Thanksgiving is around the corner. A simple and delicious Herb Roasted Turkey, perfect for Thanksgiving or any night of the week. Juicy, tender, so good! 

Ok! We made it to the turkey, the star of the show, Herb Roasted Turkey!!! And this will complete our fabulous menu!  Don’t forget all the other recipes posted for our Thanksgiving menu.. So we’ve got Pecan Crescent Rolls for a fun sweet treat for the morning of, Butternut Squash Lasagna for the non meat eaters, Garlic and Chive Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans with Shallots and Crispy Pancetta and Sausage and Apple Cornbread Stuffing!!!

Now I know there are tons of fancy pants methods out there… brining, how you tie up the legs and wings, flipping the turkey and so on… I figured its my first time so lets keep it as basic as possible and the result was wonderful nonetheless (yes, even though I cooked it upside down). In my opinion, it doesn’t need to be complicated to turn out good. I’ve also got a really simple pan gravy to go with it.

serves 10-12

14-15 lb turkey

2 cups vegetable broth

2 carrots, peeled and cut in half

2 celery stalks, cut in threes

1 onion, cut into quarters

3 or 4 sprigs rosemary, stem discarded and finely chopped

3 or 4 sprigs thyme, stem discarded and finely chopped

4 or 5 sage leaves, finely chopped

6 garlic cloves, finally chopped

1 stick butter, melted

salt and pepper

Oven at 425 degrees.

Remove the neck and gizzard bag from the turkey. Place on a rack breast side up (!) in a roasting pan.

Place a couple pieces of the carrot, celery and onion and insert into the cavity of the turkey. What ever doesn’t fit go ahead and place it into the bottom of the pan along with the vegetable broth.

In a small bowl mix the butter, rosemary, sage, thyme and garlic.

Rub this wonderful herb butter under the skin of the turkey as well as over the top of the skin. Salt and pepper the turkey generously.

Using aluminum foil, form a tent over the turkey, covering it but not touching it. Roast covered for 1 hour.

Lower the oven temp to 350 degrees. Remove the foil and roast for another hour to an hour and a half. Check half way through and if it looks as though the wings or legs have browned enough you can go ahead and cover them with a small piece of foil to prevent those areas from burning.

Be sure to check the temperature in the thickest part of the breast. It should be pulled out at 160 degrees. Loosely tent the turkey again. While it rests for at least 15 minutes before carving, the internal temp should rise to 170 degrees. The skin will be a beautiful golden color and perfectly crisp, oh so heavenly!

This turkey came out super moist and oh so flavorful!!!!

2 cups pan drippings, oil skimmed out

1-2 cups vegetable broth (depends on how thick or thin you prefer it)

1Tbsp garlic powder

2 Tbsp flour

fresh parsley, chopped

salt and pepper

Into a medium saucepan, over medium low heat, add in the pan drippings and whisk in the flour. Once smooth, add in the vegetable broth, starting with 1 cup. Stir in the garlic powder, salt, pepper and a good amount of parsley. Allow to simmer for 8 minutes, whisking occasionally. If the gravy is too thick for your liking add in a little extra broth, whisk and allow to simmer a few extra minutes.

HAPPY EATS!!!

*these are my original recipes*