Cooking a split turkey breast

With meat prices being what they are, I have been exploring the edges of the butcher case at the grocery store, looking for values. I recently spied a package of split turkey breast which was surprisingly cheap compared to the other forms of poultry available. I picked out a package that had just one half breast, which meant a "mere" three pounds of meat. Then I had to figure out what to do with it!

An entire half turkey breast is indeed a considerable amount of meat. If you are a single person like myself, you will probably want to plan ahead for a week of turkey leftovers. Once you cook it, you can shred the meat and use it in quesadillas, sandwiches (either the usual kind, or a bagel with cream cheese sandwich), as a salad topper, tossed into a bowl of chili and so forth.

A meat thermometer is invaluable for cooking a turkey breast (well, for cooking any meat, really). The thickness of the turkey breast means that it can be difficult to gauge when the meat is fully cooked in the middle.

Having somewhat perfected the art of oven roasting a chicken breast, that's the tactic I took with the turkey breast. I rubbed it with olive oil and sprinkled it with salt, pepper and thyme. I then baked it in the oven (bone side down) at 350 for about an hour, until my digital remote meat thermometer told me that the center had reached 165 degrees.

Be sure to let the meat rest for about 10 minutes once it's finished cooking. This helps to even out the cooking temperature and ensures that everything is properly cooked.

If you want to try other spice mixtures, you can't go wrong with rosemary and garlic! Barbecue sauce is another interesting option - but wait to add the sauce in the last 15 minutes of cooking, otherwise it can scorch. You can also cook a turkey breast in the slow cooker with about a cup of liquid (I recommend chicken stock). Although I find the meat turns out a bit soggy and bland for my liking.

Image courtesy Flickr/MookieLuv