Foodie Friday: Turkey Anyone?

For many, baking a turkey can be a daunting task. Some of you have mastered the art of making turkeys. I'm not yet one of those people, but I've got a couple tricks I picked up from my Mama this last Thanksgiving that could help someone else through an upcoming holiday meal.

One of these tricks is to use a baking bag. You can find them in the grocery store. It helps keep the moisture in the turkey, but you've got to make sure to follow the directions and add a little flour to the bag and shake it up to help coat the sides before you put the bird inside.

Once you've got the bag ready in a baking dish, you should turn to the turkey. Make sure you've given it time to thaw (often takes at least 24 hours in the fridge to do so). You should also know they pack the neck and organs inside the bird. These have to come out or you'll end up with a not so nice surprise. Just look inside the opening and you'll see a bag of stuff - pull it out. Some people cut these up and make a gravy out of them, but I tend to throw this part away.

Once those are out of the bird, you might want to put some spices back inside the bird. There are many recipes out there and some people actually put the stuffing inside the bird - we don't because of food safety concerns. Mama puts an orange inside to give the bird an orange flavor. She then rubs the outside of the bird with olive oil to help it brown. Most birds these days have a little thermostat that pops up when the bird is cooked. Make sure that's tucked in the skin of the bird before you put it into the bag. Place the oiled, stuffed bird in the baking bag and throw it into the oven at 350 degrees.

Turkey baking times vary depending on the weight of the bird, but usually take at least 3 hours. You can find a chart of cooking times here if you're trying to figure out how long to cook your bird. When it's done, the little button will pop and you'll have a lovely browned delicious bird for your table!