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What is the way most Canadians like to commemorate this Thanksgiving? With Turkey! Make this Classic Half Roast Turkey Recipe the centerpiece of your Thanksgiving!
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The fall season is upon us! The days are a little cooler, and the trees are beginning to change colours all around us. These are just two of the tell-tale signs that Thanksgiving is on its way! It is one of the holidays many Canadians look forward to, whether it is celebrated with a large group of family and friends, or if it is more of an intimate affair.
Though turkey is traditionally roasted whole in the oven for this occasion, it is available in so many different cuts at your local grocery store! You can find Canadian turkey sliced, ground, as drumsticks, breasts and even as bacon! If the traditional roast turkey is not what you like to gobble during Thanksgiving, then try one of these other options to make this holiday special for you and start a Thanksgiving tradition with it!
My family loves sitting down to a roasted bird every Thanksgiving. Whether it is just our immediate family or if we are amongst a rafter of family and friends, seeing the golden-brown bird presented to the table is what we anxiously await each year.
Some people find tackling this big bird a bit daunting, but Canadian Turkey has shared their foolproof Whole Bird How To tips to get your turkey from store to your Thanksgiving table with ease! Worried about what you will do with your turkey excess? They also give some fabulous hints in their recipe section on how to prepare some tasty turkey leftover dishes your family can enjoy for the rest of the week! If serving a large turkey is not in the cards for your family’s needs, Canadian Turkey also has on hand a large library of scrumptious recipes to enjoy a fantastic feast that works for you!
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Thanksgiving Classic Half Roast Turkey Recipe
Below is a recipe for a Classic Half Roast Turkey to get you fired up about this year’s Thanksgiving meal!
If your bird is frozen, place it in the refrigerator overnight to defrost.
Pat the bird dry with paper towels.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Rub both sides of the turkey with olive oil.
Combine all spices to make a rub. Sprinkle generously onto both sides of the bird.
Slice your onions roughly into 1-inch rounds. Peel and wash the carrots.
Pour wine and chicken broth into your roasting pan. Line the bottom with onions, whole carrots, unpeeled garlic cloves and rosemary sprigs. Place the bird on top of all the vegetables, cut side down.
Cook the turkey for 1 ½ – 2 hours until cooked through. Test for doneness with a meat thermometer. Turkey should reach an internal temperature of 170°F (77°C) in the breast and 180°F (82°C) in the thigh.
Remove turkey from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.
Enjoy!
Notes
Tip: Here’s an easy and quick way to make some homemade gravy to serve with your bird. Take your pan drippings and skim all but a few tablespoons of the fat away. Pour into a saucepan. Unpeel the garlic. Add the garlic and half the cooked onion to the saucepan. Blend with a hand blender. Combine 1 tbsp corn starch with ½ glass of milk until dissolved. Add to the saucepan. Stir over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat until mixture thickens and serve in a gravy boat.
If you are looking for more turkey recipe ideas, you have to try some of these:
Turkey Taco Party Cups Recipe
One-Skillet Turkey with Mushrooms and Polenta Cakes Recipe
Big-Crunch Oven-Baked Turkey Tenders Recipe
Gather Around the Grill with Brazilian Style Grilled Turkey Breast Recipe
Grilling Up Flavour with Canadian Turkey Mango-Chili-Lime BBQ’d Drummettes Recipe
Skillet Turkey Breakfast Hash Recipe
Bountiful Breakfast Bowl with Turkey Sausage Recipe
Turkey Ranch Mac-n-Cheese Recipe
Turkey, Cranberry and Goat Cheese Party Bites Recipe
Classic Homemade Turkey Noodle Soup Recipe with Canadian Turkey
Big Batch Turkey and Chard Chili Recipe
Be Barbecue Ready with Canadian Turkey BBQ Turkey Mixed Grill Dinner
Super Easy Roast Turkey Dinner Recipe
Quick and Hearty Turkey Barley Soup Recipe
One Pan Turkey Pilaf with Olives, Orange and Apricots Recipe
Make Canadian Turkey All-In-One Thanksgiving Dinner Bowl
Cedar Planked Grilled Turkey Breast Roast with Charred Tomato Salsa Recipe
Fire the Grill for Grilled Turkey Sausage and Summer Greens Pizza Recipe
Crispy Roast Turkey Recipe
Oven Baked Turkey Eggplant Parmesan Recipe
Savour the Holidays with a Festive Carved Turkey Recipe
Canadian Turkey Sausage and Rapini Pasta Recipe
Want to find fun and unique ways to prepare turkey this Thanksgiving? Pop over to Canadian Turkey’s website to see the recipes they have in store for you to try, savour and make into a Canadian Tradition!
We recommend starting the turkey in a 425 degree oven for 30-45 minutes before tenting the pan with foil and lowering the temperature to 350 degrees until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the bird.
To achieve a perfectly golden, juicy turkey, let the bird spend time both covered and uncovered in the oven. We recommend covering your bird for most of the cooking time to prevent it from drying out; then, during the last 30 minutes or so of cooking, remove the cover so the skin crisps in the hot oven.
Check the wing and the thickest part of the breast. You may choose to cook the turkey to higher temperatures. Cooking time will vary. For example, a 20 pound turkey will take 4 1/4 to 5 hours to cook, check the temperature on the thermometer after 4 1/4 hours.
Preheat oven to 325° F. Drain juices and pat dry with clean paper towels. Place turkey breast-side-up on a flat rack in a shallow roasting pan 2 to 2½ inches deep. Turn the wings back to hold the neck skin in place.
"Often, consumers will inquire about adding water to the bottom of their roasting pans. We do not recommend adding water to the bottom of the pan. Cooking a turkey with steam is a moist heat-cook method and is acceptable, sure, but is not the preferred method for cooking your turkey."
But if you are roasting the turkey, be it whole turkey, breast, or leg on a regular roasting pan, foil is a good option. Basically the foil works in the same way a lid works—by trapping steam so the turkey stays moist throughout the roasting process. Simply tent the foil so that it loosely covers the whole turkey.
We recommend roasting turkey at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 13 minutes per pound for an unstuffed turkey. We've done the math for you — check out the chart below to determine both turkey cook times and estimated servings (with leftovers!).
A 20 pound turkey will take between 4 to 4 1/2 hours to come to temperature if your oven is 325°F. Here are some other cook times if your bird weighs differently: 10-12 pounds: cook 2 3/4 to 3 hours at 325°F. 15-16 pounds: cook 3 1/2 to 4 hours at 325°F.
If you're cooking a 20-pound turkey at 325 degrees Fahrenheit, you should plan for a cooking time from 4 ½ hours to 4 ¾ hours. The exact length of time you'll need to cook your bird depends on whether it's stuffed, though. An unstuffed 20-pound turkey will naturally cook faster, so it will take around 4 ½ hours.
Place turkey in pre-heated oven and heat until hot (140° F). Cover pan completely with foil for the entire cooking time. Cover breast loosely with foil after 1 to 1 1/4 hours to prevent over-browning and drying. Begin checking the turkey for doneness about 30 minutes before the recommended cook time.
These times are based on a room temperature turkey at 325 degrees F the entire time; plan on about 15 to 17 minutes per pound (the times below are based on 15 minutes per pound).
What Temperature to Cook the Turkey? Cook your turkey at 325 degrees F for most of the cook time; in the final 45 minutes, remove the cover or foil tent from the turkey, increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F and baste the bird with butter.
While the best temperature to cook a turkey is always 325°F, how much time your bird will need in the oven will depend on its weight. An unstuffed 8-pound turkey can take less than 3 hours, while a stuffed 24-pound turkey can take over 5 hours. Here's how long it takes to cook a fully thawed turkey.
Begin by roasting your turkey at 425°F for 40 to 45 minutes before lowering the temperature of the oven to 350°F for the rest of the cooking time. Like the other method, it's a good idea to brush the turkey every 15 to 20 minutes with butter or olive oil to help the surface brown and keep the meat moist.
If you're cooking a 20-pound turkey at 325 degrees Fahrenheit, you should plan for a cooking time from 4 ½ hours to 4 ¾ hours. The exact length of time you'll need to cook your bird depends on whether it's stuffed, though. An unstuffed 20-pound turkey will naturally cook faster, so it will take around 4 ½ hours.
What Temperature to Cook the Turkey? Cook your turkey at 325 degrees F for most of the cook time; in the final 45 minutes, remove the cover or foil tent from the turkey, increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F and baste the bird with butter.
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