For years, I would go to Thanksgiving dinners with my family or Greg’s family and take one of two side dishes and usually a dessert. I then had the pleasure of enjoying the delicious hams, turkeys, and cornbread dressing that my mom, my aunts, or Greg’s mom had prepared. Things are changing in my world though. For the past few years, the turkey and dressing has become part of my responsibility, especially when we have Thanksgiving with my family. I usually split the duties with a few of my female cousins. Over the past few years, I have lost aunts and uncles, and my mom and my aunt just aren’t up to doing the majority of the cooking anymore. We felt it was time that we took on the more labor-intensive jobs.
With a little planning, it doesn’t have to be daunting, though. If you are cooking the turkey this year, this Ina Garten recipe is easy and delicious. Make sure you follow recommended thawing instructions which usually means a few days in the refrigerator before Thanksgiving day arrives.
- 1 (12-lb.) turkey
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lg. bunch fresh thyme
- 3 onions
- 1 head garlic, halved crosswise
- 4 tbsp. butter, melted
- ½ c. extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
- 10 red new potatoes, halved
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Remove giblets and neck from turkey. Wash turkey inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside of the turkey dry. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the turkey cavity. Stuff the cavity with the thyme, lemon, one of the onions, quartered, and garlic. Brush the outside of the turkey with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey. Peel and slice the remaining onions, toss them with ¼ c. olive oil and scatter them around the turkey.
- Roast the turkey for 1 hour. Toss the carrots and potatoes with ¼ c. olive oil and add to the roasting pan. Continue to roast for about 1½ hours, or until internal temperature reaches 165°F on a meat thermometer, or the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and thigh. Remove the turkey to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil, let rest for 20 minutes.
- Stir the vegetables and return the pan to the oven. Continue to cook the vegetables while the turkey rests. Slice the turkey and serve with roasted vegetables.