Thanksgiving Turkey Roulade is an impressive alternative to the giant Thanksgiving bird. Sweet and savory filling surrounded by juicy turkey is a wonderful centerpiece for a more intimate holiday meal.
The holiday season is upon us once again. It’s the time of year that we begin to contemplate just what will be gracing the table and no dish is as important as the turkey.
But a giant turkey is sometimes much more of a hassle than it’s worth. Maybe you’ve only got one small refrigerator, maybe you only have a handful of people coming over. Maybe no one like the dark meat. Whatever the reason, sometimes you want to make a smaller version of the iconic holiday turkey.
Enter this Thanksgiving Turkey Roulade.
It doesn’t have to be done for just Thanksgiving. Any holiday will do.
It takes a bit of time to put together (but not as much as you would think), but it leaves you with a deliciously different turkey dish that leaves plenty of room in your fridge for the rest of your dinner.
How to Butterfly Turkey Roulade
The hardest part about this recipe is butterflying the turkey breast. And it’s not that hard.
First, you want to remove the skin from the turkey breast and lay on a cutting board with the small end of the breast facing your knife.
Then slice horizontally through the middle of the breast, stopping about 1/2 an inch from the long end (the end closest to the backbone) of the turkey.
Open like a book. Easy peasy. This article by Spruce Eats breaks it down in great detail.
Tips on the Perfect Turkey Roulade
There are a few things I recommend doing to make sure that this recipe turns out perfect.
- Make it ahead of time. Season and wrap tightly in plastic wrap the day before to ensure that your turkey roulade stays together while cooking.
- Use pre-made stuffing. The holidays are stressful enough. Pull out the box of Stovetop for this recipe.
- Don’t skip the gravy.
What to serve with Turkey Roulade
No holiday dinner is complete without side dishes! Here are some of our favorite small-table Thanksgiving side dishes.
- Roasted Broccoli and Brussels Sprouts
- Baked Crab Mac and Cheese
- Maple Pecan Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
Gravy
- 1/4 Tablespoons butter and/or drippings from turkey
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups turkey or chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare stuffing mix according to package instructions. Stir in thyme and parsley. Set aside.
- On a flat surface, slice turkey breasts in half horizontally so that they open like a book. Place each breast between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound with the smooth side of a mallet or rolling pin until each breast is about ¾ of an inch thick.
- Spread a layer of stuffing mix on top of each turkey breast, leaving about a one inch border. Sprinkle the dressing mix with apples and cranberries.
- Then, using the plastic wrap, roll each breast so that the stuffing mix is rolled inside, like a jelly roll. Remove the plastic wrap then using kitchen twine, tie each breast in one inch intervals so that the roll is secure. Re-wrap in plastic wrap and store overnight if you want.
- Season each breast with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a oven safe skillet and sear the breasts for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until they are nicely browned. Place breasts in the skillet in the oven for about an hour or until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 165 degrees. Let the roulade rest for at 10 minutes before slicing. Top with gravy and serve!
- Tip: You can stuff and roll the turkey breasts the day before. Wrap in plastic wrap and keep in the fridge until ready to cook.
Gravy
- Melt the butter and drippings in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook , stirring constantly, for a couple of minutes.
- Gradually whisk in the broth to the flour mixture, working out any clumps as you go. Only add a few tablespoons of broth at a time, whisking well after each addition. The idea is to not add so much broth at one time that you have a very thin gravy that takes forever to thicken. Also, keep whisking to make sure you don't get lumpy gravy.
- If you do get lumpy gravy (it happens sometimes), simply pour your gravy through a fine mesh sieve and go on with your life.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
Nope, not ready for Thanksgiving – this is a perfect solution!
goodness Jodie, this is almost a complete dinner in one… magnificent!
oh how I use to love treasure hunts, but then I think that was in kindergarten.. actually, did one in college, but I not going get into that… the things you do trying to find yourself right? Good luck on the party and have fun with Thanksgiving too