I would start checking at 3 1/4, expect it to go anotyher half hour before taking out to rest for the last hour.

Thanks!

As I have mentioned before, 2 17 pounders is easier and has better quality white meat...

I have never stuffed a turkey that large and while I know I need 3/4 cup stuffing for each pound of turkey, I do not know how much bread I need to toast and cube. I can't seem to find a conversion table or recipe that can help me. HELP!!!! Could you please tell me how much bread I will need to make enough stuffing for this bird? I already tried butterball, but she told me approximately 1 1/2 loaves which won't be near enough.

This was not such an issue in the days before 1/5 of all turkeys had e coli bacterial contamination and the eggs in the stuffing were at risk for salmonella. it IS a big issue now. Cook the stuffing separately. You can make ahead turkey dripping by roasting some legs and necks and use these drippings to season your dressing if you are just dying for that old fashioned cooked in the bird flavor."

Julie, No stuffing. If you want, you can put in fruits, herbs, etc, for flavoring but nothing you will eat; to make it food safe you have to overcook the turkey. I like the honey and soy sauce glaze in my honorable turkey recipe in the recipe box. The shape of the turkey will determine whether you can use the bag- some are longer. some are wider. There is info on cooking very large turkeys at the top of this thread.

for flavor?

Sharon, you can buy a fresh turkey up to 3 days before thanksgiving as long as you take it straight home to the refrigerator. Don't let it ride around in the car for hours.

Thanks

I suggest you call the producer's hotline or the butterball hotline for cooking advice.

The other thing is, you have no platter big enough to serve it, anyway, and cutting it up at the table is like cutting up a 4 year old- gross. More massacre than dinner party.

What do you think?

If you have the time and inclination to boil up some necks and pieces the day before to make turkey broth, that is even better.

It will be about 3+ hours. 350 is hot for turkey, 325 is better.

I would put the dark meat quarters into the preheated oven about 1/2 hour before adding the white meat, and I would tent the white meat quarters with foil to help keep them moist. These very large turkeys do not have as good quality white meat as the smaller ones.
You want to use 300 degrees. Weigh the breast piece and use that weight as if it were the whole turkey to determine about how long it might take/ when to start checking the temp with your quick read thermometer.

May all you love come home safe and well.

Also make sure that there is 2 inches around the turkey on every side if you are using a convection oven.

You can achieve the moist effect and a very good turkey flavor by spooning the drippings from the roaster over the pan of stuffing after you take the turkey out of the oven while it is resting.

Maureen, it is great brined if it is not already full of pre-basted fluid. To brine, see the instructions at Alton Brown's Good Eats, link is in this thread. If you do not brine, you can salt the night before and leave in the fridge loosely covered, the skin drying up a bit helps it brown.
Now it does NOT brown as well as in a regular oven. You can rub a good coat of butter or honey and soy sauce before baking and that will help. Or you can pull it out and put it in a preheated 425 oven the last 20 minutes, but this is tough.

It only need to cook about 5 hours at 325...

Sharon, 225 is too low for safe cooking, especially with a stuffed bird! 300 is the basic minimum, 325 for sure if stuffed. I can't recommend you stuff this large a turkey, the dressing at the center stays at unsafe low temp way too long at this size. 5 1/4 to 6 hours at 325 unstuffed.

The Rival manual suggested 375 for pre basted or 350 for fresh 9-14 minutes per pound. In my experience this is too hot. I use 325 for 4 to 4 3/4 hours at 325 for an 18 pound turkey; a 21 pounder takes about 35-45 minutes more. The USDA now uses 165 as the end point temp (down quite a bit from a few years ago), but if you stuff, that has to be in the middle of the stuffing, and the turkey will overcook somewhat while it gets there. All experts agree that turkeys cook better and safer if unstuffed, so considering that you will have to make an extra pan of stuffing to have it for everyone, you would be well advised to cook your turkey unstuffed and use some of the drippings to flavor the pan of stuffing while the turkey rests.

Kevin 325, start checking with your instant read thermometer at 2 3/4 hours, it will take about 3. Preheat for 20 minutes before starting. Wrapping will steam it, not necessary. OK to spray, makes clean up a bit easier.