The Secret to Juicy Thanksgiving Turkey is Your Refrigerator

Thanksgiving may be the most underrated of all the major holidays. Yes, all the holidays usually involve eating food of some kind, but Thanksgiving is really the only holiday where the meal is the main focus. Christmas has its gifts and 4th of July has its fireworks, but Thanksgiving, oh Thanksgiving, it's all about that meal (I'm also being told it's about being thankful for what you have, but whatever). More specifically, the star of the show, that big ol' bird.

The turkey is centerpiece of the Thanksgiving meal, so making sure you get it right is key. You don't want everyone leaving saying how dry it was do you? No. No you don't. If you'd rather have them raving about how tender and juicy it was, and how they didn't have to drown it in gravy in order to swallow it, this is how you do it.

Everyone has their secrets to cooking the perfect turkey, and I'm not here to say one is better than another, I've not had everyone else's turkeys. I'm going off the one I have had, my Mom's. Call me a "momma's boy" if you want, but if you're looking to wow your guests this year, follow these steps straight from Mom, and notice the special ingredient listed after the apple and onion.

Ingredients

• 1 Turkey
• 1 Turkey Size Cooking Bag
• 1 Apple of your choice (Mom uses Granny Smith)
• 1 Medium to Large Yellow Onion with papery outer layer removed
• 1 Can Regular Mt. Dew, Ski, or other "citrus" soda (NO DIET VERSION!)
• Roasting Pan

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and prep cooking bag according to directions on the back of the box.
2. Place turkey in a cooking bag, then into a roasting pan and turn so the breast side is facing down.
3. Cut the onion and apple into slices and stuff it all into the turkey cavity.
4. Pour Mt. Dew into the cavity until it overflows a little.
5. Rub your seasoning of choice on the the part of the turkey that is facing up. Close up the cooking bag and bake for the time listed on the bag box, or until the internal temperature of the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast reach 165 degrees according to an oven or meat thermometer.

The apple and onion bring a good amount of flavor to the party, but the soda is the real star here. The liquid helps keep the meat juicy, especially the breast which is notorious for drying out first because it's white meat, as it boils inside the bag, while the sugars and citrus flavoring add a nice layer of sweetness that isn't overpowering.

Enjoy, and feel free to share this with your friends and family after they shower you with praise about how good your turkey tastes!