Make-Ahead Turkey Breast With Herb Stuffing (Cooking Light)

juniperwoman's Note:

Says cookinglight.com: "This turkey dinner is the ultimate make-ahead meal. The turkey, gravy, and stuffing are slow-cooked simultaneously to impart rich, deep flavors and to eliminate any extensive last-minute work. The turkey breast is double-cooked: poached the day before, then seasoned and reheated slowly in a low-heat oven the day it's served. The gravy and stuffing are infused with an intensely flavorful turkey stock made from the liquid in which the breast is poached." Sounds like a lot of work, but... oh... yum... what a recipe! Invite me over when you make it :)

• Total Time: 6 mins
• Prep Time: 2 mins
• Cook Time: 4 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

STOCK

• 4 quarts water
• 1 cup carrot , slices (2 inch thick)
• ½ cup celery , slices (1 inch thick)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 tomatoes , quartered
• 1 onion , quartered
• ½ lemon
• 1 whole turkey breast , skinned (6-pound)

TURKEY

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

STUFFING

• ¼ cup butter (in a stick, not a tub) or ¼ cup margarine (in a stick, not a tub)
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 cup diced celery
• 16 cups cubed stale bread (about 1 1/2 pounds, cubes should be 1 inch)
• 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon dried tarragon
• ½ teaspoon dried rubbed sage
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

GRAVY

• ¼ cup butter (in a stick, not a tub) or ¼ cup margarine (in a stick, not a tub)
• 1⁄3; cup all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. To prepare stock, combine first 10 ingredients in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil; add turkey breast. Return to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until turkey breast reaches 170° (use an instant-read thermometer).
2. Carefully remove the turkey breast from stock. Cover the turkey breast, and refrigerate. Strain stock through a colander into a large bowl; discard solids, and return stock to pot. Reduce heat, and continue to simmer stock until reduced to 2 quarts (about 1 1/2 hours). Cover and chill stock for 8 hours. Skim solidified fat from surface of stock, if necessary.
3. Preheat oven to 250°.
4. To prepare turkey, rub poached turkey breast with oil. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Wrap the turkey in heavy-duty plastic wrap and foil. (Double-wrapping in plastic and foil helps retain moisture when reheating.) Bake at 250° for 2 hours or until thoroughly heated.
5. To prepare the stuffing, melt 1/4 cup butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and diced celery; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in bread cubes and the next 7 ingredients (bread cubes through 1/4 teaspoon pepper). Stir in 2 1/2 cups turkey stock. Place in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Bake simultaneously with turkey at 250° for 1 hour and 55 minutes.
6. While the turkey and stuffing cook, prepare gravy. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour; reduce heat, and cook 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Gradually add reserved 5 1/2 cups turkey stock, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer until reduced to 3 cups (about 2 hours).
7. Uncover turkey; remove turkey breast halves from bone. Slice turkey, and serve with stuffing and gravy.