Saturday Night Roast

I've had a huge turkey breast haunting the back of my freezer for a couple of months now and bags of stuffing mix from last Thanksgiving threatening expiration in my cabinets. Together they made a homey and comforting dinner. Yum!

Turkey Roulade with Mushroom Leek Stuffing

3 Tbsp. butter
2 portobello mushrooms, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cups thinly sliced leeks
1/2 cup dry marsala wine
4 cups beef stock
2/3 cup dried cranberries
1 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. italian seasoning
fresh herbs such as sage, thyme and rosemary, chopped
1 lb. stuffing croutons - bagged or homemade
1 apple, peeled and chopped
2/3 cup crumbled chestnuts


1 large turkey breast (4-5 lbs), butterflied
1/2 lb. center cut bacon

Melt butter in a large saucepan or small stockpot over medium high heat. Sweat onion, leeks and mushrooms until most of their liquid is released. When pan starts to dry and bits of vegetables start to stick, deglaze with marsala. Add beef stock, cranberries and seasonings and bring to a simmer. Turn off heat and mix in croutons, apple and chestnuts. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.



To assemble the roulade: On a sheet of plastic wrap, pound the butterflied turkey breast as needed to achieve an even thickness. Remove turkey breast to the side and lay down bacon strips, slightly overlapping the edges. Replace turkey on top of bacon and press on a layer of stuffing up to within an inch of the edge of the turkey breast- about 1/2 inch thick. Using the plastic wrap to help keep everything neat, carefully roll the turkey breast up, starting with the smallest end (not covered by bacon). The bacon should form a "skin" around the turkey. This keeps the meat very moist.



Turn the rest of the stuffing out into a baking dish. Roast the turkey until a thermometer inserted into the deepest part of the roast reads 120, then put the stuffing in the oven too. Continue roasting until the thermometer reads 160 degrees. If the bacon is not crispy, finish it under a broiler (remove the stuffing from the oven first).