I’ve worked a good long time for Minnesota’s turkey farmers (20 years!), and over those years I’ve learned about roasting a whole turkey from some of the best. I’ve brined, I’ve deep fried, I’ve basted. It seems I’ve tried most methods except for smoking, and I really don’t think I’ve ever had a total fail. (Okay, not counting spilling half the brining solution all over the kitchen floor once. Or that time I didn’t get the bird fully lowered into the electric deep fryer at first. Hey, these things happen. But for the record, my turkeys still turned out!)
When Jennie-O sent me an OVEN READY™ Whole Turkey this month, I was ecstatic. I have purchased the OVEN READY™ boneless turkey breast before and it’s fabulous, so I knew the whole turkey would be similar.
People, this is pretty much the easiest way to roast a turkey you will ever find. No thawing at all. No additional ingredients or seasonings needed. It’s just you and turkey in a bag.
Let me submit the evidence on just how simple this is:
- Put the frozen turkey (already in the cooking bag) in a roaster pan.
- Cut six slits in the top of the bag and lift up the bag up and away from the turkey.
- Put in a 375 degree oven (yes, fully frozen) and roast until the temperature in the breast reaches 165 degrees F, at which time a pop-up timer will brilliantly let you know when the turkey is done.
That is all, folks.
Approximately 3.5 hours after putting the bird in the oven last Saturday, we had a gorgeous looking, fully-cooked turkey – with plenty of juices to use for gravy, if you wish – and our house smelled amazing.
The turkey was juicy and so flavorful. In fact, Teacher Man didn’t even use the gravy I made using the enclosed gravy packet.
I will fully admit we may need a little more practice on carving the turkey, but at that point on Saturday night, we were starving so we didn’t really care if it was picture perfect. For next time, Jennie-O has some perfect carving tips and a how-to video, which you’ll find here.
The best part is, now I have leftovers in the freezer to use for our favorite turkey tetrazzini recipe, turkey tortilla soup and more! (If you’re looking for some new ideas, Jennie-O also features a lot of different menu options, including this one for leftovers.)
You’ll pay a little more for an OVEN READY™ Whole Turkey because of the convenience factor, of course. But if you are looking for a delicious, absolutely easy, nearly no-prep way to roast a whole bird, this is most definitely it. I was still marveling at how simple this was to Teacher Man on Sunday.
Definitely a no brainer!
Note: I am part of Jennie-O’s Switch Circle of bloggers, but I do not get paid for my posts. I do receive some complimentary turkey products to try upon occasion. Opinions and topics are entirely my own.