Thaw your turkey according to the package, normally 4-5 days in the refrigerator. Do NOT try to quick thaw, ever. Remove the plastic guard from the turkey, the bag of innards and trim the extra skin from the turkey butt. Running warm water inside the turkey to get the plastic thing out is fine. Reserve the innards and extra skin. Note that the neck might be shoved in one end and the bag of innards the other end. The neck, innards and trimmed skin should be put into your stock pot to make your giblet gravy, see the Turkey Gravy recipe to make the gravy.
Using a large shallow, about 2 inches deep pan and place the Reynolds turkey bag. Open the Reynolds bag and spray the inside with non-stick Olive Oil Spray, top and bottom. First Sprinkle the flour around the bottom of the bag, next sprinkle half onions and celery in the bottom of the bag. Put the turkey in the bag, sprinkle the remaining celery and onions inside the turkey. Generously salt and pepper the top of the bird. Slice the butter into pads a little less than 1/4 inch, gently press the butter on the top of the turkey here and there.
Twist the Reynolds bag at the end to seal and fold in beneath itself if there is not enough space to tie in a knot. Do NOT puncture the bag. Lower the top rack in the oven to the slot just above the bottom rack - so you are two slots up from the bottom. Cook the turkey based on the instructions; use a thermometer to test the temperature in the thigh of the turkey after about 3 hours of cooking. If the turkey has a pop-out thing pay attention to it, they are pretty accurate. I like to rotate the turkey by moving the pan after 1.5 hours to ensure it browns evenly on all sides as ovens do not always cook evenly. If you have to take the bird's temperature more than once be sure to use the same hole you used the first time you took the temperature. Remove the turkey from the oven when done and carefully open the bag to allow the heat to escape. After about 30 minutes remove the turkey to a platter to slice and pour the juices and vegetables into a large - 6-8qt - stock pot to make gravy.
Using a Reynolds bag is a sure fire way to learn to make a bird and it not be dry. After about ten minutes slice the bag along the top so the steam can get out. The turkey should rest 20-30 minutes before slicing.
Originally Submitted
8/2/2017
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