Christmas dinner doesn't have to be intimidating. This herb-buttered bird roasts slowly to a deep golden brown, filling the house with the smell that brings everyone to the kitchen. The homemade cranberry sauce takes ten minutes and makes everything on the plate taste brighter — don't skip it.
Ingredients
- 1 whole turkey (12-14 lbs)
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp dried sage
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 2 onions, quartered
- 4 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 cups chicken broth
- For cranberry sauce:
- 12 oz fresh cranberries
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 orange zest
How to make it
- 1
Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C). Remove turkey from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.
- 2
Mix softened butter with salt, pepper, sage, thyme, and rosemary.
- 3
Pat turkey dry and rub herb butter under and over the skin.
- 4
Place vegetables in roasting pan and set turkey on top.
- 5
Pour chicken broth into the bottom of the pan.
- 6
Roast for 15 minutes per pound, or until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- 7
Baste every 30 minutes with pan juices.
- 8
For cranberry sauce: Combine cranberries, sugar, water, and orange zest in a saucepan.
- 9
Bring to boil, then simmer for 10-15 minutes until cranberries burst.
- 10
Let turkey rest for 20 minutes before carving. Serve with cranberry sauce.