Jenni-O Turkey in a Bag

I've been surprised before, but this one takes the cake. If you are thinking of cooking a turkey this Thanksgiving or Christmas, you might want to take a look at the Jennie-O Turkey in a Bag. This product is touted as a no-thaw turkey; it goes straight from the freezer to the oven.

And it works.

I was pleasantly surprised. This special turkey comes in a heavy duty plastic bag. All you do is preheat the oven, cut 6 slits in the bag, and place it in the oven. As it cooks, the steam from the juices cook the turkey and sort of inflate the bag. Total cooking time is ab out 4.5 hours for a 12 pound bird at 350 degrees.

My skepticism was through the roof on this, because the idea conflicts with everything we've learned through the years about dealing with the turkey. We've been taught to thaw the turkey in the fridge for 1 day per 5 pounds of turkey. We've been taught to roast it in the oven and baste it in its own juices. Never in my life would I have thought that a rock solid frozen turkey would turn out good in the oven straight from the freezer.

The bird came out moist, juicy and flavorful. It was really cool.

This type of turkey may not be for everyone, but I can definitely see the market. If you live a place with not much fridge space, this is perfect. If you do not have the room to thaw the turkey in a sink, this Jennie-O bird is for you. And most importantly, this turkey is perfect for those people who just don't want to mess with the whole trussing, giblets and all the work that goes in to a turkey roast.

Just pop it in the oven and it comes out perfect.