Roast Turkey Breast

Turkey is one of those menu items that many people only prepare for the holidays. But there’s no reason not to serve this delicious bird any time of year! By only cooking half a breast, you will have enough to serve sliced turkey for dinner (with pan gravy, biscuits, mashed potatoes and peas) or for lunch (diced in salads, shredded in wraps or layered in sandwiches). By preparing the bird yourself, you control the amount of salt used and deliver a fresher product than what you will likely buy at your grocer’s deli counter.

PREP: 10 minutes
COOK: 30—45 minutes + 15 minutes rest time

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bone-in, skin-on turkey breast half (about 2 1/2 pounds)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Rinse turkey and pat dry with paper towels. Stir together oil, salt and pepper; brush over turkey.
2. Roast turkey on a rimmed baking sheet until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reaches 140°F and climbing, about 30 minutes. Let rest for at least 15 minutes. Slice turkey as needed.

TIPS: If using a boneless turkey breast half, the cook time will increase by about 10 minutes. The pan drippings may be used in any number of ways, from making gravy, to drizzling over sandwich bread for turkey sandwiches, or used in a turkey-corn salad as an extra dollop of flavor.

YIELDS: 6 to 8 servings

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