Rolled Stuffed Turkey Breasts

Whether you’re looking for something new to serve up this holiday, or just a fantastic meal idea, this recipe is a great alternative the whole roasted turkey. The turkey breasts are filled with a savory stuffing of bacon, mortadella and thyme, and rolled before roasting. During roasting, the stuffing will absorb the flavorful juices from the turkey. The sweet, tangy garnish of chestnut and cranberries will enhance the dish for a total crowd pleaser.

Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com

Ingredients list for the Rolled Stuffed Turkey Breasts

• 4 turkey breasts (about 1 lb – 500g). Have them butterflied by your butcher, or you can flatten them at home.
• 2 1/2 oz (70g) bacon, sliced into thin strips
• 5 thin slices of mortadella
• 4 slices of bread
• About 30 cooked chestnuts (canned chestnut is fine)
• 2 cups dried cranberries
• Butter, olive oil, milk, thyme, salt and pepper

Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com

Photo credit: © Eatwell101.comPhoto credit: © Eatwell101.com

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 360°F (180°C). Cut the bread into cubes and sprinkle a bit of milk. Brown the pancetta or bacon in a skillet. Add bread to color and saute for a few minutes. Put everything in a blender with mortadella, a few chestnuts, a pinch of thyme, pepper and pulse to obtain a kind of coarse paste. Add a few drops of milk if necessary. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

2. Place 1 butterflied turkey breast on a work surface, and season with salt and pepper. Mound 3 cups of the stuffing in the center, leaving a 1-inch border on each long side. Fold the long side nearest you over the stuffing to enclose, gently pressing on the filling, then roll to form a cylinder. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 20 minutes, or several hours.

3. When ready, rub the outside of the turkey breast with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper then wrap loosely in parchment paper. Repeat with the other turkey breast halves.

4. Roast for 15 minutes, then remove turkey rolls from parchment paper. Collect the juice and roast for another 15 minutes or more, until golden and cooked through.

5. Meanwhile, melt a good knob of butter and cook chestnuts with a bit of turkey juice and dried cranberries. Season wit salt and pepper, add water if necessary.

6. Transfer the turkey breasts to a carving board, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the juices to reflow and tenderize the meat. Serve immediately with the chestnut and cranberries garnish.

Note: You can make the stuffing in advance or even make the rolls the day before and cook at the last minute.