I used the attached recipe once. The turkey part of it was great. The gravy, not so much, although The Bitten Word Boys thought it was fabulous. Oh, I couldn't find turkey leg quarters, so I dismantled the turkey myself. I can cut up a chicken, how hard can it be to cut up a turkey? The answer is: harder than a chicken! Make-Ahead Turkey Cook's Country (October/November 2011) Serves 10 to 12 Check the label when you're shopping for turkey. If there's an ingredient list, the bird has been enhanced and will work in this recipe. If you prefer natural, unenhanced parts, we recommend brining. (Dissolve 1 cup of salt in 2 gallons of cold water. Submerge the turkey in the brine, cover, and refrigerate for 3 to 6 hours. Proceed with step 1 of Day 1, omitting the salt for seasoning.) Notes from Zach and Clay of TheBittenWord.com: Several readers have written to ask about the two turkey legs are used in the making of the gravy for this recipe. Are they served or discarded? The answer is that the legs are discarded along with the other solids after you make the stock, as the flavor of them has mostly been extracted in order to make a flavorful base for the gravy. INGREDIENTS 2 onions, chopped 2 carrots, peeled and chopped 2 celery ribs, chopped 2 garlic cloves, peeled 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme 4 (1½- to 1¾-pound) turkey leg quarters, trimmed 1 (6- to 7-pound) whole bone-in turkey breast, trimmed 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted Salt and pepper 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth 4 cups water 1 bay leaf 1/2 cup all-purpose flour DIRECTIONS DAY 1 Adjust oven racks to middle and lowest positions and heat oven to 325 degrees. Place onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and thyme in large roasting pan. Set V-rack inside pan. Pat turkey legs and breast dry with paper towels. Arrange 2 legs and breast, skin side up, in V-rack. Brush turkey with butter and season with salt and pepper. Place remaining 2 legs in 13 by 9-inch baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Place roasting pan on middle rack and baking dish on lower rack. Roast until breast registers 160 degrees and thighs register 175 degrees, 2 to 2½ hours. Transfer 2 legs and breast to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Transfer vegetables in roasting pan and remaining 2 legs to large pot, scraping up any browned bits. Add broth, water, bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to boil. Simmer over medium-low heat until reduced to 5 cups, 1¼ to 1½ hours. Pour through fine-mesh strainer into large container, discarding solids. Let cool for 1 hour, cover, and refrigerate for 4 hours or up to 2 days. Wrap cooled legs and breast tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days. DAY 2 Scrape fat from top of chilled stock and reserve 5 tablespoons. Bring stock to simmer in medium saucepan. Set aside ¼ cup stock. Heat reserved fat in large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Slowly whisk in remaining 4¾ cups stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened and reduced to 4 cups, 12 to 14 -minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Transfer legs and breast to carving board. Separate legs into thighs and drumsticks and arrange on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Cut breast meat from bone into 2 single breasts. Working one at a time, remove skin from breast in 1 piece; reserve. Slice breast crosswise into ¼-inch slices and place on 18 by 12-inch sheet of aluminum foil, keeping slices together. Pour 2 tablespoons reserved stock over each breast and top with reserved skin. Wrap tightly and place on rack with legs. Roast until turkey is heated through and thighs and drumsticks are crisp, 20 to 25 minutes. Discard breast skin. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with gravy. Here is a link that might be useful: The Bitten Word Make Ahead Turkey

I have posted this recipe several times in the past few years during the holidays. I thought I would share it again as an alternative to the traditional 'stuffing'. It has become a favorite. It would be very easy to adapt to a larger turkey. The stuffing is healthy and delicious. Very good as leftovers also. Turkey Roulade with Apple-Cider Gravy by Ellie Krieger This golden brown turkey breast, excerpted from the cookbook The Food You Crave, has a moist pecan-and-cranberry-studded stuffing rolled inside. Relish in the "oohs" and "aahhs" as you reveal the beautiful spiral intertwining of tender turkey and savory stuffing. For more turkey recipes visit The Guide to Thanksgiving Dinner. Serves 6 Ingredients turkey chicken broth apple cider One 2-1/2-pound boneless turkey breast half, skin removed and butterflied 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth 5 slices day-old whole-wheat bread, crusts removed and cubed (about 2-1/2 cups) 1 medium onion, diced (about 1-1/2 cups), plus 1 cup onion thinly sliced into half-moons 1 cup apple cider 2 large cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons) 1/2 cup unsweetened dried cranberries 1/3 cup chopped pecans 3 tablespoons cider vinegar 2 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage or 3 teaspoons dried, crumbled 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon cold water 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste Kitchen twine Place the turkey breast between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound lightly with a meat mallet to an even thickness of about 3/4 inch. Set aside while you prepare the stuffing. Toast the pecans in a small dry skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes; set aside. Preheat the oven to 375�F. Place the cranberries in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, cook for 1 minute, then remove from the heat, drain, and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring, until golden but not blackened, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the bread, cranberries, pecans, 2 tablespoons of the fresh or 2 teaspoons of the dried sage, and 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the broth, depending upon the consistency of the stuffing (you want the mixture to be moistened, but not too wet, since the turkey will release moisture when cooked). Cook over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, then remove from the heat. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over both sides of the turkey breast. Spread the stuffing over one side of the turkey, leaving about 1-1/2 to 2 inches uncovered on all sides. Roll up and secure tightly with kitchen twine, trying to keep all the stuffing intact. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large Dutch oven or medium roasting pan over medium heat until hot. Sear the stuffed turkey breast on all sides until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Sprinkle the sliced onion around the turkey, pour in 1-1/2 cups of the broth, cover tightly and roast in the oven until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 165�F, 60 to 65 minutes. Remove the turkey breast from the oven, transfer to a cutting board, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest while you make the gravy. Add the cider, 1/2 cup of the broth, the vinegar, and the remaining 2 teaspoons fresh or 1 teaspoon dried sage to the roasting pan, bring to a boil, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced by one-third, about 10 minutes. Slowly add the cornstarch mixture, stirring constantly, and cook for 3 minutes more. The gravy should not be thick, just slightly thicker than a jus. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the twine from the turkey breast and cut into 1-1/2-inch-thick slices. Serve with the gravy on the side in a gravy boat. nutrition information (per serving): Calories (kcal): 400; Fat (g): 12; Fat Calories (kcal): 108; Saturated Fat (g): 1.5; Protein (g): 50; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 6; Carbohydrates (g): 24; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 3.5; Sodium (mg): 371; Cholesterol (mg): 117; Fiber (g): 2; photo: Christopher Hirsheimer From Book The Food You Crave , pp. 220-221 November 19, 2010 Here is a link that might be useful: Ellie Kreiger's Stuffed Turkey Breast

LOL Nancy, I'm sure those puppies just can't wait for holidays! They'll probably leave hints about Thanksgiving is year round and Christmas in July! Doing gravy in an electric roaster is kind of a personal preference. I think you'd be better off to take the cookwell and put on the stove. A lot depends on the roaster. Nesco does NOT heat from the bottom. They call it the "circle of heat" since it's in all the sides of the unit which helps keep things from burning on the bottom and the heat is more even. My mother used to make the gravy in the roaster. (I don't remember the brand but it was not Nesco) She'd crank it up full blast but as I recall hers had a heating element in the bottom. A cousin takes the cookwell and puts on the stove. Neither of her roasters are Nesco brand. I have the Roast Air attachment that fits my 6 qt. Now THAT will give you nice crispy skin! I used to just cock the top and let a lot of the moisture out and frequently take a baster and pull the juices out to help dry and crisp the skin, which did work. Now I let it cook and then about the last 1/2 hour or so I turn on the fan and even turn up the heat a bit and the convection action will crisp and brown things up. Be warned though, when the fan goes on, it will blast the juices around so you might want to pull some of them out just in case. The convection action also evaporates it more too. I never thought about the gluten issue on prebasted meats. I usually prefer to get a non-basted if I have a choice but the cheap ones usually are injected. Maybe look at organic or something? I'm not sure about that. Should ask my sister about that since she's Celiac but I know she's still confused on a lot of the things related to it.

Turkey necks are my standard for making homemade stock. I just simmer, no pre-roasting. Sadly, last year the major commercial poultry processor stopped offering retail packages of turkey necks. Apparently the pet food mfgs pay more so it all goes to them now. I was stumped until I realized an artisanal turkey producer probably offered them. It's two counties over, but we visit that area every few months anyway. So I stop in and pick up 5 or 6 bags of frozen necks to bring home. Lots of natural gelatin so the stock gels. Makes a killer demi-glace, too.