This recipe for turkey and dressing is a combination of my mom's, my mother-in-law, and my grandmothers. They are and were allvery good cooks!!! This is the best turkey I've ever eaten and it is so moist, even the white meat melts in your mouth if you do not overcook.
Turkey
Turkey
Thaw your turkey in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days depending on the size of the bird. Take you turkey out of frig. Unpackage, rinse under cold water, remove insides from both cavities, be sure to check both ends. Inside largest cavity place several sticks of celery, about 1/2 onion, and 1/2 of an orange. Salt and pepper his outside and lay 2-3 slices of bacon across his breast. Place turkey in a Turkey cooking bag and seal with the enclosed tie. Next place the turkey in your old granite roaster. If you don't have an old one they still sell them at Walmart. Those black spatter-ware with a big lid.
Bake for the required time that is says on the outside of turkey per pound. It's nice if the turkey has that little pop out button to tell you if it is done. I cooked my turkey this year for about 2 1/2 -3 hours. It was delicious. I think I have overcooked them many times before.
Take the insides that you removed and place in a large saucpot with water and simmer on the stove for about 2 hours.
Now for the dressing, Take some white bread, about 12 slices, lay it out on a pan or in the pan your going to place your dressing. Make a batch of cornbread. Or if your smart you'll have beans and cornbread the week before and save about half of the cornbread and use it for your dressing. Take you bread and cornbread about half and half. I probably use more cornbread. I would say I used 4 cups of white bread and 6 cups of cornbread. Take about 4 slices of celery and one large onion cut them up and place in small food processor to chop them up . That's the fastest and easiest way. Pour the 1 cup celery and 1 cup onion into a bowl with one stick of margarine and microwave on high for 2 min. Add this mixture to your bread mixture. Next add
about half of the broth from you giblets. Beat up three eggs, and add 2-3 cups of milk. Pour these liquids into your bread, and celery and onions. Add salt and pepper, and sprinkle lightly with sage. Bake this mixture at 350 degrees for about an hour and an hour and 1/2.
Gravy
Take two cans of chicken broth and take about have of the juice from your turkey that are now saved inside the cooking bag. pour these into a large saucepan. Mix about 1/2 - 3/4 cup of flour with about 3 cups of milk, I use a large plastic cup to mix this up and use a whisk. Add the flour and milk to the broth and cook on medium heat for till almost boils and it will thicken stir constantly to keep from burning. This is a delicous creamy gravy.
