Merry Christmas everyone! Turkey is definitely my favourite Christmas meal. I know I work for Chicken Farmers of Canada but come on…I have to give this one to turkey. Every year when I order my turkey I think of my favourite Christmas movie “A Christmas Story” and the part when the unruly hounds from next door traipse through the house into the kitchen and devour the Christmas turkey. I watch this movie at least twice during the holiday season and that scene includes some of my favourite lines from the movie. “The heavenly aroma still hung in the house. But it was gone, all gone! No turkey! No turkey sandwiches! No turkey salad! No turkey gravy! Turkey Hash! Turkey a la King! Or gallons of turkey soup! Gone, ALL GONE!” That would indeed be a very sad moment. I can’t imagine a Christmas without turkey and all of its fixings. My family is picky. When I am the one in charge of making the turkey I am reminded that under no circumstances am I to make something different. I like to play with the stuffing recipe and add cranberries and perhaps roasted nuts, etc… I look at cooking and the whole culinary experience as an adventure. With a little of this and a little of that you can completely change the taste of something and create something wonderful for your taste buds, however my family isn’t interested in a taste explosion of any kind when it comes to turkey. They want the same recipe they have every year. Mind you it tastes wonderful as it is and it’s very easy to make. Just remember to not overcook the turkey. Use a meat thermometer and baste it regularly. For 10 people, with leftovers, you need about a 15 lb turkey and about 8 cups of stuffing (1/2 cup of stuffing per pound), but I like to make a little extra. Make sure you don’t pack in the stuffing. You should stuff it lightly and cook any extra in a separate oven proof covered casserole with some extra chicken broth. Enjoy! I wish you a very merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year! My Christmas Turkey 15 lb Turkey 7kg Stuffing 10 cups cubed bread pieces 2.3 L -  buy 2 loaves of fresh bakery bread and let sit out on  the counter for a day or two then cut up into cubes 1 lb fresh sausage 454 g 1 medium onion, diced 1 3 stalks celery, diced 3 2 cups cremini mushrooms, sliced 500 mL 1 large russet potato, diced 1 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced  2 ½ tsp rosemary 2.5 mL ½ tsp sage 2.5 mL 1 tsp thyme 5 mL 3 tbsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped  45 mL 2 cups good quality, low sodium, chicken broth 500 mL 1 extra large egg, beaten 1 3 tbsp unsalted butter 45 mL sea salt and pepper, to taste Gravy Pan drippings 2 cups  good quality, low sodium, chicken broth 500 mL 1 tbsp butter 15 mL 1 tbsp flour 15 mL Sea salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).
2. Sometimes turkeys come with giblets and the neck. The giblets are usually in a bag inside the cavity. Remove them and the neck. Place turkey in roasting pan.
3. Place cubed bread in large bowl.
4. Remove sausage meat from casings. Heat large skillet on medium high. Add sausage and break up into small pieces. Cook until completely cooked through and there is no trace of pink. Drain off fat and add cooked sausage to bowl of bread.
5. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes, mushrooms, onions, and celery and sprinkle with salt and pepper and sauté until golden. The salt makes the vegetables sweat and helps to caramelize them. Add garlic and sauté for another few seconds.
6. Add cooked vegetables to bread and sausage.
7. Add herbs to bread mixture. Mix together and add chicken broth, about ½ cup at a time, and mix, until the bread softens slightly. You don’t want the bread to be mushy or too wet as it will absorb some juices from the turkey as it cooks.
8. Add egg and mix well. Spoon stuffing into turkey cavities being careful to not overpack it as the stuffing expands. After you have finished stuffing both cavities you can truss the legs or tie them with kitchen string.
9. Roast the turkey in the oven until a meat thermometer (in the thickest part of the thigh and not touching bone) reaches 185°F (85°C) and 165°F (74°C) in the stuffing.  Baste the turkey regularly while cooking, about once per hour. When cooked, remove turkey from oven, cover and let sit for approximately 15 minutes before carving.
10. While turkey is sitting. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
11. Add 1 tbsp of flour and completely mix with the butter.
12. Add pan drippings to butter flour mixture and then add chicken broth.
13. Bring to a slow boil and thicken.
14. Add salt and pepper to taste.
15. If you want it thicker you can reduce the sauce by gently boiling it for longer. This will also concentrate the flavours.