Sandra: Here's a classic take on the star dish of Thanksgiving dinner. My juicy Herb Butter-Roasted Turkey is simple yet still impressive and bursting with flavor. Plus, turkey's lean protein is super healthy so you don't need to feel guilty about having seconds!

Herb Butter-Roasted Turkey 

Prep 30 minutes

Roast 4 hours

Chill 15 minutes

Makes 12 servings

1¹â„₂ sticks (³â„₄ cup) butter, softened

2 tablespoons garlic herb sauce mix, Knorr®

1¹â„₂ teaspoons poultry seasoning, McCormick®

1¹â„₂ teaspoons crushed garlic, Gourmet Garden®

1 bag (32-ounce) celery and carrot party sticks, Ready Pac®

2 large onions, diced

1 container (32-ounce) reduced-sodium chicken broth, Swanson®

    12 pounds whole turkey, thawed if frozen

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon ground black pepper, McCormick®

3 packets (0.75 ounce each) fresh poultry herb blend
   (sage, thyme, and rosemary), Herb Thyme®

1 lemon, thickly sliced

1. In a small bowl, combine softened butter, garlic herb sauce mix, poultry seasoning, and crushed garlic. Use a fork to stir together until well mixed. Cover and refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes or until butter mixture is firm but not hard.

2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. In the bottom of a roasting pan, arrange celery and carrot party sticks and half of the diced onions. Add chicken broth; set aside.

3. Rinse the thawed turkey under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Using your fingers, carefully loosen the skin around the entire bird. Chop the butter mixture into small pieces. Place half of the butter pieces under the skin of the turkey. Rub the remaining butter pieces on the outside of the skin. Season inside and outside of the turkey with salt and pepper. Stuff turkey cavity with remaining onions, fresh herbs, and lemon slices. (Truss if desired.) Insert a pop-up thermometer at an angle (about 3 inches down from the neck cavity and 2 inches from the breast bone).

4. Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack over the vegetables in the roasting pan. Place in preheated oven and reduce temperature to 325 degrees F.

5. Roast for 1 hour. Then, basting with pan juices every 20 minutes, continue roasting about 3 hours more or until thermometer pops up or an instant-read thermometer inserted into the inside thigh muscle registers 180 degrees F.

Recipe excerpted from Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Money Saving Meals by Sandra Lee

Copyright Â© 2008 Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade www.sandralee.com