Incredible 2-Hour Turkey Recipe Worked for Me!

If you're like me, you probably don't have time to plan and cook a traditional Thanksgiving family feast from scratch, but I know we'd all love to this for our families. From purchasing a frozen turkey, making sure it's completely thawed by cooking time, to home-made stuffing and pumpkin pie, it's all very overwhelming.

Last week, while making an ordinary grocery-store run, I picked-up a leaflet at check-out to entertain myself while I waited in line to pay. The title was pretty normal: BEST EVER Thanksgiving Planning Guide. As I read through the expected daily list of chores and preparations which should start a week ahead of banquet day — admittedly feeling smug as I read this because I was not going to have to do any of it since Mom takes care of our brood's celebration — there they were, tucked away in a bullet point, the words which immediately caught my eye: “Need a crash course in cooking the 2-hour turkey?” I had never heard that this was even possible! I grew up with my mother getting up extremely early to put the bird in the oven according to the old-fashion method: a 20 lb. turkey requires between six and seven hours to roast it to perfection.

As I continued reading, I was a little disappointed the 2-hour turkey recipe was not spelled out on the pamphlet, but nonetheless, I came home and curiously went on line to read about this mysterious cooking discovery.

And guess what? I tried it last night with my family and it was easy even for me! The recipe for this stress-free two hour turkey is at Safeway.com, and you can also watch a three-minute video of the entire process!

TIP 1: I used a fresh (not frozen) 10 lb. turkey, and it took less than two hours!!

TIP 2: Tent the turkey with foil. Neither the recipe nor the video warn you of the mess a splattering turkey makes at such high heat!!! I found out the hard way.

Here is the recipe re-printed for you, but I would recommend watching the video if you're not the Martha Stewart type:

1. Remove and discard truss that holds turkey legs together (Tip A). Pull or trim off and discard any excess fat in neck or body cavity. Remove giblets and neck.

2. Rinse turkey inside and out with warm water. Pat dry with paper towels.

3. Place the adjustable V-shaped rack in a 13 x 16 x 3-inch roasting pan (set rack sides so the bird is a minimum of 2 inches from pan bottom).

4. Rub turkey skin generously all over with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set bird breast-side-up on rack.. Pull wings away from body, then firmly twist them to push the wing tips under the bird.

5. Using aluminum foil, form caps over the tips of the end of each drumstick. If any parts of the turkey extend beyond pan rim, fashion a foil collar underneath to make sure drippings flow back into pan. Do not tie legs together, add stuffing, or close body cavity.

6. Insert an oven-safe meat thermometer near the center of the breast through thickest part until the tip touches bone, which is most accurate spot to check doneness (Tip B).

7. Verify oven temperature and set pan on the lowest rack in a 475° oven. Roast according to time chart at right, checking as directed during cooking, until thermometer reaches 160°. Halfway through roasting time, rotate pan in oven to assure even cooking and browning (Tip C). If areas on turkey breast start to get browner than you like, lay a piece of foil over the dark areas.

8. Remove pan from oven, set in a warm spot, and loosely cover pan with foil to keep it warm. Rearrange oven racks to accommodate potatoes and dressing. Decrease oven temperature to 400º. Let turkey rest 30 to 60 minutes. The resting period will allow the internal temperature to reach 165°, the USDA safe cooking temperature for poultry.

9. Drain juices from body cavity (often plentiful in unstuffed birds) into roasting pan. Transfer turkey to a platter or rimmed cutting board. Set aside juices for gravy.

10. Cut off turkey legs at thigh joint (Tip D). If joint is red or pink, return legs to the oven for 3 to 5 minutes (at 300° to 475°) or heat in a microwave oven for 3 to 4 minutes.

11. Carve the rest of the turkey. Carving juices may be clear to pink or rosy; both are fine. Save juices to pour into gravy if desired.

Thanksgiving is the one holiday we can all share regardless of race, religion or political affiliation. Reflect, enjoy and eat, but not too much!

~Happy Thanksgiving~