i would not experiment by using the convection feature when entertaining unless I had used it enough to become a pro.

Butterball does have a time chart for cooking in a convection oven. HERE

Alton Brown suggests cooking the stuffing separately, then putting it in the turkey while the birds rests to absorb the bird juices. I'm going to try doing it that way this year.

Good luck!

Hmm, bird juices can go in the gravy.

I like my stuffing with crunchy edges. I make it muffin tins.

Getting hungry now!

I haven't ever used my probe so can't really advise you, but they do recommend leaving the stuffing out for food safety and so the breast doesn't overcook. You could remove the stuffing and put it back in the oven while making the gravy and carving the bird.

To make oven stuffing that still has some of the turkey flavor, make a stock with the turkey neck, onions, and celery. You can also buy extra turkey wings. I let it simmer for an hour. I moisten the stuffing with the stock and then return it to the oven to crisp. I also use it to make gravy.

I always convection roast, not bake, my turkey using the probe. I dont use the temp they suggest, I think it is 160 or 165, I set mine at 170. I dont stuff the turkey though I bake the stuffing in a separate pan.

May - I buy turkey parts from the butcher and make the stock for the stuffing well in advance; hate running around on that day!

Maddie - Thanks for the link!

Each of our families have always made stuffing both in and out of the bird. I much prefer the crunchy filling, but I will have some disappointed people if I neglect to stuff the bird.

I'll have to experiment sometime with stuffing the bird while it rests.

May -To make oven stuffing that still has some of the turkey flavor, make a stock with the turkey neck, onions, and celery. You can also buy extra turkey wings. I let it simmer for an hour. I moisten the stuffing with the stock and then return it to the oven to crisp. I also use it to make gravy.

I fry/saute all the stuffing with butter, eggs, celery, onions, and then do the above for the outside filling and gravy.

Rose - I have the roast option too, but was even more concerned to use that because the top of meats seem to end up brown pretty fast.

It'll be fine. It'll be fine. :)

The roasting option is meant for meat. Being convection the heat should be circulating around the turkey, you should be ok. Towards the end if the wing tips start to get too brown, I put a little tinfoil on them.

The Thanksgiving Turkey Cheat Sheet should answer all the questions you have and help insure your turkey will be great.

You can use the probe or a meat thermometer. You're looking for 165F in the thickest parts for done ness.

With turkey, I count 1 hour for every 5 pounds. So with a 19 pound turkey -- round it up to 20 pounds -- you have about 4 hours of cooking. I would have it in the oven by 9 a.m. to be sure.

I leave the turkey out of the fridge at least 6 hours before roasting. (Even better to clean it up ahead and leave it out overnight). I start it in a hot oven initially, and remove it from the oven for basting. Basting is not essential -- some do; some don't. The tent should go on halfway through, depending on browning.

I stuff under the breast skin to help keep it moist. But even if you don't photos on the link show the browning progress for a 15 pound turkey that would be a guideline.

Just having the turkey out of the fridge well ahead, not keeping the oven open while basting (if you do), and giving it a kick start at the very beginning will ensure that it's done! Happy Thanksgiving!

Wow, I would never leave a raw turkey at room temp for 6 hours or overnight.

Sorry, Rococogirl, NEVER NEVER NEVER leave poultry out 6 hours even if frozen. Even frozen, you put it in a sink of cool water and rotate the bird and change the water every 30 minutes. Maybe long, long, ago, in a galaxy far, far, away, but poultry now has too much salmonella to do that.

I leave the turkey out of the fridge at least 6 hours before roasting. (Even better to clean it up ahead and leave it out overnight).

NO, NO, NO!!! That is so wrong!!! Not to mention potentially deadly.

I've never cooked with a convection oven, but just last week a guy who is a turkey expert said when you stuff a turkey, the turkey will get to 160 degrees first, cover it with foil, and keep baking until the stuffing gets to 160 degrees.

I like doing my stuffing in a separate pan. It just seems easier.

It was also said do not wash the turkey. News to me!

I use the Butterball convection roasting chart and follow it to a T. I generally end up covering the browning breast with a piece of foil fairly early on. No basting, just a rub of oil prior to going into the oven. I don't stuff the bird, though, so a big honkin turkey is done in three hours.

Roccocogirl- that link is wonderful. thank you

That's her blog. What she advocates is not a good idea. The bird should be adequately thawed in the refrigerator. It also should not be rinsed. Letting it set at room temp for hours prior to roasting is asking for trouble.

Do not rinse your turkey, etc.

If you read the link, you will see that Rococogurl is more than aware of standard advice on turkey handling,which one may well choose to follow. But she also explains her rationale.

Lots of great into there regardless of where one stands on that facet.

OMG, paper products and divided plates no less.

Bless your heart and your great attitude!

Bless your heart Shee! You will have a good time with family though, and that's what is important. I'm with you on paper products. LOL @ divider plates!! As for the turkey, you are a better cook than me! I never cook my own turkey. Our family only eats the breast and we have a wonderful local place where I buy mine (and ham too). They have the most delish glaze, better than mine would be and easier too. We are hosting and I do all the sides other than the 2 my MIL is bringing.

oh no, paper plates on ThxG!

Convection heat is really designed to be used for baked goods, like breads, rolls, etc. I have both convection and regular features on my oven, but haven’t ever used convection heat for roasting a turkey. I’m roasting a 22 pounder this year, which is normal for my crowd. I have to do two stuffings, one oyster and one sausage, to please my picky family. I’ll put the oyster stuffing in the bird, and bake the sausage stuffing separately when the bird’s finished and comes out to rest. Remember that while the turkey may reach 165 degrees, the stuffing needs to get to 165 also, and sometimes takes longer to get there. I use two temperature probes, one in the thigh and the other in the stuffing. I’ll make up my brining solution tomorrow morning and will put the bird into the brine in a cooler when it’s ready.

DIVIDED paper plates......oh no, Shee! Let your aunt use hers, yet you certainly should go ahead and use your own dishes! That’s the fun part of Thanksgiving, to me, is dressing up a pretty table with all your best china, silver, and CLOTH napkins....with a pretty centerpiece and candles. I would certainly have to bite my tongue if someone brought paper products to my Thanksgiving table, for sure! I know you will handle this gracefully, yet don’t let dear auntie spoil your fun!

FWIW, don't get me wrong I'm not always opposed to paper goods. Used them proudly for a birthday party not long ago, loud colors and all. I just figure if everyone is coming to my house...I get to choose what we're eating food off of! So trivial I know.

Heidesign - Let your aunt use hers...

Whoa no. DH's aunt. :) Since there really won't be much room on the island for anything else I'm sure her plates will get plunked on top of mine (buffet style). I might be able to bat back the rest of the supplies. Everyone will then be confused which they're supposed to be using. All so trivial I know!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I have used convection roast setting for our turkeys, and they come out awesome and cook quickly. I use the lower rack position so the fan is on the bird. I also use the broiler pan. the air needs to circulate under the turkey so you do not want a pan with sides. I do use a digital meat thermometer. No other foil.

I bake the stuffing separately. Once the turkey comes out and needs to rest, I pop the stuffing in to brown.

Have you thought about using the bags? Less time cooking AND a moister bird.

Re: paper plates. One solution might be to set the tables with your china. When ready to serve, tell people to find their place and bring their plate to the buffet line. When auntie arrives with paper, you could put one divided one at her place at the table and stash the rest in the kitchen. Or put the paper ones under the china stack after handing her one paper one. You have a great attitude!

Renovator girl...I host Christmas Eve dinner for dh's large family and always do my turkey in a bag plus a Kretchmar ham. Worry free. Then dh carves ahead of time and turkey is kept warm in Nesco roasting pan.. Carcas is cleaned up and mess is long gone. Not as pretty but just as tasty.

Love the bag method and it cuts down on cooking time. I'm surprised more people do not use the bags.

i admit I also use Chinet ;-)

Shee, you do have a great attitude, and I'm sure everything will turn out great, including your turkey. The largest I ever cooked was a huge 25 pounder, but usually I'm cooking one around 18-20. I typically cook a Butterball just because it's self-basting mostly and easy (again, no rinsing & should never be brined if one is into that). The ones that are not pre-basted are good and tasty but require a bit more 'handling'. I do season inside the cavity, rub a little oil on the legs and pat some around the exposed breast, then roast until brown and tent it until done.

I never stuff the bird either. We southerners always make cornbread dressing. I use pre-made stock in it and cook it separately. I love the crispy edges too. I love fresh roasted turkey and dressing and could pass on most of the sides for the main part of the meal.

An adult doesn't like her food touching?!! I just can't.

Shee - I could loan you my Ruby Red depression glass divided grill plates, but I need them back before Christmas. :)

Another reason not to rinse: Slippery!

All I can say is I am completely jealous of Tinam61 who has a place she can buy a precooked turkey!! I would be all over that if I could . . .

LOL Pink! Their food is wonderful! I am going in a couple of hours to pick up my turkey. I will be getting a ham there for Christmas - with the most delish sweet and crunchy glaze!! There are actually a couple of places in the big city near me that will cook turkeys. I've never done that, but I thought one of the local BBQ chains does that - smokes them maybe?

We ordered a BBQ smoked turkey the past two years from one of the local BBQ restaurants. It was really fabulous, and I don't even care for turkey. It does require reheating for about an hour or so. This year we are smoking it here.

Lol errant! I dropped a cooked one in the sink one time!

My mother told me that one time her grandmother was doing Thanksgiving and was bringing the turkey out of the kitchen to the dining room. There was those saloon doors that she s as a little girl could see under and the adults sitting at the table could not. Her grandmother had the turkey slide off the platter on to the floor. She calmly scooped it up and brought it on to the table. No one knew but my mother! This would of been in the early 20th century.

Renovator - I think I'm going to look into the bags for next time.

Delilah - :) I think I could handle them!

I would totally buy a precooked turkey too if I could get my hands on one.

Kitschy and Sherry - Oh my!!

All the planning and prep... the day goes so fast. I used regular old bake mode, stuffed the turkey, and followed Butterball's directions this year. It was good. I didn't use the probe because my pan was too deep and I just could see it turning into a mess. I'm going to test out the roast mode more and stuffing the turkey later while it rests.

We had lots of food left over.

The paper/styrofoam products weren't too big of a deal. They ended up being used more for dessert and the aunt did bring a few food items which I thought was also nice.

Almost everyone showed up early while I was trying to finish up and wanted to help. You know how that goes - everything gets jammed up and hectic fast, lots of question flying at you, the list goes on! There definitely will be a layout change someday with the kitchen.

It was a nice day. My kitchen looks like a bomb went off and I'm looking the other way. Tomorrow it's clean up, Christmas decorating, and leftovers!

ETA - Yesterday I managed to somehow hurt my ring finger while putting away dry dishes. No clue what I did but it felt like I stoved my finger. About 10 min. later while making peach cranberry sauce I managed to tear off a large chunk of nail (back into the nail bed) on the middle finger on the same hand while grating orange zest. After the initial scream all I could do was laugh at that point. (Later the ring finger actually hurt worse than the missing nail.) Cleaned it up, bandaged up, and wore a sexy glove almost full time ever since. Ring finger is normal again today and missing nail is ....well, still missing. :)