Make Ahead Roasted Turkey

Let’s talk turkey, and by turkey, I mean the best, juiciest, make ahead roasted turkey you can get. Whether you roast it up the day before, the week before, or even the month before—this turkey comes out tasting freshly carved and frees up oven space so you can concentrate on the important stuff…like pumpkin pie.

I get it: not everyone is blessed with double convection ovens, our favorite relatives within walking distance, or a natural talent for the flakiest pie crust ever. When it comes to Thanksgiving, I try to take as much stress out of the dinner as possible, and this year I’m roasting my turkey ahead of time. Brilliant!

The traditional roast turkey is usually the main event at my Thanksgiving table, but everyone seems to have their own preferred way to cook it. Turkey on the grill, deep-fried turkey, spatchcocked turkey, the list goes on…but this is my favorite way to get a head start on the festivities, as well as leave room in the oven for my Grandma’s homemade crescent rolls!

Of all the easy turkey recipes, this one just works. Well before guests arrive, I get all the carving out of the way, make stock and gravy with the turkey carcass, and then I’m left fully prepared to deal with whatever else the day throws at me. And that’s one of the reasons why I think this is the best turkey recipe ever.

After the big dinner comes off without a hitch, the next day, Turkey a la King or Turkey Tetrazzini beckons with the leftovers while I’m cozied up at home scrolling through the online sales with the last slice of pie.

And that’s something to really be thankful for.