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Thanksgiving dinner (turkey) help?

I am a good cook and have never had a complaint from anyone on my food...that being said, I am making Thanksgiving dinner for the first time and I need some advice on the turkey. I am doing a turkey breast because there will only be 4 adults and one toddler at dinner. My mother-in-law is usually the one that makes dinner, but this year I am doing it. I want to make a really REALLY good turkey breast. Some background info: I do not like my M-I-L and she isn’t a good cook, but thinks she’s the best. I want to make sure I blow her out of the water with my turkey breast…I know it can be dry so I need some good advice on how to make it tender and juicy. I have heard people say to cook it in the crock-pot...has anyone done that?

Public Comments

1. crock pot can make it fall apart.and sometimes soggy. i do it in the oven. the key is basting. i usually rub mine with whatever spice i want, garlic, onion powder, a little butter. then i cover it for the first 20 min. the uncover and baste every so often, also for a very juicey breast cook it with the meatiest side down in the pan. then turn to brown skin. good luck. and dont worry about mom in law, she should be thankful to have a family like yours.
2. just saw one on allrecipes website the other day that i am going to try this year. just go to there website, and put in slow cooker turkey breast it will take you right to it. be sure to read some of the reviews. sometimes they can help you over any pit falls. good luck!
3. 2 things I know of will keep your turkey breast moist and tender: Brine it first - look on America's Test Kitchen website for instructions, it's very very easy. Then after you soak it in the brine solution for an hour (or whatever the site recommends), lift the skin and rub butter all over the meat under the skin. Make sure the top surface of the breast is dry before you bake it - pat it dry with paper towels. If you cook it in a crock pot, it will certainly be moist, but it won't be brown, and it won't have that nice roasty flavor. You'll be fine!
4. Herb Roasted Turkey Breast with Pan Gravy Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray See this recipe on air Friday Nov. 16 at 3:00 AM ET/PT. Show: Food Network Specials Episode: Rachael Ray's Thanksgiving in 60 Herb Roasted Turkey Breast with Pan Gravy Although sage is the herb most used with turkey, I love the flavor and aroma of fresh bay (laurel) leaves. Fresh bay leaves are now widely available in supermarkets. Since the leaves are a bit woody, and no fun to eat, I baste my turkey with bay-infused butter and roast the breasts right on top of the leaves, which perfumes the meat. 1 small (golf-ball sized) onion, peeled and coarsely chopped 1 lemon, scrubbed clean 12 fresh sage leaves Large handful fresh flat-leaf parsley (about 1/2 cup, from 12 stems) 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling pan 1 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed 6 fresh bay leaves 4 tablespoons butter 2 boneless turkey breast halves, skin on (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds each) Freshly ground black pepper 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/4 cup apple or regular brandy (recommended: Calvados) 2 to 3 cups apple cider Salt and pepper Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Oil a roasting pan and set it aside. Put the onion into the bowl of a mini food processor. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zest from the lemon in thin strips, being careful not to cut into the bitter white pith. Add the lemon zest to the food processor and reserve the whole lemon for another use. Chop the onion and lemon zest until fine. Add the sage, parsley, olive oil, and 1 teaspoon salt and pulse until it forms a coarse paste. Put 2 of the bay leaves and the butter into a small pan and heat over medium-low heat until the butter is bubbling. Remove from the heat and set aside. Put the turkey breasts on a work surface. Carefully run your fingers between the skin and the flesh from 1 end, being careful not to pull it completely off, creating a pocket. Season the turkey breasts generously with salt and pepper. Stuff half of the herb paste under the skin of each breast, and spread it evenly under the skin. Transfer the breasts to the roasting pan, and slide 2 bay leaves underneath each one. (The heat of the pan will release the bay leaf oils and flavor the breast.) Using a pastry brush, baste the breasts with half of the bay butter. Place the turkey in the oven and immediately decrease the temperature to 400 degrees F. After 20 minutes, baste the turkey breasts with the remaining butter, and roast for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, until cooked through, and a thermometer placed in the thickest part of the breast registers 170 degrees F. Remove from the oven, transfer to a platter, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes before carving while you make the gravy. Put the roasting pan over the burner on medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the pan juices, and cook, stirring, for a few minutes. Add the apple brandy, and scrape the pan to lift the bits that are stuck to the bottom. Cook for a minute to burn off the alcohol, then, while stirring, pour in the apple cider. Bring to a simmer, and stir until thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Slice the turkey breast on the diagonal, and serve with warm gravy.
5. Here are a few options. I'd say for "wow" steer away from the crock pot. Just my personal opinion though! http://www.grouprecipes.com/9260/grilled-turkey-breast-with-herb-butter.html http://www.grouprecipes.com/62/marinated-turkey-breast.html http://www.grouprecipes.com/61/slow-cooked-turkey-breast.html The very last one is a crock pot recipe. It doesn't have any veggies in it so I would add some rough cut potatoes and carrots to serve with it. I LOVE the flavor of carrots cooked in onion soup mix so I think it'd be a great addition!
6. Like Ginger said. Brine that bad boy. that is the only way I do Thanksgiving turkey. I would do it for more than an hour, probably more like 4 for a big turkey breast. Cook it normally and make sure to let it rest for about 10 minutes before carving. NO CROCKPOT!
7. Don't put it in the crockpot. Brine it first. You're basically dealing with the potentially driest piece of the bird, so I'd suggest brining for about 4 hours. Cook as you would a whole bird, but keep an eye on the temperature--you don't want the breast to go over 150 degrees before you pull it. Since a breast is smaller, there won't be as much carryover heat as there would be for a full-size bird so you have to let it get a little closer to target temperature than you would with a whole bird.Once the brining period is over, pat the meat dry and cook it immediately. One other thing-Basting is evil. Anything that requires you opening that oven door is evil. Everytime you open the oven door you let out huge amounts of heat.Basting is cosmetic. It does nothing for the meat; it does nothing for the flavor. It is--repeat after me--evil. Go enjoy a lovely beverage and let the turkey cook. (smear a whole lot of butter and herbs on the skin before roasting).