Turkey with Stuffing

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2004

Show: Good EatsEpisode: Stuff It

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (36)

Cook Time:
2 hr 30 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
4 to 6 servings

Times:

Prep: 45 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 2 hr 30 min
Total:: 3 hr 15 min

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Ingredients

1 (10 to 12-pound) turkey, with giblets removed
1 quart chicken broth
2 ounces dried mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus extra for rubbing on turkey
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning turkey
3 cups Challah bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (from approximately 4 to 5 slices)
4 ounces unsweetened dried cherries, approximately 1 cup
2 ounces chopped pecans, approximately 1/2 cup
2 whole eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons dried rubbed sage
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning chicken
Special equipment: 1 re-usable organic cotton produce bag*

Directions

*Cook's Note: The bag is optional. Once the stuffing is made, you can place the stuffing into the bag and then place the bag into the cavity of the turkey.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the turkey into a deep, high-sided bowl on its end with the stuffing end up. Set aside.

Heat the chicken broth in the microwave in a large microwave-proof container. Place mushrooms in a glass bowl and pour heated broth over them. Cover and allow to sit for 35 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl toss the onion, celery, and green pepper with the oil and salt. Place the vegetables on a sheet pan and roast for 35 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, spread the cubed bread over the vegetables, return to the oven, and continue cooking.

Drain mushrooms, reserving 1 cup of liquid. Chop the mushrooms and place in a large

microwave-proof bowl with the vegetables and bread, reserved chicken stock, cherries, pecans, eggs, sage, parsley and black pepper. Stir well in order to break up pieces of bread. Use your hands to combine, if necessary. Heat the stuffing in a microwave on high power for 6 minutes.

While the stuffing is heating, rub the bird with oil. Working quickly, place the stuffing into the cavity of the turkey to avoid losing heat. Place the turkey into a roasting pan, on a rack, and season with salt and pepper. Place the roasting pan on the middle rack of the oven. Roast for 45 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and cook for another 60 to 75 minutes or until the bird reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees F. Serve immediately.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Turkey with Stuffing
Amanda Oceanside, CA 12-06-2009
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made 2 years in a row and it is still great!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I used this recipe for the past 2 Thanksgivings and each time it was great!. Last year was my first time roasting a turkey... and I couldn't have been more thrilled with the results. The stuffing was great and the turkey was juicy and browned to perfection! I had the same results this year. This time I switched up the cherries for dried cranberries. My husband said he prefers a more "bready" stuffing but it was still the best dinner I've had if I do say so myself!Read more
recipe Turkey with Stuffing
Janice Clay, NY 12-04-2009
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great stuffing
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

The challah bread really makes a difference. Previously, I have always used just plain white bread. Also, the fresh herbs... enhanced the flavor. I stuffed the turkey and it was delicious. Read more
recipe Turkey with Stuffing
Rachel Sugar Land, TX 12-03-2009
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Stuffing is great (made it on the side)
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I made the "Good Eats Turkey" from another recipe, but I used this stuffing recipe to make dressing on the side. I doubled... all the stuffing ingredients, except for the salt and cherries. I put it in a 9x13 and covered with foil. It baked on 350 for 20 minutes, then I took the foil off and baked for another 10 minutes until it was slightly brown on top. It turned out fabulous! I liked the slight sweetness of the cherries with the savory mix of veggies and bread.Read more
recipe Turkey with Stuffing
Amanda Hyde Park, VT 11-30-2009
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Awesome!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

After researching many recipes (to include family recipes), I decided to trust Alton with my very first Thanksgiving turkey. ... I bought a fresh 23-pound bird a the local co-op and followed his directions, with the exception of using cranberries for cherries and leaving out the cotton bag. The family raved! All 16 of 'em! I was proud to serve not-so-traditional (for us) stuffing to my family. I had people asking for the recipe. I'm sure I'll do this again next year!Read more
recipe Turkey with Stuffing
Bryan Clermont, FL 11-29-2009
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great turkey
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

the turkey came out great only thing that kept it from 5 stars was I was not a big fan of the stuffing that may be in part to... me thinking it was going to be more like cornbread stuffing lolRead more
recipe Turkey with Stuffing
Savannah Honolulu, HI 11-28-2009
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Grrrrreat!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This was the first turkey my husband and I cooked so we were a bit nervous but we had Alton by our side so of course it... turned out great! We used his brine recipe and brined the turkey for 18hrs the night before and then used this recipe with it...it turned out great! We had rave reviews from our guests! For the stuffing we made some modifications. We used almonds instead of walnuts and we omitted the cherries and it still turned out very tasty. We couldn't find a re-usable organic produce bag (we searched everywhere!) so we ended up using cheesecloth that we folded around the stuffing and then tied with butchers twine. It looked sorta weird but it worked! Try it out--you won't be disappointed! Read more