I love a Thanksgiving dinner, but it is a lot of work. I always roast a turkey, make stuffing, mash potatoes, candy sweet potatoes, I make a vegetable, my daughter typically makes homemade cranberry sauce and we have side goodies, (like black and green olives). Afterwards, we always have pumpkin pie.
Uhhhhhh, it’s 10:02 and I haven’t had breakfast yet….. I must be hungry, cuz that meal sounds great!!!
I love the leftovers. the day after Thanksgiving. My favorite thing, the next day is a turkey breast sandwich with mayonnaise.
I’ve roasted lots and lots of turkeys. So, around the holidays, I get to enjoy the ease of eating leftover roast turkey. What I don’t do as often, is roast a turkey breast. Well, it’s late May and I want roast turkey, but don’t want to roast an entire turkey, (with all it’s time consuming sides), I just want the turkey breast and a couple of simple sides. I want yummy, but simple.
Hunting for Turkey and What to do if it’s Frozen
I went out of my humble abode, in search of turkey. There have been times, when I looked for turkey breast in my local grocery store, but never found any. The day I went looking for turkey breasts, (a few days ago), I hit the jackpot, They had about 10, frozen turkey breasts to choose from. I bought three. I put two in my freezer. The last I put in my refrigerator to thaw.
It takes 1½ to 2 days to thaw a turkey breast in a refrigerator. You can thaw it quicker, if need be, by putting the unopened roast in cool water, for 3 to 5 hours, (until thawed). Using this method, you change the water every 30 minutes, to keep the turkey cold.
Ingredients, (try to use organics whenever you can)
Unfortunately, I didn’t accomplish that at all, this time.
- 3 to 8 pound turkey breast
- 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil, (for the roasting dish and rack)
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil, (for the turkey breast seasoning paste)
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons rosemary
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground thyme
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, (I prefer fine ground)
Prepping the Oven, the Dish and the Turkey
First, position your oven rack, to allow the turkey breast to cook, close to the center of the oven.
Set the oven to 375°F, (191°C), on bake.
Bring your ingredients out, so they are ready for use.
I use grapeseed oil instead of many other food grade oil options out there.
Get an oven safe roasting dish.
You can bake cookies and pile them high thanks, to the domed lid.
I bake single layer cakes in it, frost the cake and then close the lid for freshness.
You can bake main courses or side dishes in it, (for example; tuna casserole, baked macaroni and cheese, scalloped potatoes, candied yams or green bean casserole).
I cut up fresh fruit, (like cantaloupe or watermelon). I put the fruit in, close the lid, put it in my fridge and have fresh fruit ready for when I want it.
Today, I’ll roast my turkey breast in it.
Place a wire rack on the bottom of a baking/roasting dish, (no lid needed for this recipe).
The rack should be placed with the wires horizontally, (the turkey should be placed vertically on the horizontally placed rack).
Put one tablespoon of grapeseed oil, into a small bowl. Apply the grapeseed oil to the inside bottom and inside walls of the dish and on the rack.
Remove the turkey breast packaging and rinse the breast off under cool water.
The turkey breast should be placed on the center of the rack vertically, with the skin up. This placement, helps to keep the turkey breast meat above the dish, (to help keep it off of the bottom of the baking dish).
In a separate bowl, measure 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil.
Seasoning the Turkey Breast
The order of adding the seasonings into the bowl, doesn’t matter, just make sure you add them all.
Add 2 teaspoons rosemary.
Add 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning.
Add 2 teaspoons ground oregano.
Add 2 teaspoons salt.
Did you know, iodized salt helps promote healthy hydration levels, creates a balance of electrolytes, helps create the hormones that regulate blood pressure and heart rate?
Not only that, but it helps to burn excess fat deposits that could lead to heart disease.
Some people need to be careful though, as they may have been advised by a medical professional to restrict their salt intake.
Add 1 teaspoons ground thyme.
Add 1 teaspoons black pepper.
Add 1 teaspoons onion powder.
Add 1 teaspoons garlic powder.
Stir the ingredients thoroughly.
Pull the skin of the turkey, away from the meat, (don’t completely detach it though). Apply half of the paste you made, under the skin and the other half on top of the skin.
It’s Time to Roast the Turkey Breast
Put the dish in the oven, on your center rack and cook the turkey breast 13 minutes for every pound of turkey. I recommend, you baste the turkey with it’s pan juices, every 20 minutes, until it is done, (for this bird, that was 4 bastings). This turkey breast is seven pounds, (7 x 13 = 91 minutes of cook time, minimum).
An hour and a half later…..
Check the turkey breast using a meat thermometer, but be careful that you do not touch the thermometer probe to a bone, the wire rack or the glass dish, as the temperature reading may be incorrect.
The turkey must be 170°F, (77°C) for it to be considered fully cooked. I check the temperature, several places around the breast meat.
Take the turkey breast out of the dish and place it on a cutting board. Use a serrated knife to slice off one of the 2 breasts, (cut as close as you can to the rib bones).
Slice the turkey breast, diagonally.
There are all kinds of sides you could make to go with your turkey breast. Today, I decided to have a baked potato with butter and a plant based sour cream substitute. I also made steamed zucchini.
Now, it’s time to dish up the meal.
Bon appétit!!!!
The flatware is Oneida. The pattern is called Reyna.
The plate is my 222 Fifth, the pattern is Blue Adelaide.
As for me, I can’t wait till tomorrow for leftovers, because I want a turkey sandwich!