EASY CROCKPOT TURKEY FOR A RELAXED HOLIDAY MEAL

Enjoy holiday foods made in a crockpot, or a slow cooker as some people call them! YES! It is much, much easier, although you can't cook a very large one! The Crockpot Turkey recipes included here are simple to follow and makes the moistest turkey ever.

The trick is finding a turkey small enough to fit in your Crockpot (or a Crockpot big enough to fit your turkey). You can probably fit a 9.5 lb turkey into a 6.5 quart crockpot. It may be a tight squeeze, and this is the absolute largest turkey you should attempt to cook----even if you have a 7 quart crockpot. The meat needs to reach 160 degrees after 3 hours of cooking on high to keep it in the "safe zone" for consumption

However, cooking a turkey breast in the Crockpot is a great alternative. It's easier to fit a turkey breast in the Crockpot than a whole turkey. Plus it tastes wonderful, and you can use everything from herbs and broth to oranges and cranberry sauce to add flavor to the turkey

Basic Suggestions For a Successful Crockpot Turkey Recipe

• Your turkey must be completely and totally thawed.
• Remove the neck and the bag of stuff they put inside the turkey
• Pat the turkey with paper towels to dry it off.
• Rub a handful of olive oil all over the bird, inside and out. Sprinkle salt, pepper, dried parsley, and garlic powder all over and in it, and rub it around.
• Use butter or olive oil to rub on the turkey. The butter or oil keeps the breast moist, so that even if you do overcook the turkey, it won't dry out as much. Butter and oil also impart flavor, especially if you mix the butter with chopped fresh herbs
• If you have a secret family concoction of herbs, by all means, use it.
• It makes very moist and tender turkey without much liquid added to your crockpot. A crockpot makes it very simple and logical way to cook your turkey without having to heat up your oven.
• If lid will not fit over turkey, use foil as a cover and seal foil around sides of crock pot.

My FAVORITE Crockpot Turkey and Dressing

1 package cornbread stuffing mix

1 med onion diced

2 ribs celery sliced in 1/4 inch pieces

1/2 to 3/4 cup dried cranberries

3 TBLS margarine

3/4 cup chicken low sodium chicken stock

1 4-6 pound turkey breast thawed, rinsed and patted dry

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1/2 tsp poultry seasoning

1/4 tsp ground sage

1 tsp olive oil

Directions

• Spray inside of slow cooker with cooking spray.
• Add stuffing mix, onion, celery, and cranberries.
• Combine chicken stock and margarine; pour over stuffing mixture, stirring gently.
• Rub olive oil on turkey breast and place on top of dressing in slow cooker.
• Combine all seasonings and sprinkle over turkey,
• Cover and cook on High for 1 hour.
• Reduce to low setting and let cook for 7-8 hours, or until meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of breast reads 170 degrees or juices run clear.
• Remove turkey to serving platter and let rest for 5 minutes before carving.
• Stir stuffing gently in slow cooker, let stand 5 minutes,
• Spoon dressing on serving platter around turkey.

Turkey breast

1 packet of onion soup mix

1 can of cranberry sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste and the packet of onion soup mix on the top and bottom of turkey breast

Add cranberry sauce to top of turkey breast and cook in crockpot on low overnight (8 hours) or for three to four hours on high.

Crockpot Turkey with Cream of Soup

Turkey breast with the bone

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

Crockpot

Potatoes

Carrots/vegetables

Pour both cans of soup in crockpot with no water! Mix with a whip. Place turkey breast in crockpot. Spoon the soup over the turkey. Cover and cook on high to medium all day. Cook potatoes and mash. Use the soup for gravey.

Vegetables and Turkey in the Crockpot

Turkey breast

4 medium potatoes, sliced

4 carrots slice

1 can French onion soup

Put vegetables in bottom of crockpot. Add turkey breast. Pour in onion soup. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

So there you have it! Several recipes for your HOLIDAY eating! ENJOY your Turkey Crockpot style! What are you waiting for?