throwback thanksgiving thursday.. brined/roasted turkey with jalapeno cornbread stuffing

thanksgiving weekend is a whirlwind of family and food!! my mom has a rather large get together and it's been known in the past to have up to 60+ people.. this year however will be more manageable with only about 32!! our other thanksgiving feast we attend is hosted by pete's sister pati and will be around 25 or so.. this year i will be roasting a turkey the morning of thanksgiving, basically so i have left overs during the weekend and can use the stuffing for pete's family gathering and the gravy will go to my moms.. {yes it sometimes gets confusing as to what i am taking to what house ha ha..} but this year for my mom's i will bring hot artichoke dip, grandmommy's sweet potato casserole, gravy, spicy cranberry pomegranate relish and pumpkin breadpudding with bourbon spiked whipped cream.. for pete's sisters thanksgiving i will make a ham, grandmommy's sweet potato casserole, spicy cranberry pom relish, this jalapeno stuffing on today's post and a bourbon pecan tart with chocolate drizzle.. my brother in law jimmy is in charge of the turkey, mashed taters, gravy and other yummy goodness while everyone else will bring their favorite dish.. it's a smorgasbord of deliciousness..

the Friday after thanksgiving this year we will be celebrating my nieces 21st b day Vegas style!! we are going to dinner at a strip hotel than the adult kids are going "clubbing" on the strip.. this should be interesting but fun!! wish me luck, i just hope i can stay awake through the dinner he he..

for today's throwback thursday i am sharing my favorite brined roasted turkey recipe along with my mom's jalapeno cornbread stuffing. which is one of my favorite dishes.. i love love these 2 recipes.. i hope you will too..

brined roasted turkey

prep time: 10 minutes
cooking time: 3- 4 hours
servings: 14-16 (general rule of thumb is 1 lb. per person)

ingredients:

1 (14-16 lb.) frozen young turkey

for brine:

1 cup kosher salt
1/2 brown sugar
1 gallon veggie broth/stock or chicken stock/broth
1 tblsp. pepper
1 tblsp. poultry seasoning
1 gallon heavy iced water

for cooking the bird:

1 stick of butter
salt and pepper
stuffing (recipe below)

directions:

2 or 3 days before roasting begin thawing your turkey in the fridge.. then once defrosted (about a day before) in a large cooler (we use a gott water cooler) combine broth/stock, salt, sugar, iced water and pepper.. place your thawed turkey, with the innards removed, in the cooler.. set in a cool area for 8-16 hours before cooking. when ready to cook preheat your oven to 350 degrees (f).. remove bird from brine and rinse it off under cold water then place it on a roasting rack and pat dry with paper towels.. melt 1 stick of butter and pour over bird and inside cavity rubbing in while pouring.. (wash hands) then sprinkle with salt and pepper.. stuff cavity with stuffing and cover with foil and put in the oven on the lower rack of the oven... cook for 1 hour 30 minutes.. and check every 30 minutes and baste your chicken with the juices..after about an hour and half remove cover and cook another hour and a half or two.. ok here is where controversy has come up i was always taught to cook your bird 20 minutes per pound meaning that it would take about 5 hours to cook a 14-16 lb. bird.. but my mom called the butterball hotline a few years ago and they said that's old school and a 14-16 lb. bird should take about 3-3.5 hours..  i cooked mine the less amount of time last year and the turkey came out juicy and moist.. what your looking for is an internal temperature of about 155 is the best time to remove it from the oven  because when the turkey rests out of the oven it will rise to be about 160-165 which is what your ideal temp should be.. i removed my turkey after about 3 hours loosely covered with a foil tent and allowed it to rest for 30 minutes.. the temp was spot on and the turkey perfectly cooked... *when checking the temp of the bird insert thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh and then the breast* for extremely helpful tips check out this website here..

jalapeno cornbread stuffing

prep time: 30 minutes plus overnight
cooking time: depends on the size of your bird
serving: will stuff  a 14-16 lb. bird

ingredeints:

1 cup butter, melted

1 cup onion, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

1 cup apple, chopped

1/2 cup golden raisins

2-3 jalapenos seeded and chopped {more if you like more heat or you could even leave the seeds in.. and remember these little babies are hot so wash your hands when done and don't touch your face or eyes before washing.. been there done that.. no fun}

1 cup chicken broth

2 6 ounce packages of mrs. cubbison's seasoned corn bread stuffing {one box}

salt and pepper to taste {i like alot of pepper in mine}

directions:
 

in a large mixing bowl combine all the above ingredients.. if it seems dry add a little more chicken brother and/or melted butter.. i let mine sit over night.. then in the morning i stuff my bird.. i let it cook in the bird until I remove the bird from the oven then i take the stuffing out to a bowl..  now if not cooking in the bird then place stuffing in a greased baking dish, cover and bake in a 350 degree (f) oven for about 45 minutes.. remove cover {check again to make sure its not dry.. if it is melt a 1/2 a stick of butter and pour over the stuffing} and bake another 10 minutes longer uncovered..

enjoy and get cook'n!!