Seasons Greetings: Thanksgiving Delights

Everyone knows the best part of Thanksgiving is the turkey. The one meal that brings the whole family together at the table with its delightful smell and delicious taste. That can all be butchered if it isn't prepared right. However, thankfully I have just the recipe to help get your turkey tasting amazing for Thanksgiving day.

Ingredients include:

For the herb butter:

2.5 cups butter softened

1 tablespoon olive oil

Finely zested lemon and lemon juice 2 small lemons

3 garlic cloves peeled and crushed

Chopped parsley

For Turkey:

2 onions, peeled and halved

1 lemon

6 bay leaves

Drizzle of olive oil

Salt and pepper sprinkle

8 slices of thick bacon

Instructions:

So, I like to make the butter the night before and prepare the turkey then. In a large bowl, mix your butter, olive oil, crushed garlic, chopped parsley, lemon juice and zest nicely together. Wash and dry your turkey they set it down in your foil wrapped pan. Remove the gibblets from your turkey if they already haven't been then season the cavity with salt and pepper. Once you have finished dping that carefully loosen the skin on the breast of the turkey. Don't tear the skin. You don't want the butter to leak out while it's baking in the oven.

Stuff the onion, lemon, and bay leaves into the cavity of the turkey so that its nice and firm then begin to stuff the herb butter under the skin. What I like to do is get that butter all over the breast and legs of the turkey beneath the skin and then use the extra butter to coat the outside of the turkey. After you are finished you can put a sheet of foil over your turkey and head off to bed for the night.

In the morning, all you will need to do is preheat your oven to 430 degrees. Remove the foil from your turkey and lay the 8 strips of bacon over the top of your turkey breast then drizzle some olive oil over it. The bacon helps to protect the breast from drying out and also adds to the flavor as it cooks. Roast the turkey for 10 to 15 minutes then remove it and baste it. You want to then lower the heat down to 350 degrees and baste it occasionally. I would estimate 30 minutes for every pound.

When testing if the turkey is cooked you want to stick a skewer into the thickest part of the thigh. The liquid should run clear and not pink. Once the turkey is cooked remove it from the pan and set it up on a plate. Remove the bay leaves, lemon, and onions inside the turkey and start carving away. I like to remove the bacon on top, chop it up, and use it as a garnish for loaded mashed potatoes.