A divided turkey can be beautiful on the Thanksgiving table

Roast turkey has gained a reputation as a fussy, time-consuming dish, difficult to perfect, and certain to break the spirit of usually competent home cooks.

My friends, turkey is not a problem to be solved: a beautiful bird can be prepared simply and easily.

Buying a whole turkey is the most economic way to purchase a turkey, but who says you have to leave it all in one piece? On a recent trip to the supermarket I was able to chat with Kellie in the meat department. Kellie was a great sport and not only butchered my 13-pound bird into manageable packages, she also fielded a hail storm of my questions, all while allowing me take pictures of her process.

Together we came up with a list of great reasons to buy a whole turkey and have it divided into parts. Here are six reasons to buy a fresh whole turkey and ask the store butcher to cut it for you:

Smaller packages are easier to to manage and fit into your refrigerator than a large bird. You will have the breast (in one piece or two), legs (with thighs attached or separated), wings or drumettes and the back.
You can cook some now and freeze the rest within a few days for smaller holiday meals. Ask to have all the packages double wrapped to protect the meat in the freezer.
The smaller pieces cook faster than a whole bird.
You can easily add additional pieces to serve a larger group.
You can immediately roast the back and turn it into stock that can be used in the making of your holiday meal or to turn the leftover turkey into soup.
Having pieces provides an opportunity to serve more than one preparation of the turkey, like the two recipes below.

When I am the hostess, I want to make sure my guests are treated to a beautiful meal; a true feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. In that vein I am completely on board with the idea of serving more than one turkey recipe for Thanksgiving.

However, it is so easy to get lost in the planning and the preparing and forget what we are celebrating on Thanksgiving. The pressure to pull together a picture-perfect holiday can affect even the most organized holiday host.

You are probably familiar with Norman Rockwell’s famous painting, “Thanksgiving.” At the center of the image, poised immaculately on a platter, is an enormous golden-skinned, roast turkey. At the head of the table stands grandfather ready to assist grandmother as she guides her prize to the sparsely adorned table. They are going through the same motions they have for years. Side-by-side, they present the meal to their waiting family seated knee-to-knee down the length of the table.

The next time you look at the image, I invite you to notice the family, whose bright eyes and freshly scrubbed faces lean in eagerly on either side of the table. Those faces are not turned toward the golden roast bird, the bowl of fruit, the stalks of celery or the shining aspic they will soon begin to eat. The family is laughing and carrying on with each other. The smiling faces are sharing stories or jokes, and the room is alive with their chatter. The turkey may be at the center of the meal but it is not the thing that makes the tradition of gathering for Thanksgiving so important.

As you rush around this week, keep Rockwell’s image in mind. The food may be the central view point, but the bigger picture, the thing that makes the memories so special, is the people gathered around the table. Let go of the stress. Even if you leave the planning to the last few days before the big feast you can easily pull together a beautiful meal worthy of those Norman Rockwell smiles.

Whether you have a full house or an intimate gathering, these recipes featuring smaller pieces of turkey and simple make-ahead sides keep things simple so you can turn your attention back to the heart of the celebration.

Simple brined turkey legs

4 cups water
1 cup Kosher salt
1/2 cup maple syrup (may substitute brown sugar)
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon whole pepper corns
1 pound (2 to 3) crisp red apples, quartered
8 cups heavily iced water
5 pounds turkey leg quarters, bone-in and skin on
3 6-plus inch rosemary sprigs
4 to 5 sprigs of fresh thyme

The first thing to note is that you can use this brine for a whole turkey, parts of the turkey, or chicken! Brining is a wonderfully easy method to add flavor to turkey and chicken and helps it come out moist and juicy.

The process of brining generally yields pan juices that are too salty for making gravy or stock. Brining only the leg quarters of your turkey means you can still do a traditional roast of the breast and use those pan drippings to make a gravy.

In 3-quart pan, combine the water, salt, syrup, vinegar, and pepper corns. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the solids have completely dissolved into the liquid then combine with the ice water to cool immediately. Alternately, you can cool and refrigerate the mixture, before adding the additional water, until you are ready to brine your turkey.

When you are ready to brine the turkey, get out a large stock pot or line a large, clean, food safe bucket with a brining bag, secure the edges by folding them over the top of the bucket. Place the turkey and apples in the pot or bag then cover with the ice cold brine. Make sure the turkey is fully submerged in the brine, place a plate over the meat if needed to keep it in the liquid. Tie off your brine bag if using or cover your pot with the lid or plastic wrap.

Refrigerate the brining turkey for 40 minutes for every pound (3 hours, 2 minutes for 5 pounds). When enough time has passed, remove the turkey from the brine, carefully discard the brine and all the additional ingredients. Pat the skin dry with paper towels and allow the meat to sit for 30 minutes to reach room temperature.

While the meat rests: Set the oven rack to the vertical center and preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Slice a large onion and a large navel orange into 1/4-inch rounds.

Arrange the slices, rosemary, and thyme sprigs in an even layer in a roasting pan. Place the turkey, skin side up, on the onion and orange slices.

Roast the turkey for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the thickest part of the thigh has reached 155 degrees. Remove the turkey from the oven, tent loosely with foil, and let rest 10 to 30 minutes — the temperature of the meat should continue to increase to 165 degrees.

Prep time: 20 minutes; Brining time: 3 hours 20 minutes (40 minutes/pound), Cook time: 1 hour

Makes 8-plus servings.

— Inspired by Alton Brown’s brined turkey recipe

Traditional roast turkey breast with herb butter rub

1 5-pound whole, bone-in, turkey breast
2 large onions, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
Zest of a large lemon, about 1 tablespoon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Everyone wants a beautiful roast turkey for Thanksgiving but not everyone has a crowd to feed. If you want to make turkey your holiday centerpiece without the hassle of a whole bird, a bonein turkey breast is a great option. With little fuss and in less time, you’ll have a picture perfect roast bird with tender meat seasoned with fresh lemon and herbs.

You may use this method for a whole turkey, just be sure to increase the cooking time as needed to completely cook the entire bird.

Set the oven rack to the vertical center and preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Arrange the onion slices in a single layer in a roasting pan. Place the turkey breast on the onion slices and pat it dry with paper towels.

In a food processor, or with a fork, blend together the butter, herbs, lemon, salt, and pepper. Loosen the skin on the turkey breast and rub 3/4 of the butter mixture under the skin, both on top, sides, front, and back. Dot the remaining butter on the top of the breast.

Roast the bird in the oven for 15 minutes (this part can get smoky but it gives the skin a lovely golden crispness) then reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue roasting for 45 minutes or until the internal temperature at the thickets part reaches 155 degrees.

Remove the turkey from the oven, tent loosely with foil, then let rest for 1530 minutes.

Use the pan juices as the base for gravy if desired.

Cranberry sauce with pears

1 pound (2 to 3) ripe pears, diced
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cup fresh cranberries
2 tablespoon agave (may substitute honey, from bees, or maple syrup, from trees)

In a medium sauce pan, combine the pears, water, ginger, orange zest and salt. Simmer over medium heat until the pears begin to soften, approximately 15 minutes, stir frequently.

Add the cranberries and agave and continue cooking and stirring frequently, until the cranberries have softened and most have popped. The mixture should look like a crimson applesauce, approximately 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low to prevent boiling. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. The sauce will thicken as it cools.

Once cooled store refrigerated, in a sealed container. The sauce may be made several days in advance and should keep for more than a week.

Prep time: 10 minutes, Cook time 25 minutes

Makes 6 (1/2 cup) servings.

Approximate nutrition per serving: 68 calories, 0g fat, 98mg sodium, 18g carbohydrates, 3.3g fiber, 12g sugar, .3g protein, 2 Weight Watchers Points Plus

Whipped chipotle sweet potatoes

2 pounds of sweet potatoes or red garnet yams, peeled and chopped into 21/2-inch chunks
1 tablespoon butter
1 canned chipotle chili, finely minced
1 teaspoon adobo sauce — from the chili can
1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

Give your sweet potatoes a little kick. The warm heat of chipotle chilis is a perfect pairing for the natural sugar in sweet potatoes. Its complex spice is balanced by the tang of Greek yogurt but the heat can increase quickly. If you aren’t sure, start with a small amount of chili, it is easier to add more heat than to subtract. You may add additional yogurt if the heat from the chilis is too much.

Fill a large soup pot with enough water to cover the chopped sweet potatoes by several inches (about 8 cups) and a couple pinches of salt. Alternately, you may steam the sweet potatoes. Bring the water to a boil then carefully add the sweet potatoes.

Cook the potatoes in the boiling water until they soften, approximately 15 to 20 minutes, you should be able to easily slide a fork into and out of a large piece of potato. Remove smaller pieces first if needed. Once cooked, drain the potatoes through a sieve and discard the water.

Place the softened potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Use a fork to mash the potatoes with the butter, minced chili and adobo sauce. Then continue mashing or use an electric beater to whip the yogurt and salt into the potatoes until everything is smooth and creamy. Add additional salt as desired.

Note: Though you may serve these immediately, the chipotle flavor will blossom into an even sweet heat as the potatoes rest. This dish is best made 1/2 a day or more in advance. Makes 8 (1/2 cup) servings.

Approximate nutrition per serving: 121 calories, 1.5g fat, 155mg sodium, 24g carbohydrates, 3.4g fiber, 5g sugar, 3.4g protein, 3 Weight Watchers Points Plus

Prep time: 15 minutes, Cook time: 25 minutes