Tender, Juicy Overnight Turkey

Am I lazy or is this as good as it sounds? Tonight's test will answer this question and I hope the latter is true.

Before heading off to bed preheat the oven to 170-180 F.

1. Haul your thawed turkey out of the fridge and onto the counter placing it breast-side up on a large plate.

2. Season your bird with salt and pepper. Pull the breast skin up and rub the meat with soft butter. Adding flavors to the butter such as garlic or mustard is optional. 

3. Place your turkey on a rack in your largest roaster. If you don't have a rack make a donut shape with aluminum foil for the turkey to sit on. Spray the foil with oil so the turkey won't stick.

4. Add a few cups to a quart of water depending on the size of your turkey. 

5. Go to bed and allow your oven to do its job. No basting is required. Wake up to the smell of roasting turkey. The total cooking time is between 9-11 hours depending on the size of your bird. 

6. Take the turkey's temperature with your new digital cooking thermometer. The breast should be 155 deg. 

7. Remove the pan from the oven and preheat to 475 deg. When the oven is heated return the turkey to the oven and cook for 15-30 minutes or until the skin is browned and the breast is 160 deg and the thigh is 175 deg. 

8. Pull the pan from the oven and let the turkey rest for 15-20 minutes.

Notes: 

1. Cooking the turkey breast-side down is suggested by some. If this is how you cook your turkey let me know the results.