Recipes

Spare The Time, Spoil The Family And Spice Up The Meal!

Posted: 11/12/2010

(NAPSI) - Too often, lofty holiday menus result in more time spent over the stove than with the family. With some easy time- and money-saving techniques, you can spice up your holiday feast with a much-needed makeover that saves time and money.

• Start preparing your holiday meals as much as a week ahead. Desserts and cranberry sauce can often be prepared in advance and frozen, and items such as sweet potatoes often taste better the day after they are made.

• Dice fruits, vegetables and herbs the day before and place them in plastic baggies or storage containers. Refrigerate until ready to use.

• Spice up your traditional holiday meals by incorporating flavors such as cumin, oregano, sage and cayenne. (Check out a new twist on the old feast at www.groceryoutlet.com/holidays.)

• Cut your conventional cooking time by a third by butterflying and grilling the turkey. (Visit www.groceryoutlet.com/holidays for a complete how-to.)

• Organize your grocery list by department to save time at the store. And don’t forget to shop your own cupboards first to see what you already have.

• Shop outside the box at stores that offer the most value for your dollar. For example, Grocery Outlet Bargain Market purchases overstocks and closeouts directly from brand-name manufacturers. That means prices that are up to 70 percent cheaper than regular grocery stores’. Grocery Outlet’s $3 Sugar and Spice Holiday Menu can feed a family of six for less than $20!

Grilled Butterflied Turkey

Butterflying exposes the whole bird to the heat of the grill and promotes faster cooking. Learn how to do it at www.groceryoutlet.com/holidays

Serves 8 to 10

1 10- to 12-pound turkey, butterflied

1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 10 limes)

3 tablespoons dried oregano

½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted

Canola oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place the turkey, bone side down, in a large baking dish. Cover the bird with ½ cup lime juice. Sprinkle oregano over the turkey and under the wings. Marinate for a few hours in the refrigerator, turning the bird at least once.

Pat the bird dry with paper towels. Coat all surfaces of the turkey with oil, then sprinkle lightly with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Let the bird come to room temperature (approximately 30 minutes).

Combine the melted butter and the remaining ½ cup lime juice and set aside.

Prepare your grill with half of it on high heat and leave half of the grill turned off.

Place an aluminum roasting pan on the side of the grill without heat.

Once the grill is hot, place turkey skin side down on the hot side of the grill for 6−8 minutes, until the skin starts to crisp. Flip the bird and grill for another 6−8 minutes.

Carefully place the turkey skin side up into the aluminum pan off the direct heat. Close the grill, and try to maintain an internal grill temperature of about 350−375º F.

Baste the turkey with the butter mixture and rotate the pan every 20 minutes. Grill the bird until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 180° F, about 60 to 90 minutes.

Transfer to a carving board, cover and let the turkey rest 15−30 minutes before carving.