Easy Roast Turkey Breast - Video Recipe

Roast a turkey for Thanksgiving? No thanks!! I'll go the easy route and just roast a turkey breast - it's quick and easy to do my way. Take the pressure off and keep it simply delicious.

And as a bonus, I add Stuffing under the flap of the breast wishbone skin and I add an extra mound of Stuffing that the turkey breast rests on. So you get it all with my Easy Roast Turkey Breast recipe.

The advantage of only cooking a Turkey Breast is you don't have to worry about the dark meat when cooking a whole turkey. Usually, dark meat takes longer to cook than white meat and so often the white meat will dry out even when covered with aluminum foil to help keep it moist.

I don't know about you but I like a succulent slice of turkey breast, not a dry bite of bird. 

Of course, you have to be a "white meat" person for this recipe, I like both white and dark...can't we all get along?

Turkey breast comes in many sizes/ weights starting at about 5 pounds, so you will serve 3 or 4 guests easily and there's little waste, without a lot of carcass bones and skin to throw out. It costs about the same per pound as a whole turkey when on sale.

Usually, figure about 15 minutes of roasting per pound of the breast at 350 degrees. My (about) 5-pound Turkey Breast cooked in an hour and a half - that's half the time of roasting a whole turkey!

 The skin gets crackly and the meat stays moist. Always allow a few minutes of resting time once the Roasted Breast is out of the oven while setting the table and finishing side dishes.

I can't resist Bread Stuffing with Roast Turkey Breast and I'm not particular. I use a typical boxed stuffing from my local 99c only Store and add a few sauteed veggies for good measure. I like cornbread or plain white bread stuffing. 

A chopped stalk of celery and some chopped onion, mushrooms, and garlic all sauteed together, are what I add, then follow the box directions. If I have a small package of breakfast sausage I'll saute that too and mix it all together. My Easy Stuffing Recipe is a click away here. 

Almost everything in the grocery store is on sale this time of year so keep a lookout and click here to see some of my yummy side dishes -- Bacon Wrapped Brussels Spouts or a Green Bean Casserole with French Fried Onions, anyone?

You don't need the whole bird to make a satisfying Thanksgiving meal, my Easy Roast Turkey Breast will do the job!

Easy Roast Turkey Breast - Video

Play it here. The video runs 1 minutes, 38 seconds.

Ingredients (serves 3-4)

4-6 pound turkey breast - It comes in various sizes so cooking time will vary. But in general, it's about 15 minutes per pound at 350 degrees -- the internal temperature of the thickest part of the breast should be 150-155 degrees. My turkey breast took an hour and a half at 350 degrees. 

Salt and pepper to taste - just sprinkle on as much or as little as you like, about a teaspoon total.

Optional - a box of favorite Stuffing. Follow the box directions or see my recipe by clicking here.

Directions

Nothing to this recipe really, just preheat the oven to 350 degrees and sprinkle on some salt and pepper. Okay to put some fresh or dried herbs under the breast skin if you like. Rosemary is a pungent herb, or sage and rosemary, too. 

Place the turkey breast skin side up and let it roast until done, about an hour and a half or until the juices run clear when sliced, or the internal temperature is 150-155 degrees in the thickest part of the breast.

If you are a stuffing fanatic then add some to the turkey breast before roasting. I like to stuff the wishbone area which usually has a large flap of skin to enclose the stuffing. 

Turn the breast cavity facing up and lay in the stuffing against the wishbone. Raise up the skin and fasten with a couple of toothpicks. Finally, make a mound of stuffing on your roasting pan and place the breast right on top of it, covering it with the breast cavity.

The turkey juices will flavor the stuffing perfectly. And you get a little crunchy layer of stuffing that cooks against the pan.

If you are looking for a few side dishes to go along with the plump roasted breast then click here to see what I recommend.

Whether you roast the breast with stuffing or without, try my Easy Roasted Turkey Breast for Thanksgiving, or anytime.

🌹 Happy Birthday Mom ! - Mom's Favorite Recipes 💖

 Mom turns 87 years young on November 11.

And I owe it all to her, at least where I get my cooking chops (and any good sense I have.) Just check out our cooking videos below to see what I mean.

She grew up in Texas on the Gulf Coast, in a small shrimping town called Port O'Connor. There, I learned to love seafood.

Her father was a shrimp boat captain. So, while we couldn't afford steak, we had all the fresh-caught seafood Big Daddy would skim off the top of the catch. Shrimp season was short, but crab and oyster season soon followed.

Big Daddy & Big Mama

Mom had movie-star looks (like a young Elizabeth Taylor) and smarts, and a scholarship to college if she wanted it, but had no extra help from her parents.

So after high school graduation, she was soon married and I arrived on the scene, followed by my brother and sister.

Billy, Berry, and Brenda

My Dad was in the military so we moved around. Mom and us kids eventually settled back in Port O'Connor, after a divorce. Dad was quite a character and the life of the party, but he was also a little too profligate in the alcohol consumption department.

Billy Doyle Robinson

Mom went back to work as a waitress, so I learned how to literally pinch pennies when she poured handfuls of customer tips on the kitchen table for us kids to separate and count.

Mom got back on her feet and found love again with this shuffleboard-playing fellow below, Ken.

Click on any photo to see larger.

After a couple years, Mom remarried and a final sister, Denise, was born (catch up with my youngest sister Denise's Eggplant Recipe, video here.)

Denise & Radish

We moved to neighboring Louisiana the year I enrolled in Junior High School. There she picked up a whole other way of cooking, Cajun-style.

My high school daze were spent in Gonzales, Louisiana, the self-professed Jambalaya Capital of the World. So you know this town is serious about chow. Click here to see a culinary video tour of some local Cajun cuisine at the weekend Flea Market, including Crawfish Pie, Boudin Balls and, of course, Jambalaya.

And here's our first video we made together in my Los Angeles kitchen - and my dear late wife, Amy, even makes an appearance at the very end of the video. You'll get a kick out of Mom rockin' the cast-iron kettle. I make her Cajun Jambalaya more than any other recipe - it's simply delicious.



Here is a link to her Jambalaya recipe with text and yummy photos.

Mom was always popular with my high school buddies...especially during lunch or dinner time. She brought her Tex-Mex Enchiladas to Cajun Country, and my Louisiana friend Marvin ate them up!

Me, Marvin & Dennis

During my last visit to Louisiana, I had him over when I filmed Mom making Tex-Mex Enchilidas. Marvin liked the Enchiladas so much, he had a flashback to our high school daze.

Make sure to watch my wacky recipe video to the end, that's when our flashback hijinx really gets to smoking (wink, nudge.)



Mom takes a star turn with her next video recipe, her popular Chicken and Sausage Gumbo.

It's a traditional Southern dish and it's cheap, too. Just chicken, sausage, and the Cajun veggie trinity of bell pepper, celery, and onion. What gives Gumbo its unique taste is a dark brown roux, which is flour cooked in oil until chocolate brown.

Just check out the video below - Mom will take you through the steps. And, as an added bonus, my oldest sister Brenda makes a nagging appearance a few minutes in.



Click here to read all about making Mom's homemade Gumbo, from roux to rice!

My Mom's Cajun Potato Salad is the perfect side to her Gumbo and Jambalaya. When she visited me in Los Angeles I got her to do it on camera. I couldn't help but give her a hard time with the recipe. I called it Cajun Mashed Potatoes and she called it Cajun Potato Salad - well, I guess you'll have to watch the video below to see who wins that argument!

I satiate my sweet tooth during visits with Mom. And the best of her pastry delights are Mini-Pecan Pies. If I couldn't make it for the Christmas holiday, then she would send a shoe-boxed size package with a dozen of these tasty pies.

In the video below, Mom attracts a kitchen full of hungry relatives when these pies come hot out of the oven. And it's a miracle they were done right because this Chef de Shutterbug was shoving a camera in her face (and a hot oven) during the whole procedure. We butted heads a few times, but fortunately, it all turned out fine.

I even came up with a way to dodge the high prices for pecans - so check out the video below to learn my budget secrets.

And click here to see Mom's Mini-Pecan Pies recipe with text and tasty photos.

Mom has lived half her life in Gonzales, Louisiana. One vacation visit fell on Christmas, and she pulled out all the stops with a huge holiday spread, that included Pumpkin Pie. I got her on video making it, and it turned out perfect, as you will see below. And watch to the end to see a taste-testing Cajun cast of characters including Rosetta, Chef Tony, Candyse (niece,) Bobby, Jason (nephew,) Joe, Lacee, and cute Adalyn!

The recipe is a traditional one made with simple ingredients. The pumpkin came from a can, but the crust was handmade with wheat flour.



All the easy-to-follow steps are written out here, and with delish photos, too.

Now, Mom is no angel -- hey, who is? Recently my brother from another daddy, the Swamp Chef, made an appearance with his Spanish moss and all.

When I asked Mom: "Who's the Swamp Chef's daddy?" Her reply was: "That's a very good question!" I guess Mom will spill the beans one day, until then, check out the video below for a dessert good enough to cajole the Swamp Chef out of the bayou!

Cherry Pie - Recipe Video

In Louisiana, there are fast food drive-thru's serving slushy Daiquiris. I don't know how the heck they get away with it. Every time I go back to visit my Mom and Sis, I am reminded about this quirky Cajun roadside icy, thirst-quenching, to-go cup.

Now, there are rules to this. Louisiana has an open container liquor law. So, when you get your Daiquiri, as both Mom and Sis reminded me several times: "Do not put the straw in!" That is a DUI violation if you are stopped. However parched you are, resist plunging the straw through the drink top -- until you get home. Fortunately, Mom's house was less than 5 minutes away.

Check out my last video below, and ride along with my sister Brenda and Mom for a cool beverage on a hot Louisiana summer day.

Happy Birthday Mom -- I love you !

Voting and Noshing for President 2020

There are regular vote polling places and then there is Downtown LA Staples Center, home of the world champion Lakers basketball team. 

And check out below all the goodies you can pick up at Staples Center for just casting your vote here!

                                                   Click on any photo to see larger.

Linda and I went last Friday in the early afternoon. We found parking on neighboring streets near the main entrance. 

There may be stadium parking too, but we went the quickest and easiest route - we found parking meters for a dollar an hour.

There was no line and it was so easy just to walk in and drop off your mail-in ballot. 

All poll workers wear a mask and are stationed throughout Staple's lobby to direct you to drop off boxes or polling stations to fill out a ballot right there. It is a large lobby and you have plenty of social distancing.

Since this is a sports arena you get stickers and a pen and that's not all - they are handing out LA Lakers face masks, too. Don't be shy, go ahead and grab 3 or 4 more for your fellow Lakers fan neighbors or family. 

And feel free to use the hand sanitizer and disposable gloves before you use the touch-screen voting machines.

At the end of the polling area are a couple of photo-op backgrounds to use and share on your social media if you like. 

But the main draw, besides having your vote counted, was a kiosk right at the street light crossing button in front of Staple Center. Look for the Korean. American. BBQ. canopy covering a folding table. 

Right behind the table are food storage containers with foil-wrapped to-go burritos, sausage, and pulled pork sandwiches. At least that's what we've tried so far.

Hours usually go from about 10:30 or so until the food runs out sometimes by 4pm or a little later. I can't vouch for the hours exactly as I suspect the voting crowds will quickly surge from here on out. If you want to make sure to get a bite, the sweet spot is from 11am to about 2pm.

The food purveyors at the table the couple times we visited are from Seoul Sausage, a Korean BBQ inspired line of signature sausages, fried chicken, plus tasty side dishes sold around town in farmers markets, wineries, and pop up eateries. Click here for details including their latest ventures.

Believe me, their weiner dogs are the bomb! The sausage is sweet like Korean BBQ, course ground for extra bite, and large and juicy too. Korean BBQ meats are typically marinated in plenty of garlic, soy sauce, ginger, and sugar and honey (and more stuff) -- a killer marinade. Anyone who has enjoyed Southern BBQ will enjoy Korean BBQ. This day our sausages were pork.

These kiosk versions came with 2 sauces to slather on or dip with. 

The red sauce is not ketchup or salsa, but a pickled sour grated veggie. While not as spicy as classic Kimchi, the chili and salty fish sauce flavors are still instantly addicting. 

If that is too much for you then try the white garlic & sour cream sauce, with a whisper of horseradish heat. I like them both and chowed it all down...every drop and morsel. My taste buds were slam-dunked by Seoul Sausage!

I would line up for these sweet sausage sandwiches anywhere or anytime. But beware as they go quickly at the Staple Center outdoor food kiosk.

But don't worry because there is a rotating supply of other sandwiches and wraps in the food kiosk queue including a pork, black beans, and rice Burrito from Border Grill by the 2 Hot Tamales (LA chef mainstays of Latin and World Cuisines.) and a Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwich from Dulan's, one of the best soul food restaurants in South LA. 

The pork, black bean, and white rice Burrito is fat and filling. There are a lot of chunks of pork that have the flavor of slow-roasting with banana leaves or green chilies - not sure which? The Burrito is loaded with white rice and black beans, lending a Cuban cuisine touch.

I also had a Pulled Pork (or chicken) Sandwich courtesy of Dulan's Soul Food. It's sloppy with sweet BBQ sauce on a brioche bun. And a couple pickle slices add a nice sour contrast to sweet ketchup-style BBQ sauce. 

Since the meat is shredded and smokey it's hard to tell if ii's pork or chicken. Either way, the BBQ Sandwich is a knockout.

The sandwiches are grab-and-go so I was remiss gathering ingredient lists.

How did L.A get so lucky to have these talented cooks and chefs supplying voters with a tasty slap on the taste buds for taking the time to cast a ballot? 

Be a good citizen and do vote, be it Democrat, Republican, Green Party, Libertarian, or whoever you choose. I'll leave you with my write-in candidate (nudge, nudge, wink, wink) I voted for !!