Make Your Holiday Even Better this Year - Expert tips for Thanksgiving

Recipes:
Roast Turkey with Mediterranean Rub

With nearly everyone enjoying turkey on Thanksgiving, it’s no surprise that those in charge of the kitchen on Thanksgiving Day want the most celebrated meal of the year to go off without a hitch. That’s why Butterball® is gathering expert cooking knowledge to compile their top “make it better” tips and recipes.
“Cooks can reach us in more ways than ever this year for our best tips for a picture-perfect Thanksgiving,” said Mary Clingman, director of the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line®. “Whether Thanksgiving cooks read the 60 tweets per minute we share on Thanksgiving Day, seek bilingual assistance, watch how-to videos on Butterball.com or send us questions via email, our best advice is always to ‘plan ahead.’”

Beginning November 1, 2011, expert advice and suggestions from delicious side dishes to cooking methods will be shared via conversations on Facebook, Twitter, emails and calls at Butterball.com and 1-800-Butterball (800-288-8372).

Roast Turkey with Mediterranean Rub
Prep Time: 10 mins. • Cook Time: 3 hrs. • Serves 12

• 1 Butterball® Turkey (14 to 16 pounds), thawed if frozen
• 1 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup ground dry lemon peel
• 4 tsp sugar, granulated
• 4 tsp sea salt
• 4 tsp chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 tbsp dry oregano leaves
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Remove neck and giblets from turkey. Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Turn wings back to hold neck skin against back of turkey. Place turkey breast side up on flat rack in shallow roasting pan.

Roast turkey approximately 1-1/2 hours. Then, cover breast loosely with Reynolds Wrap® Aluminum Foil to prevent overcooking.
While turkey is cooking, combine parsley, lemon peel, sugar, salt and spices to make rub. Set aside.

Roast turkey another 1-1/2 hours, or until meat thermometer reaches 180°F when inserted into the deepest part of the thigh muscle.
Let turkey stand 15 minutes before carving.

Sprinkle rub on sliced Butterball Turkey or rub over entire turkey when it is removed from the oven.

*Note: Recommend using rub within 24 hours for best results.

Asiago Whipped Potatoes with Turkey Bacon
Prep Time: 15 mins. • Cook Time: 15 mins.­­ • Serves 6-8

• 2 lbs boiling potatoes, peeled, cut in half
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large leek, white part only, cut in half lengthwise and sliced thin
• 5 oz asiago cheese, grated
• 2 tbsp butter, softened
• 3/4 cup Butterball® Turkey Bacon, cut into ¼-inch pieces and sautéed crisp
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Place potatoes in a pot with cold water about 1-inch over top of potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer potatoes 10 to 15 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a small skillet on medium heat. Cook and stir leeks two to three minutes or until tender, but not brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

Drain potatoes, reserving cooking liquid. Add grated asiago, butter and cooked leeks to potatoes.

Mash with a potato masher until fairly smooth, adding ½ to ¾ cup of the reserved cooking liquid. While mashing, add salt & pepper to taste. Fold in the crisp turkey bacon.

Cake and Ice Cream “Pops”

Prep Time: 25 mins. • Freeze Time: 60-70 mins. • Serves 8-10

• 1 purchased pound cake, 10 to 12 ounces
• 1 pint ice cream, flavor of choice
• 1 1⁄2 bottles (7 1⁄4 ounce each) hard coating chocolate topping
• 8 to 10 plastic mini forks or wooden picks
• Multi-color sprinkles
• Finely chopped nuts
• Crushed chocolate sandwich cookies
• Chopped peppermint stick
• Toasted coconut

Remove pound cake from packaging. Slice a piece 1/4-inch thick off 1 end*. Cut remaining cake into 3/4-inch thick slices. Cut into circles using a 1-3/4-inch diameter cookie cutter*.

Place circles on a tray lined with plastic wrap.

Place a scoop of ice cream about 1-3/4-inch in diameter** on top of each cake circle. Place tray in freezer for 45 to 60 minutes or until ice cream is firm.

Pour chocolate topping into bowl. Remove cake from freezer. Insert plastic fork into each piece of cake. Dip into chocolate topping. Dip into dry topping of choice. Place on serving tray. Return to freezer 5 to 10 minutes or until outside of “pops” are firm.

Tips: Use holiday flavors of ice cream such as pumpkin, cranberry or caramel to make the dessert festive.
*Break leftover pieces of pound cake into small pieces and serve another time topped with fresh fruit and whipped cream.
**A scoop 1-3/4-inches in diameter is equivalent to a #20 scoop.

Advice for a
Picture-Perfect Thanksgiving
Butterball is making the Thanksgiving meal better for families by sharing its top turkey tips, to ensure a tender and juicy turkey.
Top Preparation Tips
•    Effortless Thawing: Thawing in the refrigerator is the recommended method. For every four pounds of turkey, allow at least one day of thawing in the refrigerator. However, if your turkey is still frozen and you’re short on time, submerge the turkey in cold water and allow 30 minutes of thaw time for every pound of turkey.
•    Be Resourceful: Start thinking about the meal in advance and implement cost-saving ideas such as buying in bulk, clipping coupons and taking advantage of two-for-one deals. Butterball also provides easy ways for Thanksgiving cooks to save by partnering with brands synonymous with Thanksgiving – check out Butterball.com for money-saving coupons and rebates!
•    Pitch In: Ask friends and family to contribute side dishes and desserts to the meal. This saves both time and money allowing everyone to contribute to the holiday celebration.
Time to Get Cooking
•    It’s All About How You Cook It: The Butterball experts recommend the open pan roasting method using a flat rack in a shallow pan so that the turkey cooks evenly. If you don’t have a flat rack, take a long piece of Reynolds Wrap® Aluminum Foil (Heavy Duty works best!) and roll it, then wrap into a circle and place underneath the turkey. The foil keeps the turkey off the bottom of the pan ensuring air flow for even cooking!
•    Careful Cooking: Ensure all food is cooked to proper temperatures – the turkey should reach 180 degrees Fahrenheit in the thigh, 170 degrees Fahrenheit in the breast and 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the center of the stuffing; and refrigerate cooked leftovers promptly within two hours.
•    Bites of Wisdom: Recipes don’t have to be trendy or complicated to impress guests. Butterball’s Master Chef Tony Seta suggests taking traditional mashed potatoes and adding simple ingredients, like Butterball Turkey Bacon and Asiago cheese – that’ll add some unexpected flavor.

Recipes and photos courtesy of Butterball.