Roast Turkey with Italian Ground Beef Stuffing

Looking to add a bold twist to your holiday turkey? This Italian Ground Beef Stuffing is the secret to transforming your feast into something extraordinary. Made with a tantalizing mix of lean ground beef, fragrant Italian herbs, parmesan cheese, and vibrant red peppers, this stuffing is slow-roasted inside a perfectly seasoned turkey, resulting in a tender, juicy masterpiece. It’s the ultimate savory centerpiece that’s sure to leave a lasting impression on your guests!

At my mother-in-law’s Thanksgiving dinner, her legendary Italian ground beef stuffing always steals the spotlight—some might even say it outshines the turkey itself! This recipe has become a cherished tradition, a dish so essential that Thanksgiving wouldn’t feel complete without it. With this delightful pairing, you get the best of both worlds: a beautifully roasted turkey and a flavor-packed stuffing that will have everyone reaching for seconds (and thirds).

Ingredients

• Ground Beef Stuffing
• 3 lb lean ground beef
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• ½ cup chopped onion
• ½ cup chopped red pepper
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp salt
• ¾ tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp dried mint or 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
• Turkey
• 12-15 lb turkey
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 ½ tbsp dried sage
• 1 ½ tbsp dried thyme
• 1 ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp salt
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup white wine

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Pat your turkey dry with paper towels and be sure to remove any bags of giblets and other goodies from the inside of your thawed turkey.
2. In a large bowl add the lean ground beef, minced garlic, chopped onions and red pepper, parmesan, mint, eggs, salt and pepper. Use your hands to mix it all together but don't over mix or the stuffing will become tough.
3. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan with a grate on the bottom of the pan.
4. Add the garlic powder, ground sage, thyme, salt and pepper to a small bowl and mix.
5. Rub the olive oil over the inside and outside of the turkey making sure that the whole turkey, even underneath, is coated even the tips of the turkey wings so they get good and crispy.
6. Rub the outside and inside of the turkey with the seasoning mix to make sure the turkey is well coated.
7. Using your hands stuff the turkey with the ground beef mixture. There is a lot of beef, so it is normal for some ground beef stuffing to stick out of the bird.
8. Pour the chicken broth and wine around the turkey into the bottom of the pan but don't pour these over top of the turkey or you will wash away all of the seasoning.
9. Roast the turkey for 4.5-5 hours uncovered or until the turkey is browned, and crispy and the internal temperature is 165°F at the thickest part of the turkey. Once the turkey has become crispy on the outside give it a baste every 45 minutes to an hour. Be sure to baste the beef that is sticking out too.
10. About 20 minutes before the turkey is done remove the foil to give the skin another chance to crisp up again. Once the turkey and ground beef are cooked to 165°F, remove the turkey from the oven and tent it with foil. Let it sit for 15 minutes before slicing or removing the stuffing.
11. Use the serving spoon or knife to circle the outside of the stuffing to help loosen it from the inside of the turkey. Then use the spoon to coax the beef stuffing out without breaking it up. Once the stuffing is out of the turkey use the knife to slice the beef stuffing recipe into slices like you would a meatloaf and serve.

Share this post