Stuffed Vermont Turkey Breast with Pure Maple Glaze

With thanks to Judy Adams from Adams Turkey Farm in Westford, VT this hearty recipe is a crowd-pleaser, especially at the holidays when friends and family gather to feast. The maple glaze on the turkey adds just a hint of sweetness. You’ll want a filet knife or sharp chef’s knife to butterfly the turkey breast.

Ingredients

• One 2 or 3-pound boneless Vermont turkey breast
• 1 cup Vermont maple syrup
• 1 cup finely chopped celery
• ½ cup finely chopped onion
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups soft breadcrumbs
• 1 egg white
• 1-2 tsp pure maple syrup

Directions

Stuffing

Sauté vegetables in oil until soft – about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Mix breadcrumbs, egg white and 1-2 tsp maple syrup together. Use a splash of milk or turkey broth to moisten the mixture.

Add vegetable mixture to the bread mixture and mix. You can enhance the stuffing by adding a teaspoon or two of grated carrots, finely chopped cranberries, raisins, or finely chopped apples. Boxed dressing can be used for convenience.

Set stuffing aside.

Glaze

In a saucepan, make maple glaze by slowly bringing 1 cup of maple syrup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer additional 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat. Measure out ¼ cup and set the rest aside.

Turkey Breast

Use a 2-3-pound boneless turkey breast. ( A 4-6-pound bone-in breast can be deboned to yield two equal portions of boneless breast.)

Place turkey breast flat on a cutting board. Slice the meat in half to filet it, butterfly style. It should be about 1″ thick.

Brush meat with maple syrup glaze from the ¼ cup portion set aside.

Add stuffing mixture to one side of the open, fileted breast. Fold other side over it. Tie breast with string to hold together.

Place stuffed turkey on a rack in a roasting pan.

Brush the remaining maple syrup from the ¼ cup portion on the stuffed turkey breast. Cover with foil. Bake 350 degrees until meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees – about 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Remove the foil for the last 15 minutes and baste with the remaining maple glaze. Remove from oven.

Cover and let set for 10 minutes.

Continue basting with maple glaze until serving.