You can fit more stuffing in a boneless turkey and have an easier time carving it to boot. Your guests will never know by looking at it that the turkey has been deboned. Visually, it looks just like a standard stuffed turkey. This recipe was designed for use in a counter-top roaster oven but may be prepared in a standard oven as well.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours,
Ingredients:
- Fifty-Fifty Stuffing:
- 1 medium sweet onion, diced
- 1-1/2 cups (about 3 large stalks) celery, diced
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
- 3-1/2 cups (about 2 14-ounce cans) chicken broth
- 1 tsp ground sage
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 2 cups dry bread cubes
- 2 cups dry cornbread cubes
- Kosher salt to taste
- 1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
- Poultry Seasoning Blend:
- 1 tsp ground sage
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 Tbsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 Tbsp paprika
- 1 (12 to 14 pounds) turkey, deboned (see Note)
- 1 tsp browning sauce (such as Gravy Master or Kitchen Bouquet)
- 1 Tbsp melted butter
Preparation:
Prepare Stuffing:Sweat onions and celery in 1/2 cup of butter until limp. Add chicken broth, sage, thyme, and pepper. Stir to combine. Remove from heat. Fold in bread and cornbread. Taste and add salt if necessary. Fold in whole berry cranberry sauce. Let stuffing cool to room temperature.
Poultry Seasoning Blend:
Combine sage, thyme, kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.
Preheat countertop roaster oven to 400 F.
Turkey:
Open deboned turkey and place meat-side down, skin-side up on the work surface. Combine browning sauce with melted butter and brush over the entire exterior skin of the turkey. Sprinkle two-thirds of poultry seasoning spice mix on the skin of the turkey. Turn turkey over and sprinkle remaining spice mix on meat side.
Mound cooled stuffing on meat side of turkey. Pull skin together over stuffing. Sew closed using cooking string or secure with a metal skewer.
Place stuffed turkey on rack in countertop roaster oven, making sure the lifter handles are in the upright position. Turn down temperature to 350 F. Bake for about 2 hours or until meat thermometer in the thickest part of the meat registers 180 F. If necessary, turn up temperature to 400 F. during the last half hour of cooking to promote browning.
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Note: It's not difficult to debone a turkey. Easy instructions and photos are included in How to Debone a Turkey Step by Step.
Photo © 2005 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, licensed to About.com, Inc.
