I'm thankful for a lot...including this meal

This year was my first attempt at Thanksgiving feast glory. Was it glorious? YES. The key? Butter. Lots of butter. Here's what was on the menu:

 

 

• Cider Brined Turkey with Bacon Herb Butter
• Simple Is Best Dressing
• Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes (kept warm in the slow cooker)
• Red Wine Gravy
• Perfect Cranberry Sauce
• Sauteed Green Beans with Garlic and Lemon
• Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie

For the turkey, I used a combination of several recipes. I had a 13lb free range turkey from Minnesota and a Turkey Perfect Herb Brining Kit to work with. I followed the basic instructions for brining, but replaced 1 qt of the water with 1 qt of apple cider. The turkey brined for about 14 hours, and then sat uncovered in the fridge for an hour to dry the skin out a bit.

When the turkey was ready for prime time, the bacon herb butter went under the skin, and I seasoned the turkey with a little salt. Then, it was time to stuff the turkey with aromatics. In went chunks of carrot, celery and onion along with a few lemon wedges, garlic cloves, a couple sprigs of thyme, and rosemary.

For roasting, I followed some tips from Alton Brown for roasting the perfect turkey:

1. Create a tin foil breast plate for the turkey (protects the meat from overcooking). Set aside.
2. Roast for 45 min at 450F.
3. Remove turkey and reduce heat to 350F. Cover turkey breast with foil plate.
4. Roast at 350F until temperature probe reaches about 163F (took about 1hr 50 min for a 13 lb turkey).
5. Remove from oven and rest for 30 min before carving.

Thanks to the brining, butter, and love, the turkey tasted amazing. Delightfully juicy and tender. I will surely be making this turkey again.