Many of us who enjoy our Thanksgiving dinner see the turkey as the most important part of the meal. Many of us don’t truly pay attention to how much work there is put into making the turkey. 

The first step to making a turkey is prepping it by releasing any built up juices into the sink. You will also want to remove the giblets, the insides, to save for when you may be making stuffing or gravy. You will then want to use paper towels to physically dry the inside. 

Next, you may stuff the turkey with about a ½ to ¾ cup of stuffing per pound of turkey. Be sure not to cook the stuffing until it is 165 degrees because that will most likely give you an overcooked turkey. 

Then, you truss the turkey which allows the turkey to cook evenly. Trussing is when you tie the arms and legs of the turkey together to be sure that they don’t move while it is cooking in the oven. If this step isn’t followed different parts of the turkey will be cooked unevenly. You will want the arms to be tied to the back of the turkey because if exposed they will burn easily. 

Finally, you must roast the turkey. Place the turkey on a rack and pan and preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. You will want to roast the turkey until it is a light golden color. Then, cover the turkey with foil to make sure that the skin doesn’t burn. During the last 45 minutes of roasting remove the foil to allow the skin to turn brown. The turkey breast should be 155 degrees and the legs should be 165 degrees. The turkey will rest in the oven until it is served.