Grandpa Joe's
Roast Stuffed Turkey

Yet another traditional family recipe.

About this recipe

There are many ways to cook a whole turkey.  Oven roasting, grilling, and deep frying are just three popular techniques.  Stuffing or no stuffing is another option.  Each approach has its advocates and likely some critics, too.  Rather than attempting to compete with any of these views, or making any claims of being easier, faster, or juicier, I will simply say that this method has never failed to please anyone sitting around our dining table – and our family has been using it for over 70 years!

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Remove the giblets that are frequently packed in the turkey cavity.  Remove any excess skin (e.g., at the neck and tail bone), and any visible fat.  Allow sufficient time for the turkey to reach room temperature.  (See first two notes).
  2. Fill the body cavity loosely with Pork Sausage Stuffing.
  3. Place the turkey (legs pointed up) on a meat rack in a large roasting pan.  Cover the turkey with a “tent”, fashioned from aluminum foil.  Start with a large sheet of aluminum foil folded in half.  Open the sheet to form a V-shaped “tent”.  Tuck the foil around the sides of the turkey, but ensure that the foil does not touch the top of the turkey, and that both ends are open.  Air must be allowed to flow from end to end across the top of the turkey.
  4. Insert a meat thermometer ensuring that the thermometer tip is located at the center of the stuffing.
  5. Roast the turkey at 350° F for three to four hours, or until the meat thermometer registers exactly 160° F.  (Basting the turkey is not necessary.) 
  6. Remove the foil after 90 minutes and continue roasting until the turkey is a golden brown color on all sides. 
  7. Remove the turkey from the pan to a large platter, cover it tightly with aluminum foil (you can reuse the foil from the tent), and let it stand for at least thirty minutes before carving.
Roast Stuffed Turkey awaiting final plating.

Notes

  • It is not necessary to rinse the turkey before roasting.
  • I like to add the removed excess skin and fat to the roasting pan.  The additional rendered fat is very flavorful and produces more gravy base.
  • The turkey will not be cooked until the meat thermometer inserted into the stuffing reaches 160° F, but for planning purposes a 16 pound fresh turkey will cook typically in less than 4 hours.  An 18 pounder will require about 30 minutes more. 
  • When the thermometer does reach 160° F, insert the thermometer in one or two other parts of the stuffing to ensure it is also at or above 160° F.  If so, the turkey is done.  Roasting it a little longer, "just to be sure" only serves to dry the meat more!
  • If you choose to use a frozen turkey, take extra care to ensure the bird is thoroughly defrosted and at or near room temperature before placing it in the oven.  Forcing the oven to provide the heat to defrost the bird only extends the cooking time, which produces a less moist end result.
  • Smaller turkeys obviously will require less cooking time.
Posted: September 2014.