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Food

Serve a Bacon Basted Turkey for Thanksgiving

November 22, 2014 by info@3QuartersToday.com


Butter and Bacon Wrapped Turkey Recipe

How to make a bacon basted turkey for thanksgiving

Given the time I love to cook, and Thanksgiving is the perfect time to break out traditional recipes like my Bacon wrapped turkey recipe.

I roasted my turkey with bacon way before bacon was cool. I watched my Dad obsess over his turkey when I was little and this started a family tradition.

Decorative Family Thanksgiving Medium Table Runner
Decorative Family Thanksgiving Medium Table Runner
by ndjmom

You can have your fried turkeys, slow cooker turkeys, and your precooked turkeys. I like my Thanksgiving turkey oven roasted and the whole process becomes an event.

I’ve even baked my Thanksgiving bird in a roasting bag a few times just to try it, but it’s not near as good. Thanksgiving was my Dad’s Favorite Holiday

You have to know that my Dad didn’t really cook much, but Thanksgiving was his holiday and he loved fixing and carving the turkey. I only bought a Butterball pre-basted turkey once, and that was enough, it wasn’t near as moist.

Fall Leaves Business Thanksgiving Postcards
Fall Leaves Business Thanksgiving Postcards
by ndjmom

The Best Turkey Baste is a Combination of Butter and Bacon

The secret to a juicy turkey is lots of juice, basting frequently, and not letting the bird sit in the oven and get dried out. Eat it less than an hour after it comes out of the oven.

Butter Basted turkey
Place frozen pats of butter under the skin

So grab your Thanksgiving apron, your turkey, butter and bacon, and let’s get to work.

Funny Thanksgiving Apron - Talk Turkey
Funny Thanksgiving Apron – Talk Turkey
by ndjmom

Best Roast Turkey Recipe Ever

Seriously, even people who don’t like turkey will love this, it is indeed the best roast turkey recipe ever!

  • Large Turkey
  • 1 lb bacon
  • 1 lb frozen butter (1-2 sticks under skin, 1-2 sticks for stuffing)
  • Powdered Sage
  • Poultry Seasoning
  • Seasoning Salt
  • Prepared stuffing (I always stuff my turkey and have the best turkey stuffing ever)
Bacon wrapped turkey
Lay Strips of Bacon on buttered and stuffed turkey

Turkey Roasting Instructions

  1. Preset oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit
  2. Rinse and remove the packaged giblets from inside the bird (neck & leg opening)
  3. Place turkey in large roasting pan
  4. Slide frozen pats of butter under the skin as far as you can reach on both sides (an inch apart)
  5. Spoon stuffing into body cavity and under the neck flap (pack it in)
  6. Season turkey with sage, poultry seasoning, and seasoning salt
  7. Cover turkey with strips of uncooked bacon
  8. Cover roasting pan with lid, or tinfoil
  9. Place in oven and bake for 12 minutes per pound of turkey
Turkey Thanksgiving Paper Plates
Turkey Thanksgiving Paper Plates
by ndjmom

How Long to Cook a Turkey

There are a lot of rules of thumb on how long to cook a turkey, but like my Dad taught me, 12 minutes per lb at 350F.

Many cooking experts recommend 10-13 minutes per pound, but remember, I open the oven door a LOT for basting. So my 24 lb turkey will take about five hours.

Basting Instructions

Bacon wrapped turkey
Serve and eat!

Basting is very important to get a juicy and moist turkey.

When the turkey is about halfway done, or as the liquid starts to accumulate at the bottom of the roaster start basting. The bacon fat and butter will melt, soak into the turkey and collect at the bottom of the pan. What a waste.

Pull back the tin foil, and use a large turkey baster to suck up the juice and squirt it on top of the turkey.

Fall Family Personalized Thanksgiving Napkin ring
Fall Family Personalized Thanksgiving Napkin ring
by ndjmom

Yeah, just suck up all the yummy buttery bacony (is that a word) goodness and pour it over the skin of the turkey, making sure to cover the breast, legs, and even the wings.

BASTE EVERY 30 MINUTES

This is important. Set the timer. You have to babysit the bird. This is when my Mom would start saying “The turkey is never going to cook if you keep opening the oven door!”

Well, the turkey cooks. You might have to add another 20 minutes to the time, but when the turkey is a nice brown, golden color and the bacon crisp and crunchy it’s done.

Family Name Thanksgiving Paper Placemats
Family Name Thanksgiving Paper Placemats
by ndjmom

If you really want to know when your turkey is done you can use a cooking thermometer and when it reaches 160F it’s done.

My Mom’s way of telling is to “shake the leg”, if it shakes back it’s done, or if it falls off, it’s done. When the legs start to sag away from the bird it’s also done.

Homemade turkey stuffing recipe
Homemade stuffing with a twist

Doesn’t it look delicious!!

There is nothing better than a bacon basted turkey at Thanksgiving. Remember the cook gets to pick the bacon and turkey before it’s served.  

Many turkeys have pop-up thermometers and you can use them as a guideline to when your turkey is done, but if it looks like the photo above, it’s done.

Funny Thanksgiving T-Shirts for Women
Funny Thanksgiving T-Shirts for Women
by ndjmom

Remove it from the oven and let it sit for 15-30 minutes. The meat will continue to cook and you when your biscuits or crescent rolls are done it’s time to eat. At my house we don’t eat at a certain time, we eat “around 1:00 pm” or whenever the bird is done. After opening the door several times for baking the aroma starts to draw people to the kitchen and dining room.

RSVP Endurance Stainless Steel Turkey Lifter, Set of 2Great Gatherings 21 inch X-Large Oval Serving Platter for Turkey, Ham, Prime Rib with Embossed Friut aroung edge

You can then assign volunteers to set the table, place the mashed potatoes in bowls, and pour the drinks. Enjoy your Bacon Basted Turkey and if you have any Thanksgiving traditions I would love to hear them!

Where to Buy Your Turkey

I normally purchase my turkey from the grocery store, I get a plain turkey, not the Butterball variety or their copycats.

Occasionally I have purchased a local farm-raised turkey, but those actually tend to be too big for my oven. One year we had a 28 lb turkey!! Leftovers for months.

Whole Organic Turkey 18-20lbsBranigan’s Woodland California Thanksgiving Free Range Turkey 20 to 22 Pounds with Brining Kit

You can, unbelievably buy an organic farm-raised turkey for Thanksgiving online and have it delivered right to your door.

For those who live in the city and don’t have a car, I think this would be ideal. I can’t imagine my son lugging a 20 lb turkey on the Chicago CTA train.

Family Thanksgiving T-Shirts - Stuff Till You Drop
Family Thanksgiving T-Shirts – Stuff Till You Drop
by ndjmom

Thanksgiving Traditions

Each family has its own Thanksgiving traditions, often representative of their cultural and/or ethnic background.

Americans are proud of the fact that we can all celebrate the same holiday, albeit in different ways. What is your Thanksgiving tradition?

 

Filed Under: Food Tagged With: bacon, bacon basted turkey, bacon recipes, Butter, cooking, cooking from scratch, Food, Holidays, kitchen, poultry recipes, recipes, roasting the turkey, thanksgiving, thanksgiving traditions

The Great Chicago Pizza Debate and Where are the Best Chicago Pizza Places

August 26, 2014 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Best Chicago Pizza Places

4 Lou Malnati's Chicago-style Deep Dish Pizzas (2 Sausage & 2 Pepperoni)4 Lou Malnati’s Chicago-style Deep Dish Pizzas (2 Sausage & 2 Pepperoni)

Mention food in Chicago and many people automatically think pizza. The discussion and debate on what is the best Chicago pizza places in the city.

I grew up in Connecticut and we had some pretty mean pizza there. You know the kind, deep dish pizza from a family owned pizza restaurant, rich in tradition and so big it had to be cut in squares?

The difference between Chicago and New York pizza is the crust and how thick the pizza pie. The Chicago deep dish pizza restaurants basically compete for bragging rights. 

Start a conversation on the Chicago metro on where the best Chicago pizza place in the city is located and you can start an all out war. People are passionate about pizza in Chicago. With good reason.

 

Chicago: Best Pizza Places

People love to talk about food and when you mention you are from out of town the conversation normally goes like this

Best Chicago style pizza chicago
Giordano’s Meat More Meat pizza

 

“Are you going to get some pizza”,

“Of course, but I haven’t decided yet from where”,

“Well you can’t go wrong with Giordano’s or Pizano’s“

Those two places are mentioned the most, which makes sense, both are ranked highest on Chicago’s 10 Best Pizzas list by Thrillist.com. So on my weekend trip to see my son the deciding factor was who would deliver to his apartment. Giordano’s won.

My Review of Giordano’s Famous Stuffed PizzaReview of Giodano pizza in Chicago and how to ship Giodano pizza anywhere in the United States.

We decided to get Giordano pizza delivery.

This is a massively thick double crust pizza, you can tell it has some meat just by the weight. I judge the cheese quality by how an individual piece pulls apart from main pizza.

It should leave a string of cheese trailing back to the pizza and you should have to grab it to claim that mozzarella for yourself.

This is a massively thick double crust pizza, you can tell it has some meat just by the weight. I judge the cheese quality by how an individual piece pulls apart from main pizza. It should leave a string of cheese trailing back to the pizza and you should have to grab it to claim that mozzarella for yourself.

The crust should be soft and moist, not dry and hard. You should want to eat the last bit of crust as if it were a stand-alone Italian bread. Last but not least, the toppings should stay on the crust, not slide off (that’s a sign of a cheap pizza). On all these accounts Giordano’s passed with flying colors.

It is expensive, our large Meat & More Meat stuffed pizza pie (with tip) came to $30, but it did feed four of us with leftovers for the next day.

This pizza is so popular they will even ship Giardano pizza nationwide to anyone missing that “back home” pizza they remembered living in Chicago.

Yes, you can get Giordano mail order pizza!

Now that’s some serious pizza dedication. The price actually isn’t bad. A four pizza pack is $89 (not including shipping), packed in dry ice and delivered in two days.

Lou Malnati Pizza

Since I published this article I’ve gotten several other additions to this list and Lou Malnati’s keeps coming up as another favorite.

2 Lou Malnati's Chicago-style Deep Dish Pizzas (1 Sausage & 1 Pepperoni)2 Lou Malnati’s Chicago-style Deep Dish Pizzas (1 Sausage & 1 Pepperoni)4 Lou Malnati's Chicago-style Deep Dish Pizzas (4 Cheese)4 Lou Malnati’s Chicago-style Deep Dish Pizzas (4 Cheese)

You can also order and ship Lou Malnati’s pizza anywhere in the country.  Ok, you may have to plan a little bit, but if you order on Tuesday you can have Chicago pizza for your weekend party. I

I’m actually surprised it’s not as expensive as I thought. We ate a Pizano’s in Lincoln Nebraska and paid the same for one Primo pizza as having two Chicago pizzas delivered. So if you are native Chicagoan, have moved, and crave your favorite pizza, you can still get your fix.

Favorite Chicago Pizza From People Who ACTUALLY LIVE in Chicago

What Chicago Pizza is Your Favorite? Add a comment below and I’ll add it to the list.

  • Giordano’s
  • Bacinos
  • Lou Malnati’s
  • Rosati’s
  • Leona’s
  • Suparossa
  • Connie’s
  • Pizano

Make the Best Homemade Pizza

If you can’t get to Chicago or New York then check out my best homemade pizza recipe. It’s not hard and it’s a lot of fun.

The Great Chicago-Style Pizza Cookbook to make pizza like the best Chicago pizza placesThe Great Chicago-Style Pizza CookbookGebardi Deep Dish Chicago Pizza KitGebardi Deep Dish Chicago Pizza KitIronwood Gourmet 28214 Pizza Peel, Acacia WoodIronwood Gourmet 28214 Pizza Peel, Acacia WoodBeginner's Pizza Making KitBeginner’s Pizza Making KitMake pizza like the best Chicago pizza downtown with an authentic Chicago Metallic Non Stick 14-Inch Deep Dish Pizza PanChicago Metallic Non Stick 14-Inch Deep Dish Pizza PanPan Gripper Deep Dish ModelPan Gripper Deep Dish Model

Filed Under: Food, Travel Adventures Tagged With: best chicago pizza places, Chicago, chicago pizza, dining, ethnic food, Food, restaurant, restaurant review

My Famous Sweet Pickled Jalapeno Recipe

July 6, 2014 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Sweet Pickled Jalapenos

My sweet pickled jalapeno peppers recipe has become quite popular online and with my friends. It is actually one of the most popular recipes on my blog and thank you to everyone who has shared it on Pinterest.

If you’re not wanting to make it yourself you can find several favorite varieties of Jalapeno Candy and Jalapeno relishes online.

My sweet pickled jalapeno peppers recipe has been called ambrosia. Even people who don't like jalapenos LOVE these served over ice cream, on crackers, hot dogs or brats.

recipe sweet jalapeno relishRagin Cajun, Jalapeno Relish, 12 OZ (Pack of 12)easy candied jalapeno recipeCarrie Anne’s Jalapeno Vidalia® Onion Relish

Up until last year, I was not a big fan of jalapenos. It was the first time I planted jalapenos, mainly for salsa, but I saw this recipe on Pinterest for Sweet Pepper Candy Rings and was very intrigued.

Now, I am addicted to the sweet and tangy taste of the sweet Mexican flavor. I am actually just slightly addicted to the Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno poppers I learned how to make last summer.

Sometimes known as Cowboy Candy this sweet pickled jalapeno pepper recipe will ROCK your world. 

You can make quick pickled jalapeno rings in an afternoon, but these are better if they age a couple of weeks. This is one of the best gifts foodies will love to make and give to their friends as a gift for Christmas.

I still don’t eat raw jalapenos, they are too hot and spicy for me, but when you add vinegar and sugar to the pickled jalapenos you are left with the flavor without the heat, that I can do!

Last year I became quite obsessed and my four small pepper plants were NOT enough and I started begging jalapenos from friends and neighbors. This year I have eleven plants so let’s see if this keeps me in stock for the season.



There you go, Cowboy Candy, serve on crackers with cream cheese as an appetizer or snack. My favorite way to eat my jalapeno candy or jelly is to pair it with savory deli meats, fruit, and cheeses on a wooden charcuterie board.

Wooden Charcuterie Board

You can really use anything as a charcuterie board, but most of the time they are wooden so you can slice your cheese and meat. I have regular Wine Wednesday and break out my homemade charcuterie board.

This wooden charcuterie board is an answer to your wedding table service, or as a first anniversary gift.

Do you have a favorite Cowboy Candy recipe, or another jalapeno dish?

If you don't want to go through the work of preparing the Jalapeno relish yourself you can buy it and say you did. No one will know will they, just pour it out onto a fancy plate with cream cheese.

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