Recipes: Baked Turkey, Mac & Cheese, Glazed Ham

We have ideas for the most important dinner of the year: Thanksgiving! Join us as we make traditional dishes as delicious as possible. These recipes all come from Chef Anthony Santos, a private chef who's also sold out multiple restaurant takeovers in Tampa.

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Baked Turkey with Herbs, Onions, Oranges, and Apples

Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 325 °F.
Season Butter: In bowl, combine the softened butter with minced garlic, finely chopped herbs, salt, pepper to create herbed butter mixture.
Prepare Turkey: Ensure turkey is thawed if previously frozen. Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Using hands, carefully rub herbed butter mixture under skin and all over outside of turkey. Inside turkey cavity, stuff with quartered onions, oranges, and apples to infuse additional flavor and moisture during roasting process.
Roast Turkey: Place turkey breast-side up in large roasting pan. Tuck wings under body and tie legs together with kitchen twine if available. Cover turkey loosely with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning. Roast turkey in preheated oven for approximately 15 minutes per pound, depending on exact size of turkey. For 15-pound turkey, total roasting time will be around 3 hours and 45 minutes, but always use meat thermometer to check for doneness.
Final Browning: During final 30 minutes of roasting, remove foil to allow skin of turkey to brown and become crispy. Turkey is ready when internal temperature reaches 165° F at thickest part of thigh without touching bone.
Rest: Once fully cooked, remove turkey from oven. Let rest approximately 20 minutes to allow juices to redistribute throughout meat, ensuring it stays moist when carved.

Boil Pasta: Cook elbow macaroni in boiling salted water until al dente, following package instructions. Once cooked, drain and set aside.
Make Roux: In large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Sprinkle in flour and whisk continuously to combine, cooking mixture a couple of minutes without letting brown.
Add Milk & Cream: Gradually pour in milk and heavy cream while whisking vigorously to avoid lumps. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens, which should take about 5 minutes.
Add Cheeses: Take sauce off heat and stir in ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella, cheddar, and smoked Gouda cheeses. Keep stirring until cheese has melted into smooth and velvety sauce. Season with salt, pepper, and generous drizzle of truffle oil or a spoonful of truffle pâté for luxurious taste.
Combine with Pasta: In mixing bowl or pot you cooked pasta in, combine cooked macaroni with cheese sauce, ensuring all pasta is evenly coated.
Bake: Transfer macaroni and cheese mixture into greased baking dish. If using breadcrumbs, sprinkle evenly over top for added texture and flavor.
Final Touch: Place baking dish in preheated oven at 350° F and bake until top is bubbly and golden brown, approximately 20–25 minutes.

Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 325° F.
Prepare Glaze: In saucepan, mix together honey, Bourbon, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, ground cloves, apple cider vinegar, fig jam, and cinnamon over medium heat. Whisk continuously until brown sugar dissolves and ingredients combine into smooth glaze. Set aside to cool slightly.
Score Ham: While glaze cools, score surface of ham in diamond pattern, making cuts about ¼" deep. This allows glaze to penetrate meat, enhancing flavor and moisture.
Apply Initial Glaze: Place scored ham in roasting pan. Brush ham with generous layer of prepared glaze, making sure to get glaze into scored cuts. Cover ham loosely with aluminum foil to prevent glaze from burning.
Bake: Bake ham in preheated oven approximately 1 ½ - 2 hours. Baste ham with additional glaze every 30 minutes to build layers of flavor. The ham's internal temperature should reach 145° F when fully heated through.
Final Glaze & Browning: During final 15 minutes of baking, remove foil to allow glaze to caramelize and skin to crisp up. Check internal temperature to ensure it has reached a safe 145°F.
Rest: Once finished baking, remove the ham from the oven, and let it rest for 10 minutes. This resting period allows the juices to redistribute throughout the ham, keeping it moist when sliced.