This week started right on track, and I love it. I was able to sit down on Sunday afternoon and create a simple menu plan for our family meals. I made a list and went shopping and have truly appreciated how much time and money has been saved simply because I planned. I know that to keep my focus word for 2013 forefront, planning is going to be essential. Hopefully I can hold on to this feeling of “having my stuff together” so I can stay motivated to continue on the right track.
Over the weekend I read Amy Allen Clark’s new book “The Good Life for Less: Giving Your Family Great Meals, Good Times, and a Happy Home on a Budget“. Amy is one of those people I have always truly admired and I’m happy to call her a friend. Her book has some serious “ah-ha” moments for me… like the feature recipe for this post. Amy suggested buying a turkey breast and roasting it for lunch meat and meals instead of buying packaged lunch meat. It usually tastes better and it’s oh so easy! Why didn’t I think of this before?
So, I roasted a turkey this week…much to all the hubabaloo at Thanksgiving time about the horrors that go along with roasting a turkey, I’ve always had really good luck roasting turkey. And roasting a turkey breast is a lot easier than roasting a full turkey. If you are looking for a way to simplify mealtime, roasting a turkey breast during your week is a great way to go. (And if you’re wanting to simplify it even more, my friend Oh Sweet Basil shows you how to do an Instant Pot Turkey!)
Once your turkey is roasted, you can simply slice it and serve it as the main course for dinner. We served ours along side some Zatarain’s Dirty Brown Rice and a salad. You can also shake things up some and include turkey in a wrap like Amy from She Wears Many Hats does, in a soup like Deborah from Taste and Tell does, or sandwiches like Liz from The Lemon Bowl and Kathy from Panini Happy share on their sites. At Mom Advice, Amy gives great advice on how to freeze turkey once it’s cooked so it stays moist.
Roasting a turkey is my new way to simplify mealtime, and with Zatarain’s Big & Zesty seasoning and some additional broth, it was full of flavor and as easy as can be.
What’s one of your favorite ways to simplify mealtime?
Oven Roast Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 1 6- pound bone-in turkey breast
- 1 1/2 cups chicken or turkey broth
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 4 Tablespoons Zatarain's Big & Zesty Garlic and Herb Seasoning
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°
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Pour broth into a medium sized roasting pan
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Rinse the turkey breast well under cold water then pat dry using paper towels
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Place the turkey in the roasting pan. Rub with olive oil and then the Zatarain's Big & Zesty seasoning
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Place in the oven and roast for approximately 2 hours. Turkey is done when a meat thermometer inserted into the breast reads 160°.
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Remove from the oven and allow to rest 15 minutes before removing the skin and carving.
Recipe Notes
If broth evaporates during cooking, add additional broth to the pan, 1/2 cup at a time. Adjust cooking time based on size of turkey used.
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First, I need to read that book. Second, I am not a big fan of sandwich meat and love the idea of roasting larger cuts of meat for sandwiches. We did it recently with a pork roast but I always forget about the poor little turkey. Love the idea of just roasting a breast as well, my favorite cut. Thanks for sharing my sandwich recipe. xo
May I hire you for PR for my book? You are seriously the best, Kristen! Thank you so much for sharing about my book and I can’t wait to spice up my turkey like you did here! It sounds absolutely perfect.
I love your word this year and your focus. I am trying to get back to the basics of cooking a bit too. Sometimes I feel like I do things that I think will be pin-worthy, rather than the basics of what our family actually loves to eat. 🙂 Thank you for reminding me of that.
Again, thank you for featuring my book in your post- you are such a wonderful person and I am so lucky to call you my friend!! xo
I’ve always considered by just a turkey breast for meals, but never have. But I love simple meals like this…it’s proof that you can cook a beautiful dinner and it doesn’t have to be complicated. Haven’t heard of this cookbook either, thank you for sharing it!
About 12 years ago, my hubby and I raised turkeys. We had a small hobby farm and at different times had different animals. We originally got 10 chicks because typically you lose about 40% (or 4-5 chicks). We lost one and ended up with 9 full grown turkeys in the fall. Before we ventured into this project, we found a place we could have them butchered and dressed. The shop went out of business 3 weeks before we called to schedule. It took us another couple of weeks to locate another place and the turkeys got soooo big. Dressed out, the smallest was 32 lbs, the largest was 46 lbs. The big one took 15 hours to roast, we had to create a make-shift pan out of the multiple disposable turkey pans to fit it and had to continually take juice out so it didn’t over flow. Nevermind that I had to squeeze it into the oven.
All that to tell you that we ate a lot of turkey over an 18 month period. I put turkey in about every thing I could think of.
It was THE BEST turkey I’ve every had, moist and flavorful. 🙂
Your recipe sounds very good!
I absolutely need to read Amy’s book! (Headed off to Amazon now to take care of that!)
And this turkey breast? My family would absolutely love it. Perfect to cook ahead for sandwiches, salads, and all sorts of other things during the week.
Sooooo many great uses for a delicious turkey breast like this!
What a great idea!! I am going to look for turkey on sale throughout the year so I can stock up! 🙂
If I manage to plan ahead, that makes mealtime so much simpler for me… but, when I don’t have a plan, I fall back on my go-to meals… southwestern chicken wraps or baked chicken with a side of mushroom barley.
I am taking Amy’s book on our vacation. Can’t wait to read it! Great recipe!
We always forget about the ease of a turkey breast and it is always so much tastier than deli meat. I need to put this on our meal plan to do this next week. Leftovers would be great for a hearty and healthy soup too.
I have never cooked a turkey breast at home. You’ve inspired me to give it a try! This sounds wonderful!
This is such a great idea! You’re right…freshly roasted turkey breast tastes so much better than deli meat, and you show just how easy it can be.
This really is such a great idea, and so simple! My husband loves his turkey, and the store bought lunch meat is just not as good as fresh sliced turkey. So glad I found this. 🙂
I can say that the last couple of years with my boyfriend and I both in school, and on a major tight budget I roast my own meats too! Although I did it for money and also the health factor, it is so much healthier without the added ingredients and preservatives. I also purchased, recently, a Food Saver. It’s on sale at Costco right now. I roast a huge turkey, slice the meat, and what I know I won’t use, I freeze in the air tight food saver bag so it will last longer. The Food Saver literally saves so much food and time. I make big batches of food and freeze to save me time.
We also do this in my Culinary school, since we make so much food that we don’t want to waste. There is always a meal for students and chef instructors in the walk in.
I always buy the turkey breasts around Thanksgiving when they are on sale. My husband and I are both white meat snobs (I’ve tried to like dark poultry meat but just can’t it gags me – probably psychological but still…)
One way I like to simplify dinner is to cook an item one night and then use it the next in a more complicated dish. (For example, last night I made chili so tonight I can use it in Navajo Tacos.)
I started writing weekly menu plans a couple years ago – saved me! Yes, it makes life simpler as well it helps you save $$$ at the grocery store. I have a friend who roasts turkey breasts when they are hunkering for comfort food. Such a great idea. I have brined turkey breasts, and they come out so moist!
Looking forward to learning more of your simple tricks this year!
Roasted turkey is always makes a a great dinner with wonderful leftovers.
I’m all about weekly menu planning AND freezer meal cooking! Love doing that …
I absolutely love this fresh, simple (in a good way!) approach to food. Yum!
My son was diagnosed with high blood pressure at 16 and put on a low sodium diet. We roasted turkey breast for his sandwich meat and it was so good. We did not use salt or any seasoning and it came out so moist and tasty. When you give up the salt, you really start to taste the food. We love Zatarain’s around here – I live in South Louisiana and grew up with them.