 Roast Turkey with Sausage & Cranberry Stuffing
IngredientsTurkey, any sizeSalt Vegetable oil Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare fresh or defrosted turkey by removing the neck and giblets and rinsing the whole bird with cold water; pat dry with paper towels. Rub inside and outside of turkey lightly with salt. Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Brush the skin with vegetable oil. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, not touching bone (or use a quick-read meat thermometer toward the end of the cooking time). Loosely tent the turkey with foil and wrap the wing tips with foil. Roast 20 minutes per pound if 8 to 10 pounds or 14 to 16 minutes per pound for larger turkeys. Remove foil from turkey during last 1 hour of roasting. Roast until meat thermometer reads 170 degrees and let stand, tented with foil, for 20 minutes before carving. For best results, always consult the turkey package. It is not advised you cook the stuffing inside the turkey.
Sausage & Cranberry StuffingThis traditional bread and sausage stuffing is also studded with apples, mushrooms and tangy cranberries. If you prefer a crisper stuffing, remove the foil and cook uncovered for an additional 10 minutes. Yield: 8-10 servings Ingredients 5-6 cups, mixed bread (white, wheat, French, challah, etc.)1 pound bulk pork sausage 2 1/2 cups mushrooms, chopped 1 cup onion, chopped 1 cup celery stalks and greens, minced 1 apple, cored and chopped 1 cup dried cranberries 2 cups turkey or chicken broth, more if necessary 1/2 white wine 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning Salt & freshly ground pepper 1 Tablespoon butter, softened
MethodPreheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the white and wheat bread into small cubes. Roughly hand shred the other breads. Spread the cubes and pieces of bread on two baking sheets. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted. Transfer baked bread to a large bowl. In a large skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat, stirring and breaking up the lumps until evenly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onions, celery and mushroom and cook another 5-10 minutes or until soft. Pour sausage mixture over bread in bowl. Mix in chopped apple, dried cranberries and poultry seasoning. Drizzle with broth and wine and mix lightly. Mixture should be moist, but not soggy. Add salt and pepper to taste. Grease a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with the butter. Place the stuffing mix into the greased baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes or until moist and warm.
Serving SuggestionBaco Grand Reserva Pinot Noir 2007 Estimated Prep Time: 30 minutes |
