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Classic Roast Turkey with Fruit-Chestnut Stuffing

A beautiful roast turkey with flavorful stuffing is the first choice at Thanksgiving feasts across America. If roast turkey is your family’s favorite, we have a few tips to make your turkey better than ever. Check out our Guide to a Perfect Roast Turkey, which includes suggestions for purchasing, thawing, stuffing, and roasting your bird. Then try Classic Roast Turkey with Fruit-Chestnut Stuffing, complete with step-by-step instructions.

Makes 12 to 14 servings

Prep: 1¼ hours Roast: 3¼ to 3½ hours Stand: 15 min.

½	cup chopped celery
½	cup chopped onion
1/3	cup butter
1	cup coarsely chopped, cored red cooking apple
½	cup golden raisins
1	tablespoon snipped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
½	teaspoon salt
¼	teaspoon black pepper
8	cups dry 1-inch sourdough bread cubes (10 ounces)
1	pound fresh chestnuts in shell* or one 10-ounce can whole peeled chestnuts, rinsed, drained, and coarsely chopped
¾	to 1 cup apple juice or chicken broth
1	10- to 12-pound turkey
2	tablespoons olive oil
	Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. For stuffing, in a medium saucepan cook celery and onion in butter over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add apple and cook 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Stir in raisins, thyme, salt, and pepper. In a large mixing bowl combine bread cubes and chestnuts. Add vegetable mixture; toss to mix. Add enough juice or broth to moisten, tossing lightly to mix. Preheat oven to 325°F. Remove neck and giblets from the turkey. Secure your turkey while stuffing by placing it in a large cooking pot. Spoon some of the stuffing loosely into the neck cavity of the turkey. Pull the neck skin to the back; fasten with a skewer. Lightly spoon stuffing into the body cavity. (Place any remaining stuffing in a casserole, cover, and chill. If desired, for a moister stuffing drizzle with additional apple juice or broth. Bake stuffing alongside turkey for 45 minutes or until heated through.)
   
   
2. Tie legs to tail with 100-percent-cotton string or tuck the ends of the drumsticks under the band of skin across the tail. Twist the wing tips under the back. Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Brush with oil and season with salt and pepper. Insert a meat thermometer deep into the center of one of the inside thigh muscles without touching the bone. Cover loosely with foil.
   
   
3. Roast turkey in preheated oven for 2½ hours. Cut string or band of skin between drumsticks so the thighs will cook evenly. Uncover; roast 45 to 60 minutes more or until meat thermometer registers 180°F and stuffing registers at least 165°F. Remove turkey from oven. Cover and let stand 15 minutes before carving.

* If using fresh chestnuts, preheat oven to 400°F. To shell, cut an “X” on the flat side of each chestnut. Place in a large shallow baking pan. Roast in preheated oven for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Peel chestnuts while warm. (You should have 2 cups.) Cook peeled chestnuts in boiling water for 15 minutes or until just tender. Drain; cool slightly and coarsely chop.

NUTRITION FACTS PER SERVING: 528 cal.,15 g total fat (6 g sat. fat), 179 mg chol., 478 mg sodium, 36 g carbo., 2 g fiber, 59 g pro.