The oven will only do a turkey up to about 20 pounds. You need to leave the lid on, or the temp gets too variable. Water in the bottom steams the meat, as does the foil, some folks like this, I don't. Using the screen rack is a good idea, the heating coil is right under the bottom of the well and it can scorch and stick right there.

If you are not carving at the table, turkey parts are easier to roast in this small oven.

Temps and times are about the same as for a regular oven, do not stuff the turkey, it does not heat evenly enough to be completely satisfactory. To roast turkey:
Preheat electric roaster to 350 to 400 degrees.
*Roast a 10 to 14 lb. turkey for 12 to 17 minutes per pound.
*Roast a 14 to 20 lb. turkey for 13 to 18 minutes per pound.

This note appears at the bottom of the page..."turkey should be roasted at 400 degrees F., for the first and last hour; roast at 350 degrees F., for the remaining time." It also states, "for crisper skin, baste, then remove liquid during roasting time."

Here are some quotes from Nesco users:
"My nesco roaster made my 17 cents a pound turkey tender, moist, and flavorful with just paprika, salt, pepper, 1 cup oil and butter, and chopped onion, carrots, celery. Yum-Yum-yum."
"TURKEY COOKED IN LESS TIME THAN ALLOTTED IN COOKING DIRECTIONS. TASTY, JUICY, SKIN BROWNED NICELY. "

Since you are cooking, I presume for lunch, I suggest you brown the turkey in the regular oven as suggested above, take to work in the smallest ice chest that will hold the bird with the lid on tight, to preserve the heat, then finish it at 325. Total time for 20 pounds counting both the oven and the roaster, about 4 hours. Safe to transport as long as it takes an hour or less to get to work and get it back in the oven. Use a meat thermometer, as soon as the white meat hits 150, turn the oven down to 160-170, and it will hold until you take it out to "rest it" 1/2 hour before carving. DO NOT stuff the turkey, and DO NOT take the lid off and on to baste, the roaster cooks moister and cannot afford to lose the heat.

Temps are dfferent because there are several different ways to roast and the temp depends on the method. For example, at 475, a 20 pounder takes 2 hours, at 325 a FROZEN 12 pounder takes a little under 5. I always suggest people look at eatmoreturkey.com, it is a great site.

I like to slice a hole through the middle of the loin end to end and stuff it with dried apricots and dried figs that have been soaked for an hour in wine rum or brandy. Or rub on a heavy coating of spice rub. Or glaze and baste with honey mixed with a little soy sauce after poking slivers of garlic all over. And I always peel chunk up and roast sweet potatoes or potaoes all croded under it in the pan.

Use a modern cookbook for time and temp, modern pork is leaner and cooks faster tha even 10 years ago. Use a thermometer and cook to 155, then let rest for at least 20 minutes outside the oven before slicing. You might looko at 3 1/2 hours as a very ball park figure on the roasting.

Nesco has roaster recipes on its website:

Peace to you and yours,
And all at Ellen's Kitchen

Roaster slow cook is a great method for corn beef, double the cooking time and cook at 250. For three pieces, figure the cooking time on the smallest and add 1/2 hour. Keep the lid on- peeking lowers the temp enough that it increases the cooking time.

-You can cook the pan of lasagna in the roaster just as you would in a regular oven, placing on a rack so the heat circulated over and under the pan.
-Or if you have a removable roaster pan, you can layer the lasagna right in the roaster itself, like a giant slow cooker. You spary the pan thoroughly with non stick sparay. Keep the layer under 4 inches thick, or the edges will dry out badly before the center cooks. Then set at 250 to no more than 300 and use the cooking times for the crockpot freezer lasagna in my Big Pots section- about twice as long as for a regular heat regular oven. Keep the lid on tight so the top does not dry out, too.

* 1 large pork butt or shoulder, about 7 to 9 pounds
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning or seasoned salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 medium onion, sliced
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 2 teaspoons oil
* 1 cup barbecue sauce
* 1/2 cup vinegar

OPTIONS: to get a southwestern spicy pork add to each roast:
# 2 cans (4.5 oz each) diced green chilies
# 3 tablespoons chili powder
# 1 teaspoon ground cumin
# 1 teaspoon dried oregano
# 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

OPTION: or try this rub 24 hours before roasting:
* 1 cup of brown sugar (250ml)
* 1 tbsp red pepper flakes (15ml)
* 1 tbsp dry mustard (15ml)
* 2 tsp garlic powder (10ml)
* 2 tsp onion powder (10ml)
* 2 tsp paprika (10ml)
* 1 tsp marjoram (5ml)
* 1 tbsp lemon pepper (15ml)

PREPARATION:
Lay a large sheet of heavy duty foil in a roasting pan. Place pork roast on foil. Rub pork all over with garlic and seasonings. Arrange onion slices over top. Wrap foil around the pork roast. Bake at 350° for about 4 to 5 hours, to about 185° F. The meat should be falling apart. Let the roast cool a bit, then begin to shred with forks or chop, discarding as much of the excess fat as possible.

Sauté chopped onions in a little oil until tender.

Put shredded pork in slow cooker or a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Blend in vinegar and barbecue sauce, along with the cooked chopped onion. Heat thoroughly on LOW setting or over low heat; serve hot with split buns, coleslaw, and beans, if desired. Also great with potato salad for a bigger meal.

If you want to the pork roast in the roaster, set to 250 degrees. Place seasoned pork roast in the oven, add 1-2 cups water, add chopped onion, salt and pepper and a generous sprinkling of garlic powder. Cover and cook on low for about 9 to 11 hours, or until very tender and shreddable. Drain all juices off and shred or chop pork; add vinegar and bbq sauce (and liquid smoke, if using) for reheating.

I appreciate the recipe. I will let you know how great it turns out!

Patricia, NO, no no. You MUST overcook the turkey to bring the stuffing to a safe temp. Do not make the poor turkey suffer so.

TW, 20 pounds is too big and IT MUST NOT BE STUFFED. Read the turkey thread and the top of this thread for why not.

The usual pan of ziti is 2-3 inches deep. The 4 inch or deeper roaster pan will NOT CHILL nearly as quickly, which leaves the middle at the danger zone (40-140) for too long. Make the pasta and cool/chill it, then also cool the sauces before assembling the casserole, then put the assembled dish straight into the refrigerator.

Don't let it sit out for more than 1/2 hour before heating. If you do not preheat, put it straight from the fridge to the roaster. If you do preheat, the half hour out is OK.

Allow 3 hours for cooking time. You probably won't need that long, but you do not want to turn it up and scorch it, and you can always turn to 180 and hold for an hour or more if it gets ahead of you (and will it smell great).

HOW TO TELL IT IS DONE:

Use a meat thermometer or an instant read thermometer to check the temp in the middle of the dish. It is done and safe to eat at 160 degrees. If your sauce has eggs, be SURE to get it to 160.

Yes you can cook the extra pan in your roaster, no problem. You do not need to add water- the stuffing has sufficient moisture. The roaster rack just helps the heat circulate.

The best way to not dry out the turkey is to brine the turkey overnight before stuffing.

Michele, you can absolutely do this roast in the roaster, although you will not have the crackly outside. Use a meat thermometer, it cooks a bit faster than in the regular oven.

Pam and Michele, here is the procedure. It works for any size roast up to a full 7 rib 22 pounder.

Preheat the oven. Rub on your rub or seasonings.

Cook at 250, allowing 10 minutes per pound for the roast, then turn down to 140 and hold at least 4-6 hours-(can hold up to 10). Don't lift the lid if you can help it during the cooking time, and minimally during the holding time. You will have a beautiful raost that will be medium rare all the way through and shrink less than 10% instead of the 25% that is typical with higher heats.

Paula, I usually rub all over with herbs and garlic, cut a hole through the middle and stuff with dried fruits soaked in a little rum, brandy, peach schnapps or fruit juice, then roast at 250 for about 50 minutes to 1 hour per pound. I check it with a meat thermometer in the meat, to 155 degrees, then tent for 1/2 hour before slicing.
Crockpot, low, 8 hours.

www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,baked_corned_beef_brisket,FF.html

I also need to bake a total of 30 lb boneless, not precooked, ham.

You want about a gallon of whatever sauce you are going to use, and a good big onion for each 3-5 pounds of meat. You will brown in the regular oven, then simmer in the roaster.

Rub your meat with whatever dry rub or spice you want.

Put half the chopped onion in a large covered oven pan, a turkey roaster type is perfect. After trimming excess fat, the ribs go in next and the rest of the onion over the top. Pour 1 or 2 cups of lemon juice or dilute vinegar over the ribs, then brown in the oven for 45 minutes, uncovered.

While the ribs are browning, combine the rest of the sauce in a large pot and slowly bring to a simmer on top of the oven.

When the ribs have browned, pour off most of the liquid (mostly fat) in the pan (save the onion). Transfer to the roaster, which you have heavily sprayed with non-stick spray. Add the sauce. It should be enough to fully cover the ribs.

Hi! My wife and I inherited my recently-deceased mother-in-law's NESCO Roast-Air 6 (I assume this means a six quart unit). The unit comes with an add-on fan to produce what I assume will be a convection oven effect.

The problem is that we don't have the manual. I would like to cook a duck in it, but am uncertain about the time to cook it using the fan. Also, should I add water in the bottom of the insert for moistness. Also need temperature, time to cook, and any manner in which the glaze (a l'orange) should be applied.

I've done this on my new outdoor DuKane rotisserie, but the NESCO is a new challenge without the manual. AND, you might not want to refer your writers to the NESCO manual site, as they've taken down the manuals to many of their "legacy" products.

Thank you!

Questions: Do I need some kind of insert for the roaster or can I just put them directly into it? Do I need to thaw the meatballs first? I purchased 16 pounds of meatballs. Does this sound about right for a side dish? (We are also serving subs, pasta salad and cheesy potatoes, plus fruit and veggies, dessert.) Do you think this many meatballs will fit in an 18-quart roaster or will I also need some crockpots as well? How high should I set the temp?

As for pulled pork, here is a recipe for 8 pounds from a Carolina cook that is about as good as you can find. Note that this amount of sauce is only for 8 pounds meat, you will need 4 times as much for your 32 pounds.

2 pork butts, 3 to 4 pounds each, untrimmed (can sub shoulders)

Sauce:
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup molasses
1 head garlic, broken into unpeeled cloves
2 Tb. whole cumin seeds
3 Tb. whole coriander seeds
1 Tb. whole black peppercorns
8 small dried red chiles
2 bay leaves
3 Tb. tomato paste
3 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 quart distilled white vinegar
4 cups water
1/4 cup salt

Combine the honey, molasses, garlic, cumin, coriander, peppercorns, chiles and bay leaves in a large stockpot, over medium-low heat. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The garlic will darken, and the mixture will be very thick and fragrant. Add the tomato paste and tomatoes; cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the vinegar, water and salt. The sauce should be thin. Simmer, uncovered, for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Set aside half the sauce for marinating the pork. Let the remaining sauce cool and fish out any large pieces of garlic peel. Puree the remaining sauce in a blender (some spices will remain whole). The sauce should be rather watery and look like a brothy tomato soup.

One or two days before cooking (much preferably two), put the pork in a container just large enough to hold it and deep enough for the reserved sauce to cover it. Cover the container and refrigerate, turning the pork half-way through the marinating period.

At this point, you're finally ready to cook the pork. I have tried this in a number of methods and variations, but have settled on a two-step process that works great. I cook half-way in the oven (before basting is necessary and saving propane) and half-way on a grill using indirect heat (making it easier to baste and adding the barbecue flavor you need). The formula is 2 hours per pound (or cooked to an internal temperature between 150 to 160 degrees).

Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees. Put the pork, fat side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Leave in oven three hours (for six pounds) or four hours (for eight pounds). Remove to pre-heated grill, but with low, indirect heat (should be about the same 200 degrees as your oven). Baste with the pureed sauce every 30 minutes, until done, turning once (this second half of cooking will take as long as the first, if your grill is correctly regulated). Let the pork cool.

Chop and shred the pork. You can either slice it or pull it apart with your fingers (thus the name, "pulled pork"). For slicing, cut the pork across the grain, in half-inch slices. For pulling, start pulling at the meat with a fork, then attack with your fingers. Discard any unrendered fat.

With a large knife, roughly chop the pork coarse. Put the chopped pork in a large bowl with some more of the pureed sauce; the amount is up to you (I'd go a little at a time, and test along the way). Serve the pork warm (no problem with a microwave; it's plenty juicy -- if you cooked it right) with a little more sauce on the side, for your bolder eaters.

It's a lot of work and that's why I usually go 8 pounds, so I can freeze half and eat it a few months from now. I figure if I'm going to this much trouble, I might as well make as much as the sauce can handle (8 pounds being the top end). Enjoy and tell any friends in Asheville or Memphis that you've got 'em beat.

**MID-SOUTH CAROLINA MUSTARD SAUCE***
1 cup cider vinegar
6 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
ground black pepper

And...Here's a great spicy chili rub to use before cooking...

***SPICY CHILLI RUB***
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground oregano
4 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon white pepper

www.rivalproducts.com/help.aspx?helpNav=5

They have an email to contact for customer service at that site.

I'm making 2 different appetizers, both of which I will make in advance, freeze, and then (hopefully) put in the roaster the day of the party.

One appetizer is spreading cream of mushroom soup on slices of break, rolling it up, wrapping bacon around it, and securing with a toothpick. My recipe says it doesn't have to be thawed before baking. They are baked until the bread is toasty and the bacon cooked. Should I adjust my temperature or cooking time if I place these in my roaster to bake them? I plan on using 4 loaves of bread to make them. If they don't fit in a single layer in my roaster, can I layer them? Once they are cooked, should I be able to just turn the roaster down to a minimal temp to keep them warm?

I'm also making egg rolls (baked, not fried). The ingredients will be precooked, then rolled in wonton paper. I plan to freeze them at this point, then bake them the day of the party. Will I need to thaw these before baking? I have the same kinds of questions regarding the use of the roaster--the same temp I would use my oven for? Layering?

Here is a TNT saucy chicken recipe from recipezaar with adaptation from oven to electric roaster. Yours should do the same.

One caution, if you brown the chicken on the stove top first, which enriched the flavor, the cooking time is reduced about 1/4. Also, the small breasts will be oversone if you cook them as long as the thighs. Put them in about 1/2 hour later.

Teriyaki Chicken
Recipe #1392742 ratings
So good it falls off the bone! Men CRAVE this chicken recipe! This can also be done in an electric roaster if you're making bulk to feed a crowd.
by Froggie Jones
4 servings 2¼ hours 15 min prep

4-6 chicken pieces (skinned thighs and legs are best!)
1 cup soy sauce
1 1/2-2 cups dark brown sugar (to taste)
4 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger

These ovens cook a little faster and moister than standard ovens, will do almost anything an oven will do, and are great as giant crockpots when you need to cook 30-60 servings of something. In the summer, you can set it outside and avoid heating up your kitchen! They are so versatile, I am considering setting up a second website dedicated just to electric roasters.

Thanks

nesco.com/manuals/18qt.pdf

Barbara, yes. If it is a small partey and you will use a pan that fits inside the roaster, just use the rack and cook like you would in your regular oven. If you want to make the whole roaster full in the cookwell, these are the hints for lasagna in the roaster that I give:

Coat the cookwell (the removable pan) well with a nonstick spray or shortening (oil does not work well here) and coat with the old fashioned grated type Parmesan that comes in a shaker- you don't want the fancier shredded type for this job.

Layer the lasagna from your favorite recipe into the pan- it needs to be 4 inches deep or less, which means the maximum amount is about what you would put in 4 9x13 pans. Refrigerate until ready to bake.

Preheat the roaster with the lid on to 300 degrees for 20 minutes.

Have a can of tomato juice or an equivalent of whole milk for a creamy sauce, available.

Insert the cookwell and cover. Bake until the temp in the middle of the dish is 165 degrees, which takes about 3-4 hours depending on the thickness of the lasagna. Check about every 1 hour to see if it needs liquid added, use the reserved liquid.

You CAN prepare the giant lasagne way ahead by lining the cookwell thouroughly with foil, doing the nonstick spray thing, making the lasagna, freezing it, and popping it out of the pan into an oversize freezer bag. But this is important: if you do it this way, take it out three days ahead, nonstck spary the cookwell, put in the unwrapped lasagna and LET IT THAW covered IN THE REFRIGERATOR #3 DAYS. These giant lasagnas do not do well cooked frozen in the roaster, though they can be cooked from frozen in the regular oven.

See the quantity lasagna recipe on the lotsa pasta page for more hints.

nesco.com/manuals/18qt.pdf

You put the hot water below the pans, just coming about an inch up the pans. You MUST hold the food at 160- get a quick read thermometer and check each pan every half hour- keep the water at 200 or whatever you need to keep the food at the right temps. You replace the water with hot when it drops as the water cooks off.

PS #2 The temp on a quick read thermometer in the middle of the cobbler should be 1645 or higher.

If I were buying a small item or two for this size family in this situation, it would be a 6 quart crock pot and an electric hot plate. Also for about 100 you can purchase a countertop convectio oven, which is great for roasting and baking- I used one for several years when I dd not have a regular oven.

There is info on how to baje rice in the oven. The Nesco manual has several whole-meal baking instuctions, for example, roast meats, scalloped potatoes, and fruit cobbler or baked apples. This is done by using loaf-shape pans, as 3-4 can be done at once.

I use the 6 quart crock pot to make a double recipe of the meatloaf in one big loaf- 4 hours on high, about 8 on low- you have to remove some of the fat, if you use regular burger and regular sausage.

The hotplate makes sure you can cook a fresh or frozen green vegetable with your oven meals.

Turns out the cooktop only needed a minor repair. The oven needs new elements and proper calibration. So I'll be using my roaster for a little while.

What do you think of the microwaves with convection capabilities, or is a separate convection oven better?

MEATBALLS
So we are having sweet and sour meatballs...i read one of your threads and I have a additional question. For 30lbs of frozen meatballs would I need two roasters of 18 quart or could I use one (have not looked to see if it would fit yet)?

I would thaw them and roast at 225 for 2.5 hours. I plan to put them directly into the cooking well and spraying the sides and bottom. Any advice on how much sauce to pour in (sweet and sour)?

I'm really enjoying your recipes! My family and I are hosting a Celebration of Life in memory of my Dad this weekend. I'm wanting to make pulled pork, and wondering if there's a way to make it with Whole Pork Butt or Whole Pork Butt sliced into steaks. It's going for 99 cents a pound right now rather than the 2.99 per pound picnic roast. I'm going to be roasting it in my Toastmaster 18-quart oven, and need it for about 80 people. Guess I will have to make it in shifts, as the roaster isn't going to make it all at once.

Shelley, 2 roasters, pre-thaw in fridge, preheat roasters, cover completely with sauce. The more you take the lid off to stir, the slower it heats (like a crock pot). Nescos have heating element around the side, like the original crock pots, a bit less likely to scorch. All others on the bottom, need a bit of stirring, which adds to the cooking time.

Sally, one roaster will hold 4-5 9x13 pans's worth or enough for about 60 people. The mostaciooli and sausage recipe without the sausage makes about right for 100 people, two raosters. See the lotsa pasta page.

Internal temp 160 to 170. If it reaches this tyemp and is not tender, turn down to 200 and cook till it is.

I just purchased a Nesco 18 qt roaster and plan to cook a turkey in it. Will I be able to make gravy using the cookwell on the stovetop with the scrapings left from cooking the turkey like I am accustomed from regular oven cooked turkeys? I much prefer this type of gravy than separately made giblet gravy.

-- Can you tell me how long I should roast a 20 lb turkey in the GE roaster?

-- I may just decide to cook it the day before and then slice and reheat it for the dinner the next day.

-- If I do this how long should I reheat it and at what temperature in the GE roaster?

Your favorite slow cooker pot roast multiplied for the weight of the meat (half the salt, though) will do fine. Set the roaster for 190
for low or 290 for high and use the times similar to the crockpot: see the beef roast article for more about low slow beef cooking. Check the temp at the center of a large piece for the finishing temp (you turn to 180 and hold hold hold to tenderize further).

But it would really simplify if you make the meat and gravy ahead, cool slice and freeze, then reheat.

I have an 18 qt Nesco roaster. A few days ago, I put in a 10lb turkey breast (so not even a whole bird, like half of one) and had it set to 400 degrees. I left it in there and checked on it at about 3 hours later, not done. Checked it again 3 more hours later, not done. The total time I left it in there was about 11 hours--- and when I took it out, it STILL WAS NOT DONE. The turkey was on the rack, immersed about halfway with broth and juices. Even the breast part, which was immersed, wasn't done.

What could have been the problem? Was it the broth? Is it my roaster?

The turkey was thawed.

For the record, I have cooked the same weight breast, thawed, in a 6 qt nesco and it cooked in about 4 hours with potatoes and carrots in there also.

To reheat a spiral-sliced ham in a conventional oven, cover the entire ham or portion with heavy aluminum foil and heat at 325 ºF for about 10 minutes per pound.

Spiral-sliced ham vacuum-sealed at a USDA-inspected plant will exhibit the USDA mark of inspection on the label. These spiral sliced hams should be cooked to an internal temperature of 140° F as measured with a food thermometer.

For spiral-sliced hams that have been repackaged in any location, reheat to 165° F. Individual slices may also be warmed in a skillet or microwave.

Fully cooked hams can also be sold unsliced, If you want to reheat a whole ham,use a preheated oven set no lower than 325° F and, like spiral-sliced hams, heated to an internal temperature of 140° F as measured with a food thermometer.

To bake frozen cabbage rolls in the oven: Warm tomato juice until warm to the touch in a medium pot. Place the rolls in the casserole and then add enough juice to cover the rolls by 1-inch. The rolls will float, therefore, press one roll down into the casserole and see if the casserole needs more juice. Cover the casserole tightly. Place the prepared casserole on the lowest rack level, in the oven; turn the oven to 500'F. and bake for 30 minutes; then reduce the heat to 425'F. and bake for 1 hour. The tomato juice, when finished, will have reduced to about 1 cup or so. If there's too much liquid, loosely cover the casserole and bake at 500'F. until the liquid reduces to a thin sauce. Some of the tops of the cabbage rolls will have small darkened spots and this is normal.

If adapting to the roaster, spray the roaster, use two layers of rolls, preheat the roaster (yes, you will have to be careful not to burn your fingers when you put the rolls in). You will need more than one roaster to have them all finish at the same time.

If it has been refrigerated overnight before cooking, you need to drop the heat about 30 degrees and add 1/4 more time to the above calculation, or you will have overdone edges before the middle is cooked.

You want a temp in the middle of 180 degrees. As soon as it reaches this, turn the roaster down to 180-200.

In an electric roaster, you're not going to want to check the temperature too frequently, because it loses a lot more heat when you take off the lid than occurs when you open the door of your oven.