Bacon Wrapped Turkey: You Know You NEED It

Did you know that in a “lighthearted” survey 23% of men ranked bacon as their favorite fragrance? I’m personally not surprised as I am one of the most well-known lovers of bacon of all time. Today, we are “traveling” into my kitchen where I am going to introduce you to the science of a bacon wrapped turkey. I will add a disclaimer – By no means am I licensed to provide cooking instructions, but I’m willing to “chance” it.

So this idea came to me 2 years ago. The thing about turkey is that we really only cook them once a year. Because of this, every November we find ourselves hovered over our computer keyboard typing out the words “how to cook a turkey”. Last time I looked, this search brought over 580 million results! Well, no more. This blog is going to solve any anxiety you may have about next week’s Thanksgiving dinner and make you a superhero at the same time. Out with the plain old browned up turkey. It’s time to put a little sass on your table! I’ll keep this simple and use photos to describe how you can make a bird like this.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How to Cook a Bacon Wrapped Turkey, 101

Defrost or use fresh – typically it takes 5 hours per pound to defrost
Scrub that poor bird inside and out
Dry the old bird off
Stuff that bird with cut apple, onions, celery, parsley, rosemary, garlic (whatever is hanging around)
Open a 1 pound package of good bacon (feel the love wash over you)
Carefully lay the bacon on top of the bird – note, you can use 2 pounds if you want to completely suffocate it (legs, wings, et al)
Cover everything with a large piece of foil
Follow standard cooking instructions
Once your sassy bird hits the correct temp (take or give a few), pull the foil off and let that bacon brown up
When the bacon is golden brown – confirm an internal temp of 180⁰ and get-ur-out of the oven
Let your beautiful, amazing bird stand for 30 minutes during which time you’ll need to protect the bacon. I’ve lost a few strips during the waiting period. Also, don’t forget to take a pic – your Facebook fans will be impressed.

A quick note on the gravy – drain off the fat and make it like you usually do. The bacon flavor will give it a divine flavor!

Secret tip: Remove the bacon (and hide it), pop the turkey back in to brown the skin. Then place the bacon back on top for your family photo.

Good luck and let me know if you’re going to try it! And if you do, and you love it please post a comment. If it doesn’t work out for you, I’ll just remind you of something my Mama used to say… “If you don’t have something nice to say…don’t say anything at all.” Happy early Thanksgiving everyone!

PS: Mark your calendars! Bacon Day is less than a year away – August 31, 2013 (the Saturday before Labor Day)! That’s right, even bacon has its own day.

Me – pre-bacon wrapped turkey …. No more boring – Today, I’m living the life of bacon!

If you’d like to purchase a print to remind you of this beautiful bird, cooked or not cooked, please click on “Contact”. My photography is printed on aluminum. Utilizing an advanced process which infuses dyes directly into the metal, the colors / saturation of the bacon and bird are really amazing. In addition, your print will be displayed using mount blocks which float the image ½ inch off the wall.