I used to make my turkey in the handy old Reynolds™️ oven bag because it was easy and produced a juicy and delicious bird.

Over the past decade and a half, I’ve become a bit more culinarily curious, so one year while looking for a new recipe, I came across a bacon wrapped version.

Soon as I saw it I knew it would be a long term relationship.

I mean…

I’m not going to be all “wordy” and “wrabbly” today because I have a lot of content to get out from now until Sunday.

This recipe is much easier than it looks, and I promise it will produce many happy turkey filled tummies.

What You Need:

4 garlic cloves

1/2 lb of butter, room temperature

1 large handful mixed fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, parsley, sage)

1 1/2 pound thick cut bacon, divided (don’t use center cut as it is the shortest)

3 carrots, peeled and cut into 3″ pieces

1 large onion, quartered

3 additional sprigs of sage

2 apples, sliced with peels left on

1 orange, peel left on

1 14-18 lb turkey

Kosher salt and pepper

What You Do:

Bacon Butter:

Place oven shelf in bottom of the oven. Heat oven to 450°

Place the garlic cloves in food processor and whirl to finely mince.

Add herbs and briefly pulse to chop.

Add butter and 1/2 pound of bacon and pulse to combine.

Prep The Bird:

Remove the neck, gizzards, liver, pop-up thermometer and assorted parts that come with your turkey and discard, unless you use these for gravy. Slide your hands between the turkey and the skin to separate. Work your hands all the way around the turkey so that the skin is separates from the flesh.

Place the orange and the sage sprigs in the turkey cavity.

Take half of the compounded bacon-herb butter and spread it all around underneath the turkey skin. Rub the remaining butter compound over the skin, giving the turkey a good butter-bacon massage. Season with salt and pepper.

The Bacon Sweater:

Start by wrapping the drumsticks. Begin at the back to the drumstick and wind the bacon around trying to slightly overlap each piece until each drumstick is covered.

Place a horizontal strip of bacon across the breast just below the neck hole. Now place a vertical strip of bacon on the far right of the bird, going from the neck end towards the bottom of the bird.

Alternate weaving horizontal strips and vertical strips until the entire top of the turkey is covered in the jacket. Take care to slightly overlap each strip.

Using some kitchen string, tie the legs of the bird together.

Roasting The Bird:

Place an oven rack in the bottom of the oven and remove all the top racks. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Scatter the carrots, celery, onion and apples in the bottom of a roasting pan.

Place roasting rack on top of the veggies and place the turkey on top of the rack.

Roast for 30 minutes at 450 degrees and then reduce heat to 375 degrees.

Watch the bacon and as soon as it begins to darken cover with tin foil, usually in the first 30 minutes.

Cook the turkey until its internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, about 15 minutes per pound or about 3 1/2 hours total for a 14 pound bird

When turkey reaches 155 to 160 degrees, remove from the oven and let rest for 30 minutes before serving.

The turkey will continue to cook while resting and the internal temperature will rise to 165 degrees.

Always use a thermometer to safely determine when the turkey is done.

“Thanks4giving” me many reasons to continue writing and sharing my love of food and life!!

I’m trying not to be resentful of the fact that as a food blogger, I haven’t actually hosted or made a big holiday dinner in I don’t know how long, but if I were to be totally honest, it feels like a punishment of some sort. Like when a naughty child gets a privilege taken away. I’m going to have to find a way to work that out in the future, but while the house is undergoing a bunch of work, I suppose it’s for the best. For now.

I hope you get the opportunity to showcase and shine this year.

Chelle

** This recipe is derived from a blog called “Something New For Dinner” and tweaked to my own specs. Can’t say what year I made it, but it was in my files for holidays under 2014.

All photo credits belong to original writer.

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Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission by the owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts or links may be used, provided that full credit is given to M.L. Clement or cHELLe ON WHEELS, LLC. with appropriate and specific direction to original content. In other words; if you steal my shit, I’ll call you out.