Once-A-Month Turkey Dinners

One of my favorite homeschooling moms buys 13 turkeys every Thanksgiving. One for the holiday and 12 for the freezer. She cooks one every month to feed her family inexpensive lean meat. At $.39 per pound that is not a bad investment. Plus, if the power goes out, stick several frozen turkeys in the fridge and it will keep the other foods safely cold for a few days. (Hurricane preparedness hasn't left me long after we've left Florida.)

Remember my almost free turkey? I finally cooked a turkey that is crispy and golden brown. Instead of using a turkey-self-basting bag, I used my roasting pot with the lid on. (This is because I was too cheap to buy the bags full price. But it worked!) Before the last 30 minutes, I took out as much of the liquid and cooked without the lid on to get it crispy. I cooked it with stuffing in the bird too. It was so good and simple to make.

I have heard that cooking the smallest turkey you can find is the safest bet to ensure a moist bird. Let me add another trick to that: soaking overnight in brine guarantees moistness. I just dump as much salt as I think would make the water salty and add about a tablespoon of white vinegar. Next time, I'll measure the salt.

Don't have time to soak it? If it's not for Thanksgiving, cook the bird breast side down without a roasting rack. It might not look pretty but it will taste great.

We ended up getting 3 turkeys about 12 pounds and $5 each. Plus, with the fuel perks deal the store had, we saved us $.60 off gas!