The Thanksgiving holiday is here and the chefs in the family are busy preparing their favorite dishes, but due to the pandemic, many people are not traveling as they normally would to break bread with family and friends.

But we don’t want you to miss out on your favorite holiday meals, try cooking one yourself! Cooking Professionally is sharing its recipe for Classic Roast Turkey, and we are sharing it with you!

As it turns out, there’s no historical indication that the original Thanksgiving meal (at Plymouth colony) centered around the turkey. However, by the turn of the 19th century, turkey became a popular dish to serve on special occasions for a few reasons:

1) There was no shortage of turkeys. Some estimate there were at least 10 million turkeys in America at the time.
2) A single turkey was typically big enough to feed an entire family.
3) Turkeys on a family farm were nearly always available to slaughter, unlike cows and hens (producing milk and eggs throughout their lives).

This Classic Roasted Turkey is perfect! It’s simple, flavorful, juicy, and is sure to please those around your table.

Ingredients:

1 12-14-pound turkey (thawed if frozen)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 onion, quartered
1 carrot, cut into chunks
1 stalk celery, cut into chunks
3 sprigs sage, plus 1 tablespoon chopped leaves
3 sprigs thyme, plus 1 tablespoon chopped leaves
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter
2 teaspoons paprika

Directions:

  1. Let the turkey sit at room temperature, 30 minutes. If possible, remove other oven racks. Preheat to 350 degrees F.
  2. Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey and set aside for gravy (if desired).
  3. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels and season inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the onion, carrot, celery, and sage and thyme sprigs.
  4. Tie the legs together (kitchen twine works).
  5. Put the turkey on a rack set in a large roasting pan and tuck the wings under the body.
    Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat; whisk in the paprika, chopped sage, and thyme.
  6. Let the paprika butter cool slightly, then brush all over the turkey. Transfer to the oven and roast for 1 hour
  7. After the 1 hour, baste the turkey with the drippings.
  8. Continue roasting, basting every 30 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and a meat thermometer (inserted into the thigh) reaches 165 degrees F, about 2 more hours.
  9. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and let rest 30 minutes before carving; reserve the drippings for gravy, if desired.

And there you have it. Eat up, enjoy and, by all means, have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!