Cider-Roasted Turkey with Bacon-Apple Cider Gravy

Name: Cider-Roasted Turkey with Bacon-Apple Cider Gravy
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 591 milliliters apple cider, divided; 2 thick bacon slices, cut crosswise into strips; 1 teaspoons black pepper, divided; 651 milliliters fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided; 2 Tbsps all-purpose flour; 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme; 1 small Granny Smith apple, quartered; 473 milliliters frozen pearl onions, thawed; 1 teaspoon salt, divided; 2 thyme sprigs; 5 kilograms fresh or frozen turkey, thawed

Cider-Roasted Turkey with Bacon-Apple Cider Gravy requires roughly 45 minutes from start to finish. This recipe makes 8 servings with 708 calories, 97g of protein, and 27g of fat each. This recipe covers 36% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. It is a good option if you're following a dairy free diet. Head to the store and pick up apple cider, thyme, thyme sprigs, and a few other things to make it today. To use up the flour you could follow this main course with the Apple Tart with Caramel Sauce as a dessert. It works well as a reasonably priced main course.

Instructions

Remove and discard giblets and neck from turkey. Rinse turkey with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Turkey

Water

Place turkey in a heavy-duty, jumbo zip-top plastic bag and add 2 cups cider; seal and marinate in refrigerator overnight, turning bag occasionally.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Turkey

Cider

Equipment you will use

Ziploc Bags

Preheat oven to 45

Equipment you will use

Oven

Remove turkey from bag, reserving marinade.

Ingredients you will need

Marinade

Whole Turkey

Place turkey, breast side up, in a shallow roasting pan.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Turkey

Equipment you will use

Roasting Pan

Pour reserved marinade over turkey.

Ingredients you will need

Marinade

Whole Turkey

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt on skin and in body cavity. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under turkey.

Ingredients you will need

Pepper

Whole Turkey

Salt

Place thyme sprigs and apple in body cavity. Insert meat thermometer into meaty part of thigh, making sure not to touch bone. Cover loosely with foil.

Ingredients you will need

Fresh Thyme

Apple

Bone

Meat

Equipment you will use

Kitchen Thermometer

Aluminum Foil

Bake at 450 for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 (do not remove turkey from oven); bake an additional 45 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Turkey

Equipment you will use

Oven

Add 1 3/4 cups broth and onions to pan; return to oven immediately.

Ingredients you will need

Onion

Broth

Equipment you will use

Oven

Frying Pan

Bake, uncovered, an additional hour or until thermometer registers 18

Equipment you will use

Kitchen Thermometer

Oven

Place turkey on a serving platter; cover with aluminum foil.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Turkey

Equipment you will use

Aluminum Foil

Let stand at least 25 minutes. Discard skin, sprigs, and apple.

Ingredients you will need

Apple

Remove onions from pan with a slotted spoon, set aside, and keep warm.

Ingredients you will need

Onion

Equipment you will use

Slotted Spoon

Frying Pan

Place a zip-top plastic bag inside a 2-cup glass measuring cup.

Equipment you will use

Measuring Cup

Ziploc Bags

Pour turkey drippings into bag.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Turkey

Add remaining 1/2 cup cider to roasting pan; cook over medium-high heat 2 minutes, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.

Ingredients you will need

Cider

Equipment you will use

Roasting Pan

Add to turkey drippings in bag; let stand 10 minutes (fat will rise to the top). Seal bag; carefully snip off bottom corner of bag.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Turkey

Drain drippings into a bowl, stopping before fat layer reaches opening; discard fat.

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Cook bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until crisp.

Ingredients you will need

Bacon

Equipment you will use

Sauce Pan

Add flour to bacon drippings in pan; cook 1 minute. Gradually add remaining 1 cup broth and cider mixture, blending with a whisk. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook over medium heat until thick (about 10 minutes), stirring frequently. Stir in onions and chopped thyme.

Ingredients you will need

Bacon Drippings

Onion

Pepper

Broth

Cider

All Purpose Flour