How much time to add for stuffing?
 

I roast quite a few turkeys, but I usually roast them overnight from
partially frozen, and I don't really know how long it takes. This time
I'm roasting the previously mentioned 15 pound Very Expensive Bird, to
be ready to eat at 3:00. And folks want it stuffed.

I've looked up the cooking charts to see how long to plan on cooking it,
but they don't say how much time to add if the bird is stuffed. It's
probably been 20 years since I have roasted a turkey or chicken with
stuffing (usually, we have "dressing" on the side, and someone else
generally makes it.) I'm planning to cook this until the center of the
stuffing is 160 degrees F.

Any hints? Thanks.

Bob

On Wed, 24 Nov 2004 11:27:31 -0600, zxcvbob >
wrote:

>I roast quite a few turkeys, but I usually roast them overnight from
>partially frozen, and I don't really know how long it takes. This time
>I'm roasting the previously mentioned 15 pound Very Expensive Bird, to
>be ready to eat at 3:00. And folks want it stuffed.
>
>I've looked up the cooking charts to see how long to plan on cooking it,
>but they don't say how much time to add if the bird is stuffed. It's
>probably been 20 years since I have roasted a turkey or chicken with
>stuffing (usually, we have "dressing" on the side, and someone else
>generally makes it.) I'm planning to cook this until the center of the
>stuffing is 160 degrees F.
>
>Any hints? Thanks.
>
>Bob

Figure on anywhere from 30 mins to an hour longer, depending on your
stuffing. This is really a ballpark, as a good fresh turkey can cook
quickly. A light & loosely packed stuffing will add toward the lower
end of extra time and a dense stuffing will add the most.

When I stuff a very large bird, I have been known to take it out of
the oven about an hour before it should be done & remove the stuffing.
and finish it in a separate dish. I have 2 ovens so I can get away
with this. It gives me the bird-baked stuffing, but no worry about
everything cooking through.

My other trick for making a larger stuffed turkey is to judge its
doneness by wiggling the leg & piercing the thigh to make sure the
juices run clear (trust the Force, Luke...you can always put it back
in, but if it's over, there is no recourse). I remove it when I think
it's done, let it sit for 20 minutes & then remove the thighs and
legs. If there is any hint of pink in them, those parts go back into a
high oven (400) while the final prep is underway. By the time things
are ready for the table, all is fine and any dark meat is thoroughly
cooked.

Boron

On Wed, 24 Nov 2004 11:27:31 -0600, zxcvbob >
wrote:

>I roast quite a few turkeys, but I usually roast them overnight from
>partially frozen, and I don't really know how long it takes. This time
>I'm roasting the previously mentioned 15 pound Very Expensive Bird, to
>be ready to eat at 3:00. And folks want it stuffed.
>
>I've looked up the cooking charts to see how long to plan on cooking it,
>but they don't say how much time to add if the bird is stuffed. It's
>probably been 20 years since I have roasted a turkey or chicken with
>stuffing (usually, we have "dressing" on the side, and someone else
>generally makes it.) I'm planning to cook this until the center of the
>stuffing is 160 degrees F.
>
>Any hints? Thanks.
>
>Bob

Figure on anywhere from 30 mins to an hour longer, depending on your
stuffing. This is really a ballpark, as a good fresh turkey can cook
quickly. A light & loosely packed stuffing will add toward the lower
end of extra time and a dense stuffing will add the most.

When I stuff a very large bird, I have been known to take it out of
the oven about an hour before it should be done & remove the stuffing.
and finish it in a separate dish. I have 2 ovens so I can get away
with this. It gives me the bird-baked stuffing, but no worry about
everything cooking through.

My other trick for making a larger stuffed turkey is to judge its
doneness by wiggling the leg & piercing the thigh to make sure the
juices run clear (trust the Force, Luke...you can always put it back
in, but if it's over, there is no recourse). I remove it when I think
it's done, let it sit for 20 minutes & then remove the thighs and
legs. If there is any hint of pink in them, those parts go back into a
high oven (400) while the final prep is underway. By the time things
are ready for the table, all is fine and any dark meat is thoroughly
cooked.

Boron

"zxcvbob" > wrote in message
...
>I roast quite a few turkeys, but I usually roast them overnight from
>partially frozen, and I don't really know how long it takes. This time I'm
>roasting the previously mentioned 15 pound Very Expensive Bird, to be ready
>to eat at 3:00. And folks want it stuffed.
>
> I've looked up the cooking charts to see how long to plan on cooking it,
> but they don't say how much time to add if the bird is stuffed. It's
> probably been 20 years since I have roasted a turkey or chicken with
> stuffing (usually, we have "dressing" on the side, and someone else
> generally makes it.) I'm planning to cook this until the center of the
> stuffing is 160 degrees F.
>
> Any hints? Thanks.
>
> Bob

From:
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/turkey/techniques.html

Unstuffed
8 to 12 pounds2 3/4 to 3 hours
12 to 14 pounds3 to 3 3/4 hours
14 to 18 pounds3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hours
18 to 20 pounds4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours
20 to 24 pounds4 1/2 to 5 hours
Stuffed
8 to 12 pounds3 to 3 1/2 hours
12 to 14 pounds3 1/2 to 4 hours
14 to 18 pounds4 to 4 1/4 hours
18 to 20 pounds4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hours
20 to 24 pounds4 3/4 to 5 1/4 hours

The USDA does not recommend cooking turkey in an oven set lower than 325°F.

Hope this helps.

Dimitri

"zxcvbob" > wrote in message
...
>I roast quite a few turkeys, but I usually roast them overnight from
>partially frozen, and I don't really know how long it takes. This time I'm
>roasting the previously mentioned 15 pound Very Expensive Bird, to be ready
>to eat at 3:00. And folks want it stuffed.
>
> I've looked up the cooking charts to see how long to plan on cooking it,
> but they don't say how much time to add if the bird is stuffed. It's
> probably been 20 years since I have roasted a turkey or chicken with
> stuffing (usually, we have "dressing" on the side, and someone else
> generally makes it.) I'm planning to cook this until the center of the
> stuffing is 160 degrees F.
>
> Any hints? Thanks.
>
> Bob

From:
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/turkey/techniques.html

Unstuffed
8 to 12 pounds2 3/4 to 3 hours
12 to 14 pounds3 to 3 3/4 hours
14 to 18 pounds3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hours
18 to 20 pounds4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours
20 to 24 pounds4 1/2 to 5 hours
Stuffed
8 to 12 pounds3 to 3 1/2 hours
12 to 14 pounds3 1/2 to 4 hours
14 to 18 pounds4 to 4 1/4 hours
18 to 20 pounds4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hours
20 to 24 pounds4 3/4 to 5 1/4 hours

The USDA does not recommend cooking turkey in an oven set lower than 325°F.

Hope this helps.

Dimitri