Tips for Cooking the Turkey & Roasting Times Chart

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:27:40 -0600

Tips for cooking a Perfect Turkey with Safe handling instructions.

1. Set the oven temperature to 325 °F.

2. Make sure the turkey is completely thawed. Roasting times are based on fresh or completely thawed turkeys.

3. Place turkey breast-side up on a flat wire rack in a shallow roasting pan. If pan does not have a rack, make a sturdy 2-piece “lifter” from heavy duty reynolds wrap, long enough to safely lift the turkey from the pan once it has cooled.

4. For shorter cooking times, cook stuffing in a casserole. Mix ingredients just before stuffing a turkey and stuff loosely.

5. For food safety and test for doneness, the internal temperature should be checked with a meat thermometer. Temperature must reach 180 °F in the thigh of a turkey (center of the stuffing should reach 165 °F)

6. Juices should run clear. In the absence of a meat thermometer, pierce an unstuffed turkey with a fork in several places - the juices should be clear with no trace of pink.

7. Let the turkey stand 20 minutes before removing stuffing. Let stand another 10 minutes before carving.

APPROXIMATE COOKING TIMES

UNSTUFFED

4 to 6 lb breast…..1 1/2 to 2 1/4 hrs
6 to 8 lb breast…2 1/4 to 3 1/4 hrs
8 to 12 lbs…………….2 3/4 to 3 hrs
12 to 14 lbs…………..3 to 3 3/4 hrs
14 to 18 lbs……..3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hrs
18 to 20 lbs……..4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hrs
20 to 24 lbs…………..4 1/2 to 5 hrs

STUFFED

Ten Strategies to Get Through Dinner Tonight with Kids

kpfitch — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 19:00:54 -0500

Is dinner time at your house often chaotic and busy? Is it difficult to get a healthy meal together fast and keep your kids entertained? I am a parent with 3 young children, a busy household, work and extracurricular activities, and I know it can be a challenge to get dinner on the table, make it healthy, keep my kids occupied and keep myself sane through dinner preparation, dinner-time and cleaning up. To help our family get through dinner time we use the strategies I will list below. They definitely help our family.

I have 10 dinner-time or meal time strategies that can help your family make it through mealtime with less tantrums, stress and a lot more fun.

The first 5 strategies can be used everyday to help get through dinner time. The last 5 may be ideas you can add once or twice a week to make mealtime more fun, get your kids excited about a special night or for a special evening. Some of the ideas may not be new to you or you may not be using them regularly, but I find having a routine, even at dinner time, does help keep my kids calm and engaged at dinner time.

1. Involve your kids in Dinner Preparation

2. Let your kids Help Plan the Meal or Pick a Side

3. Give each child a Small Job to do Before and After Dinner

4. Play a Game during Dinner

5. Opposite Day or Reverse Day

6. Shapes and Colors Meal

7. Give them a New Printable Activity before Dinner

8. King or Queen for a Meal

9. Themed Meals

10. 1 Dish Wonders and No Utensils

Extras:

Dunk and Dip Fun

Let them Play with their Food

1. Involve your kids in Dinner Preparation-

Dinner Strategies

Tips for Cooking the Turkey & Roasting Times Chart

Tips for cooking a Perfect Turkey with Safe handling instructions.

APPROXIMATE COOKING TIMES

Ten Strategies to Get Through Dinner Tonight with Kids