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No Bones About It

By: The editors of Relish magazine

When you don’t want to wrestle a big bird, make turkey breast instead. Pick up two boneless turkey breast halves (with the skin on), cut pockets into them, and pile in the stuffing. You’ll still get plenty of servings—as with this recipe that serves 16. If you have a smaller crowd for Thanksgiving, make just one and bake the remaining stuffing in a pan.

To make the pocket for the stuffing, use a thin, sharp knife to cut a slit into the thickest part of the turkey breast. Stuff the spinach-
sausage mixture inside and press gently. Then tie with kitchen twine and you’re ready to bake.

Turkey Breast Stuffed with Sausage, Garlic and Spinach 

A savory stuffing mix—sausage, onion and spinach—is baked right side the turkey breast, where it soaks up the meat juices.

1 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups 1/2-inch bread cubes

1 (10-ounce) box frozen spinach, thawed and

squeezed dry

1/2 to 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1  egg

2  boneless turkey breast halves, about 2 pounds each

Olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. In a large skillet, cook sausage, onion, fennel seeds and garlic until sausage is no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Combine sausage mixture with bread cubes, spinach, broth and egg, mixing well. Let cool.

3. Make a large pocket-like slit in turkey breast half.

4. Spoon in about half the spinach mixture. Tie with
kitchen twine. Brush with oil. Sprinkle with half the salt
and pepper. Place in a roasting pan. Repeat with remaining turkey, stuffing, salt and pepper or if roasting only one breast, place remaining spinach mixture in a greased baking dish.

4. Bake turkey breasts (and extra stuffing) 35 to 45 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 160F. Let stand 10 minutes. Remove twine, slice turkey and serve hot or room temperature. Spoon pan juices over sliced turkey. Serve extra stuffing on the side.

Serves 16.

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