Getting Mr. Turkey ready for his big moment!

When it comes to Thanksgiving Dinner, we all know the turkey is the main attraction. But honestly, I’m more about the side dishes. I can skip the turkey as long as my plate is filled with cornbread dressing, sweet potato casserole, bacon-wrapped green beans, and cranberry relish. But most people think Thanksgiving would be ruined without the bird.

I’ll never forget the Thanksgiving my mom and I decided to serve only casseroles for dinner. We’d included all the regulars: chicken and rice casserole, broccoli casserole, sweet potato casserole, and hash brown casserole. You get the picture. No turkey. No dressing. That was the year my older brother (a teen at the time) had his Thanksgiving meltdown.

First, he was upset that we were eating a late supper (around 7:30 p.m.) because he wanted to meet some friends of his who were planning to hang out that night. And then he saw the menu. He made it through dinner with only a few snide remarks. But when he asked to be excused and my father said he couldn’t leave the table until we were done with dessert and coffee, he lost it.

“Why can’t we eat early in the day like everybody else?” “And why can’t we have turkey and dressing like normal people.”

That got him sent to his room, which I’m pretty sure he preferred. For some reason that moment is forever sketched in my memory. We even joke about it some 30 years later. Remember the year we had casseroles?!

We’ve had turkey and dressing every since.

When it comes to turkey prep, I’ve tried it all—brining, basting, low and slow, spatchcocked, roasting on the grill, and even roasting the turkey breast side down. The only thing I haven’t tired is frying or smoking. I’d rather pay someone else to do those.

I have to admit, brining has produced the most tender and juicy bird. And that bird I roasted upside down was delicious. A combination of the two was fantastic! But honestly, sticking to the classic with a couple of modifications will do just fine. After trying several methods, here’s the recipe I’ve landed on. It’s my take on Alton Brown’s Good Eats Roast Turkey. He truly is a genius so feel free to follow his recipe from start to finish. You won’t be disappointed. I added a few more herbs because I like thyme with turkey. Notice there’s no stuffing. Forget the stuffing. I serve my grandmother’s cornbread dressing on the side.

I hope you have wonderful and delicious Thanksgiving. Please share some of your turkey tips!

Roast Turkey
1 fresh or thawed frozen turkey (12-14 pounds)
Salt and pepper
1 stick of butter softened to a spreadable consistency (you can substitute canola oil or olive oil)
1 apple quartered
1 small onion quartered
1 cinnamon stick
Several sprigs of fresh thyme, rosemary, and sage

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Place the bird in a roasting pan on a rack. Make sure you take out the neck and giblets. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Season the cavity liberally with salt and pepper. Place the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, thyme, rosemary and sage in the cavity. Stuff a few tablespoons of the softened butter under the breast skin; spread the rest all over the bird. Sprinkle the outside of the bird with salt and pepper. Tuck the wings under the bird and tie the legs together with kitchen twine.

Place the turkey (legs first) in the lower third of your oven. Roast the turkey at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Roast until the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees. No need to baste. If the breast begins to get too brown, cover with a tent foil. Total cooking time will be around 2.5. Remove the turkey, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 15-20 minutes before carving. The internal temperature will continue to rise a little after you take it out of the oven.

Tip: I put an internal oven thermometer into the breast and the thigh so I can watch the temperature of both. If the breast gets there first, I often will remove the turkey, cut off the legs and thighs and place them back in the oven to cook a little longer.