My favorite Holiday

It's a little odd that even though I never grew up with the turkey on Thanksgiving tradition, I've been designated turkey-roaster ever since getting married. On the plus side, this has provided plenty of practice. Above is this year's version. I've learned two keys to great turkey over the years: 1) dry brining in salt overnight results in juicier meat and crispier skin, and 2) you need to rest the bird at least an hour to allow the juices to redistribute.

Classic

Posting recipes during the holidays is always challenging. Not only is there the rush to get all the dishes prepped and cooked (and often, transported, as a lot of our gatherings take place at my parents' house), but it's also difficult to convince a crowd of hungry extended family to wait while you try to take a half decent photo of your creation. Sometimes, like today, the best you can do is snap a pic of a turkey, still in its roasting tray, while relatives clamor behind you to plate and carve the darn thing already. Ah, well. Pictorial challenges aside, this year's bird turned out great. I took a slightly different tack than last time, and left the turkey both untrussed and unstuffed. While this meant the turkey wasn't perfectly held together and was more "splayed out" (I prefer to think of it as relaxed), it had the benefit of marginally speeding up cooking time (about 11 1/2 to 12 min/lb instead of the usual 13). To ensure the best bird possible, I also dry-brined the turkey the night before, then used a super-tasty baste to keep it moist while cooking. The end result was a juicy, delicious, golden brown turkey that was a real crowd pleaser.

Here's another Thanksgiving leftover recipe. If you have leftover roasted squash, then use them and eliminate step two. The Alfredo and squash give this pot pie a unique creamy flavor and texture. Not your average pot pie!!

Yummy 😋!!!#chili

Yummy 😋