Family Favorite Roast Turkey

This delicious, moist turkey is perfect for the holidays!

Roasting your own turkey can be a bit scary. It’s so daunting that Butterball created a hotline. They started in 1981 and answer everyone’s questions about anything cooking a turkey. On Thanksgiving day they answer around 10,000 calls! I have been apprehensive about roasting my own turkey. One year at the school I taught at, we had a Thanksgiving lunch for families to come and enjoy. One of the turkeys was not handled properly and made many people sick. One of those unlucky people was my hubby!! Since then, he is scared to eat turkey.

Fast forward to two years ago…

I was at one of our local farm stores and couldn’t resist buying 2 turkey chicks. I named them Ross and Rachel. I am not a big impulse buyer but when it comes to chicks, I am pretty weak. I really enjoyed raising them, they were fun to watch. Since I raised them for our table, I had to learn how to roast a turkey. It ended up being so easy, I couldn’t figure out what all the fuss was about. This turkey recipe is so simple and easy I think anyone can make this.

Here is a picture of Ross.

If you are worried about roasting your own turkey, don’t be. This recipe is so simple and easy. My only warning is to make sure you thaw it properly. If you do that, this will be turkey success. The result is a moist turkey that isn’t too dry.

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Easy and Delicious Roast Turkey

Equipment

• Roaster

Ingredients

• 12-14 lb Turkey, properly thawed
• 1 T Smoked Paprika
• 1 1/2 t Garlic Powder
• 1 1/2 t Onion Powder
• 1 t Dried Thyme
• 1 t Dried Rosemary
• 6 T Softened Butter

Instructions

• Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey cavity. Mix all of the seasonings together.
  
• Loosen some of the skin around the breast of the turkey. Smear the butter under the skin and all over the skin. Take the seasonings and put it all over the turkey and under the skin.
  
• Place in your roaster. Put your turkey in, breast down. Add 1-2 cups of water or broth to the bottom. You can use the broth to baste the turkey ever 30 minutes or so. Add more water/broth as needed to the bottom of the roaster.
• Bake for 3-4 hours, until the meaty part of the thigh reaches 165 degrees.
  
• Carefully remove the turkey to a cutting board and allow to cool for about 20 minutes. Slice and serve.