter between legs and body. Tie drumsticks together. Brush the turkey with oil. Pour broth and water into pan.
Bake, uncovered at 324 degrees F for 3 1/2 to 4 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 185 degrees, basting frequently. Remove from oven; discard bacon. Let stand 20 minutes before carving. Thicken pan juices for gravy if desired.
Some side notes:
* My turkey ended up being about 22 lbs. I just ended up doubling the ingredients for the paste.
* This recipe doesn't call for a baking bag, but I used it after I had applied the paste, and placed back in the refrigerator. Discard the bag when you are ready to prepare the turkey.
* I also injected a lot of butter in various parts of the turkey. I think this is partly what made it so moist and juicy. You can get a syringe at your local grocery store and then just melt some butter and start injecting.
* The recipe calls for frequent basting, I found that basting every 20-30 minutes seemed to be the right amount of time. Anything longer than that, I think it starts getting too dry. Make sure to set a timer, so you don't forget.
Annnndddd the reason behind my madness...
It is kind of sad that the 22 lb. turkey only produced 7 lbs. usable meat.
This was my second time baking a turkey and it turned out just as great as the first time. The recipe I found on Allrecipes.com is so flavorful, juicy and is now my favorite turkey recipe. So much so that I might even try making it for a huge family gathering sometime. Jason and I both agreed this was the best turkey we have ever tasted.
Juicy Roast Turkey
1/4 cup ground mustard
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 T. olive oil
1/2 t. white vinegar
1 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
1 turkey (10 to 12 lbs.)
1 medium onion, quartered
2 celery ribs, quartered lengthwise
Fresh parsley sprigs
2 bacon strips
1/4 cup butter, softened
Additional olive oil
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
Combine the first six ingredients in a small bowl; stir to form a smooth paste. Brush over inside and outside of turkey. Cover or place in a 2-gal. resealable plastic bag; refrigerate for 24 hours.
Place turkey on a rack in a large roasting pan. Place the onion, celery and parsley inside turkey cavity. Lay the bacon across the breast. Spread butter between legs and body. Tie drumsticks together. Brush the turkey with oil. Pour broth and water into pan.
Bake, uncovered at 324 degrees F for 3 1/2 to 4 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 185 degrees, basting frequently. Remove from oven; discard bacon. Let stand 20 minutes before carving. Thicken pan juices for gravy if desired.
Some side notes:
* My turkey ended up being about 22 lbs. I just ended up doubling the ingredients for the paste.
* This recipe doesn't call for a baking bag, but I used it after I had applied the paste, and placed back in the refrigerator. Discard the bag when you are ready to prepare the turkey.
* I also injected a lot of butter in various parts of the turkey. I think this is partly what made it so moist and juicy. You can get a syringe at your local grocery store and then just melt some butter and start injecting.
* The recipe calls for frequent basting, I found that basting every 20-30 minutes seemed to be the right amount of time. Anything longer than that, I think it starts getting too dry. Make sure to set a timer, so you don't forget.
Ready for the oven.
Not the prettiest looking bird, but tastes great!
Annnndddd the reason behind my madness...
It is kind of sad that the 22 lb. turkey only produced 7 lbs. usable meat. 
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