Delicious Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe with Italian Meat Stuffing

Name: Delicious Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe with Italian Meat Stuffing
Total time: 6 hrs 30 mins
Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef; 0.5 (1 pound) loaf day-old Italian bread; 1 large onion, chopped; 2 large stalks celery with leaves, chopped; 0.5 cup chopped fresh mushrooms; 4 cloves garlic, chopped, or more to taste; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley; 0.5 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese; 1 large egg; salt and ground black pepper to taste; 1 (15 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 lemons, cut in half; 2 cloves garlic, chopped, or to taste; 2 teaspoons garlic powder, or to taste; 1 cup water

Every Thanksgiving, my family eagerly anticipated my Mom's amazing turkey with its flavorful Italian meat stuffing. When she was no longer able to cook, I took over the Thanksgiving duties. Although she's gone, my family still requests Grandma's recipe annually, so they can recreate it for their own families. Now, I'm delighted to share this special recipe with you.

Total time6 hrs 30 mins
Prep time20 mins
Cook time6 hrs 10 mins
Yield1 whole stuffed turkey, 20

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Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
In a skillet, brown the ground beef over medium heat, breaking it apart into small pieces as it cooks, approximately 10 minutes. Drain off any excess grease. Transfer the cooked ground beef to a large mixing bowl.
Tear the bread into bite-sized pieces and place them in a separate bowl. Soak the bread in water until softened, then squeeze out the excess water. Crumble the moistened bread into the bowl with the ground beef. Add the chopped onion, celery, mushrooms, minced garlic, fresh parsley, grated Parmesan cheese, and beaten egg. Mix thoroughly to combine. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Thoroughly rinse the turkey, then pat it dry with paper towels. Lightly pack the turkey cavity with the prepared ground beef stuffing. Place the stuffed turkey in a roasting pan with a lid. Rub the turkey skin with olive oil, squeeze fresh lemon juice over it, and sprinkle with minced garlic, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Roast the turkey uncovered in the preheated oven until the skin turns golden brown, about 45 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and cover the turkey with the lid. Continue roasting until the juices run clear when pierced with a fork and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 180 degrees F (80 degrees C), approximately 5 more hours. Baste the turkey with pan juices occasionally. If the bottom of the roasting pan appears dry, add water to prevent sticking.

Nutrition

Calories: 612 kcal
Fat Content: 29 g
Fiber Content: 1 g
Sugar Content: 1 g
Sodium Content: 290 mg
Protein Content: 75 g
Cholesterol Content: 225 mg
Carbohydrate Content: 8 g
Saturated Fat Content: 9 g
Unsaturated Fat Content: 0 g