Holiday Stuffed Turkey
By America's Test KitchenPublished on July 28, 2011
Yield
Serves 15 to 18
Ingredients
2 loaves French baquette (24-inch), torn into ¾-inch chunks (about 20 cups)12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing baking dish2 onions, chopped fine4 ribs celery, chopped fine4 cloves garlic, minced1 teaspoon dried sage 1 teaspoon dried thyme ½ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves Salt and pepper 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth 4 large eggs, lightly beaten1 cheesecloth, square (36-inch), folded into quarters (or store-bought stuffing bag)1 frozen turkey (Butterball), 18-22 pounds, thawed and patted dry with paper towels (neck and giblets reserved for gravy, if desired)
Instructions
- Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 425 degrees. Divide bread chunks between two rimmed baking sheets and bake, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. (Do not turn off oven.)
- Melt 8 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and celery and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic, herbs, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Off heat, whisk in 2 cups broth, then eggs. Pour mixture over bread and toss until evenly coated.
- Line turkey cavity with cheesecloth, pack with warm stuffing, tie ends of cheesecloth, and tuck turkey legs. Transfer remaining stuffing (8 to 12 cups) to large microwave-safe bowl. Pour remaining 1 cup broth over stuffing, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
- Using oven mitts, adjust one oven rack to lowest position and remove other rack. Combine remaining 4 tablespoons softened butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in small bowl. Rub mixture all over turkey and position turkey breast side up on V-rack set in large disposable aluminum pan. Set pan on rimmed baking sheet and roast for 1 hour. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and continue to roast until thickest part of breast registers 165 degrees and thickest part of thigh registers 175 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 2 to 3 hours longer. Transfer turkey to cutting board and let rest 30 minutes, reserving turkey drippings in roasting pan.
- Remove stuffing bag from turkey and empty stuffing into 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Microwave reserved stuffing on high until hot, 5 to 7 minutes, then add to stuffing in baking dish. Pour 1/2 cup reserved drippings over stuffing, cover with foil, and bake until stuffing registers 165 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake until top of stuffing is browned and crisp, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Transfer stuffing to platter and carve turkey. Serve.
- Make AheadThe stuffing can be prepared a day in advance and refrigerated. When ready to stuff the turkey, transfer 12 cups of stuffing to a microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave on high, stirring once, until warm, about 5 minutes. Proceed as directed in step 3 of recipe.
Yield
Serves 15 to 18Ingredients
2 loaves French baquette (24-inch), torn into ¾-inch chunks (about 20 cups)
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing baking dish
2 onions, chopped fine
4 ribs celery, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
Salt and pepper
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cheesecloth, square (36-inch), folded into quarters (or store-bought stuffing bag)
1 frozen turkey (Butterball), 18-22 pounds, thawed and patted dry with paper towels (neck and giblets reserved for gravy, if desired)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
2 loaves French baquette (24-inch), torn into ¾-inch chunks (about 20 cups)
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing baking dish
2 onions, chopped fine
4 ribs celery, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
Salt and pepper
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cheesecloth, square (36-inch), folded into quarters (or store-bought stuffing bag)
1 frozen turkey (Butterball), 18-22 pounds, thawed and patted dry with paper towels (neck and giblets reserved for gravy, if desired)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
2 loaves French baquette (24-inch), torn into ¾-inch chunks (about 20 cups)
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing baking dish
2 onions, chopped fine
4 ribs celery, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
Salt and pepper
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cheesecloth, square (36-inch), folded into quarters (or store-bought stuffing bag)
1 frozen turkey (Butterball), 18-22 pounds, thawed and patted dry with paper towels (neck and giblets reserved for gravy, if desired)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
A giant, bronzed turkey full of tender stuffing is certainly the holiday ideal, but recipes rarely turn out as well as we expected. For a recipe that delivered perfectly cooked meat and moist stuffing at the same time, we settled on the obvious: cooking the stuffed turkey until it’s done, then removing the stuffing and finishing it in the oven. And to make easier work of removing the stuffing from the turkey, we cooked it in a bag fashioned from cheesecloth.
Instructions
- Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 425 degrees. Divide bread chunks between two rimmed baking sheets and bake, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. (Do not turn off oven.)
- Melt 8 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and celery and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic, herbs, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Off heat, whisk in 2 cups broth, then eggs. Pour mixture over bread and toss until evenly coated.
- Line turkey cavity with cheesecloth, pack with warm stuffing, tie ends of cheesecloth, and tuck turkey legs. Transfer remaining stuffing (8 to 12 cups) to large microwave-safe bowl. Pour remaining 1 cup broth over stuffing, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
- Using oven mitts, adjust one oven rack to lowest position and remove other rack. Combine remaining 4 tablespoons softened butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in small bowl. Rub mixture all over turkey and position turkey breast side up on V-rack set in large disposable aluminum pan. Set pan on rimmed baking sheet and roast for 1 hour. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and continue to roast until thickest part of breast registers 165 degrees and thickest part of thigh registers 175 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 2 to 3 hours longer. Transfer turkey to cutting board and let rest 30 minutes, reserving turkey drippings in roasting pan.
- Remove stuffing bag from turkey and empty stuffing into 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Microwave reserved stuffing on high until hot, 5 to 7 minutes, then add to stuffing in baking dish. Pour 1/2 cup reserved drippings over stuffing, cover with foil, and bake until stuffing registers 165 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake until top of stuffing is browned and crisp, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Transfer stuffing to platter and carve turkey. Serve.
- Make AheadThe stuffing can be prepared a day in advance and refrigerated. When ready to stuff the turkey, transfer 12 cups of stuffing to a microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave on high, stirring once, until warm, about 5 minutes. Proceed as directed in step 3 of recipe.
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