How to Prepare a Turkey Dinner
Roast the turkey., Cook the turkey breast in a crock pot., Deep fry the turkey., Make smoked turkey., Make sweet potato stuffing., Make chestnut stuffing., Make bread stuffing., Stuff your turkey., Make cranberry sauce., Make sweet potato...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Roast the turkey.
A traditional roasted turkey is easy to make with minimal equipment and little experience.
Sprinkle the cavity and the outside with salt and pepper.
You can chop up onions, garlic, lemon and herbs to stuff into the cavity.
For a unique twist, rub white truffle butter under the skin of your turkey. -
Step 2: Cook the turkey breast in a crock pot.
If you have a slow cooker, this method makes a tender and delicious turkey with minimal fuss.
You'll need to stick to a turkey breast that weighs 7 pounds (3 kg) or fewer so that it will easily fit in your slow cooker.
You'll also want to broil (grill) the turkey after you finish cooking it, so that you can brown the skin and make it crispy. , For something different, make deep-fried turkey.
The turkey takes less time to cook and comes out moist and delicious.
You'll need a deep fryer or a large pot for your cooking oil.
If you don't have a deep fryer, then you'll need to rig a metal handle to raise and lower your turkey in and out of the hot oil. , A smoked turkey needs to be thawed and pre-cooked for half an hour before placing it in your smoker.
If you cook turkey in a smoker, then you'll definitely need a meat thermometer to check the temperature.
The interior meat can look pink while the outside of the turkey looks dark, even if the turkey's internal temperature measures 165ºF (74ºC). , This recipe combines raisins, sweet potatoes and cornbread to create a nutritious alternative to traditional stuffing recipes.
While it's fine to use canned sweet potatoes, you can boil or roast sweet potatoes for an even fresher flavor. , Combine sausage, cooked vegetables and roasted chestnuts to make a stuffing that will serve 4 to 6 people.
The inside should be fully cooked while the top is browned and crispy. , This stuffing recipe is great if you have no more room in your oven to prepare additional dishes.
The dish is cooked in the microwave, which will both free up room and save lots of time. , Whether you're cooking your turkey for Thanksgiving, Christmas or another time of year, you need to follow some important safety instructions before you roast a stuffed turkey.
Check out the method for stuffing the turkey in the suggested article, and the delicious stuffing recipes included. , Skip the canned glop and try this recipe for making cranberry sauce from fresh or frozen cranberries.
To give the sauce additional flavor, add some fresh orange zest. , This recipe involves cooking sweet potatoes and then adding a crunchy nut and brown sugar topping.
Add marshmallows to the top if you want.
Also, try 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of lemon extract in the sweet potato filling.
You'll be surprised how good it tastes. , Take fresh asparagus and wrap it in lightly cooked bacon before you grill it or roast it.
A dash of balsamic vinegar also makes a good addition to this dish. , Fresh-baked dinner rolls will be a hit when served along with your turkey dinner.
Add some chopped thyme to your dough to give the rolls a holiday twist.
But if you don't have time to make fresh rolls, just pick up some fresh rolls at your local bakery or grocery store. , Autumn is a great time to enjoy freshly harvested apples, but you can make apple pie any time of year by following this delicious recipe.
Granny Smith apples are traditional, but you can also try Galas or Cortlands. , Are you tired of using squished pumpkin from a can? Use a fresh sugar pumpkin to add class to this traditional autumn dessert.
Fresh pumpkin requires a bit of extra prep time, but the taste difference will be worth it. , Mincemeat is a suitably spicy, cinnamon infused addition to the traditional turkey dinner.
You can easily prepare meatless mincemeat by combining chopped raisins, candied orange peel, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and the zest of an orange or a lemon.
Combine these ingredients and soak them in brandy for a day or so before baking your pie. , Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting will let you use up those carrots in your fridge while also creating a great dessert.
You can adapt the recipe to make carrot cake cupcakes if you want to prepare something a little less formal. , Good choices for turkey include a hearty chardonnay or a light pinot noir.
Look for wines with flavor notes, like apple or pear, that complement the other dishes. ,, -
Step 3: Deep fry the turkey.
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Step 4: Make smoked turkey.
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Step 5: Make sweet potato stuffing.
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Step 6: Make chestnut stuffing.
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Step 7: Make bread stuffing.
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Step 8: Stuff your turkey.
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Step 9: Make cranberry sauce.
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Step 10: Make sweet potato casserole.
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Step 11: Make asparagus wrapped in bacon.
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Step 12: Bake your own dinner rolls.
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Step 13: Bake an apple pie.
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Step 14: Make pumpkin pie straight from the pumpkin.
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Step 15: Make mince pies.
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Step 16: Bake a carrot cake.
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Step 17: Select some wine.
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Step 18: Dress the table elegantly.
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Step 19: Throw a fancy dinner party.
Detailed Guide
A traditional roasted turkey is easy to make with minimal equipment and little experience.
Sprinkle the cavity and the outside with salt and pepper.
You can chop up onions, garlic, lemon and herbs to stuff into the cavity.
For a unique twist, rub white truffle butter under the skin of your turkey.
If you have a slow cooker, this method makes a tender and delicious turkey with minimal fuss.
You'll need to stick to a turkey breast that weighs 7 pounds (3 kg) or fewer so that it will easily fit in your slow cooker.
You'll also want to broil (grill) the turkey after you finish cooking it, so that you can brown the skin and make it crispy. , For something different, make deep-fried turkey.
The turkey takes less time to cook and comes out moist and delicious.
You'll need a deep fryer or a large pot for your cooking oil.
If you don't have a deep fryer, then you'll need to rig a metal handle to raise and lower your turkey in and out of the hot oil. , A smoked turkey needs to be thawed and pre-cooked for half an hour before placing it in your smoker.
If you cook turkey in a smoker, then you'll definitely need a meat thermometer to check the temperature.
The interior meat can look pink while the outside of the turkey looks dark, even if the turkey's internal temperature measures 165ºF (74ºC). , This recipe combines raisins, sweet potatoes and cornbread to create a nutritious alternative to traditional stuffing recipes.
While it's fine to use canned sweet potatoes, you can boil or roast sweet potatoes for an even fresher flavor. , Combine sausage, cooked vegetables and roasted chestnuts to make a stuffing that will serve 4 to 6 people.
The inside should be fully cooked while the top is browned and crispy. , This stuffing recipe is great if you have no more room in your oven to prepare additional dishes.
The dish is cooked in the microwave, which will both free up room and save lots of time. , Whether you're cooking your turkey for Thanksgiving, Christmas or another time of year, you need to follow some important safety instructions before you roast a stuffed turkey.
Check out the method for stuffing the turkey in the suggested article, and the delicious stuffing recipes included. , Skip the canned glop and try this recipe for making cranberry sauce from fresh or frozen cranberries.
To give the sauce additional flavor, add some fresh orange zest. , This recipe involves cooking sweet potatoes and then adding a crunchy nut and brown sugar topping.
Add marshmallows to the top if you want.
Also, try 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of lemon extract in the sweet potato filling.
You'll be surprised how good it tastes. , Take fresh asparagus and wrap it in lightly cooked bacon before you grill it or roast it.
A dash of balsamic vinegar also makes a good addition to this dish. , Fresh-baked dinner rolls will be a hit when served along with your turkey dinner.
Add some chopped thyme to your dough to give the rolls a holiday twist.
But if you don't have time to make fresh rolls, just pick up some fresh rolls at your local bakery or grocery store. , Autumn is a great time to enjoy freshly harvested apples, but you can make apple pie any time of year by following this delicious recipe.
Granny Smith apples are traditional, but you can also try Galas or Cortlands. , Are you tired of using squished pumpkin from a can? Use a fresh sugar pumpkin to add class to this traditional autumn dessert.
Fresh pumpkin requires a bit of extra prep time, but the taste difference will be worth it. , Mincemeat is a suitably spicy, cinnamon infused addition to the traditional turkey dinner.
You can easily prepare meatless mincemeat by combining chopped raisins, candied orange peel, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and the zest of an orange or a lemon.
Combine these ingredients and soak them in brandy for a day or so before baking your pie. , Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting will let you use up those carrots in your fridge while also creating a great dessert.
You can adapt the recipe to make carrot cake cupcakes if you want to prepare something a little less formal. , Good choices for turkey include a hearty chardonnay or a light pinot noir.
Look for wines with flavor notes, like apple or pear, that complement the other dishes. ,,
About the Author
Betty Miller
Creates helpful guides on creative arts to inspire and educate readers.
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