No Time 2 Cook Recipe of the Week: Karen's Favorite Roasted Turkey

You will love this recipe!  It is the method I’ve been using for my roasted turkey for over 20 years, and came from my all-time favorite cookbook, Cotton Country put out by the Monroe, Louisiana Junior League.  You’ll find the recipe on page 303 called Marie Louise’s Turkey Recipe.  If you don’t have this cookbook, you might consider adding it to your collection. You can find it on Amazon or at most local bookstores. You can find more of Karen’s family recipes and her frozen products, online at notime2cook.com.

The first time you try this roasted turkey method, you may be nervous.  I was and so was my mama, especially after we tasted the marinade. Trust me, even though the marinade tastes terrible, it will give your turkey a fabulous flavor. The bacon over the breast, the butter under the drumsticks, and the olive oil soaked cheesecloth is just as important.  Your turkey will be moist and succulent and your guests will rave about it. Try this method, and I bet you’ll be like me and never cook a turkey any other way again.
Follow the recipe “to the T” and you won’t be disappointed. Oh no, don’t taste the marinade. It really does taste bad.
Ingredients

• 1/10# Turkey
• 1 small box of dried mustard
• Worcestershire sauce
• Olive oil
• Vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• 1 yellow onion, cut in half
• 2 ribs of celery
• fresh parsley
• Hickory smoked bacon
• 1 stick of butter
• 2 cups chicken stock (I make my stock with Better than Bouillon and water)

 
Instructions:
Thaw turkey in the refrigerator for 3 days or buy a fresh turkey.
Make a soft paste of dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, a little vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Don’t try to taste it as it tastes terrible. Rub the thawed bird inside and out with this paste.
Place turkey in an uncovered roaster. Stuff cavity with onion, celery, and parsley.
Lay 2 pieces of bacon across the breast. Stick hunks of butter in the crevices between the drumstick and body of the turkey.
Soak a cheesecloth or clean cotton dish towel in olive oil (this will ruin your dish towel). Lay the oil-soaked towel across the breasts.
Add 1-2 cups of chicken broth to the bottom of the roaster. Place in refrigerator overnight. Cover just during the storage time.
When ready to cook, remove roaster from the refrigerator and remove the cover.
Place in 300-degree oven and bake 4 hours.  A larger turkey will need a longer cook time. Baste turkey once or twice during baking time.
After 3 1/2 hours, remove cheesecloth, bacon, and lid allowing the turkey to brown a bit.
Using a probe thermometer, inserted into thickest part of the thigh.  Your turkey is done when temp reaches 185 degrees.   When thigh registers at 185, your breast should register at 165 degrees which is perfect.

In 2005, Karen Kurr began selling her Cajun and southern dishes at local farmers markets. Today, her frozen meals are still made from scratch in Oxford, Mississippi, and sold in 200 Kroger stores, independent retailers and online. Karen’s passion is simple: to help bring families back to the dinner table. Her products make dinner easier when you are short on time. Karen continues to share family recipes with loyal customers on hottytoddy.com, the NoTime2Cook website and on social media.