Thanksgiving Tried & True #3 -- Turkey & Gravy

Here’s what I’ll be doing for the turkey and gravy for next Thursday’s feast:

Turkey -- my best advice on roasting the turkey is to pick up a box of Reynolds Oven Bags in the Turkey size, and follow the directions on the box. We’ve been cooking our Thanksgiving turkey this way for several years now and we are always pleased with the way it turns out. The meat stays nice and moist.

Gravy -- for years I struggled with turkey gravy. I can make decent gravy, but not in the large quantities Thanksgiving calls for. And I was always trying to make the gravy, logically enough, at the last minute, when there were a dozen people underfoot in the kitchen. It just never came out right. So one year I tried making turkey gravy from the packets. Good, but not as good as I would have liked. For a number of years I bought canned or jarred gravy, transferred it to a saucepan and got the evidence (empty cans or jars) out of the kitchen before my guests arrived. In both cases, I hated not using the turkey broth, although it wasn’t wasted because it ended up in soup.

Last year I went on a serious search for a good, foolproof gravy recipe and found this one. The search is over.

EASY TURKEY GRAVY

5 cups turkey stock with pan drippings
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 cup milk
1/3 cup flour

Bring the turkey stock to boil in a large saucepan. Stir in soup, and season with poultry seasoning, pepper, seasoned salt, and garlic powder. Reduce heat to low, and let simmer.

Warm the milk in the microwave, and whisk in the flour with a fork until there are no lumps. (Or shake the milk and flour together in a plastic shaker.) Return the gravy to a boil, and gradually stir in the milk mixture. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute, or until thickened. Be careful not to let the mixture scorch on the bottom of the pan.