Cooking a Thanksgiving turkey for your family and friends can be very intimidating, The first time I had to cook one, I thought I was going to have a crazy holiday meltdown.

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Turns out the turkey wasn't the hard part it was the mashed potatoes. LOL. It still scared me to death to even try to make such an important part of such an important meal.

So, if it's your first time cooking the turkey day bird or you have been doing it for years but love to learn new cooking tricks, I have done the hard work for you.

Here are seven tricks to ensure a perfectly delicious turkey every single Thanksgiving.

Roast your turkey in a pan of vegetables

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Make a delicious roasting rack out of carrots, celery, and sliced onions, then place your turkey on top. Using the vegetables as a rating rack helps the turkey cook more evenly, and adds to your drippings for gravy.

Sugar glaze your Thanksgiving turkey

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Much like your Easter ham, you can sugar-glaze your Thanksgiving turkey for extra flavor. Combine brown sugar, maple syrup, and honey with a little bit of melted real butter. Brush the sugar mixture on the skin of your turkey throughout the cooking process.

Never cook stuffing inside of your Thanksgiving turkey

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Most importantly, cooking the stuffing inside of the turkey is a food safety hazard. According to thekitchn.com,

The USDA advises that whole turkeys be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F to kill any potentially harmful bacteria. That temperature includes any potential stuffing deep in the turkey's cavity. At temperatures below 165°F, you risk exposure to salmonella or E.

Also, both the stuffing and the turkey should be cooked separately so that each can be cooked to perfection. Each of them requires different times and temperatures to cook properly and to get the best flavors.

 Always dry your Thanksgiving turkey

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A little-known trick if you want really crispy skin is to dry your turkey. Before you season, you should use a paper towel to soak up moisture on the outside skin of your turkey. If the turkey is wet, it will create steam in the oven and that can make the turkey skin soggy instead of crisp.  If you want to get crazy, you can blow dry your turkey, too.

Pin the skin of your turkey

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By pinning the turkey skin down with toothpicks, you will keep the skin from shrinking back during cooking and making it dry out.

Always brine your Thanksgiving turkey

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You always brine your Thanksgiving turkey. It makes the flavor of your turkey pop. Just let it sit overnight in a mixture of water, salt, and other seasonings. You can put it the fringe, or even a large cooler. It will be so good, You can also dry brine too.

Wrap your turkey in bacon

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Yes, I said, bacon. My grandma used to cook her turkey like this. You simply cover the turkey with strips of raw bacon. As the turkey is roasting, the bacon is cooking and dripping all of the amazing bacon juice onto the skin. Bacon keeps your turkey from drying out and makes the meat so moist, it will melt in your mouth.

For even more perfect Thanksgiving turkey tips, go here.

Happy Thanksgiving!

[Taste of Home/Today/Tasting Table]

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