Savory Turkey with Stuffing

Ingredients

• 1 turkey, 12-14 lbs – thawed if frozen
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine – at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary – crushed
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Stuffing (your choice recipe)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°. Remove giblets, neck, and tailpiece. Rinse and pat dry inside and outside of turkey with paper towels. Combine butter, herbs and salt in small bowl. Carefully separate skin from the breast of the turkey starting from neck. Turn turkey over and separate skin from legs and thighs. Spread 1/2 of butter mixture between skin and meat over breast, legs and thighs. Rub remaining butter mixture over turkey skin. Fill turkey body and neck cavities with some of stuffing; truss if desired. Transfer remaining stuffing to a buttered casserole dish and refrigerate until later. Place turkey on rack set in roasting pan.
Roast, basting with pan juices, until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180°. This will take between three and four hours, depending on your oven. Place dish with stuffing in oven 30 minutes before turkey is done. Let turkey rest 15 minutes out of oven before carving.