Tag Archives: turkey

It’s never too early to think about the holidays so let’s talk turkey. There’s a lot of meal planning to do ahead of a holiday meal – and the turkey is top priority. There are a few things you need to decide before the big day.

First, how many mouths do you need to feed? This will help determine the size of the bird you need to buy (and how long it will take to thaw & cook). Next, how are you going to season it? You can do a wet brine, dry brine, a simple spice rub, stuff the cavity with your favourite veggies – there are too many options to list. But this will ensure you put your tastiest turkey on the table. Finally, how are you going to cook it? You can use a roaster oven, slow cooker (for smaller turkeys or just the turkey breast), or your standard oven. Decisions, decisions.

 

This holiday season we are feeding a crowd with this dry-brined turkey. We’ve done wet brines in the past, but dry brining is a great (and honestly a little bit easier) option.

We made our own dry brine by mixing minced garlic, salt, thyme, marjoram, paprika, and black pepper. Isn’t it beautiful? And you won’t believe how good it smells.

 

Remove your thawed turkey from the packaging and discard the giblets and neck (or save them for stock or gravy). Pat the turkey dry and loosen the skin over the breast and legs.

Now it’s time to get your hands dirty. Rub the dry brine mixture under the skin, in the cavity, and over the outside of the skin.

 

Transfer your turkey (breast-side up) to a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate (uncovered) for at least one day (or up to three, if you have the time). This is where the magic happens. The salt begins to draw the juices out of the turkey through osmosis (again – make sure your baking sheet has a rim). Then, the salt dissolves into those juices creating a natural brine (without any added liquid, like a wet brine). The liquid is then reabsorbed into the meat, breaking down the tough proteins. It is essentially seasoning and breaking down your meat – leaving you with a flavorful, tender, and juicy bird. Check, check, and check.

When you take the turkey out of the fridge it will look, well, dry. It sits uncovered, allowing the skin to really dry out. With very little moisture left on the surface , you’ll have extra crispy skin when you cook the bird. Isn’t that what everyone wants for a holiday meal?!

 

Before you cook the bird, heat your Hamilton Beach® Roaster Oven to 325 degrees. Put the dry-brined turkey on the rack and stuff the cavity with celery and onion. You could also add fresh herbs – like rosemary – or citrus for even more flavour.

Place the turkey and rack into the roaster oven and cook for 2 to 3 hours or until the meat reaches 165 degrees F.

 

What you bring to the table proves to be well worth the long wait in the fridge. This turkey is flavor-packed and moist. Dare I say it doesn’t even need gravy? It’s that good. Put your trusted wet brine bucket away and take the dry road this holiday season.

 

 

Dry Brine for Turkey
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Dry Brine for Turkey
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Ingredients
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Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, combine garlic, salt, thyme, marjoram, paprika and black pepper. Set aside.
  2. Remove turkey from the packaging and discard or save giblets and neck for another use. Pat turkey dry.
  3. Carefully loosen the skin of the turkey over the breast and the thick part of the legs.
  4. Rub the turkey with the dry brine mixture under the skin, in the cavity and over the outside of the skin on breast and legs.
  5. Tuck the wings back and tie legs if necessary. Place the turkey breast-side-up in a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate uncovered for at least 1 day or up to 3 days.
  6. Remove the rack from the roaster oven. Cover and heat roaster oven to 325°F.
  7. Place turkey on rack. Stuff cavity with celery and onion.
  8. Using handles on rack, place rack with turkey in roaster oven and cook 2 to 3 hours or until meat thermometer registers 165°F.
Recipe Notes

Test Kitchen Tips:

  1.  For food safety, turkey must reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.  Visit www.foodsafety.gov for more information on safe internal cooking temperatures.
  2. Always thaw a frozen turkey in the refrigerator, not at room temperature.  A 12-15 pound frozen turkey will take 2-3 days to thaw in the refrigerator.  If pressed for time, this size turkey can be thawed in cold water in 6-9 hours.  Be sure to change the water often.
  3. The roaster oven cooks a turkey in less time than a regular oven, but use a meat thermometer to make sure your turkey is thoroughly cooked.
  4. Turkey cooked in a roaster oven will be very moist, but less brown than a traditionally roasted turkey.  Seasoning rubs add flavour and enhance the appearance of a roaster oven cooked turkey.
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Chilly weather equals chili weather in my house. There is nothing better than warming up with a big bowl of chili, topped with everything but the kitchen sink.

This fall, we want the blog to be your one-to-shop for all your chili recipe needs. A fan of Cincinnati’s Skyline restaurant? Our slow cooker Cincinnati chili comes pretty darn close to the real thing. Want a basic beef chili that you can put on the table for dinner, gamedays, and everything in between? Our slow cooker chili con carne recipe is right up your alley. Prefer chicken in your chili? Our slow cooker white chicken & corn chili is a healthier, lighter take on a cold-weather classic.

Now we have a chili recipe for the turkey lovers out there (gobble, gobble). This slow cooker white turkey chili leaves the beef, tomato based chilis behind and incorporates lean, ground turkey and 5 (that’s right 5) cans of beans. Combined with corn, broth, and an array of spices in the slow cooker, this chili is as hearty as the beef chilis you usually make.

We topped our white turkey chili with jalapenos for a little spice and tortilla strips for crunch. We couldn’t resist adding avocado, sour cream, and cheese either. If there’s not cheese on top you’re doing it wrong. All you need is a big piece of homemade cornbread for dunking. It’s time to plug in the slow cooker and embrace chili weather.

 

 

Slow Cooker White Turkey Chili
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  1. In a large skillet over medium-high, heat oil. Add onion, garlic and jalapeno peppers. Cook until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Transfer to crock.
  2. Add ground turkey to skillet, stirring until turkey is completely cooked, about 6 minutes. Add turkey, broth, beans, corn, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper.
  3. Cover slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 4 to 4 1/2 hours or LOW for 7 to 7 1/2 hours.
  4. During last 30 minutes, in a medium bowl, stir half and half and cornstarch until cornstarch is dissolved.
  5. Pour half and half mixture into chicken mixture, stirring until mixture thickens.
  6. Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese and chopped fresh cilantro.
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Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup from Everyday Good Thinking by @hamiltonbeach

I don’t know what it is about this time of year, but for some reason, everyone in my house is working late, traveling and running from event to event. Long nights and busy weekends don’t make for good food choices and it’s tough to spend a Sunday meticulously preparing lunches for the week ahead. We’ve been ordering take out and pizza more often than I’d like to admit. But that’s going to stop – because now I have foolproof slow cooker recipes like this comforting Italian Wedding Soup.

Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup from Everyday Good Thinking by @hamiltonbeach

Instead of making poor choices so early in the year and destroying all the progress we’ve made towards our nutrition goals, this simple soup has come to our rescue. We make this hearty soup filled with healthy ingredients in the slow cooker. It takes a few minutes to prepare the meatballs, and, within a few hours, the entire house is filled with the inviting aromas of Italian ingredients, savory broth, turkey meatballs, spinach and pasta. Bring the crock to the table and add parmesan and freshly cracked pepper. Your whole family will love it and you can easily reheat leftovers during the hectic week ahead.

Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup from Everyday Good Thinking by @hamiltonbeach

Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup from Everyday Good Thinking by @hamiltonbeach

Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup from Everyday Good Thinking by @hamiltonbeach
Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup
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Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup from Everyday Good Thinking by @hamiltonbeach
Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup
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  1. Stir turkey, eggs, 1/2 of the onion, bread crumbs, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper in a large bowl until well blended. Roll turkey mixture into balls using 1 tablespoon per meatball.
  2. Add meatballs and remaining ingredients, except pasta and spinach to slow cooker crock.
  3. Cover slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or LOW for 6 to 6 1/2. Add pasta, cover and continue cooking for 15 minutes until pasta is tender and meatballs are cooked through.
  4. Stir in spinach and remaining Parmesan cheese before serving. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and coarse black pepper.
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slow cooker

For the cook who is busy all day but wants a home-cooked dinner at night, a slow cooker is the answer. And with the Set & Forget® Programmable Slow Cooker, technology takes a big leap forward from the outdated slow cookers found in yesterday’s kitchens.