Creative Cooking Ideas

What You Need:

• 1 (16 lb.) whole turkey, thawed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 onions, chopped
• 1 (15 oz.) can of jellied cranberry sauce
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

How to Make It:

Clean the thawed turkey under cold water. Remove the neck and giblets. Pat the turkey dry with  a paper towel. Salt and pepper the inside cavity of the turkey. Tie the legs together with string and twist the wings tips back.

Spray a wire rack with non stick cooking spray and place it in a large roasting pan. Put the turkey on the wire rack and cover with aluminum foil.

Bring the oven temperature up to 325 degrees. Roast the turkey for 2 hours. Baste the turkey every 45 minutes with the juices from the pan.

Place the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Allow the butter to melt completely and then add the onions. Cook the onions in the butter until they are very soft but not browned. Add the cranberry sauce and brown sugar stirring well. Increase the heat to medium high and bring the mixture to a steady boil. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking 10 minutes. Stir as needed during cooking.

Remove the foil from the turkey after 2 hours. Pour the cranberry mixture over the turkey. Continue to roast uncovered for 1 hour 30 minutes or until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 180 degrees.

Allow the turkey to set 20 minutes before carving.**

Serves 15.

**Allowing a turkey to set 20 minutes after being removed from the oven lets the cooked meat relax. This helps to keep the juices in the meat when it is carved instead of them running out on to the cutting board or platter.