Children don't care if you've slaved hours over the Thanksgiving turkey. And they certainly don't appreciate the nuanced layers of flavor you once extracted from the bird with the help of expert brining and seasoning and rotating and roasting and trussing and fussing.

You know, back before you had kids. Back when you had time to worry about such things.

Balancing a gaggle of little ones with the demands of getting Thanksgiving dinner on the table doesn't mean sacrificing good taste. It just means you need simple recipes that effortlessly deliver stunning results. Which is why we created this plain Jane turkey and gravy that tastes anything but.

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PLAIN JANE TURKEY AND GRAVY

Start to finish: 2 1/2 to 3 hours

Makes a 12- to 14-pound turkey with gravy

6 medium carrots, rough chopped

6 stalks celery, rough chopped

3 large yellow onions, quartered

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

12- to 14-pound turkey

1/4 cup white wine

2 cups low-sodium chicken or turkey broth

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Heat the oven to 350 F. Spread the carrots, celery and onions in an even layer over the bottom of a large roasting pan.

In a small bowl, mix together the butter, salt and black pepper. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Rub the butter mixture all over the inside and outside of the turkey, making sure to get under the skin, too. To do this, gently lift the skin over each breast with one hand while working the butter under it with the other.

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