Old Fashioned Stuffed Turkey

I mentioned in my Easter post that we made turkey and stuffing for our Easter meal. My cooking husband had never done a turkey before, so we turned to America's Test Kitchen for help. They have excellent recipes, so we knew it would turn out well. Guess what? It did! We were impressed. The turkey was moist and flavorful. The stuffing tasted wonderful, but next time we will add more liquid so it's not so dry. We will definitely do this recipe again!

Old Fashioned Stuffed Turkey

Source: for complete recipe go to America's Test Kitchen Web Site

Servings: 10 to 12 

For the Turkey 

There are multiple steps to prepare and cook the turkey. You can see them all if you click on the source link. There are some secret tricks that make this tasty turkey recipe work:

Dry Brine: salting turkey 24-48 hrs before cooking seasons meat and keeps moisture inside. 
Stab the Fat: poking holes in fatty deposits speeds up fat-rendering process. 
Dry Rub: rubbing skin with baking powder and salt just before roasting encourages browning. 
Bard: draping strips of salt pork on turkey as it roasts enriches it with deep flavor. 
Stuffing Secret: combining stuffing cooked inside bird with uncooked stuffing, then baking, yields best flavor. 
Intense Heat: the last 45 minutes of intense heat helps crisp skin.

The salt pork adds the extra deep flavor.

The tasty turkey meat. 

For the Stuffing

There are multiple steps to prepare and cook the stuffing. You can see them all if you click on the source link. 

I made home style white bread to use for the stuffing.

Spread bread cubes on baking sheet and bake until edges have dried (45 minutes).

Cook onion, celery, salt, and pepper until vegetables begin to soften and brown slightly (7-10 min).

 Cook herbs until fragrant (about 1 minute). 

 Mix cooked veggies and bread cubes in bowl. Add 1 cup broth and toss until evenly moistened.

Pack 4-5 cups of stuffing in cheese cloth. Tie ends of cheesecloth together and put in turkey. Cover remaining stuffing with plastic wrap and put in fridge.

Combine cooked stuffing with uncooked stuffing in baking pan. Pour egg mixture over top and stir. Bake until bread cube tops are golden brown (about 15 minutes).

Serve stuffing in a cute bowl and you are good to go!