I am an epic failure any suggestions would be appreciated

[Lilah Charm]

Oh I am so sorry. I feel really terrible for you, you sound so upset. Turkeys are just like big chickens, there are a lot of ways to cook a turkey and as long as it is cooked all the way through you will do great! So use that thermometer and check temperatures in different parts of the turkey before carving. Also- yay! You have two turkeys so you have two opportunities to be successful. I do not reccomend cooking stuffing inside the turkey- that does change cooking times and temperatures and creates extra stress you don't need- make the stuffing seperately! Also, I do not reccomend brining. I love to brine fresh turkeys but a lot of times the store turkeys are injected with salt water and you could end up with an unappealingly salty turkey- plus, that again is one more extra step that you do not need to deal with, a lot of people don't brine their turkeys. I think rubbing the turkey with butter sounds like a great plan, just remember to keep pouring it's own juices all over it as soon as they are flowing and bubbling around the turkey and do it over and over again- especially because you will be monitoring the temperature carefully and consequently poking several holes in it with your thermometer which will allow the juices to flow out so you need to remember to keep replenishing them. Grab a ham and rock those side dishes, start cooking your turkeys early and one at a time. I'm sure everything will turn out just fine

[gemy]

Now I never cook my turkey in a plastic bag. But a ten pound turkey at 325 degrees takes at least 4-5 hours to cook, especially if you stuff the turkey.


It is roughly 30 minutes per pound of turkey. 10 lbs = 5 hours not 2.5 hrs or what-ever silliness was said.


Don't stress over the turkey cooking. LOL stress over all the side dishes!


I never use Butterballs well at least since the 70's early 80's, I use free range turkeys now.


Electric ovens are notorious for giving false temps, so an oven thermometer is good to have.


But hark to the timing per pound of a turkey. You can't go wrong with that!

[Doodlebug]

Originally Posted by KazzyK810

Oh my gosh! Twelve people coming to dinner...I'd be a wreck! I've never cooked a whole turkey either!

I am the queen of deception. I have great serving bowls, platters, elevated stands, etc. I buy restaurant food and dish it into my serving wear and keep things warm in the oven until company arrives. (This works especially great for out of town guests that dont know your local restaurants. ) To make it convincing i put saucepans in soapy water in my sink or load some in the dishwasher, along with wooden spoons, spatulas, etc, so it looks like ive been busy cooking. Put the restaurant wrappers in your outside garbage can, NOT your kitchen can (I've been busted before.. )

You're not a failure! For those of us that don't excel culinary, the appliances are always the problem! When they are old "they don't work well anymore" and when they are new, "they don't make them like they used to."

Now find a cracker barrel! Or, by me, our local grocery stores also allow you to order complete Thanksgiving dinners, so check yours. Ive bought full dinners from Meijer before and it was delish!

I love this! Lol

OP, Maybe you can still order from another place. I see that even Bob Evans is making dinners that you can order. Just about every restaurant and major grocery store around here is providing Thanksgiving dinners.

We eat Thanksgiving dinner at a nursing home with my husband's brother so we don't have any leftovers. But one store here offers meals already on the plate, that includes everything. We order a couple of those so we can eat "leftovers" for a couple of days.

[SirTeddykins]

Like others, I do not use a bag. I use foil and follow the guidelines on this site:


Let's Talk Turkey


Now that you have ascertained that your oven cooks lower than you thought, I think you're in a good position to use this guide and expect fairly accurate results!


ALSO, my hubby and I always freak out over Thanksgiving so we have started cooking the turkey the day before and putting the servings in a slow cooker with juice on Thanksgiving day so the meat is moist and the house smells like turkey for the guests. This way, I know the turkey has been cooked, it isn't dry and the juice from the slow cooker is used to make gravy. Additionally, my oven remains free for biscuits and all the other things that need baked on the day.


Good luck - I hate Thanksgiving stress so I am there with you! x

[richards6402]

thank you everyone for the tips on cooking a turkey. They are still sitting in the refrig. thawing. I am going to cook them Wednesday. With all the good tips you all have given me I feel a little better about this. Next year it's going to be a Cracker Barrel Thanksgiving for sure.

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by richards6402

thank you everyone for the tips on cooking a turkey. They are still sitting in the refrig. thawing. I am going to cook them Wednesday. With all the good tips you all have given me I feel a little better about this. Next year it's going to be a Cracker Barrel Thanksgiving for sure.

I have a strong feeling you're going to surprise yourself and make an AWESOME turkey!

[richards6402]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

I have a strong feeling you're going to surprise yourself and make an AWESOME turkey!

Thanks for the vote of confidence Ann. I came to the decision last night I am not going to stress about it.....if they turn out tasty that's great....if they turn out not so good, that's OK too. Once I got this in my mind I am a lot less stressed.


I have had some pretty terrible Thanksgiving meals at other relative's homes and it wasn't the end of the world. I remember dressing that looked and tasted like glue, turkey that was so dry you couldn't even cut it with a knife ....so I have now calmed down, have plenty of wine on hand and will commence cooking my (2) 10 lb. turkeys tomorrow afternoon.

[capt_noonie]

You should ice the breasts for at least 30 mins after it has defrosted. So that when you put it in the oven, the breasts take longer to get up to temp and doesn't overcook.

[kerry1272]

We cook ours in a brown paper bag and with the breast down. It bastes itself and is really tender and moist. As for temp and time we follow package directions. Good luck!

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by richards6402

Thanks for the vote of confidence Ann. I came to the decision last night I am not going to stress about it.....if they turn out tasty that's great....if they turn out not so good, that's OK too. Once I got this in my mind I am a lot less stressed.


I have had some pretty terrible Thanksgiving meals at other relative's homes and it wasn't the end of the world. I remember dressing that looked and tasted like glue, turkey that was so dry you couldn't even cut it with a knife ....so I have now calmed down, have plenty of wine on hand and will commence cooking my (2) 10 lb. turkeys tomorrow afternoon.

So how did it go ?

Originally Posted by capt_noonie

You should ice the breasts for at least 30 mins after it has defrosted. So that when you put it in the oven, the breasts take longer to get up to temp and doesn't overcook.

Wow, never heard of this but it makes so much sense.

[richards6402]

My Thanksgiving meal wasn't too bad. The turkey was the best part of the meal. Getting everything done at the same time and relatives that were half an hour late did push me to my limits....but, I survived.

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by richards6402

My Thanksgiving meal wasn't too bad. The turkey was the best part of the meal. Getting everything done at the same time and relatives that were half an hour late did push me to my limits....but, I survived.

See? I *knew* your turkey would rock! Nice job. So glad it turned out for you .

I think getting everything done at the same time is *the* most stressful part of big dinners like this. I'm a fan of finishing some things early (ie, the day before or the morning of) and then keeping them warm or warming them up just before...that way, you can just focus on, say, the turkey or whatever else that requires real-time cooking....and, you can then relax more and enjoy.

Late relatives should always be flogged ! Or at the very least, robbed of desert.