Best Southwestern Stuffed Turkey Breast Recipes

SOUTHWESTERN TURKEY WITH GARLIC-ANCHO CHILI PASTE AND GRAVY

Steps:

• For paste:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Separate heads of garlic into individual cloves (do not peel). Pierce each clove once with toothpick. Scatter garlic on baking sheet; roast until tender and beginning to brown, about 25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Peel garlic, cutting hard tip off each clove. Pack enough garlic into 1/2-cup measuring cup to fill (about 40 cloves); reserve any remaining garlic. Blend 1/2 cup garlic in processor to form course puree.
• Meanwhile, place chilies in small saucepan. Add enough water just to cover. Simmer over medium-low heat until chilies are soft and most of water evaporates, about 15 minutes. Add chili mixture, oil, cumin, and honey to garlic in processor. Puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover paste and garlic; chill.)
• For turkey:
• Pat turkey dry. Season with salt and pepper. Slide hand under skin of turkey breast to loosen skin. Spread 1/2 cup garlic-paste over breast under skin. If stuffing turkey, spoon stuffing into main cavity. Rub 2 tablespoons paste all over outside of turkey. Reserve remaining paste for gravy. Tie legs together loosely to hold shape of turkey. Place on rack set in roasting pan. (Can be done 1 day ahead if turkey is not stuffed. Chill turkey and paste separately.)
• Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 325°F. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add neck and giblets, turkey neck pieces and onion; sauté brown, about 15 minutes. Place contents of skillet around turkey in pan. Add celery, tomato, allspice and any reserved garlic to pan; pour in 2 cups broth. Roast turkey 1 hour 30 minutes. Tent turkey and entire pan loosely with heavy-duty foil. Continue to roast turkey until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180°F. or until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced with skewer, basting often with pan juices and 3 cups broth, about 1 hour 40 minutes longer for unstuffed turkey (about 2 hours 25 minutes longer for stuffed turkey). Place turkey on platter. Tent with foil; let stand at least 30 minutes. Reserve mixture in pan for gravy.
• For gravy:
• Using tongs, remove turkey parts from pan; discard. Pour mixture in pan into sieve set over large bowl. Press on solids in sieve to release liquid. Spoon fat from pan juices; add enough broth to juices to measure 6 cups.
• Stir 1/2 cup reserved garlic-chili paste in heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until liquefied. Add flour and stir 1 minute (mixture will be very thick). Gradually add 6 cups broth mixture, whisking until smooth. Simmer until reduced to 4 1/2 cups, about 20 minutes. Season with cayenne, salt and pepper.
• Serve turkey with gravy.

STUFFED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Add the butter to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once melted and foaming, add the onion, celery, and garlic and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Add the sausage to the pan and immediately begin breaking it up with the back of a wooden spoon so it will cook down and crumble. Cook the sausage until it's browned, about 6 minutes, then add the cranberries, sage, rosemary and thyme and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes. Stir in the white wine and use your wooden spoon to scrape up the bottom of the pan for any stuck bits. Let cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
• Add the bread cubes to a large bowl and add the chicken broth, beaten egg, sausage mixture, and chopped parsley and stir all together so all the bread is soft and moistened. Let cool as you prep the turkey.
• Lay the turkey breast skin-side-down on your work surface and season the meat with salt and pepper. Add a layer of the stuffing about 1/2-inch thick across the turkey breast, leaving a 1/2-inch border. The extra stuffing can be placed in an 8-inch-by-8-inch-buttered casserole dish and baked the last 40 minutes of cooking.
• Carefully roll the turkey up into a cylinder. Tie the roll with butcher's twine with about 1-inch between each knot. Trim the strings after tying. Place the turkey seam-side-down on a baking sheet covered with foil and fitted with a baking rack. Drizzle the turkey with olive oil, rub into the skin, then season well with salt and pepper.
• Place in the oven and roast for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the roll reads 155 degrees F. Remove the turkey from the oven and let rest, loosely tented with foil for 15 minutes. The turkey will rise in temperature as it rests to 165 degrees F. Snip the butcher's twine and slice the roll into 1-inch thick slices, place on a platter, and garnish with fresh rosemary and sage.

CLASSIC STUFFED TURKEY

Steps:

• In a large skillet, saute the onions, celery and mushrooms in butter until tender. Add broth and seasonings; mix well. Place bread cubes in a large bowl; add mushroom mixture and toss to coat. Stir in enough warm water to reach desired moistness. , Just before baking, loosely stuff turkey. Place any remaining stuffing in a greased baking dish; cover and refrigerate until ready to bake. Skewer turkey openings; tie drumsticks together with kitchen string. Place breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Brush with melted butter., Bake turkey, uncovered, at 325° for 3-3/4 to 4-1/2 hours or until a thermometer reads 180° for the turkey and 165° for the stuffing, basting occasionally with pan drippings. (Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly.), Bake additional stuffing, covered, for 30-40 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until lightly browned. Cover turkey with foil and let stand for 20 minutes before removing stuffing and carving. If desired, thicken pan drippings for gravy.

STUFFED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Use a slicing knife and your fingers to remove skin from breast, reserving skin. Turn the breast over (so the side that had the skin is facing down) and lay it flat on the cutting board. Holding the blade of the knife parallel to the board, about halfway down, slice into the thickest portion of the breast. Cut along the length of the breast, but not all the way through. Unfold so the turkey opens like a book. Remove the tough piece of cartilage. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet until the turkey is a uniform thickness (about 1/2 inch). Season with salt and pepper.
• Spread stuffing evenly (about 3/4 inch thick) over turkey, leaving a 1-inch border. Starting with one short end, roll into a log, completely enclosing the stuffing, and wrap the reserved skin around the breast, over the seam. Roll in a piece of cheesecloth and secure both ends with kitchen twine. Tie twine around the roast in four evenly spaced intervals, and rub butter evenly all over cheesecloth.
• Roast on a rimmed baking sheet until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the middle registers 155 degrees, 70 to 80 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes (the internal temperature should rise to 165 degrees).
• Remove cheesecloth and twine, then place turkey on a cutting board and slice crosswise about 3/4-inch thick. Serve garnished with oregano.