One Pan Thanksgiving Turkey Breast Food

PERFECT THANKSGIVING TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• Heat water for brine in a 6-quart pot over medium heat until steam begins to rise to the surface. Stir in kosher salt and sugar until dissolved. Add liquid smoke, peppercorns, garlic, rosemary, thyme, sage, and smoked paprika. Immediately remove from heat, cover, and let rest and bring to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Do not refrigerate to cool.
• Place each turkey breast in a zip-top freezer bag. Evenly divide the brine, herbs, and garlic between the bags. Remove excess air, seal, and put into the refrigerator, 24 to 36 hours before you roast your turkey breast.
• Remove turkey from brine, pat dry, and let rest for 30 minutes. Pour brine through a strainer; discard brine but reserve garlic and herbs.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• At the same time, mix softened butter with rosemary, thyme, sage, garlic, black pepper, and paprika for herb butter. Set aside.
• Arrange carrots, celery, bell peppers, onions, and reserved garlic and herbs from the brine in the bottom of a roasting pan. Rub about 1/4 of the herb butter on each breast under the skin. Don't remove the skin. Rub the rest of the butter on top of the skin. Arrange the breasts in the roasting pan on top of the aromatic veggie rack; add chicken stock to the bottom of the pan.
• Roast in the center of the preheated oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of each breast reads 160 degrees F (71 degrees C), 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Remove from the oven, cover loosely with a foil tent, and let rest for 15 minutes. The internal temp will rise above 165 degrees F (74 degrees C) during this rest.

ONE-PAN, ONE-POT THANKSGIVING DINNER

Steps:

• Marinate the turkey: If the turkey breast comes tied, untie it. Pat the meat dry with paper towels. Season the turkey all over with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, then rub with garlic and thyme leaves. Place turkey on a plate or in a container, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24.
• Place a rack in the top third of your oven and another rack in the bottom third. Depending on your pace, you might want to have two timers at the ready.
• As the turkey marinates, start the sweet potatoes: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Wrap potatoes individually in two or three layers of foil so they don't leak, and place them on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake on the top rack until very soft when you squeeze them (use oven mitts), 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let potatoes cool in the foil and reserve the sheet pan for the turkey.
• While the sweet potatoes bake, make the cranberry sauce: In a medium pot, combine sugar, orange juice, 1/4 cup water and cinnamon stick or star anise. Bring to a simmer and add cranberries. Cook until the cranberries burst and the sauce starts to thicken, 12 to 18 minutes. It will be thin, but will thicken as it chills. Transfer to a serving dish and let cool at room temperature, then refrigerate until serving. Remove cinnamon stick or star anise before serving.
• Clean out the pot and make the gravy: Melt 1/4 cup butter over medium heat, then add the onion and cook, stirring, until pale golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the flour and cook until the flour turns golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the wine and cook until it mostly evaporates, another 30 seconds to 1 minute. Whisk in 2 cups stock, letting it simmer until thick, 4 to 6 minutes. If the gravy gets too thick, add more stock as needed. Season with salt to taste. Transfer gravy to an insulated container, like a lidded coffee cup or Thermos, to keep warm.
• Make the stuffing in the same pot: Melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Stir in onion, celery and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until soft and just starting to brown, about 15 minutes. Stir in thyme and sage and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in bread and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup broth, egg, parsley and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Fold gently into bread mixture, letting the bread absorb the liquid. If the mixture seems dry, add more stock a little at a time, using up to another 1/4 cup. Dot the surface of the stuffing with a few thin pieces of butter. Cover pot with a lid (or foil) and bake the stuffing on the bottom oven rack until lightly springy, about 20 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until golden brown, another 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer stuffing to the top of your stove, off the heat, and re-cover to keep it warm until the turkey is ready. Wash the bowl and set aside for the sprouts.
• While the stuffing bakes, roast the turkey: Brush or spread the mustard all over the turkey, then brush with the mayonnaise. Wrap the turkey in bacon and place on a rimmed baking sheet pan. Roast turkey on the top oven rack for 20 minutes.
• Put the brussels sprouts in the medium bowl and toss with enough olive oil to coat, coriander and a pinch of salt. Add the brussels sprouts to the sheet pan with the turkey. Continue to roast until the sprouts are golden and tender, and a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the turkey registers 145 degrees, 20 to 30 minutes longer (for a total roasting time of 40 to 50 minutes). If the turkey is done before the sprouts, use tongs to transfer it to a cutting board and lightly tent with foil. Leave the sprouts in the oven until done. (If the bacon isn't as brown and crisp as you like, broil the bacon-clad turkey - but not the sprouts - for 1 to 3 minutes.) Allow meat to rest 10 minutes before slicing.
• Finish sweet potatoes: Cut a long slit in the top of the sweet potatoes, leaving them in the foil. Push their ends toward each other so that the middle opens up. Use a fork to mash their centers. Then mash 1/2 tablespoon butter, 1 teaspoon molasses and some grated nutmeg and salt into each potato. Divide the marshmallows among potatoes and place on the sheet pan after the turkey is done. (The potatoes can share the pan with the brussels sprouts if they need more time.) Bake for about 5 minutes while the turkey rests. Serve.

THANKSGIVING CROCK POT TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• Remove turkey from wrapper and set gravy packet in refrigerator for the time being.
• Leave netting on turkey breast and keep the turkey in one piece; rub turkey down on both sides with poultry seasoning and set in crock pot.
• Add 2 cans of chicken broth to the crock pot, set to low, and cook for 8-10 hours.
• At about the 5-6 hour mark, turn the turkey over, and add one more can of broth to the crock pot.
• At the end of the cooking time, remove turkey from the pot and place in a shallow baking pan, remove the netting, rub the top with butter, and set under a broiler in the oven to crisp up a bit.
• Allow the turkey to sit 15 minutes before cutting.
• If you wish, use a portion of the pan juices to pour over some of your dressing/stuffing if you made some to give it extra flavor.
• Use the remaining pan juices mixed with the gravy packet in a saucepan on the stove, heated with some cornstarch or flour to make a gravy for the meat.