Dry Brine Turkey & Gravy

For this month’s Movies and Munchies, participants were invited to watch and take inspiration from a favorite Christmas movie.

I’ve baked from many Christmas movies over the years for Movies and Munchies, and its predecessor, Food n Flix.

I’ve seen some movies that I didn’t like at all: Krampus (Gingerbread Men), and A Christmas Story (Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Fudge)

Oh! Fun digression - I went to the town that inspired the setting of the story this past summer (Hammond, Indiana), where there is a Triple Dog Dare Pole Licker Statue  (one of the parts of the movie that I admit is amusing).

Here’s me running to “stop” him from licking the pole.

Back to the movies!

For the challenges, I’ve also watched new to me movies I enjoyed: Love Actually (Peppermint Cake), The Family Stone (Cheddar and Broccoli Strata), The Holiday (Candy Cane Hot Cocoa Bombs), and Klaus (Snowman Carrot Cake).

I’ve gotten to watch favorites: Elf (Snow Globe Ice Cubes), and Christmas Vacation (Ugly Sweater Gingerbread Men).

And once before the theme was left open ended to choose a favorite movie, but I couldn’t choose, so I made Twisted Parmesan Christmas Tree Rolls to represent all Christmas movies.

This time, I decided to commit to the theme revisit one of my all time favorites: Christmas Vacation! 

But this year is less of a recipe and more my own reference.  I like to make Turkey and Gravy on Christmas Day on years we don’t have to travel on Christmas Day.

It’s taken me some time, but I have found my favorite recipes so I do NOT end up with a super dry turkey like they unfortunately serve in Christmas Vacation (“I knew we put it in too early!”)

For the last few years, I have been using this Turkey Dry Brine recipe and this Turkey Gravy recipe to a tee.  With no changes made, I never feel right reblogging recipes.

The turkey gravy combo with these two recipes is fantastic.  The turkey is flavorful and moist and the gravy is perfection!  A winner for sure!