Easy Turkey and Stuffing

Useful information:
You can purchase a turkey a day or two before cooking, but no more than that.
Keep in the coldest part of your refrigerator until ready to roast.
If frozen, turkey must be completely thawed before roasting.
Estimate a pound a turkey per person... 10-12 pounds will feed 10-12 people.

Preparing the Bird

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
Fill a sauce pan with water, place on backburner of your stove.  Add four or five cleaned, cut stalks of celery.  Wash the inside and the outside of the turkey with cold water,  drain and rinse out.   Locate neck and giblets (they are usually in a little plastic bag in the turkey’s cavities).  Add to sauce pan, you will need this liquid for the stuffing and later for your gravy.  Heat on low on back burner until needed, you can add water if it boils down too low.  Dry off turkey and place breast side up on rack in roasting pan.

Enhance the flavor of your turkey with an herb or salt rub.

Herb Rub
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
Fresh herbs
2 cloves chopped garlic
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper.

Mix together and rub on top and inside bird.

Salt Rub
1/2 cup kosher salt
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon of mild pure ground chile pepper
1 tablespoon of paprika

Combine ingredients and sprinkle over turkey to completely coat the skin. Let sit for one hour. Before turkey goes into the oven, brush off salt mixture, wipe clean with paper towels.

Simple alternative - Rub butter all over turkey skin and sprinkle with paprika.

Stuffing

Two 6 oz. bags Mrs. Cubbison's stuffing
1 cup (2 sticks) melted butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cups broth, or liquid

Melt butter in 6-8 quart pot, add in chopped celery and onions. Saute until slightly soft, gently stir in dressing. Stir liquid in gradually. Spoon into turkey cavities and put extras into a greased casserole dish. The dish should bake covered 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. Remove cover and bake 5 to 10 minutes longer for a crisper top.

Stuffing the Bird

Fill two open cavities with stuffing. Use the ends of a loaf of bread to hold stuffing in place while you insert metal turkey lacers to close. With string, tie the wings close to the side of the bird. Place in oven.

Useful Information.
Cook your turkey for approximately 10-12 minutes per pound at 325 degrees.
Cover the turkey loosely with aluminum foil while cooking when top starts to brown.
Check on bird ½ hour before your timer goes off.
Use a meat thermometer inserted into the thigh , when it reads between 175 to 180 degrees f, you are good to go.
Move Turkey on rack out of roasting pan.
Let cool 15- 20 minutes before carving.

While your bird is cooling it’s time to make the Gravy.

What you’ll use:
Turkey drippings in roasting pan.
Liquid that you are boiling on stove.
Flour
Salt and Pepper

Put roasting pan across two low heat burners on top of stove. Stir as you slowly bring to a boil. Mix 3 tablespoons of flour and ½ to ¾ cups of liquid in a glass, once mixed add to roasting pan and stir. …. Add salt and pepper to taste