What You Need:
- 1 (16 lb.) whole turkey thawed
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 3 onions, chopped
- 1 (15 oz.) can of jellied cranberry sauce
- 1/2 C brown sugar
How to Make It:
- Clean the thawed turkey under cold water, remove the neck and giblets and pat the turkey dry with paper towel.
- Salt and pepper the inside cavity of the turkey.
- Tie the legs together with string and twist the wings tips back.
- Spray a wire rack with a non stick cooking spray.
- Place the rack into a large roasting pan.
- Place the turkey on the wire rack and cover with aluminum foil.
- Bring the oven temperature up to 325 degrees.
- Roast the turkey for 2 hours being sure to baste the turkey about every 45 minutes with the juices from the pan.
- Place the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Allow the butter to melt completely then add the onions.
- Continue to cook the onions in the butter until they are very soft but not browned.
- Add the cranberry sauce and brown sugar stirring well.
- Place the heat on medium high and bring mixture to a steady boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking 10 minutes and being sure to stir a couple of time during cooking.
- Remove the foil from the turkey after 2 hours and pour the cranberry mixture over the turkey.
- Continue to roast uncovered for 1h our 30 minutes or until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 180 degrees.
- Allow the turkey to set 20 minutes before carving.
Serves 15
Allowing a turkey to rest 20 to 50 minutes after being removed from the oven allows the cooked meat to relax. This in turn keeps the juices in the meat when carved instead of running out on to the cutting board or platter.