Stuffed Turkey Breast with Sausage & Herbs
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 2 large stalks celery, finely diced
- 3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 8 oz mild Italian pork sausage, casings removed (or substitute chicken or turkey sausage)
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
- 1 large egg beaten
- 9 cups store-bought seasoned or unseasoned stuffing cubes
- 1¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 whole (2 halves) (5 to 6 lb) skin-on turkey breast, boned and butterflied (see note)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Homemade gravy, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sausage and continue to cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is cooked and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the wine, rosemary and thyme and cook for 2 minutes more, using your wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg, stuffing cubes, chicken broth, parsley, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and sausage mixture. Stir until all the bread is moistened.
- Place the butterflied turkey breast skin-side up on a countertop or work surface and cover with plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound the turkey breast to an even ½-in (13-mm) thickness — this takes some time and muscle, so be patient. Flip the breast over so it's skin-side down, then rub the meat with 1 tablespoon of the oil, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Spoon about half of the stuffing in an even ½-in (13-mm) layer over the breast, leaving a 1-in (2.5-cm) border all around. (Place the extra stuffing in a buttered baking dish, and bake during the last 40 minutes of the turkey's cooking time.)
- Starting at the long end, roll the turkey into a long cylinder (start at the end with less skin; this way the skin will end up mostly on the outside of the roll). Don't worry if the stuffing peeks out in some spots. Tie the roll with kitchen string, with about 2 in (5 cm) between each knot, and then trim the strings.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place an oven-proof rack over top. Spray the rack with nonstick cooking spray. Place the turkey seam-side down on the rack. Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon oil and season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Roast for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roll reads 155°F (68°C). 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°F (74°C). Snip and discard the kitchen twine. Transfer the roll to a cutting board and slice into ½-in (13-mm) thick slices and arrange on a platter. Serve with gravy.
Notes
- Ask your butcher to bone and butterfly the turkey breast for you (you can also ask if they will pound it to a ½-in (13-mm) thickness to save you a step later). If you're buying a boneless turkey breast, look for one that is about 4 lb (1.8 kg).
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The recipe can be prepared and cooked 1 to 2 days in advance, covered, and refrigerated. Slice the turkey roll cold and reheat, covered, in a 300°F (150°C) oven until warm, 40 to 45 minutes.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.