What Shall We Make Today?

Since it’s November, today’s offering is my recipe for the perfect turkey breast.  (Although, these tips work just as well for a whole turkey.)

We love white meat, so I rarely make an entire turkey for our get togethers.  However, as is our custom, I will make the entire turkey dinner 2 days in a row because we seldom have many leftovers and I love the way the turkey dinner makes the house smell.  I begin with about a 7 or 8 pound turkey breast.  Butterball was always my first choice, but one year out of necessity I had to purchase a different brand—Honeysuckle White—and it was just as delicious!

Clean the breast and pat dry.  Rub the entire breast with unsalted butter and season.  I use salt, coarse ground black pepper and onion powder.  The breasts available here are “restaurant style” turkey breasts which means they have the rib portion and stand upright in the roasting pan.  This makes them easier to carve in my opinion.

Place in a roasting pan—I do not use a rack since hubby prefers gravy like his mom made—from a jar—so I do not need to collect the juices.  I roast my turkey breast uncovered in a 350* oven until the internal temperature reaches 160*.  I will check the turkey roughly an hour after putting it in the oven.  If the skin is sufficiently brown and crisp, I will remove the pan from the oven and cover the turkey with reynold’s wrap to finish the roasting.  My turkey breasts usually roast to 160* in an hour and a half to 2 hours. But a meat thermometer is invaluable! I got mine from Pampered Chef ages ago.

It’s important to remove the bird when it hits 160* because the turkey should stand—COVERED—for at least 15 minutes before you attempt to carve it—allowing the bird’s juices to settle.  During this time, the internal temperature will continue to rise to the desired 170*.  My turkey breasts are always moist and tender.  Can’t wait till Thanksgiving!  Bon Appetit!