Ease the holiday time crunch with a make-ahead turkey recipe that's ready to serve when you are. It's a great choice for potlucks, too. —Marie Parker, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Ingredients
- preheat oven to 325°. place turkey on a rack in a roasting pan, breast side up. sprinkle with poultry seasoning and pepper. tuck wings under turkey; tie drumsticks together.
- roast, uncovered, 30 minutes. in a 4-cup measuring cup, mix broth, herbs, lemon peel and juice, and garlic; pour over turkey. roast, uncovered, until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 170°-175°, 3 to 3-1/2 hours, basting occasionally with broth mixture. cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly.
- remove turkey from pan; let stand at least 20 minutes before carving. skim fat from cooking juices.
- to freeze: carve turkey and place in shallow freezer containers. pour cooking juices over turkey; cool slightly, about 1 hour. cover and freeze up to 3 months.
- to serve: partially thaw turkey in refrigerator overnight. preheat oven to 350°. transfer turkey and cooking juices to a large baking dish. pour 1-1/2 cups broth over top. bake, covered, until a thermometer inserted in turkey reads 165°, 50-60 minutes.
- to prepare gravy: remove turkey to a platter, reserving broth mixture; keep warm. in a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; stir in flour until smooth. gradually whisk in broth mixture; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. serve with turkey.
Directions
- 1 turkey (14 to 16 pounds)
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1-1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
