Maple Herb Butter Roasted Turkey

1 12-14 pound whole turkey, fresh or frozen (completely thawed)

1 recipe maple herb butter, recipe below

1 yellow onion, peeled & quartered

5 cloves garlic, whole

4 cups carrots, sliced into 1 inch pieces

2 cups celery, sliced into 1 inch pieces

1 bunch fresh thyme, 10-12 sprigs

4 whole fresh bay leaves (or 2 dried)

1 tbsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

2 cups turkey broth

Maple Herb Butter Recipe

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tbsp rosemary, finely chopped

1 tbsp sage, finely chopped

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp kosher salt

Prepare the herb butter recipe and cut veggies.

Place cut veggies, fresh thyme, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and turkey broth in a roasting pan and top with roasting.

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle of the oven.

Remove any plastic pop up/leg netting and throw away.

Check both ends of the turkey pulling our the neck and giblets, reserving for gravy making.

Trim off any extra skin around the neck opening, reserving for gravy making.

Pat skin dry with paper towels.

Loosen skin from breast meat, careful not to tear.

Rub the herb butter all over the outside and get a good amount under the breast skin plus the outside of the legs with herb butter.

Life prepped turkey, breast side up, onto the roasting rack over prepped veggies.

Roast for 45 minutes at 450°F.

Reduce oven heat to 325 degrees F and continue cooking until a thermometer races up to 160 degrees F in the thickest part of the thigh.

Depending on the starting weight of your turkey, cooking times will differ. See the suggested USDA turkey temp guide below.

Remove the turkey from the oven, loosely drape with foil and allow to rest 30 minutes.

Use any drippings for gravy making.