Ingredients:

• 1½ cups sliced celery (3 stalks)
• 1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
• ½ cup butter or margerine
• 1 tsp. ground sage
• 12 cups dry bread cubes
• ¾ to 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 10-12 lb. turkey
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325° F (162° C).

For stuffing, in a large skillet, cook celery and onion in hot butter over medium heat until tender. Remove from heat. Stir in sage, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Place dry bread cubes in a large bowl; add onion mixture. Drizzle with enough chicken broth to moisten, tossing lightly to combine.

Remove neck and giblets from the turkey. Rinse the inside of the turkey with cold water; pat dry with paper towels. Spoon some of the stuffing loosely into the neck cavity of the turkey. Pull the neck skin to the back of the turkey and fasten it in place with a skewer. Lightly spoon more stuffing into the body cavity. (place any remaining stuffing in a casserole; cover and chill. If desired, for a moister stuffing, drizzle with additional broth. Bake stuffing in casserole alongside turkey about 45 minutes or until heated throughout.) Tie legs to tail with 100%-cotton kitchen strings or tuck the ends of the drumsticks under the band of the skin across the tail. Twist the wing tips under the back.

Place the turkey, breast-side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Brush with oil; season with additional salt and black pepper. Insert an oven-going meat thermometer into the center of one of the inside thigh muscles, making sure the bulb does not touch bone. Cover turkey loosely with foil. Roast turkey for 2½ hours.

Cut the string or band of skin between the drumsticks so the thigh will cook evenly. Uncover; roast for 45 minutes to 1¼ hours more until meat thermometer registers 180° F (90° C) and an instant-read thermometer inserted in stuffing registers at least 165° F (82° C). Remove turkey from oven. Cover; let stand for 15 minutes before carving. If desired, serve on a platter garnished with small apples and herb springs. Makes 12 to 14 servings.