Herb Buttered Turkey Breast & Gravy

"This turkey breast roasts up tender and juicy and is the perfect alternative for those of us who don't want to go to the trouble of cooking a whole turkey this Thanksgiving.  Make it and I promise, your family will Gobble it up!

 

1-(7 to 8 pound) turkey breast (thawed if frozen, following package directions)
3 stalks celery, cut into large chunks

3 large carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

1 onion, cut into wedges

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and halved

1-(14.5 ounce) can chicken broth

salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, desired amount

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Place vegetables in the bottom of a large Dutch Oven or roasting pan.  (NOTE:  The vegetables will serve as a base for the turkey to sit on and they will flavor the juices that you will use to make your gravy.)  Pour chicken broth over vegetables.  Place turkey breast, breast side up, on top of vegetables.  Season turkey with desired amount of salt, pepper and poultry seasoning.  Slather with Herb Butter (Recipe follows.)  Cook turkey breast until it reaches 170 degrees.  (It took about 2-1/4 hours in my convection oven.)  Remove from the oven and take turkey breast out of the pan and cover with foil to allow meat to rest while you prepare the gravy.           

Herb Butter

1 stick or 1/2 cup butter, softened

1 Tablespoon LITEHOUSE Freeze-Dried Poultry Herb Blend*

Combine butter and herb blend.  Use fingers to rub herb butter under and on top of the skin of the turkey.  

* I found the Freeze-Dried Poultry Herb Blend in the Produce Department of my grocery store.

Turkey Gravy

1/4 cup turkey fat that has been skimmed off of the cooking juices

1/4 cup flour

2 cups turkey drippings or juices 

Remove vegetables from the roasting pan and discard.  Using a spoon, skim off 1/4 cup of fat from the turkey juices.  (You will be able to see the fat floating on top of the juices left in the pan.  You can also use a gravy separator to separate the fat from the juices.)  Pour fat into a saucepan and stir in flour.  Cook on medium heat for 1-2 minutes.  Measure out 2 cups of turkey juices and stir into flour mixture.  (TIP:  If you don't have 2 cups of liquid, add chicken broth to make 2 cups.)  Bring mixture to a boil;  reduce heat and cook until desired thickness.  Serve with turkey.  

"Perfectly Golden Brown!"

"Sliced and ready for Thanksgiving dinner."

Homemade Turkey or Chicken Stock

"This stock is so easy to make and adds such delicious homemade flavor to any of your recipes."

Turkey or chicken carcass

2-3 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

2-3 celery stalks, cut into large chunks

1 large onion, cut into wedges

2-3 whole garlic cloves, peeled

salt and pepper, desired amount

 

In a large stockpot, place all ingredients.  Cover with water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium high and cook for 1 to 1-1/2 hours.*  Strain and discard solids.  Cool and refrigerate until ready to use in any soup recipe or in any recipe that calls for chicken or turkey stock.    

 

*TIP:  The longer you cook the stock, the more intense the flavor will be.

Ham & Three Cheese Panini

"This sandwich is so yummy!  It has layers of creamy Dijon sauce, sliced brown sugar ham and three kinds of ooey-gooey cheese!" 

2 slices of sourdough bread or other sliced bread

Desired amount of deli sliced brown sugar ham or your favorite sliced ham

Desired amount of thinly sliced cheddar, Swiss and American cheese or 3 kinds of your favorite cheeses

mayonnaise, desired amount

Dijon mustard, desired amount

margarine

 

To make sauce, mix together mayonnaise and Dijon mustard.  (I didn't give measurements for the mayo and mustard because you can make it to your family's taste.  We add quite a lot of  Dijon, because we like it spicy!)  Spread margarine on one side of each slice of bread.  (The margarine allows the outside of the sandwich to get toasty and brown.)  Layer ham, cheeses and Dijon sauce in between the two slices of bread, making sure that the margarine is on the outside of the sandwich.  Cook sandwich on a panini press, sandwich maker or in a saute pan until ham is warmed through and cheese is melted.  Serve with soup or your favorite chips.