GUYS. THE TURKEY. It’s the main act – the centerpiece – the one food item on which the entire Thanksgiving holiday revolves around. So it’s like, kind of a big deal. Whether you’re having 4 or 40 for dinner, you NEED to have enough Turkey to go around. Even though there are some insanely large birds out there, there’s really only so much meat that you can get off of Tom. And the last thing that you want is your guests with their empty dinner plates surrounding an even emptier turkey platter looking at you for answers.
That’s why preparing an additional turkey breast or two, which is primarily all meat, is a great option. Oh but wait – where in the world does this turkey breast go? Next to the large bird that 1) is occupying your entire oven and 2) needs to cook all morning/afternoon?
You put it in your crock pot – and you dress it with this amazing combo of herbs, spices and wine from my girl Ina and you set it and forget it. Literally. 3 hours on low in the crock pot was perfect. And the best part about preparing it in the crock pot is that it’s virtually impossible to overcook it, as is often not the case with a full sized turkey.
ITS A THANKSGIVING MIRACLE!
- 1 - 3lb bone-in turkey breast
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 2 large or 3 small cloves)
- 2 teaspoons dry mustard
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (juice of 1 large lemon)
- 1 cup dry white wine (I used pinot grigio)
- In a small bowl, combine the garlic, mustard, herbs, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice to make a paste. Loosen the skin from the turkey breast by gently rubbing your fingers in between the skin and the breast. Rub half of the paste directly onto the meat and then spread the remaining paste evenly over the skin. Pour the wine into the bottom of the crock pot dish.
- Cook turkey breast on low for 3 hours, basting with juices occassionally (I did this once or twice).
- After 3 hours, let the turkey sit for 5-10 minutes, and then slice the meat off of the bone. Serve hot.
- *More than likely you'll be using a larger turkey breast if you're hosting Thanksgiving dinner. A lot are around 6-7 pounds, which in that case, simply just double the ingredients for the paste/wine as well as the cook time. It's always a good idea to test your meat with a thermometer to make sure it's fully cooked.