How to Make a Tantalizing Thanksgiving Turkey

Fall is in the air and that means the holidays are upon us. That also means it is time to start preparing for the Thanksgiving Holiday. It is a time for family, friends and remembrances. And we all have to prepare that wonderful feast for which we all regret later but love when we eat it.

There are many ways to prepare a turkey. I have fried turkeys and made turduckens and I have and I have roasted them. There is really no one way to make a turkey but there are some general guidelines to follow.

It is always better to buy a fresh turkey versus a frozen one. They need to be tented with foil or a cheese cloth and basted to maintain their moisture. Read the cooking directions and follow closely or keep checking the little pop up device to tell you when your turkey is done.

Other then that the sky is the limit with the exception you make certain you buy enough turkey to feed your guests because guests usually like second helpings at Thanksgiving. As a general rule especially with men I like to buy two lbs a man. So if I have three men coming to Thanksgiving Dinner I have 2 lbs per man or six lbs plus one lb for myself. Yes, that is right people I love to over eat on Thanksgiving as well. No one actually gets the 2 lbs because the turkey has bones and cartilage and other things which also are included in the weight. It is a general rule but not a stead fast one. I have big eaters in my family. Plus we love turkey leftovers. Eight people to Thanksgiving dinner and I usually buy a 26lb turkey.

I grew up with an Italian girl who had never made a turkey dinner for her family. She never knew how to prepare a turkey. One of the most hysterically funny telephone conversations I have ever had was talking her through preparing a Thanksgiving Turkey. She was absolutely mortified were she was putting the stuffing when I explained the anatomy of the Turkey.

So for all those who have recently moved to the United States and wish to share in our Thanksgiving tradition, which do not have my home number, here is a youtube video on how to stuff a turkey.

Stuffing can be traditional or completely avant-garde. It is all up to you. In this hub there will be a variety of stuffing recipes provided. I even have my own secret family stuffing recipe in the links below. But the choice is an expression of you. I have made cornbread, red pepper, sausage, and onion stuffing as well as Oyster stuffing.

My recommendation to you is if you are new follow the recipe of another. Try it and then experiment. A great cook is a scientist at heart constantly experimenting until they get the meal perfected.

Cooking times vary on the oven but general guidelines will be provided on the outside of the turkey package. There will be two sets of instructions for cooking. The first will be for a turkey which has not been stuffed. Please don't forget to get the innards and neck out before cooking. The second cooking instructions will be for a stuffed turkey.

In general the turkeys usually have little red pop-ups inserted in the turkey. When the turkey is cooked the red stick pops up. It really is that simple and yet can seem very complicated. I hope this hub has made your holiday preparations much easier. I always recommend a trial run before the holiday. The month of October is a perfect time to practice.

I will furnish you with yet another instructional video so you have a variety of examples to choose from.

I don't make my turkey this way. I brine it with rosemary, olive oil, sage and butter. I also put an apple in the cavity of the Turkey and cover the turkey with foil until the last 45 minutes.

But the video is going to give you the basics and you can add and subtract ingredients you like.

I hope this has educated, inspired, motivated and given you some new ideas for your holiday festivities. I wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving!