Disclosure: This post is sponsored in partnership with Canadian Turkey. However, all opinions are mine and 100% true.
Easter is right around the corner! I can hardly believe it’s so close but I’m really excited. I love spending time with the family, especially on holidays when Jackson and Jordan will have some time off school. I miss having them home during the week so I’m glad this holiday is fast approaching!
Now is the perfect time to discuss the perfect meal for Easter Dinner. In our house, we celebrate Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving with one thing always on our table: Canadian Turkey.
Turkey is my absolutely favorite with my husband’s homemade stuffing, and my kids look forward to it with me every single holiday! This Easter we are excited to put an Extra Crispy Roast Turkey on our plates.
We are a little behind where the Easter prep is concerned so this week I’m hoping to buckle down and get everything done. This year, and every year, my husband is in charge of the turkey and guess what? I’m in charge of decorating. This could get very pretty!
I could just sit at the table plain with no decorations and enjoy this Extra Crispy Roast Turkey just the same, but look how pretty it looks with a little bit of Easter decor. So cute. Nothing screams Easter family fun like a gorgeous turkey on the table ansd some gorgeous Spring/Easter decor. Don’t all the colors make you happy just looking at them?
Serves: 8 – 12
Prep time: 24 hrs.
Cook time: 4 ½ hrs.
Ingredients:
- 12 – 14 lbs. turkey
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ½ tsp dry ground sage
- 1 ½ tsp dry ground thyme
- 2 tbsp butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/3 cup roughly chopped carrots
- 1/3 cup roughly chopped celery
- 1/3 cup roughly chopped onions
- 1 cup turkey broth
Instructions:
- Defrost the turkey according to package instructions or visit Canadianturkey.ca for proper thawing instructions and tips. Make sure the giblets have been removed.
- At least 12, and up to 24 hours before cooking air-chill your turkey in the refrigerator. Air chilling will dry out the skin of the bird, making the skin extra crispy when cooked. To air chill, your turkey, place the bird on a baking sheet or baking pan large enough to hold the bird. Make sure the pan is deep enough to catch any drips or liquid. Place the turkey on a baking rack in the pan, so that air can circulate completely around the bird.
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF (175ºC).
- Once the turkey is ready to roast, spread the butter evenly over the breast.
- Season the bird, inside and out, with the salt, pepper, olive oil and the herbs.
- Stuff the cavity with the celery, carrots and onions.
- Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Roast for 3 ½ – 4 ½ hours or until the juices run clear and an instant thermometer reads 170°F (77°C) in the breast and 180°F (82°C) in the thigh when inserted into the thickest part of the meat. For more information on cooking times, visit canadianturkey.ca.
- Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Discard vegetables from the cavity and carve the turkey.
NOTE: Cooking times are for planning purposes only – always use a digital meat thermometer to determine doneness.
TIP: To create an extra juicy turkey breast, take an additional 2 tbsp of softened butter and spread generously under the skin and all over the breast before cooking.
For this, and other delicious recipes like it visit CanadianTurkey.ca
GIVEAWAY!
This month is a little different than last. The kind folks over at Canadian Turkey are offering up the chance for one (1) of YOU to win a $75 e-gift card for Hudson’s Bay (also redeemable at Home Outfitters and thebay.com) Please note: This giveaway is open to CANADIAN residents ONLY.
Are you looking forward to Easter? What are you most excited to have on your plate? Any Extra Crispy Roast Turkey fans out there?
We love turkey and love to make sandwiches hot/cold and add it to salads
This Easter i am most excited for serving a roasted Turkey with all the trimmings!
I am looking forward to a nice turkey dinner for Easter this year. we usually have ham and scalloped potatoes.
I am looking forward to a nice Roast Turkey!
My favorite next day dinner or snack is a turkey breast sandwich. Yum
The way you set your table with the turkey and all the Easter decorations is so pretty. I’m sure your family will love it.
Looking forward to serving spiral ham
I am looking forward to having a nice ham dinner with my family.
I’m looking forward to serving a Turkey dinner.
We usually have turkey for those holidays too! I always love to try new recipes. Sounds like an awesome giveaway- if only I lived in Canada! :)
Turkey, of course. It’s just not a holiday without the turkey : )
Turkey and peas pudding!
Turkey & mashed potatoes are my favourite to serve.
I love serving roast turkey and all the trimmings.
I can’t wait to eat turkey and mashed potatoes on Easter this year! So delicious!
Who doesn’t love a turkey dinner. People think i’m mad but I eat Turkey all year round. It low in fat and good for weight loss. I like mine with yorkshire pudding. xx
A roast turkey on easter will be super yummy
We serve turkey every Easter, but I look most forward to the after math… TURKEY SANDWICHES!
Yum, that looks so good. I would love that with potatoes, stuffing and corn. Yum!!! Perfect for easter!
I will be cooking my turkey, dressing, salt beef, cabbage, carrot, turnip and gray for Easter. Leftovers to make turkey soup.
The Rustic Colombia Turkey soup looks delicious. I may give it a try for something different with my leftover turkey.
It would be great to win a $75 E-Gift Card for Hudson’s Bay.
In response to your question of
What are you most looking forward to serving this Easter?
I am looking forward to serving Turkey with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy.
Thank you for having this giveaway.
I am in a charge of one dish for Easter dinner: scalloped potatoes!
For Easter, I always serve a roast turkey, it’s a family favourite :)
An extra crispy turkey sounds delicious. I am in charge of the dessert for Easter!
TURKEY, of course! I can’t wait for Easter Sunday!
That is a beautiful turkey! I will definitely have to try this recipe!
The spring colors do look amazing in the back ground!! I remember spending the early years of my marriage perfecting my turkey recipe!
I love turkey! Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because of how much I love turkey. haha. But I never thought to do turkey for Easter too. What a great idea! Wish I could enter the giveaway- it’s a great one!!
Turkey, Ham & a visit from the Easter Bunny!!
I am looking forward to dessert because my sister always brings homemade pies for Easter dinner.
I would love to make turkey tacos for Taco nights in our house. I think that would lighten things up a bit.
looking forward to turkey and stuffing
Ham and scalloped potatoes and chocolate of course ! With family!
My famous turkey covered in bacon and stuffed with my special stuffing!
Turkey Stew and mashed sweet potatoes!
Honey baked ham and stuffing along with potato wedges with gravy!
We Love Turkey and we love to add it to our salads, sandwich and Turkey soup!
This year I’m excited to be serving a Ham! Yum!
It sounds like the perfect recipe for Easter brunch. It’s been a long time since I hosted one but I always liked cooking something special for the kids. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m not hosting so i’ll be making pies and rolls. I may just get a turkey for myself as I’ve been craving it.
I could use Turkey instead of beef in my soups. It would lighten them up.
We are doing a turkey breast roast on the bbq, looking forward to it!
Could use ground turkey breast to help lighten up some of our summer meals, the apple-cheddar turkey burgers sound good!
We always serve roasted turkey with savory dressing for Easter dinner with family and friends!
I am actually loving most forward to my moms turkey and stuffing and my pineapple ham :)
Looking forward to making my lemon meringue pie!
Turkey and stuffing are our favorites, and left overs we serve with pasta and make soups
What a beautiful meal! This recipe looks wonderful and a great one for Easter.
i use it in spring salads
I am really looking forward to serving Turkey!!! Sooo good!
My Bourbon vanilla ham
I love cooking roast turkeys because then you have leftovers and there are so many things you can make with turkey leftovers.
We are having an Easter brunch and I am looking forward to serving hot cross buns with dried cherries.
I’m looking forward to serving carrot cake!
I really love the lazy cabbage rolls we have at Easter; its the one time a year we do!
Mmmm. Turkey. Obviously
I am making a Raspberry cheesecake for dessert, looks delicious, hope it turns out as good as it looks.
The Turkey Club Salad would make a nice light meal
I am looking forward to serving a Turkey.
That golden brown, beautiful turkey is what I look forward to most serving my family! With a side of cream cheese mashed potatoes & gravy it’s pure deliciousness!
I usually do a turkey, but am doing ham this year. Hope I’ve made the right choices as I do love turkey!
I’m most looking forward to spending time with family and chocolate!
I love salads in spring but they don’t tend to fill me up. By using turkey in them, such as the Turkey Cobb & Turkey Club salads, it offers that light meal but with added protein to keep me fuller longer!
This year we got very bad news on Easter Sunday so unfortunately food was not enjoyed very much.
I think using adding turkey to salads would be great light fare.
We always look forward to turkey for Easter dinner.
We have started to eat more salads and adding turkey gives us some added flavour
we actually had a quiet Easter as our son was away.
I don’t even remember what we ate.