This Rolled Stuffed Turkey Breast filled with Italian bread, dried cranberries, shallots, celery, pine nuts, and Italian sausage. Perfect for a smaller Thanksgiving gathering.
Prep Time 45 minutesminutes
Cook Time 50 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour35 minutesminutes
Servings 6servings
Ingredients
2cupscubed Italian bread
2tablespoonsolive oil
1medium shallothalved and thinly sliced
2ribscelerydiced
Salt and pepper
6ouncesmild Italian sausage
⅓cupdried cranberries
½teaspoondried thyme
⅓cupchicken broth
2tablespoonspine nuts
3tablespoonschopped fresh parsley
3poundsboneless turkey breast halfwith skin
Salt and black pepper
6tablespoonsbuttersoftened
Instructions
Make the Stuffing
Preheat the oven to 400F.
Slice the bread, remove the crusts, and cut the slices into cubes. Place the bread cubes on a baking sheet and cook until lightly toasted. Set the bread cubes aside to cool while you continue making the stuffing.
Slice or chop the shallot and celery. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the shallot and celery along with a light sprinkle of salt and pepper. Saute until the shallot is translucent.
Add the sausage into the same skillet and cook, breaking it up with a spoon or potato masher, until no pink remains.
Add the cranberries, thyme, and broth. Continue cooking for an additional minute or two, scraping up any cooked bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add the toasted bread and pine nuts and stir until all the bread is moistened.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chopped parsley. Taste for salt and pepper and add a bit more if needed.
Allow the stuffing to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before proceeding with the recipe.
Stuff the Turkey Breast:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Using a very sharp, thin-bladed knife and your fingers, carefully separate the skin from the breast (or ask your grocery store butcher to do it for you). Set the skin aside and save it for later.
Place the breast with the original skin side down on a cutting board. If necessary, butterfly the thicker areas to get an even thickness throughout. Pound the breast out with a meat mallet or heavy rolling pin until it is about 1/2” thick. Sprinkle the inside generously with salt and pepper.
Spread the cooled stuffing over the pounded turkey breast.
Create the Roulade:
Starting at one long side, carefully roll up the breast to enclose the stuffing. Place the reserved skin over the seam edge of the rolled turkey breast.
Wrap the entire breast in a double thickness of cheesecloth. Tie each end with kitchen twine. Tuck the ends under the package. Tie additional twine in three or four places down the length of the roll.
Rub the softened butter over the entire rolled turkey breast making sure to cover all surfaces.
Bake:
Place the wrapped stuffed turkey breast on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the roulade reads 155 degrees.
Remove from the oven and let rest for about 10 minutes. During the resting time, the internal temperature should increase to 165 degrees.
When ready to serve, remove and discard the cheesecloth and twine. Slice crosswise into approximately 1” pieces.
Notes
To increase the recipe, allow about one-half pound of turkey breast per person.
Store completely cooled leftovers in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To freeze, carefully wrap in plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil and place in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 2 months.
To reheat: If frozen, allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave.