I suppose one of the easiest meals to cook is a turkey dinner. You don't have to spend time working out a menu. You undoubtedly have a traditional family one. I serve sweet potatoes and white ones and always Brussels sprouts and chestnuts as the vegetable. I use Pepperidge Farm stuffing using the recipe on the package with an egg in it.

If you have at least a 20 lb. bird, you can put it in the oven the night before you want to serve it. A smaller bird can be put in early in the morning and forgotten about until an hour before you want to serve it.

The turkey must be completely defrosted. Stuff in the usual way. Preheat oven to 375°. Put bird in covered roaster or cover with foil. Put in hot oven and cook for one hour. Lower heat to 150°. The nicest thing about this method is waking up on Christmas morning and finding the house full of the delicious aroma of cooking turkey and not having to jump out of bed at the crack of dawn to get the bird in the oven in time for dinner. When you go downstairs put a meat thermometer in the bird and if it seems a bit low for when you want to serve, raise the temperature to 200°. An hour before you want to serve, take the bird from the oven, raise the temperature to 375°. When the oven is hot, take the foil off the turkey and put the bird back in the oven, basting it well before you do. Cook for one hour, basting every 15 minutes, and the bird will be a rich dark brown.

Make your usual gravy. I use McCormick turkey gravy mix. Use the juice from the bird for part of the liquid.

I always buy a large bird because we don't like to have to skimp on turkey sandwiches afterwards (have you tried putting cranberry jelly or sauce in them instead of mustard?). I am the only one in my family that likes the dark meat so unless we have had a number of guests who also like it there is a lot left over. I used to have a hard time using it up until I got the bright idea of making a curry out of it. The family love it. Serve cranberry sauce with the curry too.

You might like to try Cranberry Port Chutney instead of cranberry sauce or jelly.

1 1/2	cups	port
1 1/4	cups	sugar
1		orange, chopped zest and juice
1/4	cup	currants
1/4	cup	golden raisins
1/4	cup	dried cherries
1/4	cup	dried cranberries
1	package	fresh cranberries

Heat the port, sugar, orange juice and zest, currants, golden raisins, dried cranberries, and dried cherries in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for five minutes. Add the fresh cranberries and cook until they split open, about another five to ten minutes. Pack in jars and store in a cool place.

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