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The Best Roasted Turkey

Roasted Turkey with Gravy

• 1 fresh or defrosted 8-12 pound turkey
• 1 tsp each: thyme, crushed rosemary and black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 onion, peeled and cut into quarters
• 2 celery stalks, cut in half

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Rinse turkey with cold water inside and outside, discard giblets or save for another use. Rub inside of cavity with seasonings listed above. Put the bay leaf inside the carcass.
2. Place carrots, celery and onions into a large roasting pan.
3. Roast the turkey until internal temperature reaches 180F. Insert meat thermometer deeply into the thigh to test temperature.
4. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and allow the turkey to sit for 10 minutes before carving.

Gravy

• 2 cups defatted broth from roasted turkey
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbsp water

Directions:

1. Pour the broth from the roasting pan, straining into a small sauce pan (discard vegetables). Remove fat by using a gravy defatter cup or freeze for a few minutes in a shallow pan.
2. Bring broth to a boil. Dissolve cornstarch in water and add slowly to broth. The amount of cornstarch will be variable according to your preference of gravy thickness. Bring back to a boil, remove from stove and serve hot.

Low-Cal Cranberry Sauce

• 12-ounce bag cranberries
• 1 cup apple juice
• 3/4 cup Splenda brand sweetener

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in 2 quart sauce pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower heat to medium and simmer until berries are tender, about 10 minutes. Serve warm or chill for later use.

Serves 12

Each 1/3 cup serving:

• 51 calories
• 0 fat
• 0 saturated fat
• 0 cholesterol
• 18 mg sodium
• 15 g carbohydrate
• 3 g fiber
• 0 protein

Roasted Turkey Breast With Cider Gravy

For small dinner parties, we recommend using a turkey breast. You don't have to deal with a lot of leftovers and you have the benefit of serving breast meat only, which is naturally low in fat.

• 1 defrosted or fresh turkey breast
• ¼ tsp each: thyme, rosemary, black pepper
• 1 apple, peeled, cored and sliced
• 1 onion, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 Tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbsp water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450F. Place the onion and apple in the bottom of a small roasting pan. Place the turkey breast on top and rub with seasonings.
2. Roast at 450F until golden brown (about 15 minutes). Mix the apple cider with the soy sauce and pour over the top of the breast.
3. Cover the whole roasting pan with foil and reduce oven temperature to 350F. Cook until the internal cooking temperature reaches 170F.
4. Remove roasted turkey breast from pan and allow to cool for 10 minutes before carving.
5. Strain the cider and remove the fat. Bring the cider to a boil in a small sauce pot. Thicken with dissolved cornstarch.
6. Remove the skin from the turkey breast, carve in thin slices and serve with the apple cider gravy.