6 Easy Steps to Stuffing a Turkey

1. Needed: One 14-18 pound frozen turkey, thawed, with giblets removed. For thawing and giblet removal instructions, see Three Steps To A Perfect Turkey. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Rinse turkey and pat dry.

2. Prepare Apple Cranberry Stuffing (recipe follows).

IMPORTANT: Do not stuff turkey until just before you put it in the oven. This minimizes growth of bacteria and guards against food poisoning.

Apple Cranberry Stuffing

   INGREDIENTS:
   1-1/4 cup fat-free chicken broth
   1-1/4 cup apple juice
   1/3 cup butter
   3 small apples, cored and chopped
   1-1/2 cup dried cranberries
   Three 6-oz packages of stuffing mix for chicken

   DIRECTIONS FOR IN-TURKEY STUFFING:
   1. Melt butter in small microwave-safe bowl in microwave (30-40 seconds on high)
   2. Pour broth and apple juice into large bowl, add butter, stuffing mix, apples and cranberries
   3. Stir to mix and moisten all of stuffing mix.

DIRECTIONS FOR OUTSIDE TURKEY STUFFING: Bring apple juice, chicken broth and
   butter to boil in large saucepan or Dutch oven. Stir in apples, cranberries and stuffing mix.
   Cover and remove from heat. Fluff with a fork before serving.

3. Wash hands thoroughly. Turn thawed turkey breast-side down. Fill the neck cavity (small one under a big flap of skin at the base of the breast bone) loosely with stuffing, leaving room for the stuffing to expand as it cooks.

4. Fold wing tips around turkey's back to hold the neck skin in place, then turn the turkey breast-side up.

5. Fill the body cavity with stuffing, packing loosely to leave room for it to expand as it cooks. Return legs to tucked position. (if your turkey has a wire clamp for the legs, replace legs in clamp, or just tie firmly with string. Spray a large roasting pan with cooking spray. Place a rack in the pan and the turkey on the rack and brush skin with melted butter or olive oil.

6. Put the turkey in the oven immediately after stuffing. Roast turkey according to the guide below, or until the thigh is at least 180 degrees F., the breast is 170 degrees F. and the stuffing is 165-170 degrees F., when checked with a meat thermometer. About half-way through roasting time, cover the turkey--especially the breast--with a loose tent of aluminum foil to prevent over-browning.