Spatchcocked Turkey with Apple Cider Gravy will be your new go-to recipe for Thanksgiving turkey.

How does a 2-hour turkey sound?

I’ve brined, fried, roasted, and smoked. I’ve draped boozy cheesecloth over the breast, à la Martha, and slathered garlic herb butter under the skin as per Ina.

Brining can help with dryness, but who has room in their overstuffed fridge for a gigantic tub of turkey bobbing in salt water at Thanksgiving?

I’ve served behemoth birds raised on factory farms, freshly shot wild turkey, and compassionately harvested heritage breed pastured poultry. I’ve tried nearly every technique imaginable to achieve the perfect Thanksgiving turkey.

My quest is over! Now, I spatchcock it — and I bet you will, too.

Good and Good for You™

Welcome to the Good and Good for You™ newsletter, a quick 5-minute read with ideas and info on ways to help improve your life – including a tasty and healthful recipe.

I’m Virginia Willis, a 58-year-old French-trained chef and cookbook author who lost 65# and has kept it off for 5 years. Losing weight was great, but what’s even better is gaining health!

This issue shares:

• Best Life Living Tip: Dispatch the Cock! 🔪
• Self-Care Strategy: How to Survive Thanksgiving: From Antifa to Zinfandel🍷
• Ideas and Inspiration: An Appalachian Tale + a GIVEAWAY!🍳
• Good and Good for You™ Recipe: Spatchcocked Turkey with Apple Cider Gravy🦃

Thanks for reading! Last week, I met a woman who follows me on Instagram. She kindly commented on my health journey and how inspirational it is to follow me. I try to share my successes and failures. I’ve got plenty of both – and, if I can do it, you can, too!

So, read on for more — including this Spatchcocked Turkey with Apple Cider Gravy. It’s simple, speedy, and oh, did I mention more crispy skin?

Best Life Living Tip

Dispatch the Cock! That got your attention, didn’t it? 😉

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word “spatchcock” is a shortening of the phrase, “dispatch the cock.” In the 1700s, dispatch meant to kill a cock, then a generic term for both roosters and hens.

Spatchcock now means to remove the backbone and open a bird. Most often used with chicken and smaller birds, spatchcocking is perfect for turkeys under twelve pounds. (Otherwise, bones are too hard and you need a hacksaw, not scissors. Plus, it won’t fit on a rimmed baking sheet.)

It makes the bird flat, allows for more even cooking, and is faster. (There’s no Rockwell moment of carving at the table, but it’s better to slice in the kitchen, anyway.)

How to Spatchcock a Turkey

Spatchcock the turkey in your clean kitchen sink, not on a cutting board. The counter is too high and the sink is lower, allowing for greater arm extension, plus the bird is contained. After a few snips with poultry shears or a good pair of kitchen scissors, it’s simply a matter of disinfecting the sink with hot soap and water.

1. Place the turkey, breast side up in a clean sink.
2. Using strong kitchen shears, remove the plastic attachment.
3. Remove the giblet bag and discard or reserve for another use.
4. Remove the neck and reserve for stock.
5. Remove and discard any excess fat and skin along the edge of the cavity.
6. Flip the bird. (HA!)
7. ID either side of the backbone.
8. Cut through the bones in a straight line along both sides of the backbone.
9. If having trouble, adjust the scissors.
10. Remove the backbone and reserve for stock.
11. Flip and press down firmly on the breastbone to flatten.
12. Proceed with the spatchcocked turkey recipe.

Self-Care Strategy

At best, the holidays are simultaneously wonderful and stressful. The holidays can be joyful… and a lot.  Here are a few Good and Good for You™ strategies to help you stay grounded, gracious, and sane — no matter who’s coming to dinner.

How to Survive Thanksgiving with Relatives & Houseguests

1. Hosting & Lodging Guests

• Ask ahead about allergies and aversions – and be clear on what you can do. Aim for 1-2 dishes that satisfy the requests per person. (Have more than salad for vegans and vegetarians!)
• Aim for “company-ready,” not perfect. Focus on bathrooms and fresh bed linens.
• Make sure there’s easy electrical outlet access, a spare charger, and the wi-fi password.

Bonus Hospitality Move:  Ask what they like for breakfast, including if they have coffee or tea in the morning, and any special milks other than what you might have on hand. 

3. How to Be a Good Guest

• If you have dietary concerns, be honest with your host. Have realistic expectations and be prepared to bring your own dish, if necessary.
• Ask how you can help, then follow the host’s lead.
• Contribute to the community.

Bonus Hospitality Move: Bring something for the hosts to enjoy or consume after the gathering once the guests have departed. And, with groceries this expensive, offer to bring a dish or more.

3. Handling Politics and More… 

• Set expectations: “Let’s please make today a politics-free zone.”
• TV on a network you don’t like? Go “admire a wall” like Sherlocked on Threads.
• Use gentle humor to diffuse tension: “There’s so much weather lately.”
• Redirect toward shared interests like food, family stories, pets, and travel.
• Don’t engage with fear-based verbal rage bait. Smile and say, “Good to know.” Keeping your peace is better than confrontation!
• Be direct: “Please don’t use that word in front of me.”
• Excuse yourself: “Going to check on the rolls!”

6. Mindful Alcohol Consumption

If you’re feeling triggered by first family issues, sad about life changes, or just feel wound up, it’s easy to want a drink to relax. Alcohol during times of stress can be more hurtful than helpful in more ways than one. (I use Sunnyside to track and plan my alcohol consumption.) No matter where you are on your health journey and how you manage alcohol, the holidays can be tricky.

• Don’t drink on an empty stomach.
• Alternate with water or a mocktail
• Manage triggers: Step away or redirect if a situation upsets you instead of pouring another drink.
• Don’t cave to peer pressure if you’re abstaining.
• If you are hosting, provide a manageable bar — and alcohol free choices, too.

Ideas and Inspiration

Seasoned in Appalachia by Jimmy Proffitt is a beautiful new cookbook that celebrates the “recipes from the mountains and hollers.”

Raised in the Shenandoah Valley, Jimmy is a talented storyteller, and this homage to his homeland is filled with family folktales, traditional mountain foods, and is an exploration of the Appalachian way of life.

He and I became friends a few years ago, and it’s been a pleasure to get to know him. We are both Dolly devotees and come from families where food, growing food, and preserving food are central to our lives.

And, we’ve commiserated about growing up gay in the South — and still, as middle-aged adults, having to negotiate being gay in the South.

There are still an awful lot of religious conservatives who think we are going to hell. But, it’s getting better –  nearly 70% of Americans support same-sex marriage.

Love is love, and Jimmy and I both know that! Give him a follow @theappalachiantale and make sure to check him out on Substack, too.

We’ve got a giveaway over on Instagram that lasts until Monday, 11/24/25 — head over and enter to win!

Good and Good for You Living Spotlight

Speaking of Dolly Parton. I LOVE this quote.  This unlined hardcover journal offers limitless possibilities. Drawing and doodling can be profoundly beneficial for the mind and mental health. Check it out on GoodandGoodforYouLiving.com

Make it Count

Thank you for reading. Let me know if you give this recipe for spatchcocked turkey a try.

For more tips, inspiration, and healthy recipes, follow @virginiawillis on Instagram. If you choose what’s Good and Good for You™ most of the time, you’re headed in the right direction. You’ve got this!

Need more info about turkey and the big day? Check out Turkey 101 for more about brining, roasting, and carving.

Bon Appétit, Y’all!

Virginia Willis

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Spatchcock Turkey with Apple Cider Gravy

By propping up the flattened bird on onions, no special rack or roasting pan is needed. With a rimmed baking sheet and a sturdy pair of scissors, you’re in business.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Resting Time20 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Course: main, thanksgiving

Cuisine: American

Keyword: ground turkey, healthy thanksgiving, roast turkey, thanksgiving

Servings: 12

Calories: 378kcal

Author: Virginia Willis

Ingredients

• 1 whole turkey 12 to 14 pounds total, spatchcocked backbone, neck, and giblets reserved
• 3 onions roughly chopped
• 3 carrots roughly chopped
• 3 celery stalks roughly chopped
• 6 sage leaves
• 1 quart low sodium homemade or store-bought chicken or turkey broth simmering
• 1 ½ cups apple cider
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons all purpose flour
• Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

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Instructions

• Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 450°F. Scatter the vegetables and sage on the baking sheet. Set aside.
• To spatchcock the bird, place it in the sink, breast side down. Using poultry shears, cut lengthwise on both sides of the backbone from the neck to tail. Remove the backbone and place it in the simmering stock. (I also add the neck that usually is inserted into the cavity of the bird as well as the onion skins and carrot peels.)
• Flip the bird over and press firmly with both hands to flatten the bird. Season turkey liberally on all surfaces with salt and black pepper. Transfer the bird to the prepared baking sheet. Tuck the wing tips under the bottom of the bird and arrange the drumsticks so that they are not askew for the best presentation. Season the top of the turkey with paprika.
• Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and roast, rotating occasionally, until an instant read thermometer inserted into the deepest part of the breast registers 150°F, and the thighs registers 165°F, about 80 minutes.
• While turkey roasts, start the gravy. Strain the broth, discarding the bones and onion skins. Melt butter over medium-high heat in a saucepan. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly until flour is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Whisking constantly, add the strained broth in a thin, steady stream until it it all incorporated. Add apple cider and apple cider vinegar. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until reduced to about 1 quart, about 20 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper, cover, and keep gravy warm.
• When turkey is cooked, remove from oven and allow to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes before carving. Transfer it to a cutting board set over a 2nd rimmed baking sheet to catch the juices; cover the bird with foil.
• Remove the vegetables from the baking sheet with a slotted spoon, discarding any sage leaves. Carefully pour any collected juices from out of the roasting pan through a fine-mesh strainer into a liquid measuring cup. Skim off excess fat.
• Add defatted cooking juices and to the gravy. At this point for the vegetables you have choices. A) add the vegetables to the gravy and puree with an immersion blender. B) Serve them as a side dish. Discard is not a choice! Regardless, simmer until the gravy coats the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
• Remove the foil from the bird and carve. (See below) Transfer to a warmed serving platter.
• Transfer the sliced meat, meat, and wings to the warm serving platter. Serve immediately with gravy on the side.

How To Carve a Turkey

•  

  To carve the turkey:  Separate the leg quarters from the main partof the carcass.
• Locate the joint between the drumstick and the thigh; it’s white cartilage. Slice through this joint. (If you are on bone and having difficulty, your knife is in the wrong spot.)
• Serve the drumsticks whole and cut the dark meatfrom the thighs. Remove the wings and cut at the joints into 4 pieces.
• Slice into the breast on one side of the breastbone with a sharp knife. Continue slicing, following the contour of the breastbone with the knife to remove as much meat as possible. As you continue to work, the breast meat should begin to pull away from the bone and you willhave one large breast. Repeat with the other side.
• Place the breast on the cutting board and slicethe breast meat on the bias into slices no thicker than ½-inch thick.

Nutrition

Calories: 378kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 162mg | Sodium: 277mg | Potassium: 639mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 339IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 2mg