Thanksgiving Fare with Local Flair: Turkey and Dressing

Thanksgiving can be one of the happiest holidays of the year, but can, at the same time, be one of the most stressful. This is doubly true for those families who are hosting the holiday for the first time. To make your holiday season just a little easier, Jefferson County Post feature writer Elizabeth Lane presents Thanksgiving Fare with Local Flair, a series of local-favorite recipes that will help alleviate that last minute scramble for dishes. For this fourth entry, we’ll be preparing the reigning champions of the Thanksgiving feast: a juicy turkey and delicious dressing! For a twist on the traditional dressing this Thanksgiving season:

Make an 8 inch skillet cornbread

A small package of Pepperidge Farm Herbal Stuffing

A small package of Pepperidge Farm Cornbread Stuffing

1 stack celery (chopped)

1 large onion (chopped)

2 eggs

½ cup of chicken broth or broth off of cooked turkey

1 tablespoon of butter

Salt, pepper, poultry seasoning and sage to taste

Once you have gathered all of your ingredients:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Beat eggs in a bowl and set aside

3. Crumble cornbread and mix with Pepperidge Farm stuffing’s

4. Cook onion and celery in sauce pan with ½ cup of chosen broth and 1 tablespoon of butter

5. Add cornbread mixture

6. Add eggs

7. Combine with 6 cups of chicken or turkey broth

8. Mix until thickened to consistency

9. Grease 9 x 13 pan and bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown

This recipe has been a long standing family tradition and continues to be passed through several generations. It originally started out as a necessary twist on the traditional idea of dressing. The recipe is credited to Betty Rimmer, who was a staple Christian and cook in her family and her community. Her dressing is still enjoyed by members of her family to this day, years after her passing. Like any southern cook, she wanted those around her to be happy and, of course, well fed.

Try this recipe to take that regular dressing to the next level. Season to taste to compliment any turkey or ham at your Thanksgiving meal.

Now that we have the dressing, it’s time to take a look at the turkey!

This recipe was traditionally used on a 10 pound turkey, but ingredients can be adjusted to personal taste and turkey size.

Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees

Remove all innards from the turkey

To season turkey combine in a bowl:

½ tsp of Rosemary

½ tsp of Sage

½ tsp of Black Pepper

½ tsp of Salt

½ cup to 1 stick of Butter

One all of this has been combined together, raise skin on turkey and rub on the outside and under turkey breast. Once this is finished and the turkey is seasoned to taste, cover or put in a roasting pan. Bake for 6 hours at 250 degrees. Check on the turkey periodically.

Turkey is the centerpiece of any traditional Thanksgiving dinner. For the aspiring host, cooking the turkey can be a daunting task. This recipe has been tested through many a family Thanksgiving and gives the turkey an irresistible taste. It’s relatively simple, and can be easily modified. Like many southern cooks, the originator of this recipe, Joan Lane, uses her own spin each time that she makes it. Joan has been cooking for her large family for a majority of her life and knows what will surely please a large crowd. This recipe has continued to be a beloved staple in the Lane family Thanksgiving. In time, you’ll learn to add your own flair to the turkey, cementing your house as the place to be when the holiday rolls around!

Try this spin on the typical turkey in your own family Thanksgiving to have something new this year. You never know what might turn out to be the new family favorite! Hopefully, this recipe will make preparing the biggest piece of the holiday meal just a little bit easier, and will give you a foundation with which to build and personalize your Thanksgiving gatherings!

Source: Elizabeth Lane, Jefferson County Post Staff Writer