Thanksgiving Dinner

Note: If the turkey is frozen: Thaw it in the refrigerator, for 24 hours for every 5 pounds the turkey weighs.

Remove the thawed turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting, to let it come to room temperature.

Adjust your oven rack so the turkey will sit in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C)..

Make the herb butter: Combine room temperature butter, minced garlic, salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, and sage.

Remove the turkey from the packaging and remove the neck and giblets from inside the cavities of the bird (discard or use for the gravy if desired). Pat the turkey very dry with paper towels.

Season the cavity of the turkey with salt and pepper. Stuff it with the quartered lemon, onion, and sprigs of herbs.

Use your fingers to loosen and lift the skin above the breasts (on the top of the turkey) and rub half of the herb butter underneath the skin.

Tuck the wings of the turkey underneath the back and set the turkey on a roasting rack inside a roasting pan.

Microwave the remaining herb butter mixture for 20 to 30 seconds (it doesn’t need to be completely melted—just really softened). Use a basting brush to brush the remaining herb butter all over the outside of the turkey breast, legs, and wings.

Roast at 325°F for about 13-15 minutes per pound, or until internal temperature (inserted on the middle of thigh and breast) reaches about 160°F (71°C).

***Check the turkey about halfway through cooking, and once the skin gets golden brown, cover the top of the turkey with tinfoil, to protect the breast meat from overcooking.

(Then, tent it with foil, and let it rest on the counter. It will continue cooking under the foil, to reach 165°F | 71°C.)

Allow the turkey to rest for 20 - 30 minutes before carving. Reserve any drippings and juice remaining in your roasting pan to make turkey gravy.

Make the stuffing: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the bread into cubes and put them in the oven, toasting them in the oven until they are like croutons, about 15 minutes or so. Grease a baking dish with nonstick spray. Place the bread in a large mixing bowl. Heat the butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the onion, celery, and garlic with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until the onions and celery soften, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the sage, parsley, and rosemary. Cook for another minute. Stir in the broth. Pour the mixture over the bread and toss well to coat. Mix in the egg until thoroughly combined.

Bake the stuffing for 45 to 50 minutes, until the internal temperature registers 160°F (71°C). If the stuffing is getting too browned, you can tent it with foil.

***Can be made a day ahead of time and reheated—remove the pan from the fridge 60 minutes before reheating it.

Make the cranberry sauce: Place the cranberries in a colander and rinse them (if using fresh). Pick out and discard any damaged or bruised cranberries. Add the water and sugar to a medium saucepan on high heat and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the cranberries to the pot and return to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until most of the cranberries have burst. Remove the pot from heat. Let cool completely at room temperature, then transfer to a bowl to chill in the refrigerator.

***Note: Cranberry sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.

Make the green beans: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook for about 3 - 4 minutes, or until they are tender but still crisp. Drain the green beans and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Make the mashed potatoes: Fill a pot halfway with cold water and set it over high heat. Peel and cut potatoes into bite-sized chunks so they all cook evenly. Add to the pot once the water is boiling and reduce to a simmer. Check the potatoes by inserting a fork into them. Once the fork slides in and out with ease, take off the heat and strain out all of the water.

Mash the potatoes with a fork or potato ricer and return to the pot. Slowly add in the cream and butter mixture and whip until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm until you are ready to serve.

Finish the mashed potatoes: In a saucepan, melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, stir in the cream to warm and then remove from the heat and set aside.

Make the gravy: Pour all of the drippings from the turkey pan into a saucepan. Add turkey broth and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once simmering, slowly stir in the flour/water mixture. Let simmer until the liquid thickens into a smooth, thick gravy.

Finish the gravy: Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if needed (add more flour/water mix to the gravy if needed to thicken more).

Warm the rolls in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes.

Serve turkey with mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, green beans, cranberry sauce, rolls, and milk.