Thankgsgiving will be here sooner than you think. Which is why I start to plan my Thanksgiving dinner and parties well in advance, because it saves a lot of trouble later on down the road.

For the hostess, the turkey might be the most important 'guest' at your dinner table, so you want to make sure it is the best-tasting, juciest, moistest turkey possible, or the whole dinner just won't taste as good. Over the years, I have experimented with various recipes in a number of cookbooks, but was either unhappy with the fat and salt content in the recipes, or just found the whole thing too labor-intensive. As anyone who cooks for a crowd knows, finding ways to cut out extra work can be a lifesaver. So one day I discovered how easy it is to roast a healthy, flavorful Thanksgiving turkey by throwing it on the Weber!

First, my own turkey horror stories.

Tales From The Crypt

My mom used to go through all sorts of elaborate and complex procedures to ensure that her family had what was in her mind a delicious Thanksgiving turkey. She would begin preparations for the bird early in the morning, and set the oven to a very low temperature (325° or so). Next, she would rinse the bird in the sink. it was a very big turkey, since it had to feed 10 people! I remember watching her wash the turkey and looking at its skin, thinking that he looked cold and naked. Then she would pluck pin feathers here and there, grooming him for his big moment.

After that, she rinsed the turkey again and dried him with a dishtowel, then plopped him in the huge roasting pan and proceeded to smear a whole stick of butter all over it and shoved a mountain of stuffing inside of it. Then she covered it with cheesecloth and stuck him in the oven. It took hours to roast that turkey, and she would take a turkey baster and every so often squirt it with the juices as it was baking. When it was finally time to eat the turkey, it always tasted tough and dry. I never liked turkey for years after that.

My First Turkey

When I was younger and newly married, I couldn't wait to make my very own Thanksgiving turkey. I was determined to make a Thanksgiving turkey that would taste way better than the ones my mom made. So, the first chance I had to host a Thanksgiving dinner at my little apartment, I went out and bought a huge turkey from the supermarket.

I didn't bother to check how much it weighed, or determine how many pounds vs. number of guests. I just eyeballed it and put it in the shopping cart. Then I took it home and stuck it in the freezer.

The night before Thanksgiving, I took the turkey out of the freezer and set it to thaw in the fridge. The next morning, I woke up and it was as hard as a rock. My hair stood on end! I took the turkey out and placed him in the kitchen sink, which was filled with water, anxiously poking it every now and then while eyeing the clock on the wall.

Finally the turkey was thawed and ready to bake. I remember staring at that turkey, realizing I had no idea how to proceed. I removed my Betty Crocker Cookbook from its shrinkwrap and browsed through the index for "Turkey, roasting" and quickly discovered I had no cheesecloth, no turkey baster, no string to tie its legs together, no butter (just margarine) and no roasting pan. I did have a drip pan that came with the oven when we moved in, and some foil, so that would have to do. So I improvised, putting my turkey in the pan and giving him a nice margarine massage and sprinkling him with salt and pepper. Then I covered the whole thing in a foil tent and stuck it in a 350° oven and ignored it until dinnertime.

Needless to say, that turkey was even worse than my mom's. Over the years, my technique improved a little, but I still was never able to find a cooking procedure that produced a delicious turkey — Until now.

Super-easy ♥ Healthy ♥ Tender & Delicious Turkey Recipe

This recipe consistently produces a turkey that is tender, moist and delicious, with a mildly smoky flavor and a crispy, perfectly browned skin. And you don't have to babysit it − You can sip a nice cold beer or raspberry iced tea and watch the football games or entertain your guests, checking on it every 45 minutes or so, which is fine because it smells heavenly and it's fun to watch your turkey gradually turn into a lovely golden brown color.

To roast your turkey on your grill, you will need:

• Weber or other small charcoal grill
• Grill tongs (long ones)
• Disposable aluminum drip pan (small or medium)
• Canola, olive or vegetable oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Turkey baster (optional)
• Meat thermometer
• Charcoal briquettes (Mesquite)

• Starter fluid

◊ Before cooking, make sure your turkey is completely thawed-out and the grill and rack are clean. There is no need to grease the rack, as the turkey will not stick to it. ◊

Place your Weber grill in a spot where you can easily get to it without letting smoke in the house. Follow the manufacturer's directions for cooking with the INDIRECT HEATING METHOD.

Place the drip pan on the bottom of the Weber, centering it. Arrange charcoals around the drip pan, set the rack in place and start your fire. When the coals are hot, you can add your turkey.

Ready - Set - Grill!

◊This article was written by cosette and published at hubpages.com. If you are not reading this article at hubpages.com, it is a stolen article.◊

Rinse the turkey and gently pat it dry with paper towels. Place it on a big platter or baking sheet, so you can carry it outside to your grill. Fold the wings behind its back so that they rest under where its neck used to be, which locks them in place. Rub the bird all over with oil; even the bottom of the turkey. This is usually about 1/4 of a cup. Sprinkle salt all over it, and grind some fresh black pepper onto it. If you use a meat thermometer, slide it into the inner-thigh portion of the turkey, taking care to not touch the bone.

◊ I don't stuff my turkey. I think it is safer to make stuffing seperately when I prepare the other side dishes. ◊

Carry your turkey outside (Step carefully so it doesn't slide out of your pan and onto the ground!) On the turkey wrapper, note the proper cooking time for the weight of your bird. Place your turkey in the center of the grill, directly onto the rack and over the drip pan (You will need the pan drippings for later, to make gravy). Put the Weber's lid on, open the vent and go watch the Giants and Steelers slug it out. If you want to, periodically suction out the fluids collecting in the bird's cavity with a turkey baster and discard them, but that is not mandatory.

To test for doneness:

• wiggle the drumstick a little, which should easily twist
• check the thermometer for the correct temperature
• if your turkey has a pop-up thermometer, check to see if it popped up

◊ This recipe works for any size bird (one that will fit in your Weber). My turkey is typically a 12- to 12-and-1/2 pound turkey, which takes 3 to 3-and- 1/2 hours to fully cook. ◊

No butter or brine is needed for this recipe, so it is a healthful one. The turkey gets its flavor from the mesquite coals and indirect heat, and is incredibly moist and delicious. This method has now become a family tradition, and one my son will adopt someday when he has a family of his own.