Spiced turkey breasts

Roasting a big bird can be daunting, so try turkey breasts instead for the quickest Christmas main you've ever made

By Monda Rosenberg and Victoria Walsh

First published in Chatelaine.com's December 2009 issue

Preparation time 10 minutes
Roasting time 1 hour 30 minutes
Makes 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients:

1/4 cup (50 mL) butter, melted
2 tsp (10 mL) regular or chipotle Tabasco
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
2 boneless turkey breasts, each about 11/2 to 2 lb (750 g to 1 kg), preferably skin-on
Sausage and raisin stuffing (see database)

Nutrients per serving (without stuffing)

38 g protein
25 g fat
37 g carbohydrates
4 g fibre
85 mg calcium
526 calories

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). In a small bowl, stir butter with Tabasco and salt. If roasting turkey over stuffing, turn our sausage and raisin stuffing (see recipe in database) into a 9 × 13-in. (3-L) baking dish. Spread out evenly in the pan. Place the turkey breasts overtop. If breasts have skin, pull skin over each breast so it covers as much of the meat as possible. Generously brush with butter mixture. Cover any exposed stuffing with pieces of foil to prevent it from drying out.

2. Roast in centre of preheated oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 170°F (77°C), from 1½ to 2 hours. Baste occasionally with any remaining butter mixture for the first hour of roasting. When turkey is done, if skin is not golden, turn the temperature up to 425°F (220°C). Continue to roast until golden brown, about 5 min. Remove turkey to a cutting board. Loosely cover with foil and let stand for 5 min. Cut into thin slices. Serve with stuffing.

First published in Chatelaine.com's December 2009 issue