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

"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 :)"
 
Download
photo by a food.com user photo by a food.com user
Ready In:
6mins
Ingredients:
29
Serves:
6

ingredients

Advertisement

directions

  • 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).
  • 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.
  • Preheat oven to 250°.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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).
  • Uncover turkey; remove turkey breast halves from bone. Slice turkey, and serve with stuffing and gravy.

Questions & Replies

Got a question? Share it with the community!
Advertisement

Reviews

  1. I make this for the holidays when ever I have to work, 12 hour shift nursing, all my husband has to do is stick it in the oven. I don't bother with the stuffing, if I really want it I make crockpot stuffing. Do make the vanilla sweet potatoes that were with the original recipe. The turkey is moist and delicious. <br/>It's nice to know even if you have to work the holiday, you can still have a great turkey dinner!
     
Advertisement

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

I love to cook! I also love to take complicated recipes and make them simpler. Who wouldn't like to have fewer pans to wash?
 
View Full Profile
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Find More Recipes