Thanksgiving-Inspired Turkey Dinner with Festive Trimmings

Ingredients

- Main Components:
- 1 whole turkey (approximately 12 pounds)
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- Salt and pepper to taste

- Herb Base for Turkey:
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 2 onions, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- Juice and zest of 1 orange

- Mac and Cheese Topping:
- 4 cups prepared mac and cheese

- Stuffing Mixture:
- 4 cups prepared stuffing

- Mashed Potatoes:
- 4 cups prepared mashed potatoes

- Sweet Potato Casserole:
- 4 cups prepared sweet potato casserole

- Green Bean Casserole:
- 4 cups prepared green bean casserole
- 1 cup crispy onions for topping

- Gravy:
- 2 cups prepared gravy

- Side Components:
- 8 dinner rolls
- 1 cup prepared cranberries

- Dessert:
- 1 pumpkin pie
- 1 cup whipped cream

Instructions

1. Preheat the Oven:
Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C).

2. Prepare the Turkey:
- Rinse the turkey under cold water and pat dry.
- Rub the turkey both under the skin and on top with melted butter, salt, and pepper.
- Stuff the cavity of the turkey with 1 cup stuffing, diced celery, chopped onions, chopped carrots, and orange zest.
- Place the turkey on a rack in a roasting pan and cover loosely with foil.

3. Roast the Turkey:
- Place the turkey in the preheated oven and roast for approximately 3 hours, or until an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) is reached.
- During the last 30 minutes, remove the foil to allow the skin to crisp up.

4. Prepare the Side Dishes:
- While the turkey is roasting, reheat the prepared mac and cheese, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, and green bean casserole in separate oven-safe dishes.
- During the final 20 minutes of roasting, add the reheated dishes to the oven to warm through thoroughly.

5. Finish the Green Bean Casserole:
- Just before serving, top the green bean casserole with crispy onions and place under the broiler for 3-4 minutes until golden and crispy.

6. Prepare the Rolls:
- In the last 10 minutes of roasting, place the dinner rolls in the oven to warm.

7. Serving the Meal:
- Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.
- Serve slices of turkey with side dishes of stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole topped with crispy onions, mac and cheese, dinner rolls, and cranberries.
- Serve the prepared gravy on the side.

8. Dessert:
- Finish the meal with slices of pumpkin pie served with a generous dollop of whipped cream on top.

Total Time

PT4H
4 hours

Type of Dish

Dinner

Keywords

Thanksgiving dinner, turkey recipe, holiday feast, oven-roasted turkey, festive side dishes, holiday casserole, sweet potato casserole, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce

Recipe Yield

Feeds 8 adults

Calories

Approximately 8,000 calories for the entire meal

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