Let’s Cook And Connect This Thanksgiving

Prepare the stuffing:

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  In a large bowl, add in all of the prepared ingredients for the stuffing except the butter, smoked oysters, salt, pepper, stuffing mix and broth. Mix the ingredients in the bowl.
  1 celery rib, 1 medium onion, 1 8 oz 8 oz. package of baby Bella mushrooms, 1 8 oz can sliced water chestnuts, 1 tbsp fresh thyme, 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, 1 tbsp fresh sage
  
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  Warm 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
  1 tbsp olive oil
  
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  Sauté ingredients until the ingredients are tender (up to 8 minutes). Remove from the heat.
  
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  Add in the remaining ingredients and blend with the sautéed ingredients. Pour ½ of the melted butter and broth over the stuffing and stir in a circular motion. Pour the remaining liquids over the uncoated stuffing so that all of the stuffing is thoroughly coated. Mix again. Top with salt, pepper and gravy mix (if using) and ensure all of the stuffing is evenly coated. Mix well and set aside.
  12 oz seasoned stuffing mix, 8 tbsp butter, 1 cups chicken or turkey broth, 1 3.75 oz smoked oysters, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, 2 packets gravy mix
  

For the turkey:

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  Prepare the turkey according to the Reynolds cooking bag instructions. In addition to the instructions, I will outline some tips that make the whole process pretty easy.
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  Put the prepared Reynolds bag into your turkey pan. My mom simply put the flour and other bag ingredients in to a bag and shook it up. Set aside.
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  Preparation Tips: Ensure you thoroughly thaw the turkey in preparation for the big dinner. Take the thawed turkey out of it's bag and remove the cavity bags, plastic leg clips, and other items that come with the turkey. Thoroughly wash the turkey in look warm water and pat dry with paper towels.
  1 turkey, 1 large onion, 2 celery stalks
  
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  In a bowl, add spices, salt and pepper. Mix and set aside. In a separate bowl, melt a stick of butter until it is soft. Set aside.
  1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp sage, 1 tsp rosemary, 1 tbsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper
  
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  Coat the turkey with the softened butter using a basting brush. Ensure you cover the entire outside of the bird and inner cavity. Then coat the turkey with the spice mix ensuring you get the entire outside of the bird and inside the cavity.
  ½ c butter
  
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  This next step may require a helper as you are going to lift the buttered and slippery bird into the bag. I think it's easiest to have one person open the bag while the other person puts the turkey into the bag.
  
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  Once turkey is in the bag, loosely stuff the cavity of the bird with your prepared stuffing. You can also stuff the neck of the bird and shut the large neck flap using long wooden toothpicks.
  
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  Seal the turkey bag. Put any extra stuffing into a glass baking dish that's coated with butter and measures 9×13. Bake the turkey according to the Reynolds bag baking instructions and based on the size of your bird. You will not need to open the bag and/or baste your turkey during the entire baking process. Bake the extra stuffing according to the stuffing directions or directions below.
  
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  Once the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165°F in the breast and 175°F in the thigh, it is ready. I find the Reynolds cooking time is pretty spot on. Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest.
  
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  Remove the stuffing from the turkey cavity and place in a serving dish.

For the gravy:

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  You can use the juice from the turkey bag to make your favorite gravy recipe. My mom simply poured the juice into a sauce pan and added her favorite gravy powder mix (aka. McCormick's Turkey Gravy). This year I used two packets of gravy mix and it worked out perfectly. If you need extra liquid, I substitute chicken broth to add to the juice given off from my cooked turkey. Just follow the instructions on the gravy packet for delicious sauce.

For the extra stuffing:

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  Any extra stuffing can be baked in a buttered glass baking dish. Cover the extra stuffing dish with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, uncover the dish and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes more, until stuffing is well browned and slightly crisp in areas. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and serve hot.
  

To serve:

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  Slice the turkey and serve warm. Serve the stuffing and gravy warm. Enjoy this delicious meal full of flavor, nostalgia, and hopefully delicious leftovers.

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  Preheat the air fryer to 400℉ and spray the tray with non stick cooking spray. Wash the sweet potato and place in the preheated air fryer for up to 45 minutes or until the sweet potato is soft inside. See my recipe for cooking instructions. Once done, remove the sweet potato and let it cool.
  1 medium sweet potato
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  In a saucepan, heat the chicken broth on medium to low heat.
  5 cups chicken stock
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  Once the sweet potato is cool, separate the skin from the potato. Place the flesh into a food processor and add ¼ cup of olive oil, spices, and salt and pepper. Blend until the mixture is mashed. Set aside.
  ¼ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp smoked paprika, ¼ tsp pepper, ¼ cup olive oil, ¼ tsp salt
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  Heat a medium saucepan on medium-low heat. Add in olive oil. Once heated, toss in the chopped onions and cook until they are clear or about 3 minutes. Add in garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes, stirring consistently.
  ½ yellow onion, 4 tbsp olive oil, 2 garlic cloves
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  Increase the heat to medium and add in a splash of olive oil. Stir in the risotto and toss until the risotto is golden in color or about 3 minutes.
  1 ½ cups Arborio rice
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  Once the rice is toasted, add in the wine and ⅓ of the hot stock at a time. Continue to cook and stir consistently until the liquid is fully absorbed. Repeat this step until the remaining stock is used and the rice is fully cooked (up to 30 minutes).
  ½ cup dry white wine
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  Once rice is cooked, add in the pureed sweet potato mix. Blend and cook for up to 5 minutes. Turn off heat. Stir in the parmesan and cold butter until it is fully melted.
  2 tbsp unsalted butter, ¼ cup parmesan
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  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately and top with fresh grated parmesan. Enjoy!
  salt and pepper to taste

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  Preheat oven to 450℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, a silicone baking mat, or non stick cooking spray. Set aside.
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  In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients (aka. flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda).
  1 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoons sugar, 1 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon baking soda
  
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  Grate the cold butter onto a plate using the large holes of a cheese grater. Set aside.
  ¼ cup unsalted butter
  
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  In a medium bowl, whisk together the sourdough starter and buttermilk. Stir in the butter flakes.
  ½ cup active sourdough starter, ¼ cup buttermilk
  
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  Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture and stir using a rubber spatula. Ensure all of the ingredients are blended together and forming a soft, flakey dough.
  
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  Working on a lightly floured surface, knead the dough 2-3 times until it comes together and all ingredients are combined. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 1 1/2-inch thick circular shape.
  
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  Use a 2-inch biscuit cutter, round cookie cutter, small jar or cup to cut out 6 round biscuit shapes. You may need to combine and roll out the dough to get your 6 round biscuits.
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  Place the biscuit cutouts on your cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
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  Serve warm and enjoy!