Pork Update: Sage Berry Stuffed Pork Loin Roast

Last night we cooked the roast I had put in the freezer after last weeks prep. Sage Berry Stuffed Pork Loin Roast was excellent. It held up really well in the freezer and had a nice texture. The flavor was unbelievable!! The cranberry flavor was mild and throughout the meat, not just in the stuffing. It is a definite new family favorite.

Look how gorgeous it turned out to be!!

I set the roast on a rack instead of the suggested broiler pan and cooked it in the oven for about an hour and a half.

The roast rested on the cutting board for about 15 minutes while I finished up the sides and allowed the juices to redistribute. Oh and thats a bag of dried basil from my garden in the background! I stopped cooking with weed in the early 90's.

Cutting it into rounds really showed off the filling. This is a must try recipe.

This weeks meal plan: November 29th

i am going to apologize in advance for the rambling nature of this post. Holiday craziness has descended upon my household and I haven't had much of a chance to get my thoughts together on a great blog post, but I wanted to write something. As I was making up my weekly meal plan I figured that is as interesting as I can be right now. I promise to have more excitement later!

The end of the month always get a bit lean on meals for us.  The freezer stash gets low and I need to get creative to fill it up. This week I am trying to use up what I have and around so I can restock with fresh meals for the moth. Currently I don't have very many complete meals, but lots of ingredients laying around that I am going to try to combine into some excellent dinners.

 My game plan for the week is this -I have a few things that I am going to steal from my freezer stash and then a few new recipes to try out. One night I am going to let the 10 year old cook because I want the break and she needs to learn. Part of my evil plan is to train her to cook for us then I just get to cook for customers and pure enjoyment. BBBBWWWWWAHAHA

This weeks plan consists of:
Monday - Sage Berry Pork loin roast with Brussels sprouts and corn
Tuesday - Raspberry Balsamic Glazed Chicken with steamed rice and baked stuffed artichokes
Wednesday - Sausage and Tomatoes over penne - made by 10 year old
Thursday - Teryaki Tilapia with asian style turnip greens and quinoa -
Friday - Date Night!! WOO HOOO
Saturday - Slow Cooker Broccoli  Potato Cheese Soup
Sunday - Italian Beef Pie

The Sage Berry Pork loin is assembled and from the freezer, but everything else I am piecing together from ingredients I have. A trip store to supplement will be necessary, but I think I have most of it.

The Raspberry Balsamic Glazed Chicken is a family favorite and I just love it. It is going to be the recipe of the week featured on Wednesday, so look for pictures of it then!

My daughter is going to be making sausage and tomatoes over penne. This is exactly what it sounds like. She chops sausage links and adds a can of diced tomato. Then I let her go crazy testing out spices (with a little guidance) and pour it over penne. It usually ends up being pretty good and honestly anything with sausage is a winning dish around here.

Thursday is fish or vegetarian day for us so I am testing out a teryaki tilapia recipe. My hubby isn't big on fish so this might be a disaster, but you never know. I will keep you posted.

Broccoli Potato Cheese soup is a peace offering for the husband after the fish night. It sounds great and easy enough to put in the slow cooker before we head to the movies. I will definitely let you all know how it goes.

The big test of the week is going to be the Italian Meat pie. I have some cooked and seasoned ground beef in the freezer and a couple pie crusts so I am going to find a way to combine them into a tasty meat pie. If anyone has any suggestions on flavorful sauces, let me know. Do you think a tomato based sauce would work? Hrm....

Holy Crap- What do I do with all this leftover turkey?!?!!

Ok Thanksgiving Day is done and everyone is back from the craziness of Black Friday crack of dawn shopping. The troops are hungry and asking for sustenance. As you open the fridge you realize that maybe buying that 25 pound bird for 5 people was over kill. What to do with all the leftover turkey???  Turkey sandwiches for the next week and a half doesn't sound very appealing, so why don't you try out some of these great leftover ideas? They are a bit different than the standard pot pie and really take advantage of the cooked turkey.


This dish it an awesome Weight Watchers recipe that will really break up the monotony of thanksgiving leftovers!

Italian Turkey and Spaghetti Squash Pie

POINTS® Value: 3

Servings: 6
Ingredients

• 1 medium raw spaghetti squash
• 1 1/2 cup chopped cooked turkey
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 small onion(s), chopped
• 1 medium garlic clove(s), minced
• 29 oz canned diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning, dried
• 6 oz fat-free ricotta cheese
• 1 large egg(s)
• 1 sprays cooking spray, nonstick
• 1/2 cup shredded fat-free mozzarella cheese

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Halve squash lengthwise; scoop out seeds. Place squash, cut sides down, in a large baking dish and prick skin all over with a fork. Bake until tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.

• In skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and stir-fry until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in diced tomatoes and Italian seasoning; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; add cooked turkey and simmer, stirring often, until desired consistency, about 5 minutes.

• Place ricotta cheese and egg in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.

• Coat a 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray. Remove squash from oven and increase oven temperature to 375ºF.

• Using a fork, carefully rake stringy squash pulp from shell, separating it into strands that look like spaghetti. Arrange spaghetti squash strands in bottom and up sides of pie plate to form a crust.

• Add ricotta cheese mixture and gently spread over squash. Pour tomato-turkey sauce over cheese mixture and sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before slicing into 6 pieces.



This recipe was introduced to me by my great friend Michelle. This is definitely a crowd favorite and can be assembled and frozen for later. It is an awesome dish to pull out on those busy holiday evenings after a day of Christmas craziness.

Turkey Tetrazinni

10 oz. mushrooms, sliced thin about 4 cups
5 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 3/4 c. milk
2 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. dry white wine
10 oz. spaghetti
3 c. coarsely chopped cooked turkey
1 c. cooked peas
2/3 c. freshly grated Parmesan
1/3 c. fine fresh bread crumbs

In a large heavy saucepan cook the mushrooms in 1/4 cup of butter over moderate heat, stirring until most of the liquid they give off has evaporated. Stir in the flour and cook the mixture over low heat, stirring for 3 minutes. Add in a stream (that is pour slowly) of milk, the broth, the wine, stirring bring the mixture to a boil, stirring and simmer the sauce for 5 minutes. In a pot of boiling, salted water cook the spaghetti until it is al dente (cooked) and drain it well. In a large bowl combine well spaghetti, the mushroom sauce, the chicken, the peas, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in 1/3 cup of the Parmesan, and transfer the mixture to a buttered shallow 3-quart casserole. In a small bowl combine the remaining 1/3 cup of Parmesan, the bread crumbs and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the mixture over the tetrazzini and dot the top with the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, cut it into bits.

To eat now: Bake in 375 degrees F. oven for 30 to 40 minutes.

To freeze and eat later: Cool completely and cover tightly before freezing. Thaw completely, uncover and bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes.

 
 
This is a great one if you have a leg leftover. There is nothing like a healthy bowl of soup to help you fight the after Thanksgiving battle of the bulge. Plus its a slow cooker dish and super easy!!
 
Slow Cooker Black Bean and Turkey Chili
Ingredients


2 red onions, halved
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium carrots, cut into large chunks
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 pound dried black turtle beans, picked over, rinsed and drained - SOAK OVERNIGHT
1 smoked turkey drumstick (1 3/4 to 2 pounds)
3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Sour cream and/or lime wedges, for garnish (optional)

Directions

Set aside half an onion and chop the rest. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions, carrots and garlic; sprinkle with the flour and cook, stirring, until slightly browned, 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons water and scrape up any browned bits from the pan. Transfer the vegetables and cooking liquid to a slow cooker. Add the drained beans, turkey drumstick,  red pepper flakes and 8 cups water. Cover and cook on low 6 hours.


Remove the drumstick and shred the meat; keep warm. Remove about 2 cups beans from the cooker and blend until smooth (or partially blend with an immersion blender). Return the beans and turkey meat to the soup. Season with salt and pepper.

Mince the reserved 1/2 onion. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the cilantro and minced onion. Garnish with sour cream and lime, if desired.

Per serving: Calories 487; Fat 12 g (Saturated 3 g); Cholesterol 64 mg; Sodium 936 mg; Carbohydrate 57 g; Fiber 20 g; Protein 8 g



Definitely soak the beans overnight to make sure they get soft. If you don't have the time or forget like I often do, you can do a quick soak method of bringing a large pot of beans and water to a boil for 3 minutes and then removing from the heat. Let the beans sit for at least an hour. Check softness by seeing if you can crush a bean between your fingers.
 
 





Hopefully a couple of these will help you weed through the maze in your fridge. Let me know what you think of them!

Recipe of the Week: Chicken Piccata

Chicken Piccata is a wonderfully tasty, yet easy dish to prepare. I often feature this dish as a premade special and my family gets jealous of my customers. Last week I decided to make a batch for my kids and they were so excited. My youngest ate every bite!

The first step was to take a chicken breast and remove any fat and  little extra flaps of meat.

Next, I butterflied the chicken breast by inserting the knife into the side of the chicken breast and cutting through and fold it open.

After unfolding the chicken breast, I cut it in half.

I dredged the chicken in flour seasoned with salt.

And then pan fried it in a mix of butter and olive oil.

The chicken was cooked for around 4 minutes on each side, until browned.

Chicken and lemon juice was added to the pan and the crusty browned bit were scraped off the bottom.

The capers and chicken were added back into the pan and allowed to simmer until the sauce reduced and  chicken finished cooking.

It was so yummy and definitely a family favorite.

Chicken Piccata


Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients
4 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
7 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup brined capers, rinsed
2/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.

Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.

Pork Revisited: Part 2

You might remember that I got a great deal on a case of whole pork loin last week.  I used 2 portions of the loin to make these Roasts  and the middle section I slice into 6 thick cut chops. While I was trying to decide what to do with these chops I came across the best sounding recipe that I just had to try. Its Smoked Gouda and Bacon Stuffed Pork chops. They looked so amazing that I had to cook a couple of them for dinner. The other four are in the freezer to see if they stand up to the freeze -thaw-cook process well enough to be added to the batch selections for January and February. 

To start, smoked gouda was grated in with crumbled bacon and sage.

Next, the center cut loin had a pocket slit in it.

And the pocket was filled with the gouda/bacon mixture

All six chops were stuffed and seasoned with salt and pepper.

The stuffed chops were pan seared for 7 minutes on each side.

Don't they look delicious!!!!! These were so good. I can't wait to see how they handle the freezing process.

Smoked Gouda and Bacon Stuffed Pork Chops
Ingredients


6 ounces smoked Gouda cheese, shredded
12 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
3/4 cup chopped fresh sage and thyme mix
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 thick center-cut, boneless pork chops
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper

1.Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat.

2.In a small bowl, combine the cheese, bacon, parsley, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.
3.Lay the chop flat on cutting board, and with a sharp knife held parallel to the board, cut a pocket into the pork, going all the way to the bone, but leaving the sides intact. Stuff cheese mixture into pocket, and close with a wooden toothpick. Brush meat with oil, and season with salt and more black pepper.
4.Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes on each side, or until pork is done. Careful not to overcook!

Pork Revisited

After finishing some bulk  and case shopping, I found myself with an extra whole pork loin.   I perused about 10 cookbooks, online sites and finally my stash of recipes that sounded good, but I hadn't tried yet out and decided to try something new. Well, actually three new things. I went ahead and prepped 2 of the dishes and will leave the final one for tomorrow. I have to admit, I am getting kind of excited about tasting these new dishes and if they turn out well, putting them on the January/ February batch party menus.

For those of you that have not seen a whole pork loin, this is what it looks like in the package.

Normally, I cut the whole loin into 2 roasts (one from each end) and then use the middle section for 6 1-inch thick chops.

The end that tapers and becomes dark is the sirloin end. It is the one on the bottom. I like to use this end as a roast for slow cooker dishes because it has a higher fat content and doesn't dry out from the long cook times.

This time I used the sirloin for an Apricot Glazed Slow Cooker Pork Loin. The glaze is kind of runny which is great for my slow cooker, Blaze. It has enough liquid that it won't burn and will be really at keeping the meat juicy.

I poured the glaze in a freezer bag with the pork roast and popped it in my freezer. Updates will come after I cook it, but here is the recipe if anyone else is feeling adventurous.

Apricot Glazed Pork Roast


Ingredients:
1 can chicken broth
8 oz Apricot preserves
1 large onion, chopped
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
4 lb. boneless pork loin roast (I like to slice it first)

Directions:
Mix broth, preserves, onion, and mustard inlarge bowl and pour into freezer bag. Add pork, seal and freeze.
Thaw completely. Cook on low in slow cooker for 8-9 hours.

 
 
The recipe for the other roast is what really gets me excited. Its a Sage Berry Stuffed Pork Roast. I have a strange love of stuffing meat (get your mind out of the gutter) and the filling on this tasted amazing.
 
First I started with the other roast.

The roast was butterflied (cut through the middle almost to within 1/2 inch to the end) and opened.

It was sprinkled with salt and pepper and then I put a layer of spinach on one side.

Meanwhile, the most amazing stuffing  was cooking on the stove. Look at all those fresh herbs!!

It was mixed with some dried cranberries that had been steeping in hot apple cider.

The stuffing was layered on the spinach.

Next I folded over the meat.

and then tied it up (out of the gutter people!!)

I sealed it in a freezer bag and can't wait to try it next week. I will keep you posted on its yumminess.

Here is the recipe:

Sage berry Stuffed Pork Loin

• 1 sprays cooking spray

• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup apple cider
• 1 tsp canola oil
• 2 medium onion(s), or large shallots, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
• 1/8 oz fresh sage, 2 Tbsp
• 1 1/4 Tbsp seasoned bread crumbs, coarse
• 3 pound lean pork loin, boneless roast
• 1/2 cup spinach, fresh leaves

Instructions

• In a small bowl, combine cranberries and cider. Cover and microwave on HIGH for 1 minute; set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat canola oil in medium skillet over medium-low heat; cook onions and sage until onions are softened, about 5 minutes.
• In a large bowl, mix together bread crumbs, cranberry mixture and onion mixture.
• Place pork on cutting board. Cut loin in half almost, but not all the way, through. Open like a book so loin lies almost flat. Place spinach leaves over one half of loin. Place stuffing on top of spinach. “Close” the other half of loin on top of “filled” half and tie loin with cooking string to secure.Place in a freezer bag and Freeze.
• Thaw Completely. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat broiler pan with cooking spray and set aside.

• Place pork on broiler pan and roast until golden and meat thermometer registers 160°F, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cover with foil; let stand for 10 minutes. Carve into 1-inch thick slices, remove string and serve. (Note: Cooking the pork on a broiler pan allows excess fat to drip away. Line the bottom of the pan with foil for easy cleanup.)

 Finally, I have 6 thick cut center loin chops left. My plans for these are amazing, but you will have to wait until tomorrow for that info. I will just say that it involves cheese and bacon and nothing sounds better than that!!

Taking Advantage of Grocery Ad Sales: Pork Butt Roast

This weeks sale ads are featuring a Pork Butt roast for 87 cents a pound. The most common use for these is pulled pork sandwiches, but I am not really a big fan. Texas girls think of bbq as brisket not pork!!

Anyway, I found another great looking recipe that I can't wait to try.

Braised Hawaiian Pork Shoulder



Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

1.5 tablespoon brown sugar
3 teaspoons kosher salt
3 teaspoons paprika
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
2 1/4 pounds pork shoulder or Boston pork butt
1/3 cup canola oil, divided
1.5 onion, chopped
1 (3-inch) piece ginger, sliced
6 cloves garlic, smashed
1.5 cup pineapple juice
3 cups chicken stock or broth

Directions

Special Equipment: Butcher's twine

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, Hawaiian salt, paprika, cumin, coriander and black pepper.

Cut the pork into 4 equal portions, then tie each cut with some butcher's twine. Lightly sprinkle each piece with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the spice mixture.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Heat 3 tablespoons canola oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Sear each cut of pork on all sides, then transfer them to a plate. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil to the same pot along with the onions, ginger, and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes. Pour in the pineapple juice and chicken stock and return the pork to the pot. Cover put the pot into the oven to braise until the pork is fork tender, about for 2 1/2 hours.

Remove the pork from the Dutch oven and arrange the pieces on a baking sheet. Sprinkle each piece with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of the spice mixture and put them under a low broiler until their tops are brown and crisp but not burned, about 2 minutes. Transfer the pork to a serving platter and serve with a drizzle of braising liquid.

Serve the pork with the Mashed Parsnips and Celery Root, if desired.

Gadget Tuesday: CrockPot Smart Pot

This week I am going to talk about my CrockPot . The idea behind it is great- put your food in the crock in the morning and have a warm tasty meal waiting for you at the end of the day.

The first Christmas that my husband and I were dating, I asked for a slow cooker. I tend to be overly practical at times when I should probably be more extravagant, but I was a broke graduate student and thought it would make life easier.  He balked at the idea of buying a kitchen appliance for me and said that it wasn't a real gift. It was the only thing I really wanted.


We flew to Arizona so that he could meet my parents and dragged all of our gifts with us. As he handed me the large and very heavy box I knew what it was- my CrockPot. I peeled back the wrapping paper and saw that it was an old beat up crockpot box. He had gotten me a used one- he really was perfect!! :P After some encouragement and a couple strange looks from my sisters I opened the box to find a brick and a big jewelry box. I know- your thinking engagement ring! I did too for a minute, but it was actually a beautiful gold A&M watch that I had mentioned wanting one time. Awesome surprise and a great gift! The ring came a couple months later. Anyway, I was also told that I had a brand new CrockPot waiting for me at home.

There are many, many thing about about this crockpot that I love.  The 4.5 quart capacity give me lots of room to cook big roasts and huge batches of chicken and dumplings for our family of 5.  Its black and stainless exterior matches the rest of my kitchen which thrills my husband. It has a timer that goes up in 30 minute increments. At the end of the time it switches over to keep warm so your food stays hot, but doesn't continue cooking.

I have friends who this works out great for. For me however- I end up with a black charred mass if I try to cook more than half as long as the recommended cook time. My Crockpot has a flaw -  its WAY WAY WAY too hot. It boil liquids on keep warm and can cook a roast in about the same time as my oven. The longer I have this CrockPot, the worse it gets. The thing is starting to earn the nickname Blaze in my household. Its like it is ramping up to take on the sun. Considering that I am at home most of the time, its not really a big deal. I just cook things for a shorter period and add liquid if necessary. I can melt a giant pot of chocolate for Christmas candy in 15 minutes! From reading some reviews and looking online- this happens to a lot of people with this model of CrockPot.

Would I suggest getting this slow cooker or looking for another one? I would definitely suggest a different model and doing lots of research beforehand. I however will be keeping Blaze. After 7 years she is a member of the family.

Harvest Meat Pockets

This recipe is a great one for the kids. My little ones love food that can be held in their hands and this one has a bonus of being fun shaped! My 10 year old had a great time making these and I got a night off.

There isn't really a specific recipe for this super simple dinner, but this is how we made them. We mixed about 1 cup of seasoned ground beef with a cup of ricotta, garlic salt and Italian seasoning.

Then I rolled out the pie dough that I had diligently worked on all afternoon. Ok, just kidding. I sent my husband to the store for a box of ready crusts. For customers I will make dough, but when I am going to be letting the 10 year old cook I don't put in that much effort. Yes, call me lazy, but it was a great shortcut and one I would recommend when you don't have the time to make your own dough. We used pumpkin and turkey shaped cookie cutters to make the shapes.

The cut shapes were placed on a cookie sheet. About a tablespoon of meat mixture gets placed on the dough shape.

The top shape was then laid over the top of the meat and pressed down on the edges. I would suggest rolling the rolling pin over the cut top shape a bit to stretch it out a bit. This will help it to cover the meat and bottom shape fully.

The meat pockets were cooked for 15 minutes at 350.  We served them with a tangy marinara. The kids enjoyed them and the 10 year old was excited to have made dinner. Personally, I was happy to have a night off!

 This is one of the turkey ones made by my 10 year old. Not bad for someone so young!

There is an endless amount of variations that can be made to this recipe. We have had them filled with taco seasoned meat, tomato and Monterry Jack and dipped into salsa. I have hidden enough veggies in these that a friend always asks what I am sneaking her when she tries my treats! My favorite thing to do is add a a bit of pureed carrot and some frozen spinach to the meat mixture.

Let me know if you have tried these or if you have any ideas for variations. I am always looking for great filling ideas.

Recipe of the Week: Cranberry and Rice Stuffed Turkey Breast

I have been getting a lot of requests for some of my favorite recipes, so I thought I would do a featured recipe of the week.

This week's recipe is both easy and elegant enough to serve the in-laws. The flavors are great and as a bonus- its gluten free! Several of my friends have had to go the gluten free route lately for various reasons, so it always makes me happy to see really good and easy gluten free recipes.Cranberry and Rice Stuffed Turkey breast was really fast to put together and tasted great. We had it with steamed garlic asparagus and tossed green salad. If I would just remember to get those slow cooker liners the cleanup would have taken less than 5 minutes!

One of the things I like about this recipe is that it can be easily adapted to your families tastes. You can replace the white rice with brown, cherries for cranberries and use peach or plum preserves to change up the flavor slightly.

You will start with a 3-4 pound fresh or frozen boneless turkey breast. I used a cajun seasoned Butterball all white meat turkey breast.

The first thing to do is remove the skin from the turkey breast. It should peel off really easily.

After skinning the turkey breast, cut several slits about 3/4 of the way through and 1/2 inch apart.

Take the stuffing mixture and press it into the cuts

Place the stuffed turkey breast in the slow cooker and cover.

Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Unless of course you have a blazing hot slow cooker like idea that cooks at warp speed. My turkey breast was overdone in 3 hours. :(  The flavor was great, but it was just a bit dry. I need to remember to adjust the cook times in my flame cooker.

You can also add an additional glaze of more preserves and worcestershire sauce.

The flavor was slightly sweet with a bit of heat from the cajun flavoring. I will definitely be going to the store to stock up on frozen turkey breasts before they disappear after the holidays. 

Let me know if you try it and what variations you attempt! Next time I am thinking possibly blueberry?



Cranberry and Rice Stuffed Turkey Breast

3-4 lb turkey breast

2 cups cooked rice

1/3 cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1 tsp poultry seasoning

¼ cup apricot preserves

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Stir together rice, pecans, cranberries, poultry seasoning, apricot preserves, Worcestershire sauce,

Cut slices ¾ way through the turkey. Stuff rice mixture between the slices and place in slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low 5 to 6 hours or until turkey registers 165 on meat thermometer.

Slow Cooker