Welcome to the Betty Crocker community! Tell us what you’re cooking, baking and talking about in your kitchen.
Has anyone cooked their thanksgiving turkey and dressing in a nesco cooker? I would like to try it this year to free up my oven for all the other things, but not sure if I need to cook it differently than in a regular oven..would appreaciate any feedback...thanks!
I've prepared dressing a couple of times in a Nesco by itself, but not the turkey. You have to watch the dressing as it tends to cook around the edges and bottom first. They outside walls and bottom can dry out or even burn if you cook it at too high a temperature. I baked the dressing at about 250-F and stirred the dressing a couple of times during cooking and it seemed to work ok.
LOL, the word filter will not allow the word that means turkey chest, so please replace the * with the letter B. I cook my turkey in my 22-qt Nesco roaster. I brine the turkey for 12 to 24 hours then rinse it really good. I fill the cavity with quartered apples and onions, several pieces of celery and a stick of butter. I roast it *reast-side down so all the juices and butter run down to the *reast. Several times during baking I use a baster to get the juice in the bottom of the pan and squirt it over the turkey and back into the cavity. It keeps the *reast meat so juicy, flavorful and tender. I bake at 400 for the first hour then lower the temp to 350. I allow about 15 to 20 minutes per pound, but always use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. The *reast skin does not get as crispy and brown when cooked *reast-side down, so during the last hour or so you can use heat-resistant gloves and carefully turn the turkey *reast-side up, turn the heat to 400 and bake until nicely browned. I turned it the first year, but since I go ahead and cut up the turkey, slice the meat and serve it on a platter, I don't turn it anymore. If you want to place the whole bird on the dinner table before carving, it might be better to cook it *reast-side up the whole time. Make sure the legs and sides of the bird do not touch the sides of the roaster. You can tie the legs together and place crunched-up foil where needed. I never stuff the bird with dressing. I bake it in a separate pan in the oven.
LOL, the word filter will not allow the word that means turkey chest, so please replace the * with the letter B.
I cook my turkey in my 22-qt Nesco roaster. I brine the turkey for 12 to 24 hours then rinse it really good. I fill the cavity with quartered apples and onions, several pieces of celery and a stick of butter. I roast it *reast-side down so all the juices and butter run down to the *reast.
Several times during baking I use a baster to get the juice in the bottom of the pan and squirt it over the turkey and back into the cavity. It keeps the *reast meat so juicy, flavorful and tender.
I bake at 400 for the first hour then lower the temp to 350. I allow about 15 to 20 minutes per pound, but always use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.
The *reast skin does not get as crispy and brown when cooked *reast-side down, so during the last hour or so you can use heat-resistant gloves and carefully turn the turkey *reast-side up, turn the heat to 400 and bake until nicely browned.
I turned it the first year, but since I go ahead and cut up the turkey, slice the meat and serve it on a platter, I don't turn it anymore. If you want to place the whole bird on the dinner table before carving, it might be better to cook it *reast-side up the whole time.
Make sure the legs and sides of the bird do not touch the sides of the roaster. You can tie the legs together and place crunched-up foil where needed.
I never stuff the bird with dressing. I bake it in a separate pan in the oven.
This is my first Thanksgiving dinner and I've decided to do the roaster. Had heard *reast side up
*reast side down..... But, after your post, I'm going to try it down.
I've also heard- brine, don't brine..... I'm thinking about it, but kind of nervous about it.
I've got a 20lb turkey - My biggest concern about brining is what the heck to put it in to brine and it won't
fit in the fridge in a cooler....
Sure glad I found out the you can't use the word B. I tried 2 times. Dumb me. I should have guessed.
Anyway, I don't have a Nesco, but an old large Westinghouse roaster that I've cooked my turkey in for over 20 years.
Season, stuff loosely, truss and stuff the neck cavity also. Place B side up on the roaster rack. I fill a large cooking syringe with a needle (Not a baster)with salted butter and inject at close intervals into the B. Lay 3 or 4 good smoked bacon strips over the B and thighs. Set at 325 degrees for 20 minutes per lb. Check after about periodically to see if the drippings are getting too brown. If so, add a little water. The bacon bastes the turkey very well. The turkey won't get as brown as the magazine pictures of the literally "painted brown" turkeys, but will be moist and tender and the gravy will be nice and brown. The lid of the roaster also furnishes just enough moisture to keep it from drying out. My roaster pan is removable and allows water to be put between the removable pan and the basic unit. That keeps food at a safe temp without burning when I cook large quantities such as mostacolli. Also, I used the water from cooking Irish potatoes as the liquid needed to make the gravy.
Oma
I cook my Turkey and Christmas ham every year in the roaster, I love it, you can do two things either cook the same as you do in the oven, or I put mine on the night before on 275 degrees and let in cook from about 10 pm to about 6 am it is done my 12pm. Now I am talking about a 20 -24 lb turkey or ham. You do have to pull it out to brown it in the oven. I have also find that the white meat is really moist. You also have some nice turkey flavor dripping in pan for gravy. Email if you have any more question ********************** put is subject are roast turkey so I will not delete. Have fun!
Follow this thread by RSS What is RSS?
Don't miss a single recipe!
Email Address: