Well, the kids are settling in at school now, and that means Thanksgiving is right around the corner! I always look forward to spending time and making memories with my family every Thanksgiving, even though I dread all the food prep and cooking and washing up to come. Like many families, turkey will be the centrepiece of our traditional Thanksgiving meal. Whether you’re a novice cook or a seasoned pro in the kitchen, Canadian turkey can help you create a Thanksgiving meal to remember.
If you’ve never roasted a whole turkey before (or you need a refresher), Canadian Turkey’s Whole Bird Turkey Calculator will help you figure out what size you need, thawing time, and cooking time. Then check out their Turkey Basics for step-by-step videos that will break down all the basics like how to buy, thaw, stuff, roast, and carve so you can master all the steps needed to make your perfect roast Thanksgiving bird. You might be surprised at how simple it can be!
I have to admit I’m partial to having a whole roast turkey on the table. Because leftovers, of course. Turkey sandwiches, turkey soup, turkey salad… yum! More turkey for my family, less cooking for me! If you need some ideas for all the delicious things you can make with your leftovers this year, check out Canadian Turkey’s Leftovers recipes for inspiration. Nothing boring about leftovers anymore!
But families today come in all shapes and sizes, and I love how many different ways there are to prepare a celebratory turkey dinner that will fit your needs. For a family of four, you could try roasting a half turkey instead. It’s just as delicious and festive as a whole bird, but half the size.
Or maybe you’re planning a smaller meal and need some inspiration. Check out this Sundried Tomato & Greens Stuffed Turkey Breast Roast recipe. Served with some new potatoes and veggies on the side, this creative and healthy dish will make a gorgeous Thanksgiving feast on a smaller scale.
Sundried Tomato & Greens Stuffed Turkey Breast Roast
Ingredients
- 3-4 lbs. large boneless Canadian turkey breast
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 1 cup breadcrumbs can use gluten-free
- 2 heads rapini
- 12-15 sundried tomatoes diced
- 3 garlic cloves sliced thinly
- 2 eggs beaten
- 3 tbsp. Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup toasted pine nuts
- ½ cup white wine
- ½ tsp. each ground rosemary sage and thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash the rapini and trim the stems.
- Heat a large pot of salted water until boiling. Add the rapini and boil for 5 minutes until they are tender and cooked through. Drain and set aside to cool. Once the rapini have cooled, chop roughly.
- Butterfly the turkey breast. To butterfly, turn the turkey breast over, skin side down and lay it flat on your cutting board. Using a sharp knife, position it parallel to the meat. Cut through the thickest part of the breast along the full length of the breast but not all the way through, leaving about ¾ of an inch intact. Unfold so the meat opens like a book. Cover with plastic wrap and pound any thick areas with a meat mallet until the breast is fairly even in thickness.
- Season the turkey breast with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with herbs.
- Heat olive oil in a non-stick fry pan over medium heat. Add rapini, salt and pepper to taste and garlic. Sauté for 2-4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
- To make the stuffing, add sundried tomatoes, rapini, bread crumbs, pine nuts, parmesan cheese and eggs to a bowl and mix to combine.
- Spread stuffing mixture evenly across turkey breast. Roll up into a roast and tie with butcher's twine to secure.
- Place roast and wine in a roasting pan. Roast in the oven at 350°F for 1 hr.–1¼ hr. until the roast is cooked through and a meat thermometer reads 165°F (74°C).
- Rest for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
5 Ways to Master Thanksgiving Prep and Planning
Believe me, I know that prepping a full Thanksgiving meal takes a lot of time and preparation! That’s why I’m sharing these tips from Canadian Turkey for making your day a little less stressful and giving you more time with the family.
- Get a head start on your meal! You can prep all of your staples like onions, celery and carrots up to 3 days beforehand. Dice and store in storage bags. Green beans, squash and salad greens can be washed, trimmed, and chopped beforehand. Store these in storage bags for ready-to-cook sides.
- For a large, crowd consider serving a buffet-style meal. Spread your dishes out in the kitchen or dining room and let people self-serve and mingle while they eat for an easier-to-serve, fun meal with a casual feel.
- To cut down on cooking time, cook your stuffing on the side. This way you can get more of your favourite crunchy bits while cutting down on cooking time in the oven.
- Plan ahead and make a ‘smart’ shopping list. Organize it by staples you can buy in advance and perishables you need to buy a few days before, then organize according to sections of the grocery store. This will make grocery shopping a breeze and save you precious time.
- Look for make-ahead sides that you can make a day or two beforehand and taste delicious re-heated. Bookmark Canadian Turkey‘s website full of delicious and reliable turkey recipes and resources so you’re ready for the big day!
Turkey makes Thanksgiving simple and delicious. Visit Canadian Turkey to find the perfect recipe to create your Thanksgiving tradition!
Win a $75 Gift Card from The Bay/Home Outfitters
One lucky reader will win a $75 e-gift card redeemable at The Bay, Home Outfitters, or thebay.com to help you create your Thanksgiving tradition! Enter to win in the giveaway widget below. This giveaway is open to residents of Canada, 18+. All entries will be verified.
Click here to check out my other open giveaways and be sure to like me on Facebook!
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Canadian Turkey. Nevertheless, all opinions expressed are completely honest and my own. Your experience may differ.
Would like to try BBQ Bacon Wrapped Turkey Medallions w/Grilled Peach Salsa to help create our Thanksgiving tradition.
I luv to try Turkey Quesadillas.
We’d love to try the Piri Piri Grilled Turkey Drummettes
I would love to try The Turkey Quesadillas
I think the SUNDRIED TOMATO & GREENS STUFFED TURKEY BREAST ROAST would make a great Thanksgiving dish
I would like to make Cheddar Smokey Turkey Lentil Burgers, We like to camp that weekend and these would be perfect
It’s only the three of us this year, so I’m going to try something different, and the beer can turkey looks perfect! I can’t wait to try it!
The Grilled Herbes de Provence Turkey (Beer Can Turkey) sounds like it produces a nice juicy bird, will give it a try.
I am going to try brining my turkey this year, it will be my first time.
I would choose Turkey Tortilla Pie to be on Thanksgiving table.
I think that the cedar plank grilled turkey breast roast would be an interesting recipe to try for Thanksgiving. Lots of great sounding recipes on that site, thanks for sharing, and thanks for the chance to win too! 🙂
Turkey quesadilla would be a bit hit with my family!
My choice is the Grilled Turkey and Summer Vegetable Salad recipe.
The first dish I’d make is Cold Turkey, broccoli and Tahini Salad
I’d like to try the Coconut Lime Grilled Turkey Noodle Bowl, it would make a lighter change from turkey with all the trimmings.
I would like to learn how to roast one as I’m hosting thanksgiving and Christmas this year lol.
THE ASPARAGUS AND SWISS CHEESE STUFFED TURKEY CUTLETS SOUNDS LIKE A NEW FAMILY RECIPE
I would like to try the FLAVOUR-PACKED TURKEY LENTIL RAGU, it sounds yummy.
I like spicy, robust flavours, so the Piri Piri Grilled Turkey Drumettes look awesome and a great addition to my Thanksgiving meal!
The Spiced Thanksgiving Turkey with Turkey Chorizo Stuffing would make a nice change for Thanksgiving.
The Chimichurri Turkey Breast on the Grill would be great for Thanksgiving.
I would make the classic day after thanksgiving open faced turkey sandwich! My favorite time of year!
Sundried Tomato & Greens Stuffed Turkey Breast Roast would be an amazing dish to add into our Thanksgiving dishes
I would try the grilled herbes de provence turkey
I’ve never cooked my own turkey, so I’m going to use the Roasting a Whole Turkey Recipe and the cooking calculator from the site. Thanks!
I would like to try the GRILLED TURKEY PANZANELLA SALAD.
Stuffing is a must on Thanksgiving, and I love trying new stuffing recipes so I’d love to try the Turkey Cranberry & Hazelnut Stuffing one.
We will be enjoying a turkey taco bar sometime over the weekend. http://www.canadianturkey.ca/recipes/family-style-grilled-turkey-taco-bar/
beer can turkey for sure
Roasted whole turkey
I would choose the “Cheddar Smokey Turkey Lentil Burgers”.
I will be using the sundried tomato and greens stuffed turkey breast recipe to create my Thanksgiving tradition???? Looks yummy
I would choose open-faced turkey sandwiches with left-over turkey and gravy. Yum!!
BBQ Bacon wrapped Turkey medallions, with grilled peach salsa.. that sounds utterly incredible!
BBQ BACON WRAPPED TURKEY MEDALLIONS W/GRILLED PEACH SALSA sounds so delicious and refreshing. Perfect for any time of year. Turkey is not just for holidays anymore.
The THANKSGIVING PIZZA WITH SMOKED GOUDA sounds delicious and the perfect addition for Thanksgiving!
This looks delicious! Thank you for this giveaway! Love the turkey roll and so will my family!
The Thanksgiving Turkey with Fig & Walnut Dressing would be excellent for me to try this year!
This year I’ll be serving the Maple-Thyme Basted Roast Turkey. It’s a nice spin on traditional turkey, and with the maple flavour, very Canadiana.
I think the Beer Can Turkey looks soooo good-love to try it out and see how it tastes!
I would love to try the recipe for Cheddar Smokey Turkey Lentil Burgers. I love both turkey and lentils -should make a tasty combination!
I’d like to try the Hearty Turkey Lentil Breakfast Bowl, for brunch!
My Kids would like the turkey quesadillas. Great sites
The Classic Turkey Sausage Stuffing would be the perfect accompaniment to our Thanksgiving table & become a new tradition!
I can’t wait to try beer can turkey!
The sausage & pistachio stuffed Turkey Breast will be a hit with my family!
Beer can turkey
Dessert I would serve would be pumpkin pie cheesecake
Sausage and Pistachio Stuffed Turkey Breast Roast sound delicious.
I would love to try the beer can turkey!