Traditional Turkey Christmas Dinner Made Easy

Maybe it’s your turn to host Christmas dinner this year, or perhaps you just want to make a turkey meal for your family. Preparing a turkey and all the fixin’s doesn’t need to be stressful. Here’s what you need to know to prepare the perfect turkey for an enjoyable Christmas dinner.

A quality turkey can be purchased fresh or frozen. If you buy a frozen turkey, be sure to allow adequate time and follow the instructions for thawing the turkey.

On the big day, begin preparations by removing the giblets – the gizzard, heart and neck. Rinse the cavity of the turkey. Prepare the stuffing and stuff the bird just before you’re ready to cook it, to avoid contamination.

How to Make Traditional Stuffing

¾ cup margarine or butter
2 large celery stalks, chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
¾ cup chopped onion
9 cups bread cubes. White bread is usually used for stuffing, but you can try whole grain, sourdough, rye, or herb bread instead. Whichever type of bread you choose for the stuffing, day-old or stale bread will work best; it’s easier to cut into cubes and doesn’t get as soft during cooking as fresh bread does.
½ tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground sage
¼ tsp pepper

Begin by melting the margarine or butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the celery and onion and cook until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and toss the celery mixture with bread cubes and herbs.

Stuffing the Christmas Turkey

Stuff the turkey loosely because the stuffing will expand during cooking, and this will allow it to cook thoroughly. Tuck the drumsticks under the band of skin at the tail, or you can tie or skewer them to the tail.

Spoon extra stuffing into a greased casserole dish, cover with a lid or aluminum foil and refrigerate until about 30 minutes before the turkey is done. Bake about 45 minutes. You will continue to bake the stuffing while turkey stands 15 minutes before carving.

Roasting the Turkey

Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil before placing the turkey in the pan. This will make clean up easier. Brush the turkey with melted margarine or butter. Don’t add water and don’t cover the pan. Place a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh muscle, so the thermometer doesn’t touch bone and give an inaccurate temperature.

For a stuffed turkey, here are the approximate roasting times at 325 degrees Fahrenheit:

6 to 8 pounds – 3 to 3 1/2 hours
8 to 12 pounds – 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours
12 to 16 pounds – 4 to 5 hours
16 to 20 pounds – 4 ½ to 5 ½ hours
20 to 24 pounds – 5 to 6 ½ hours

When the turkey begins to turn golden, loosely cover it with an aluminum foil tent. When the turkey is two-thirds done, remove the skewers holding the legs.

Continue to roast the turkey until the thermometer reads 180 F and the juice is no longer pink when the center of the thigh is cut. An easy way to check if a whole turkey is done is the drumstick should move easily when it’s lifted or twisted.

When the turkey is done, move it from the oven. Remove the stuffing immediately and keep warm. Allow the turkey to stand for about 15 minutes. This allows the juices to settle and meat to become firmer, so you’ll be able to cut more uniform slices.

Carving the Turkey

To remove the drumsticks and thighs, gently pull leg and thigh away from the body and cut through the joint between the leg and the body. Serve the drumsticks and thighs whole.

To carve the rest of the bird, make a deep horizontal cut into the turkey breast, just above the wing. Insert a form in the top of the breast, and carve thin slices down to the horizontal cut. Repeat on the other side.

How to Make Pan Gravy

To make delicious pan gravy to go with your turkey, you’ll need the following ingredients:

2 tbsp meat drippings
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup liquid (meat juices, broth, or water)

Keep the meat warm while you prepare the gravy. Pour droppings from the roasting pan into a bowl. Leave brown particles in the pan. Return 2 tbsp drippings to the pan.

Stir flour into drippings in the pan. Cook over low heat and stir constantly until the mixture is smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat.

Gradually stir in liquid. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for one minute. Sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired.

Serve the gravy with turkey and stuffing for a traditional Christmas main dish. Some other favorites to add are mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and cranberry sauce. And, of course, your family’s favorite Christmas dessert.

Enjoy, and merry Christmas!

Denise Willms is the owner of WAHM-Articles, an article directory just for moms. Denise also writes for other websites and homeschools her two children. Submit your best work at home articles for moms at WAHM-Articles.com and they'll be read by hundreds of work at home moms who are looking for your products and services.

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