THIS Thanksgiving, I'm grateful for MSG and the bulk order of Costco toilet paper sitting in my bathroom.
My friends and family, however, will probably give "no thanks" at the dinner table when I serve up a Flamin' Hot Cheetos turkey.
Despite never having made a turkey before, I do plan on celebrating the holiday festivities with friends — and I figured what better way than by spicing up a traditional turkey with a beloved snack?
Reynolds — the aluminum foil brand — has shared a recipe for turkey covered in Flamin Hot Cheetos using its Turkey Oven Bags.
Though it might not be everyone's Turkey Day choice, I couldn't say no to the wild, albeit unconventional, feast idea.
I got my oven bags from Target with a couple of clicks and did a quick grocery trip store to pick up the Cheetos, a roasting pan, and a small turkey.
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After doing a read-through of the Reynolds recipe, I was surprised by how few instructions there were for prepping the bird.
But I couldn't quit, cold turkey, before I even started.
I decided to follow the recipe as closely as possible, and if all else failed, I could at least blame the Reynolds' recipe writer when I told the story.
After preheating my oven to 350 degrees, I placed a large bag of the Flamin' Hot snacks into a Ziploc bag and, with a rolling pin, got to crushing the chips to crumbs.
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Next, I gave my bird a good rinse, patted it down with some paper towels, and basted it with cooking oil.
I debated on the best way to cover the turkey with the Cheetos crumbs but quickly realized that there was no way out of manually rubbing the chip dust on.
Winging it, I scooped out piles of Cheetos onto the turkey, doing my best to paint every inch of it orange.
My biggest mistake was not wearing gloves — even after multiple washes with soap, my hands were still tinted orange.
Next, I placed a tablespoon of flour into the oven bag, making sure to shake it well to prevent the turkey from sticking.
After placing the turkey in the bag, I closed it with the included tie and cut six half-inch holes for ventilation.
I baked the 7-pound turkey for about an hour and a half, following guidelines from more advanced turkey-cookers.
Taking it out of the oven, I drained all the excess liquid from the bag and popped it back in for 20 more minutes for a crispier coating.
The angry orange turkey looked intimidating and, frankly, freakish on my kitchen island — but nevertheless, I persisted.
It was finally time for the taste test. A knife, fork, and a few bites later, I was pleasantly surprised by the kick the Cheeto coating added to the turkey.
I had high hopes for the turkey, expecting it to be something adjacent to turkey with breadcrumbs or stuffing, just on the outside.
In places where the Cheetos had formed a sort of coating, the chip crunch did provide the breading that I had envisioned.
Most of it, unsurprisingly, just tasted like turkey, but the taste of Flamin' Hot Cheeto was unmistakable and distinguishable.
My final verdict: 8/10. Would try again.
I definitely wouldn't make it for any family Thanksgiving gatherings, (I can only imagine the horrified reactions from Mom, Dad, and Grandma), but I would try the turkey again.
I could see myself reprising the unique bird for a quirky Friendsgiving meal, for laughs and to pull a few legs.
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