Roasting a turkey breast is a great alternative to making an entire Thanksgiving turkey, especially if you are cooking for a smaller group. Not only does this bone-in turkey breast turn out juicy and tender, but you won't get stuck eating turkey for the week following Thanksgiving. Don't get me wrong, I love everything about a Thanksgiving feast (minus the pumpkin pie), but when there is still leftover turkey in the fridge 2 nights after the holiday, I start to get bored. If you are having a small Thanksgiving this year, consider just making part of the bird. With the breast, you can still carve it up (or in my family's case, hack it up) and feel like you're having a special meal.
If I ever feel like having turkey any other time during the year, this is my go-to recipe. It's easy to make, has simple ingredients, and tastes great every time. The fresh rosemary add a subtle, but wonderful flavor to the turkey and the butter helps keep the meat moist. Serve this with your favorite side dishes and some gravy for a scaled down Thanksgiving dinner. I made this with roasted potatoes since I love dipping crunchy potatoes into gravy (I swear, it tastes good). The asparagus was added to this meal as a last minute addition from the farmer's market and was also just roasted with some salt, pepper, and olive oil.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma's Thanksgiving: Festive Recipes for the Holiday Table
Serves 4 to 6
1 bone-in turkey breast, about 4 pounds
1/4 cup (1/2 a stick or 55 grams) butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
salt and pepper, to season
Preheat your over to 350ºF/175ºC.
Prepare your turkey by rinsing it and patting it dry. Place it in a roasting pan. In a small bowl, mix together the butter, rosemary, and mustard. Spread the butter mixture as evenly as possible over the turkey, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place the turkey in the oven and roast it for about 1 3/4 to 2 hours. The turkey is ready when you insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and the temperature reads 170ºF/77ºC. When ready, transfer the turkey to a platter, tent it with aluminum foil, and let it stand for 15 minutes.
Serve with gravy of your choice. I was lazy this time and just added the roasting pan drippings to some store bought gravy.
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