Turkey Breast with Sausage Raisin Stuffing

I almost always prepare a large turkey, but when I saw this recipe in the "Land O'Lakes Treasury of Country Recipes - 1992 "  I thought “why not?” Turkey breast takes much less time to bake than a whole turkey. 
Turkey breast had sold for $1.99 a pound in October, but right before Thanksgiving, our local grocery was selling them for $1.38 a pound – I bought 3 small bone-in and skin-on breasts and stashed them in the bottom of my little chest freezer to enjoy during the cold winter months after the Holidays. 

I used home canned broth made from roasted bones, some for the dressing and the rest to make gravy.

The trick that the Land O Lakes folks show in the cook book is using the back side of a soup spoon to slip under the skin near the neck cavity to enlarge the pocket for stuffing.  It worked like a charm, and made more room for that delicious, in-the-bird stuffing.

I found I had to cook the dressing in my covered Weller casserole (inherited from our Aunt Janet), for an hour, not 30 minutes.  I uncovered the dish the last 15 minutes.

I found those metal trussing skewers at the local “variety” store, after a heads up from Myrna and Bettie.  Hang on to them after use, as they are getting hard to find, as I found to my dismay when I lost mine.

                       Turkey Breast With Sausage Stuffing

Turkey ready for the oven; making the cavity larger, dressing ingredients.

  12        Ounces  Pork Sausage

  2          Cups  Bread Cubes -- dried

  1          Cup  Celery -- sliced, 2 stalks

  1          Medium  Onion -- chopped

  1          Cup  Pecans – Halves

     1/2   Cup  Raisins  (I used golden)

     1/4   Cup  Butter -- melted

     1/3   Cup  Chicken Broth

     1/2   Teaspoon  Salt

     1/4   Teaspoon  Sage -- crushed

  6         Pounds  Turkey Breast -- 5-7#

  3         Tablespoons  Butter – melted for basting

Heat oven to 350°.  In 10" skillet, brown sausage over medium heat; drain off fat.  In large bowl, stir together browned sausage and remaining dressing ingredients.

Gently loosen skin from turkey (with the back of a soup spoon) in neck area to make a larger area to stuff.  Stuff with dressing, secure skin flap with pick or metal trussing skewer.  

Place remaining dressing in 1 quart covered casserole, refrigerate.  Bake during last 30 minutes of turkey baking time, until heated through.  (I found it needed an hour).

Place stuffed turkey breast, breast side up, on rack in roasting pan.  Brush with melted butter.  Bake, basting occasionally, for 2-2 1/2 hours until thermometer reaches 170 to 175° and turkey is fork tender.  Let stand 10 minutes. (I covered the stuffing area with foil after the first half hour.)

Make gravy from drippings if desired - ratio of 1 cup water to 2 tbsp. drippings and 2 tbsp. flour.

5# takes about 2 hours, 7# about 2 1/2 hours.

My 5 ¼ pound turkey breast yielded about 8 generous four-ounce servings.  I canned 11 half-pints of broth (a convenient size for us) from the carcass the next day.  A real two-for-one.

$12.17 or $1.53 per serving plus "free" broth.