Here are some tips to get you ready for the big day of turkey roasting.

*The preferred way to prepare a turkey is to brine it first.  This will make for a super moist bird and decrease your cooking time by at least 30 minutes.  Click here to get our recipe.

*Leave the turkey out of the oven for at least 3 hours before cooking.  This will allow the bird to cook more evenly.

*Even though it looks pretty, stuffing a turkey is dangerous!  To cook the stuffing to a safe temperature, the turkey would overcook.

*Rather than using a roasting rack, lay a bed of mirepoix (carrot, celery and onion) down in the bottom of the roasting pan.  Also include the neck and wing tips of the turkey. This will keep your pan drippings from burning and flavor them well for the gravy.

*Don’t play the guessing game!  Keep an instant-read thermometer handy to check the temperature of the thigh joint.  Be sure that the thermometer probe is not touching the bone because this will cause a false read.  The dial will register at 165 degrees when it is cooked through.

Check out our full recipe for Roasted Turkey with Pan Gravy.

It’s always really nice to see those commercials featuring a family around the Thanksgiving table where the turkey is being carved and a single drop of juice drips down the side of the perfectly roasted bird when it is cut into.  You, too, can roast a turkey this moist but it’s going to take a little advanced preparation.  Brining the turkey will not only produce an exceptionally moist result, but the meat will also be seasoned throughout.

Turkey Brine

This brine is for a 14-16 pound  thawed turkey.  For a larger bird, increase the recipe.

2 gallons water

2 cups Kosher salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup peppercorns

2 heads of garlic, halved

2 bay leaves, crumbled

Combine all ingredients in a large container.  Stir until the salt and sugar are dissolved.

Rinse the thawed turkey and reserve the neck and giblets from the cavity of the bird.  Place the turkey into a large zip-top bag and pour the brine into the bag.  If there is room in your refrigerator, place the bag onto a baking sheet and place on the bottom shelf.  If there is no room for the turkey, place the bag into a cooler and ice the bagged turkey with several pounds of ice.

The turkey should be brined for no less than 4 hours and no more than 8 hours.

When you remove the turkey from the brine, rinse it well and then pat it dry.  You want the turkey as dry as possible so that it will brown instead of steam in the oven.  Check back tomorrow for roasting tips!

Well, we say it’s the best use for a pumpkin.  Jack o’lanterns exempt, that is.

This recipe came to us by way of one of our favorite writers.  It is so different.  It is so easy.  And most importantly, it is so delicious!

Swiss Pumpkin

1 small pumpkin
1 baguette, sliced into rounds
1 cup shredded Gruyere or Swiss Cheese
2 eggs
1 cup milk
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Cut off the top of your small pumpkin.  Hollow the center (seeds & strings).  Layer in sliced baguette and cheese, filling almost to the top.  Whisk together eggs, milk and seasoning.  Pour over bread and cheese.  Replace the “lid” of your pumpkin.  Place pumpkin into a shallow baking dish.  Bake at 375 degrees for 2 hours.
Allow to cool slightly.  When serving, be sure to scoop some of the pumpkin with the bread mixture.