Pre cooked/ seasoned turkey?

[Anonymous]

Are there any places that sell either pre-cooked turkey's or pre-seasoned turkey's so all we have to do is pop them in the oven? I looked at the whole foods website but they don't seem to offer this option.

While we're at it - if such a option doesn't exist does anyone have a super simple but yummy recipe for thanksgiving turkey? We are hosting for the first time this year....

Thanks in advance!

[Anonymous]

Easiest way to make a turkey is use a cooking bag. Here's some instructions for using a Reynolds Turkey Oven Bag - http://www.reynoldskitchens.com/media/3020138/orgoventempstob.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Easiest way to make a turkey is use a cooking bag. Here's some instructions for using a Reynolds Turkey Oven Bag - http://www.reynoldskitchens.com/media/3020138/orgoventempstob.pdf

Yuck! Don't use a bag. Do brine or salt under the skin for 24 hours in the fridge.

Stuff or not. Your choice. If you stuff, to avoid bacteria growth, prepare the stuffing immediately before putting in the oven. If you don't stuff, put some aromatics like onion halved, carrots/celery, even an apple inside to flavor the bird.

Baste with butter.

You can roast at a low temperature, around 325 at 1/2 hour per pound. This is the classic method, and if you have brined or salted before, the bird should be moist.

I prefer the higher heat roasting at 425 for about 3 1/2 hours for 16 lb turkey - app. 15 min per pound with stuffing. I coat with butter before putting in the oven. I start breast side down and then flip halfway. Don't open the oven except for the mid-roast flip. I prefer a crispy skin and moist meat combined, so this is my fave. Tent with foil if there are areas that are getting too brown.

Thigh meat (takes longest to cook) should reach 165 when you take it out of the oven. After resting outside it should reach about 180. Stuffing should also reach 165. I'm sure I am forgetting something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there any places that sell either pre-cooked turkey's or pre-seasoned turkey's so all we have to do is pop them in the oven? I looked at the whole foods website but they don't seem to offer this option.

From the Whole Foods website:

OVEN READY TURKEY

DETAILS

An UNCOOKED turkey, prepared for home roasting.

Skip the mess! Our Oven Ready Turkey comes ready to cook, rubbed with herb butter, resting on a bed of mire poix (chef's blend of celery, onion and carrot) in a disposable roasting pan. Just unwrap and place in the oven and a few hours later you'll have a golden roasted turkey ready for your table.

A large turkey is approximately 21 lbs and serves 12 or more people, a medium turkey is approximately 17 lbs and serves 8 to 12, and a small turkey is approximately 13 lbs and serves 6 to 8. Select your size.

Ingredients: Free Range Turkey, Herb Butter (Butter, Parsley, Thyme, Rosemary, Lemon Juice, Salt, Pepper), Carrots, Celery, Onion Contains: Milk.

[Anonymous]

Balducci's.

[Anonymous]

Balduccis or if you want a really good easy recipe - try Ted Allen's Deconstructed Turkey.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Deconstructed-Holiday-Turkey-with-Sage-Gravy-236317

[Anonymous]

Just watch this. She's right on

http://youtu.be/foA0MGUbYH0

[Anonymous]

Harris Teeter. They cost $3/lb. You can also get a pre-cooked turkey breast for $9.99 there. We've done it in the past (wife is a vegetarian and doesn't like raw meat in the house; this is our compromise). It's not a gourmet heirloom turkey but it tastes good and is super easy. You can even pick it up a few hours before you want to eat (they are open til 2pm on Thanksgiving I think) so you don't need to find room for it in your fridge. Just go there and order one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Easiest way to make a turkey is use a cooking bag. Here's some instructions for using a Reynolds Turkey Oven Bag - http://www.reynoldskitchens.com/media/3020138/orgoventempstob.pdf

Yuck! Don't use a bag. Do brine or salt under the skin for 24 hours in the fridge.

Stuff or not. Your choice. If you stuff, to avoid bacteria growth, prepare the stuffing immediately before putting in the oven. If you don't stuff, put some aromatics like onion halved, carrots/celery, even an apple inside to flavor the bird.

Baste with butter.

You can roast at a low temperature, around 325 at 1/2 hour per pound. This is the classic method, and if you have brined or salted before, the bird should be moist.

I prefer the higher heat roasting at 425 for about 3 1/2 hours for 16 lb turkey - app. 15 min per pound with stuffing. I coat with butter before putting in the oven. I start breast side down and then flip halfway. Don't open the oven except for the mid-roast flip. I prefer a crispy skin and moist meat combined, so this is my fave. Tent with foil if there are areas that are getting too brown.

Thigh meat (takes longest to cook) should reach 165 when you take it out of the oven. After resting outside it should reach about 180. Stuffing should also reach 165. I'm sure I am forgetting something.

Bag is better, you just open it and crisp the outside towards the end

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just watch this. She's right on

http://youtu.be/foA0MGUbYH0

OP here - LOL - that video is awesome!! But still a bit too much for a novice non-cook like myself.

Thanks everyone - I think I'm tempted to go the pre-cooked route so will try Balducci's first and then maybe whole foods. Thanks again!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Balducci's.

We did the uncooked "pop in the oven" option from Balducci's last year but it was not what I expected. Because we purchased the "unwrap and pop in the oven" option, we were unprepared when we picked up a frozen turkey on thanksgiving morning that still had to be washed and had no butter rub on it. The chopped veggies they sent to put under the turkey were minimal and all frozen and the bag of herbs still had to be chopped and added to butter and rubbed on the turkey by me. Did others have a different experience there? I totally forgot that I was going to give them a piece of my mind last year. I felt like it was totally false advertising and I overpaid to do the same work I'd do if I got everything myself. The sides, however, were delish.

[Anonymous]

To the PP - did you pick the ready to cook or the pre-cooked version? There are two options available on the Balducci website. The ready to cook version they say takes 3 - 3.5 hrs to cook while the pre-cooked takes 2-2.5 hrs.

Also has anyone else done the pre cooked or ready to cook turkey at balducci's? Is it good? if not, is there something easy we can do to amp up the flavor?

[Anonymous]

I love a brined turkey. I always use the Out of this World brine recipe on All Recipes. The only problem is the drippings are rather salty and don't make for the best gravy base. I roast it after with fresh herbs, lemon halves, garlic cloves stuffed inside. It's always delicious.

You can also order smoked turkey from local barbecue restaurants or online. Then you just pop in the oven. Some taste more like ham then turkey and you still have the drippings problem, but it's a good route for non cooking types.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the PP - did you pick the ready to cook or the pre-cooked version? There are two options available on the Balducci website. The ready to cook version they say takes 3 - 3.5 hrs to cook while the pre-cooked takes 2-2.5 hrs.

Also has anyone else done the pre cooked or ready to cook turkey at balducci's? Is it good? if not, is there something easy we can do to amp up the flavor?

I ordered the "ready to cook," which was a frozen turkey that still had to be defrosted, washed and rubbed with butter and herbs by me! From the online description, I thought all I'd have to do was unwrap some plastic wrap and pop a cleaned, defrosted, and pre-buttered turkey in the oven. It was the amount of work I'd have to do if I just bought a frozen turkey on my own but twice the price.