On Wed, 24 Nov 2004 11:27:31 -0600, zxcvbob >
wrote:

>I roast quite a few turkeys, but I usually roast them overnight from
>partially frozen, and I don't really know how long it takes. This time
>I'm roasting the previously mentioned 15 pound Very Expensive Bird, to
>be ready to eat at 3:00. And folks want it stuffed.
>
>I've looked up the cooking charts to see how long to plan on cooking it,
>but they don't say how much time to add if the bird is stuffed. It's
>probably been 20 years since I have roasted a turkey or chicken with
>stuffing (usually, we have "dressing" on the side, and someone else
>generally makes it.) I'm planning to cook this until the center of the
>stuffing is 160 degrees F.
>
>Any hints? Thanks.
>
>Bob

Figure on anywhere from 30 mins to an hour longer, depending on your
stuffing. This is really a ballpark, as a good fresh turkey can cook
quickly. A light & loosely packed stuffing will add toward the lower
end of extra time and a dense stuffing will add the most.

When I stuff a very large bird, I have been known to take it out of
the oven about an hour before it should be done & remove the stuffing.
and finish it in a separate dish. I have 2 ovens so I can get away
with this. It gives me the bird-baked stuffing, but no worry about
everything cooking through.

My other trick for making a larger stuffed turkey is to judge its
doneness by wiggling the leg & piercing the thigh to make sure the
juices run clear (trust the Force, Luke...you can always put it back
in, but if it's over, there is no recourse). I remove it when I think
it's done, let it sit for 20 minutes & then remove the thighs and
legs. If there is any hint of pink in them, those parts go back into a
high oven (400) while the final prep is underway. By the time things
are ready for the table, all is fine and any dark meat is thoroughly
cooked.

Boron