I have been using my mother’s method for roasting turkey since I began hosting Thanksgiving in my twenties. The main difference between this and other roast turkey recipes is that you cover the bird for part of the cooking time. The skin may not get super crispy, but it stays incredibly juicy and flavorful. No bland dry turkey here. In recent years, I’ve been doing a dry brine a day or two before roasting for added flavor and tenderness, but you can skip that step if desired.

And all that said… when in doubt, just follow Tante Marie’s advice.

Thanksgiving Roast Turkey

Ingredients:
1 14-16 lb turkey, giblets removed
3 Tbsps kosher salt
1 Tbsp brown sugar
3 onions, quartered
3 carrots, cut into large chunks
3-4 apples or quinces, quartered
1 head garlic, halved
1 bunch thyme, rosemary, sage, or all three
1 large lemon, halved
1-2 cups white wine or chicken/turkey broth
Olive oil, as needed

Remove the giblets and anything inside the turkey.

Combine the salt and brown sugar to make a dry brine. Generously season the outside of the bird and the inside cavity with the brine. Place in a roasting pan/baking dish and refrigerate, uncovered, for 24-48 hours before roasting. If you do not want to dry brine your bird, simply season it with the salt and sugar mixture on the day of roasting.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

To the bottom of your roasting pan add the onion, carrot, and apples/quince. Place the turkey on top of the aromatics.

Stuff the inside of the turkey with the lemon, garlic, and herbs.

Rub the turkey with oil. Add the wine or stock to the roasting dish.

Cover the roasting dish tightly with foil.

Place in the oven, estimate about 1 hour for every 5 pounds. After half of the cooking time, remove the foil and uncover the turkey. Baste it with any juices in the bottom of the roasting dish. Continue to baste and check on the bird every 30-45 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F when tested with a meat thermometer.

Let the turkey rest for at least 30 minutes before carving, and up to an hour. While it's resting I throw other things in the oven that need to get roasted or heated.

Carve and serve!

Baked French toast is the answer to feeding a crowd at breakfast without having to stand over the stove for lengthy periods of time, flipping slices of french toast piece by piece. And baked pumpkin challah French toast is the answer to what to do when Thanksgiving, Shabbat, and Hanukkah all happen over the course of the same weekend and you’re trying to feed a crowd for breakfast.

This recipe uses leftover ingredients and holiday pantry staples. It is made with a day-old loaf of challah, that extra can of pumpkin puree from the cupboard, and a little bit of heavy cream leftover after making pie. This dish can be thrown together in 10 minutes and is ideally assembled the night before you want to serve it. The next day before putting it in the oven, you can make a quick pecan streusel topping to sprinkle over the top for extra crunch and flavor, or omit it if desired. The spices add flavor and warmth to this French toast, but can also be omitted or modified to your liking. This is a festive and rich dish that is best served warm with good maple syrup or a shower of powdered sugar.

Baked Pumpkin Challah French Toast

Serves 6-8

Prep time: 10 minutes, plus chilling overnight

Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

1 (about 1.5 lb/ 600g) loaf challah
6 large eggs
1 can (15 oz/ 425 g) unsweetened pumpkin puree
2 cups whole milk
½ cup heavy cream
⅔ cup brown sugar
2 tsps vanilla extract
2 tsps cinnamon
1 tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp allspice
¼ tsp ground ginger
Pinch of nutmeg

For the pecan streusel:

½ cup chopped pecans
3 Tbsps unsalted butter
2 Tbsps sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp kosher salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9” x 13” baking dish.

Slice the challah into ½”-1” slices. Layer the challah into the baking dish in overlapping slices. Cut any slices in half or quarters if needed so that every inch of the baking dish is evenly covered in layers of challah.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the pumpkin puree, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, allspice, ginger, and nutmeg to the eggs. Beat until everything is smooth and incorporated. Pour the custard evenly over the challah. If any pieces are sticking up above the liquid, lightly press them down to submerge them.

Cover the baking dish and refrigerate overnight, or for a minimum of 1 hour. As the challah chills, it will fully and evenly absorb all of the liquid.

Before baking make the streusel by combining the pecans, butter, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Using your hands or a fork, combine the mixture until it easily clumps together. Sprinkle the streusel over the top of the challah.

Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes covered, and additional 15-20 uncovered.

Serve warm, along with maple syrup, powdered sugar, or your favorite french toast toppings.

To make ahead and freeze:

Bake for 30 minutes covered, and allow the dish to fully cool then wrap tightly and freeze. When ready to serve, remove from the freezer, and bake for 20 minutes covered, and 15 minutes uncovered at 350°F.