new cooks
New Cook Know-How
New cook? No problem! Butterball® helps you cook with confidence. Just use our simple instructions, recipes, cooking tips, calculators, and more to make every cooking experience easy and fun. Also, check out our Holiday Guide and the Entertaining Section under Tips and How-tos.
Tips for Success
- Allow more time. Your first few attempts at cooking will take a little longer until you get the hang of things. Blogger Roxanne Sarmiento gives us her tips for hosting a practice run with other first-time cooks instead of stressing out about Thanksgiving dinner. Plan to try a new recipe when you’re not in a time crunch.
- Set yourself up for success. Choose a recipe that calls for only a handful of ingredients and doesn’t take long to make. Small victories in the kitchen will prepare you to move on to bigger and better dishes.
- Use your favorite spices. Spices add more flavor to your favorite dishes. For Italian night, use Italian seasonings such as basil, oregano, and parsley. Or for a recipe with Mexican flavor, try using cilantro, garlic, and lime. Don’t be afraid to experiment!
- Follow 4 simple safety guidelines. Wash your hands often throughout the cooking process. Use separate utensils for each dish to avoid cross contamination and cut raw meat with separate utensils. Cook food to proper temperatures. Refrigerate leftovers promptly.
- Relax and have fun! Cooking should be an enjoyable experience. Try sharing it with someone you love. And remember, mistakes and messes are bound to happen, so let them roll off your back and keep trying.
Guide to a Picture Perfect Turkey Dinner
When preparing your first turkey dinner, set yourself up for success. Don’t feel like you have to do everything. If your guests ask if they can bring a dish, say “yes!” They’ll be happy to share one of their favorite side dish or dessert recipes and you can focus on the main event: your Butterball turkey.
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Selecting a Turkey
Fresh vs. Frozen? It’s totally up to you. Here are the pros for either choice. Fresh turkeys need no thawing and are ready to cook. Fresh, non-basted Butterball® turkeys are all natural. Frozen turkeys can be purchased weeks in advance, but require several days of thawing time. Butterball deep-bastes the breast meat of frozen turkeys for juiciness and additional flavor.
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Thawing
Refrigerator thawing is the recommended method. However, if you’re short on time, submerge the turkey in cold water. Thawing the turkey at room temperature is not recommended as it could promote bacterial growth. Follow these simple Thawing Instructions. Quick rule of thumb: allow 1 day per every 4 pounds of turkey.Butterball® turkeys are all natural. Frozen turkeys can be purchased weeks in advance, but require several days of thawing time. Butterball deep-bastes the breast meat of frozen turkeys for juiciness and additional flavor.
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Stuffing
Whether or not you stuff your turkey is a matter of personal preference. If you decide to make this part of your meal, we recommend following our How to Stuff guidelines. Be sure to prepare your stuffing just before cooking the turkey and use a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature of the stuffing to ensure that it’s cooked all the way through.
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Roasting
Use our open-pan roasting method for a tender and juicy turkey every time. Follow the Roasting Guidelines. It’s easy!
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Carving
Carve like a pro by following these straightforward Carving Techniques. To help make carving easier use a straight, sharpened knife.
More Helpful Tools
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Liquid and Dry Metric Conversion
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Traditional Weights & Measures Conversion
(PDF / 112 KB) -
Timing Checklist
(PDF / 219 KB) -
Temperature Conversions
(PDF / 111 KB)