Thank you, I will do this!
Anyone have thoughts on cooking a turkey without bacon draped over it to keep moist? We need to ensure there is no pork in the meal this year. My husband always cooks the turkey using bacon. What about putting pats of butter under the skin?
I have never cooked a Turkey with bacon draped over the top…and it has always been moist and delicious. If you want moister, consider bringing the Turkey.
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Agree. I’ve never used bacon on top but I do rub olive oil on the skin of the turkey before cooking.
Try cooking it breast down. The juices and fat dripping through the breast meat keep it moist. Also, see my post above regarding using a constant read meat thermometer, and cooking it to a lower temperature - hold at 5 min at 150, or 14 min at 145, and it’s just as sterile/safe as an instant at 165, but the meat is not dry and tough.
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Have also never used bacon. But I typically use those big bags to cook it in. Always very moist.
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A “Joy of Cooking” recipe that I have used in the past called for covering the turkey with cheesecloth soaked in melted butter and baste frequently. Turkey was definitely moist, but too much attention/ work. I have also use the bags with success.
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I completely rub my turkey fine with soft margarine, lots of it. Then sprinkle with paprika. Always moist. Never heard of bacon on it.
I mentioned in another thread that after I discovered the Reluctant Gourmet method on the grill, I will never go back to any oven methods. So juicy and tasty, with minimal attention. Just a couple of flips timed by the weight of the bird. No roasting pans needed, just indirect heat.
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My husband is the turkey prepper, I make all the sides. Over the years we’ve tried some different methods and have dialed in the perfect turkey. We spatchcock and brine the turkey. Comes out juicy, perfectly evenly cooked.
Great tips all. I will share with the Turkey master of the house.
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This looks interesting. Does the skin get crispy when using these bags?
Hmmm… its been a few years since I made the turkey, but we baste it so I am not sure I’d consider it “crispy”. Anyone else able to help?
When using a turkey bag, I never basted. The bag was closed with a couple holes. Turkey was moist and easier cleanup. The skin was not crisp. The cheesecloth method allowed for basting and the removed during the last 30min(?), a beautifully browned and moist turkey,
definitely more crisp then other method, but since we don’t eat the skin ,not sure I can help.
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We go out for Thanksgiving. But several years ago, I switched to cooking the turkey the day before for Christmas.
I would actually cook two smaller turkeys rather than one large. That gave us more dark meat and leftovers. We have used the cooking bags for as long as I remember. The skin gets brown, but I don’t know if I would call it crispy. That is not a priority for us and I toss the skin when I’m cutting up the turkey. I don’t stuff the turkey
We would have about 15 people and set everything up as a buffet. I would reheat the turkey in broth in the covered foil pans and that worked well, but I couldn’t keep it warm enough once it was out of the oven.
I finally purchased one of those casserole shaped crockpots and reheated the turkey in broth in that and it was perfect.
And OP, don’t worry, the turkey was always moist and delicious even though it was cooked the day before. Never dry or tough.
As far as mashed potatoes, I will confess I started buying the mashed potatoes from the Costco deli and my family loves them. I heat them in the microwave and then keep them warm in a crockpot.
I also make my stuffing the day before and I do reheat that in a crockpot the next day.
We don’t have everyone over anymore, so we only make one turkey now, but I still do everything the day before. So much less messy and stressful.
I’ve never done bacon either. I make an herb butter and then stick pucks of the butter between the skin and the meat.
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When you put the Turkey in the crockpot, how much liquid did you put in? I’m assuming you put on low heat, for how long?
I’m using my crockpot for the mashed potatoes, but may buy another if the oven reheat doesn’t keep it hot very long.
Does anyone have a good recipe for broccoli or green beans?
Well, I boil my green beans until they are soft. However, I boil them in chicken broth and chopped onions. I add thick bacon for an hour before it starts to fall apart, then take them out. salt and pepper. I boil for 90 minutes. Everyone loves them and I serve hot right out of the pot, and they stay hot for second rounds. We serve my food buffet style all around the counter tops. I don’t have an island.
I went to Lowe’s a few years back and had them cut me a thick piece of wood that fits over and covers my entire sink. No one has to look at that and I can lay dishes on it too. It’s fairly heavy.
I use fresh green beans and steam them until they are crisp cooked. Then I put them in a skillet with bacon (I use precooked bacon, I’m not trying to get a lot of grease) and a bit of chicken broth and cover. I add other additions as I feel like it. Sometimes garlic, sometimes herbs, sometimes honey and balsamic or some other combination. I cook them in the skillet until tender and perhaps slightly charred and serve. This is my own “recipe” if you want to call it that so amounts of everything vary from time to time but the method is the same.