I’m already planning my holiday entrée’s for this year’s gatherings. When every seat at the table is full, the menu preparations are all the more important. If you’re from the South, you’re sure to make enough food for everyone to be able to go back for seconds and take home enough leftovers to feed them for the next week. No matter the number of guests or the number of different side items you prepare, the entrée should be the star of the meal. This Butternut Squash, Cranberry, and Pecan Stuffed Turkey Breasts recipe, from Cooking with Paula Deen’s December issue, will definitely steal the show at your table. The turkey breast is rolled with cornbread stuffing enhanced with butternut squash, cranberries, and pecans to complement the flavor of the turkey. Add a few simple sides to make it a complete meal, and enjoy a satisfying, mouthwatering dinner.
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1½ cups diced peeled butternut squash
- ½ cup fresh cranberries
- 1½ tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- Cornbread Stuffing (We used the recipe in Cooking with Paula Deen December issue pg. 44)
- 2 boneless skinless turkey breasts
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1. Preheat oven to 325°. Line a roasting pan with foil.
- 2. In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add squash, cranberries, sage, and maple syrup; cook, stirring occasionally, until squash is crisp-tender, about 10 minutes. In a large bowl, stir together squash mixture, pecans, and Cornbread Stuffing.
- 3. Make a lengthwise cut into the thick side of turkey breasts, cutting to but not through opposite side; unfold. Place turkey breasts between sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet or a rolling pin, flatten to ½-inch thickness.
- 4. Spread stuffing mixture onto meat, leaving a ½-inch border. Starting at one long side, roll up meat and stuffing. Tie turkey together at 1-inch intervals with butcher’s twine. Brush with oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place seam side down in prepared pan.
- 5. Bake until a meat thermometer inserted in thickest portion registers 165°, 75 to 90 minutes. Loosely cover with foil, and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
What are you cooking for the Holidays?
