2 Hour Turkey

I've taken a LONG 7 year hiatus from this blog but was just reminded of it today and thought I'd add some more of my favorite recipes to share and be able to find later. Enjoy!


You know how turkeys usually take hours and hours to cook? This recipe shows you how to cook a turkey in 1.5-2 hours! It's amazing.

2 Hour Turkey

Clean your oven first. Seriously. It's no fun having the smoke alarm going off when it's freezing outside! The high heat will make any spatters in your oven smoke. I usually do the oven's clean cycle the day before I cook my turkey.

Ingredients:
1 turkey
2 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Dry turkey then rub  spices all over turkey and inside before cooking. Cook turkey for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until heated to 160 degrees. Turn turkey around halfway through the time. You'll end up with a juicy, perfectly done turkey.

Smoked Monte Cristos

A FAST, easy lunch or dinner that everyone in my family really enjoyed, even my picky 4 year old. The blackberry preserves sounded weird to me but were surprisingly complementary! From Southern Living magazine.

4 T. whole grain mustard (Dijon works in a pinch)
8 honey-wheat bread slices
1/2 lb. thinly sliced smoked deli turkey
4 (1 oz.) Swiss or mozzarella cheese slices
2 large eggs
1/3 cup milk
2 T. butter
2 T. blackberry preserves
1 T. powdered sugar (optional)

1. Spread mustard over 1 side of each bread slice. Layer 4 bread slices, mustard sides up, with turkey and cheese slices. Top with remaining bread slices, mustard sides down.

2. Whisk together eggs and milk in a shallow dish. Dip both sides of each sandwich into egg mixture.

3. Melt 1 T. butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat; cook 2 sandwiches in skillet 3-4 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Repeat procedure with remaining butter and sandwiches. Serve immediately with blackberry preserves. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

The Simplest Roast Turkey

If you would like a GOOD, simple and FAST Turkey recipe for the holidays, please try the one below. It makes one of the tastiest, juiciest turkey's that I've ever had and it only takes 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours to cook!!

From Gourmet Magazine (found by Laurie Reynolds)

1 turkey, 14-16 pounds
2 ½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp black pepper

Note: You must start with a clean oven or be sure. If you don't have a clean oven the fire alarm will let you know when the turkey is really getting there! If you don’t want to hear “from the turkey” then clean your oven before beginning!

Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry. Mix salt and pepper in small bowl and sprinkle it evenly in turkey cavities and all over skin. Fold neck skin under body and, if desired secure with metal skewer, then tuck wing tips under breast and tie drumsticks together with kitchen string.
Put turkey on rack in a large flameproof roasting pan. Roast, rotating pan 180 degrees halfway through roasting, until thermometer inserted into fleshy part of each thigh (close but not touching bone) registers 170 degrees, 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours. Carefully tilt turkey so juices from inside large cavity run into the roasting pan. Transfer turkey to a platter and let stand 30 minutes (temperature of thigh meat will rise to 180 degrees. Cut off and discard string from turkey.
Makes 8-10 servings. (I have used larger turkeys up to 20 pounds and they turned out fine, just adjust cooking time and watch temp.)