Uncle Bills Baked Turkey Breast And Thighs Recipes

UNCLE BILL'S CHICKEN STRIPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Remove all fat from chicken breasts and cut into 1 inch by 4 inch strips. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and buttermilk. In a plastic resealable bag mix together the bread crumbs, grated cheese, garlic powder, salt, pepper and dill weed.
• Dip each chicken strips into buttermilk mixture, then into bread crumb mixture (about 4 strips at a time), and toss to coat well. Place strips in a single layer in a 9x13 inch baking dish and drizzle with melted butter/margarine. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown, turning once after about 8 minutes of baking time.

OVEN-ROASTED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. Place turkey, skin side up, on rack in large shallow roasting pan. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is in thickest part of breast and does not touch bone. Roast uncovered 1 hour.
• Mix butter, wine, thyme, salt, paprika and garlic. Brush turkey with half of the butter mixture. Roast 30 minutes; brush with remaining butter mixture. Roast about 1 hour longer or until thermometer reads 165°F.
• Remove turkey from oven and let stand 15 minutes for easier carving.
• Meanwhile, pour pan drippings into measuring cup; skim fat from drippings. Add enough water to drippings to measure 2 cups. Heat drippings to boiling in 1-quart saucepan. Mix cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water; stir into drippings. Boil and stir 1 minute. Serve with turkey.

UNCLE BILL'S METHOD FOR COOKING TURKEY

Steps:

• Turkey must be thoroughly thawed before preparing for the oven unless you are using a fresh turkey.
• Remove turkey parts from cavities and use as you desire.
• Wash cavities well with cold water.
• Boil a kettle of hot water (scalding hot.).
• Place turkey in a clean sink or a large roasting pan.
• Pour hot water over the entire turkey including in the cavities.
• The skin will shrink tightly to the turkey.
• "This will help hold the natural juices in the turkey while it is cooking. Do not peel skin back to layer herbs under the skin. This will destroy the process for a moist turkey.
• "Pat dry both inside and outside of turkey.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Sprinkle cavities with salt and black pepper and granulated garlic powder.
• If you are stuffing the bird, then line inside of cavity with cheesecloth, then stuff with your favorite dressing,"stuff loosely",.
• Tie legs and wings with a good meat wrapping twine and leave a lifting loop to remove the turkey from the pan when cooked.
• Place a wire rack in the bottom of roasting pan.
• Place the turkey on the wire rack, breast side up.
• Pour 2 cups of water or 2 cups of chicken broth into the pan.
• Pour about 1/2 cup or more if required of extra virgin olive oil over the exterior of the turkey.
• Cover the turkey with heavy aluminum foil, but do not let the foil touch the turkey as it will stick to the turkey while cooking.
• Pinch foil tight to the sides of the pan.
• Place turkey on lower rack in oven and cook for 1 hour.
• Reduce heat to 325 F and cook for 2 1/2 hours.
• Now turn heat up to 350 F and cook for another 1/2 hour.
• Remove foil from turkey. At this time test for doneness by inserting an instant read thermometer into the breast to see how the cooking temperature is. We are cooking towards a reading of 175°F.
• Baste,the turkey and continue cooking, uncovered, for an additional 1 hour at 350 F, basting about every 15 minutes so that the turkey turns a nice brown color.
• When the time for cooking is finished, test for doneness. Insert the instant read thermometer into the thickest portion of the turkey breast, reading should be 175 F and no more. .
• Remove from oven, lift turkey out the roasting pan using the string loops.
• Cover with foil and let the turkey rest for about 1/2 hour before carving.
• Total time for cooking a 16 pound stuffed turkey is 5 hours.
• There is no need to baste the turkey until the last 1 hour of cooking, this saves you a lot of time as you do not have to remove the foil tent during the first 4 hours.
• For a crispy browner skin, you may wish to consider rubbing butter over the entire bird after pouring olive oil. This works very nicely.
• COOKING TIMES: Left Side -Stuffed---- Right Side - Unstuffed.
• *12-14lbs.
• 4 - 4 1/2 hours-- 3 1/2 - 3 3/4 hours.
• *14-16lbs.
• 4 1/2 - 5 hours-- 3 3/4 - 4 hours.
• *16-18lbs.
• 5- 5 1/2 hours-- 3 3/4 - 4 1/4 hours.
• *18-20lbs.
• 5 1/2 - 6 hours-- 4 1/4 - 4 1/2 hours.
• *20-22lbs.
• 6 - 6 1/4 hours-- 4 1/2 - 5 hours.
• *22-24lbs.
• 6 1/4- 6 1/2 hours-- 5 - 5 1/4 hours.
• NOTE: Test for doneness by inserting a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the breast, reading should be 175 F and in the thickest part of the leg or thigh, reading should be 180°F.

UNCLE BILL'S BAKED TURKEY BREAST AND THIGHS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Prepare a large enough roasting pan with a metal rack to accomodate both turkey portions in a single layer.
• Place the turkey on the rack.
• Pour olive oil over the turkey portions to coat.
• Sprinkle with granulated garlic powder, black pepper, seasoning salt and dried dill weed.
• Pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of the pan.
• Cover the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil.
• Place roasting pan on middle rack and bake in preheated 425 F oven for 30 minutes.
• Reduce oven heat to 350 F and continue to bake for another 45 minutes.
• At this point, check for doneness by cutting into the breast and thighs to make sure that there is no pink showing and the juices flow clear. You may also insert a meat thermometer into the thickest portion of the breast or thigh and it should read between 175 F - 180°F Do not overcook.
• You may have to remove the turkey breast before the thighs as the thighs take a bit longer to cook.
• When turkey is done, remove from oven, tent and let sit for about 15 minutes before carving.
• You may also wish to use only turkey breast.
• As an added option, you may wish to place some medium size, whole, peeled onions on the rack to bake.
• These are always good served with butter along with the turkey.

MOST PERFECT MOIST-EST TENDER-EST JUICI-EST ROAST TURKEY-EVER!

Steps:

• Prep: Two days before cooking:.
• Turkey must be thoroughly thawed before preparing for the oven unless you are using a fresh turkey.
• I finished thawing mine using the cold water method two days before cooking.
• Remove turkey parts from cavities and use as you desire.
• Wash cavities well with cold water and drain as well as you can.
• Snake your hand carefully between the skin and meat to create a pocket in which to put the spices. I got up to the neck, although didn't break through, and down the sides to the hip joint. I also made a pocket in the inner thigh of each leg. I really took my time with this so I wouldn't break through the skin. I didn't do the back, but I suppose you could?.
• Mix Salt, Pepper, Garlic powder and Onion powder in a bowl.
• Using a spoonful of this mixture at a time in your hand, reach in to the pockets you have created and rub into the bird, and some in the cavity as well. When all the mixture has been used, move your hands around on the outside of the skin, and massage the bird to break up the tissues to allow the meat to absorb the rub.
• Place the whole bird in a large SEALED food safe bag. I used a Reynolds Oven Bag-Turkey Size. Refrigerate turkey for 1-2 days (I refrigerated mine for about 36 hours). (Note: I don't use the oven bag to cook the bird!).
• On the day you will serve the bird, preheat oven to 400°F I know this sounds nuts, just go with it!
• Prepare a roasting pan with a rack. I greased my rack with bacon grease. Mmmmm -- bacon -- !
• Pour 3 cups of chicken broth in the pan.
• On the stovetop, boil about 2-3 quarts water (must be scalding hot.).
• Remove the turkey from the oven bag (which you can now throw away) and place the bird in a clean sink.
• Pour hot water over the entire turkey including in the cavities. The skin will shrink tightly to the turkey, squishing in that yummy rub you put in 2 days ago! It will also help hold the natural juices in the turkey while it is cooking. I poured half of the water on the bird's back, then turned it over to pour on the breast.
• I did not stuff my bird, and since I've never stuffed a turkey, I'll defer to Uncle Bill here, and he states in his recipe to stuff the bird, line the inside of the cavity with cheesecloth, then stuff LOOSELY with your favorite dressing.
• Tie legs with a good meat wrapping twine. Alternately, some birds have a spot pre-cut at the base of their spine to push their legs through.
• Lightly salt and pepper the outside of the bird, front and back.
• Drizzle 1/4 cup olive oil across the front of the bird. Using a basting brush, your hand or a paper towel, lightly coat the bird, careful not to remove the salt and pepper (I suppose you could do these steps the other way, this is just how I did it.).
• Place the bird BACK SIDE UP (really, trust me!) on the rack. I'll warn you, this will leave lines in the breast of your bird, but a beautiful bird that's dry and tasteless is NOT going to make you the holiday hero!
• Pour the other 1/4 c of olive oil on the back of the bird, and using a basting brush, your hand or a paper towel, lightly coat the bird.
• Cover the turkey completely with aluminum foil, pinching the foil tightly to the roasting pan which will create a wonderful moist, hot, convection within the pan. Be careful to tent the foil enough so it doesn't touch the bird (it will stick) or use a layer of the non-stick foil to avoid this problem.
• Place turkey on lower rack in oven and cook for 1 hour.
• Reduce heat to 325 F and continue to cook for 45 minutes.
• Now, flip the bird over! This might take two people. My hubby used heavy work gloves covered with Ziploc bags. It was a sight! Make sure you have the roasting pan on a steady level surface where it won't slip around. Some folks talk about doing this with the pan placed on the floor.
• Re-cover and pinch the foil back down (as best you can since your pan will be hot!) Be sure to keep it from touching the bird, or use the layer of non-stick foil if you have it.
• Continue cooking the bird covered for another 90 minutes.
• Remove the foil and baste the bird. Leave a triangle-shaped piece of the non-stick foil over the breast, but leave the legs exposed. The dark meat takes longer to cook through, and covering the breast (supposedly) helps keep the leaner white meat protected from drying out.
• Baste every 15-20 minutes for the next 45 minutes.
• Take a temp reading using a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the breast, and another spot in the thickest part of the thigh, without touching bone. You want a reading of 155°F If you aren't there, continue to cook the bird until you reach 155°F
• When you reach a reading of 155°F, remove the bird, baste once more, and cover it again with foil. WAIT 30 MINUTES BEFORE CARVING. During this 30 minutes, "carryover" cooking will continue and the temperature of the bird will continue to rise. Safe cooked temperature for a turkey is 165°F as of this writing. If you make the mistake of cooking to 165° or heaven forbid 175°, you risk turning your beautiful turkey into something that's tragically desiccated.
• There is no need to baste the turkey until the last part of cooking, this saves you a lot of time as you do not have to remove the foil tent during the first few hours, and you will keep your oven at a more consistent cooking temperature allowing your bird to cook faster.
• These are Uncle Bill's COOKING TIMES (my 21.5 pound bird was in the oven 4 1/2 hours so I think these might be a bit long, but it may depend on your oven. I would err on checking the bird sooner rather than later - you can't uncook something!).
• Left Side -Stuffed---- Right Side - Unstuffed.
• *12-14lbs.: 4 - 4 1/2 hours-- 3 1/2 - 3 3/4 hours.
• *14-16lbs.: 4 1/2 - 5 hours-- 3 3/4 - 4 hours.
• *16-18lbs.: 5- 5 1/2 hours-- 3 3/4 - 4 1/4 hours.
• *18-20lbs.: 5 1/2 - 6 hours-- 4 1/4 - 4 1/2 hours.
• *20-22lbs.: 6 - 6 1/4 hours-- 4 1/2 - 5 hours.
• *22-24lbs.: 6 1/4- 6 1/2 hours-- 5 - 5 1/4 hours.

UNCLE BILL'S TURKEY DRESSING

Steps:

• Purchase an 8 ounce sliced loaf of day old bread, such as homemade, sour dough or Italian bread.
• Cut into 1/2" cubes and place on cookie sheets to dry for at least 1 day or dry in a 250 F oven for about 30 minutes.
• I prefer to buy bread rather than purchasing bread cubes or bread crumbs.
• In a large frying pan, add butter or margarine, onions, green and red peppers, celery and saute' for about 10 minutes; DO NOT BROWN.
• Add chicken soup base and stir well.
• Saute' for 5 minutes longer on medium-high heat.
• In a large mixing bowl, add beaten eggs and milk and mix well.
• Add dried bread cubes and mix well to coat.
• Add mushrooms and mix again.
• In a small bowl, mix together poultry seasoning, ginger, salt, parsley, dill weed, granulated garlic powder, black pepper and mix well to combine.
• Sprinkle mixture over dressing and mix well.
• Add crushed soda crackers and mix well.
• Dressing should be only slightly moist when squeezed and should just hold together.
• If dressing is still too moist, add more crushed cracker crumbs until the desired texture is achieved.
• Adjust spices to taste.
• You may wish to add some dried sage if desired.
• Line the cavity with cheese cloth leaving enough cloth so that it protrudes outside the cavity. Stuff dressing loosely, DO NOT PRESS TIGHTLY, as it will not cook properly.
• You can also wrap the dressing in double aluminum foil and bake in the oven along with your turkey or separately at 400 F for about 1 1/2 hours.
• When the turkey is cooked, pull out the cheese cloth with the dressing. Leaves the cavity clean and you do not need to dig the dressing out.
• NOTE: I prefer to cook the dressing in double aluminum foil in the oven.