Be the hero we all need this Thanksgiving and make a Rice Krispie Treat Turkey.
Rice Krispie Treats Turkey
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A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I saw a photo on Facebook of a turkey someone made using the Rice Krispie Treats recipe. Like, a whole turkey. As if you had just pulled it out of the oven.
I immediately started cracking up and sent a screenshot to my cousin who has a birthday that falls on or around Thanksgiving each year. She immediately wrote back and said "I want a candle in it!" After that we shared a laugh and moved on with our respective days. But the idea stayed in my head and I knew I had to replicate it.
So in addition to my other desserts that year, there was a lovely Rice Krispie Treat Turkey sharing the Thanksgiving dessert table and many to follow. He was stuffed with Reese's Pieces and he was amazing!
Tips for making a Rice Krispie
I've made this guy several times now and I still find it to be pretty easy to make. Here are some great tips to make this a little easier for you.
- Use non-stick foil. That and my faithful can of cooking spray made everything much easier.
- Use a plastic cup like a red solo cup or disposable coffee cup wrapped in foil to help make forming the carcass a bit easier.
- Grab a friend. it really helps to have another person there to hold the cup while you build the turkey carcass around it.
- Refrigerate it to set. I find that refrigerating it overnight helps it set and makes assembly much easier. Even just 30 minutes in the fridge helps, but overnight is ideal.
- Assemble just before serving. Gravity can be an evil little trickster, specifically in the case of the drumsticks. I've have the best luck refrigerating everything and assembling just before serving. If you absolutely must assemble in advance, ball up some of the foil to place under the drums and wings to help keep them from falling.
- Be strategic about placing your tooth picks. Try to keep in mind the spots that are most likely to succumb to gravity- I've been know to pop a toothpick into the "bone" part of the drumstick when necessary. Just don't go overboard as they can cause the pieces to fall apart if you put too many.
- Use common sense when eating this. Make sure you and your guests are mindful of toothpicks that are used to hold the turkey together. Use common sense (like we all should be in general!) and be mindful of the toothpicks that may be in the pieces that you're eating, especially when giving this to kids.
Make it a meal!
A few great recipes to round out and complete this meal are:
- Orange Rosemary Oven Roast Turkey
- French Onion Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Grandma's Baked Artichoke Hearts
- Homemade Cranberry Sauce
- Easy Garlic Green Beans
- Savory Sweet Potato Casserole
- Sausage and Corn Bread Dressing
- Cheesy Corn Casserole
- Chocolate Cream Pie
- Cherry Cheesecake Pie
Helpful tools:
- Cast iron dutch oven
or this kind of dutch oven
- Measuring cups
- Wooden spoon
- Non-stick foil
- Toothpicks
or this kind of 
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Be the hero we all need this Thanksgiving and make a Rice Krispie Treat Turkey.
- 6 Tablespoons salted butter
- 8 cups mini marshmallows
- 12 cups Rice Krispies cereal
- Non-stick foil
- A light-weight cup (I used a red solo cup)
- Cooking spray
- White paper
- Clear tape
- Tooth picks
- Reese's Pieces or whatever "stuffing"you want
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Cover the cup with foil and make sure the non-stick side is up on that as well. Spray it well with cooking spray.
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Lay out a large piece of foil with the non-stick side up next to the serving platter.
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Melt your butter over medium heat.
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Spray a mixing spoon with cooking spray and stir in the marshmallows until they've melted. Remove the pan from the heat.
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Add your Rice Krispies and stir until well combined.
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Pour this mixture onto the piece of non-stick foil and allow it to cool for a moment or two (you don't want it to cool completely, just slightly so that you don't burn yourself).
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Working fast, divide the Rice Krispie Treat mixture so that there's ⅔ of it to make the body and set ⅓ of it to the side to make the wings and drumsticks.
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Starting with the ⅔ portion of the Rice Krispie Treat mixture, take a small amount of it and create a base about an inch thick on the serving platter.
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Place the cup on it's side onto the base so that open part of the cup is slightly off of the base where the turkey's opening will be so the majority of the cup is laying on the base.
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Build the rest of Rice Krispie Treat mixture around the cup to create the turkey's carcass with the cup in it's cavity (once this is set you'll be able to pull the cup out and stuff it with candy). Make sure the mixture around the cavity isn't too thin. Be sure to press the mixture in well so that it's not too loose when it dries.
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Next, take the other ⅓ of the Rice Krispie Treat mixture and divide it into four parts.
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Use each part to mold two drumsticks and two wings and set them aside and make sure you press them into shape tightly. (I kept these on the a separate pan lined with non-stick foil- keep in mind that you'll want to shape the wings so that the thinner back parts of them go up in different directions since they will be on either side of the Turkey).
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Cover everything with the nonstick side of the foil and allow it to rest and set for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator (overnight is preferable).
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To make the bone end of the drumsticks, take strips of white paper, and fold them in half length-wise.
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Cut half way up along the fold every half inch or s and wrap it around the ends of drumsticks and secure with a piece of clear tape.
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Use toothpicks to carefully secure your drums and wings to the turkey (this can be a bit tricky and you'll need to rig it up the right certain spots depending on your drumsticks and gravity).
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Stuff the turkey with candy.
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Serve immediately or cover with non-stick foil until you're ready to serve.
One of our readers Rose Klein gave this awesome tip, "Just made a turkey following your recipe and wanted to add that it looks nicely roasted if you gently dust it with cinnamon, sugar and butter melted into a glaze. It gives it a nice toasty coloring, a slight taste, and cools to a nice moist looking sheen." Thanks Rose!
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Other great Rice Krispie treat creations:
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