The ideal holiday Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner for two is a juicy, tender boneless white breast turkey roast that is crusted with fresh herbs and olive oil and roasted to perfection!
Our nest is getting smaller and smaller, and as the kids are splitting their holiday celebrations between families and going here and there for the holidays, it occurred to me that maybe there are other people in similar situations to us. A smaller gathering for the Holidays.
When there won’t be many people around to help devour that big, yellow bird (sorry to all the kids who are now suffering from visions of that big, yellow bird being roasted!), no one wants to prepare a huge turkey dinner. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy all the tastes, scents, and flavors of the holidays just because you don’t want to cook a big turkey dinner and eat leftovers for the next two weeks!
Butterball makes a delicious little 3 pound Turkey Roast. I found mine at Walmart, but I’m sure your neighborhood grocery store carries them as well. There are several varieties, from an all-white meat Turkey Breast Roast, which I used to make this recipe, to a mixed roast with both dark and white meat!
It’s a quick and easy turkey roast recipe loaded with flavor. Perfect for a small gathering.
I used fresh herbs and garlic to flavor this roast. It cooks in about an hour and half. I’m super excited to share this recipe with y’all! It’s so good!.
The ideal holiday Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner for two is a juicy, tender boneless white breast turkey roast that is crusted with fresh herbs and olive oil and roasted to perfection!
If you don’t have any fresh herbs, you can rub a roast with a mixture of 1/2 teaspoon sage and 1/2 teaspoon rosemary mixed with olive oil.
A boneless turkey breast is a great option for smaller celebrations, Friendsgiving, cozy holidays, Thanksgiving with fewer meat eaters, or even a weeknight meal. It is simple to prepare, without the fuss of a full turkey. But do you cook it with the netting on?
The answer is yes, you should leave the netting on when cooking a boneless turkey breast. The netting helps to keep the shape of the turkey and prevents it from drying out. It also makes it easier to carve the turkey once it is cooked.
Here are some additional tips for cooking a boneless turkey breast with netting:
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove the turkey breast from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. This will help the turkey cook more evenly.
- Place the turkey breast on a roasting rack in a shallow rimmed baking sheet. This will allow the turkey to brown on all sides.
- Baste the turkey with the marinade or butter every 30 minutes. This will help to keep the turkey moist.
- Cook the turkey for about 2 hours, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Let the turkey rest for 10 minutes before carving. This will allow the juices to redistribute.
Once the turkey is cooked, you can remove the netting. To do this, simply cut the netting with a pair of kitchen shears.
Here are some additional tips for carving a boneless turkey breast:
- Use a sharp knife.
- Start by cutting off the wings and legs.
- Then, slice the breast into thin slices.
- Serve the turkey with your favorite sides.
Cooking a boneless turkey breast with netting is a simple and easy way to prepare a delicious and moist turkey. By following the tips above, you can ensure that your turkey is cooked to perfection.
Additional Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I cook a boneless turkey breast without netting?
A: Yes, you can cook a boneless turkey breast without netting. However, the netting will help to keep the shape of the turkey and prevent it from drying out.
Q: How long do I cook a boneless turkey breast?
A: Cook the turkey for about 2 hours, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 165 degrees Fahrenheit
Q: What should I serve with a boneless turkey breast?
A: Serve the turkey with your favorite sides, such as mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, and cranberry sauce.
Q: Can I use a different marinade or butter?
A: Yes, you can use any marinade or butter that you like.
Q: Can I cook a boneless turkey breast in a slow cooker?
A: Yes, you can cook a boneless turkey breast in a slow cooker. Cook the turkey on low for 6-8 hours, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Q: Can I freeze a boneless turkey breast?
A: Yes, you can freeze a boneless turkey breast. Wrap the turkey tightly in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. Freeze the turkey for up to 3 months.
Cooking a boneless turkey breast is a simple and easy way to prepare a delicious and moist turkey. By following the tips above, you can ensure that your turkey is cooked to perfection.
How To Make An Easy Holiday Meal For Two
Begin by preheating your oven to 325° and placing the rack in the center of the oven.
A turkey roast comes wrapped in netting and ready to roast. We’re just going to make a few adjustments to kick it up with flavor.
As previously mentioned, I used a roast of breast meat, but you can use any kind of turkey roast that you like. Because dark meat takes longer to cook, the one with dark meat will be more flavorful and juicer, but it may also need to cook for a little while longer. Be sure to check the cook times on the back of the package.
Rinse the roast and pat dry with paper towels. Do NOT remove the netting. The netting holds the Turkey Roast together during cooking. It will be removed after the roast has been cooked.
Cut deep, 1-inch incisions between the netting over the top of the turkey roast with a sharp kitchen knife. About 6–8 cuts.
Insert the garlic cloves into the slits and press down until they are level with the roast’s flesh.
TIP: If your cloves of garlic are large, you can cut them in half.
Drizzle 2 1/2 Tablespoons of olive oil over the top of the roast. Rub the olive oil over the entire roast.
Salt and Pepper the top of the roast to taste. I used about 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper. Strip the leaves off a sprig of Rosemary and sprinkle over the top of the roast. Top off with 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh sage!.
Drizzle with the remaining 1/2 Tablespoon of Olive Oil. Place the roast into a small roasting pan on a roasting rack. Pour 1/2 cup Apple Juice and 1/2 cup water into the bottom of a roasting pan.
TIP: If you don’t have any fresh herbs, you can still add any extra herbs, 1/2 teaspoon of crushed dried rosemary, and 1/2 teaspoon of dried sage to the olive oil and brush them over the top of the roast.
Cover the pan with foil. Place the roast into preheated 325° oven. Bake for 1 hour and remove the foil. Bake for an additional 30–40 minutes until the top is golden brown and a meat thermometer reads 175°.
Remove roast from the oven. Place roast on foil and drizzle with the drippings from the bottom of the pan. Those apple cider dripping are loaded with flavor!.
Wrap the roast in foil and allow it to rest 10 minutes. (You’re gonna need the rest too…but you have to make the gravy! Sorry!).
It’s ideal to prepare the gravy packet that comes with the roast while it’s resting. This is optional, but it does add to the meal. What’s Thanksgiving without gravy?!.
A small gravy tip: Use 3/4 cup chicken broth and 1/4 cup white wine in place of the 1 1/2 cups of water specified on the package. I also recommend adding about 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning to kick it up a bit.
Removing the netting and carve the Turkey Roast into 1/4 inch slices. This roast carves easily and beautifully. It’s tender and juicy. So tender it cuts with a fork. Honestly I didn’t even need a knife to cut my slices at the dinner table.
Place the sliced roast on a serving platter. I used a small 11 x 14 size platter I found while shopping a few years ago. It worked beautifully for this dish.
I sandwiched this succulent roast between stuffing on one side and roasted butternut squash with fresh apples and cranberries on the other. (I swear that roast actually grinned at me! It was in good company!) For convenience, I made the stuffing on the stovetop, but you could definitely make it from scratch.
This is the perfect Turkey Holiday Dinner for two!
As this dinner was cooking my husband said “It smells like Christmas in here!”. We made little pigs out of ourselves. I don’t know what more you could ask for, other than the fact that everything tastes amazing, which it does! It’s so good and perfect for a small gathering.
This simple dinner full of all the flavors of Fall and the Holidays only needs some dinner rolls. What’s a Thanksgiving meal without the dinner rolls? (Every child will tell you “nothing”!).
I recommend my wonderful “Homemade Pan dinner rolls” to go along with this meal. They can be made ahead of time and reheated making this an even easier Full Turkey Dinner option!.
Honestly what I L. O. V. E. about this meal is…you don’t feel like you’ve been drug through a knothole when the meal is over. It’s so simple to prepare.
I am so excited to share with you all the delectable and simple recipe for Roast Butternut and Apple Medley! It is the ideal rustic side dish to pair with this roast, and you will be in awe of it!
