You may never want to cook a whole turkey for Thanksgiving again after trying this turkey breast. Stuffed with pear harsh and wrapped in bacon, what more could you want?

When I first heard that the rule of thumb for buying turkey was 1 pound per person, I was beside myself. I know it’s Thanksgiving but come on people there are sides! And then I stepped back for a moment and realized that after you subtract out all the gizzards and bones it’s not actually 1 pound per person. So yes, the number of people in my dinner party always equals the size turkey I buy.

But what if you are cooking a portion of the turkey? Maybe air fryer turkey thighs are more your thing. If you use boneless, skinless breasts it’s more like 1/2 pound per person since there isn’t any wasted weight. Granted, it’s always nice to have a little extra for leftovers so use that information as you see fit.

The reason I am having this little educational moment is because I am sharing the best stinking turkey breast I have ever had with you today. The first time I had it was actually during my adventures with the Ohio Poultry Association. When I asked if we could have the recipe I was actually surprised when they said yes! From that day I knew what I was serving at Friendsgiving.

This perfectly brined and juicy turkey breast would probably be wonderful on it’s own but why stop there? Especially when you can also have it stuffed with a fresh pear hash and wrapped in bacon, sealing in all those flavors. And oh man did my friends go crazy. It even looks pretty with it’s fun little spiraled center.

To make things even better, this recipe won’t take up nearly as much room in your oven, allowing you to bake everything else you want in there for Thanksgiving. And you can prep everything the day before! Same goes for my Turkey Wellington recipe stuffed with cranberry sauce.

Oh and one more thing, it takes less than 1.5 hours to cook! About 20 minutes of searing (5 minutes per side) and 45-60 minutes in the oven. Basically, you need to rethink your Thanksgiving turkey this year if you already had something else planned because I can hear your mind blowing from here. Sorry-not sorry.

Still want to make a whole turkey but are dreading the lengthy cook time? You need to try spatchcocking. Whole 12-14 pound turkeys in about 90 minutes! Find out how HERE.

One year ago: Caramel Apple Pecan Cheesecake

Two years ago: Penne with Butternut Squash, Kale, and Goat Cheese

Four years ago: Baked Apple Cider Doughnut Minis

Five years ago: Asian BBQ Chicken

BACON WRAPPED TURKEY BREAST WITH PEAR HASH

Serves 8

Ingredients:

BRINE

6 cups of water

1/2 cup salt

1/2 cup sugar

5 sprigs fresh thyme

8 leaves fresh sage

1/2 tsp red chili flakes

Four 1 lb. boneless, skinless turkey breasts

PEAR HASH

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 large shallot, minced

1 Tbsp chopped fresh sage

1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

1/2 tsp red chili flakes

Salt, to taste

1 Bosc pear, peeled and cubed

1 cup unseasoned bread crumbs

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 Tbsp ground walnuts

ASSEMBLY

Salt and pepper, to taste

8 strips thick cut bacon

2 Tbsp vegetable oil (I used Healthy Harvest gourmet cooking oil)

Instructions:

1. In a large container bowl, combine all ingredients for the brine and stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Place turkey breasts into the brine and make sure they are completely covered. Refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallots, sage, thyme, chili flakes and a pinch of salt and saute for 5 minutes. Turn the heat up to high and pears. Cook for 2 minutes or until brown. Transfer the pear mixture to a bowl and add bread crumbs, chicken stock, and walnuts. Set aside to cool.
3. Remove turkey breasts from brine and pat dry. Butterfly breasts and season with salt and pepper. Lay down a piece of plastic wrap and on top lay out 2 pieces of bacon horizontally and place one butterflied breast on top of the bacon, cut side up. Spread 1/2 of the pear mixture on the breast and roll together with the bacon wrapped around the entire turkey breast. Tie breasts together with 2 pieces of butchers twine. Roll together tightly with plastic wrap and repeat process with remaining turkey breasts. Let rest in the refrigerator at least 1 hour over overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Remove stuffed breasts from the refrigerator and remove plastic wrap a half hour before searing.
5. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, and 1 tablespoon oil in skillet and sear breasts on all sides until bacon is slightly crisp and turkey is lightly browned.
6. Grease baking sheet with remaining tablespoon of oil and add breasts, seam side down. Bake 45-60 minutes or until internal temp reaches 160 degrees F.
7. Remove from oven and let rest 15 minutes before slicing.

Source: Adapted slightly from Sidecar Catering.

You may have noticed the call out to the particular type of oil I used. That’s because I am also doing a giveaway of said oil! Healthy Harvest is a family-owned business from Colorado that worked with a collection of farmers to produce Non-GMO Project verified soy and sunflower cooking oils. Some fun facts about these oils include high Omega 3’s, low saturation rate for less oily tasting foods, organic options, natural antioxidants and vitamin E, and are traceable to the farm of origin. Sound like something you’d be interested in? Well then you need to enter my giveaway in order to get your hands on a bottle!
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Disclosure: I was provided with cooking oils from Healthy Harvest Productions. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Over the years I have participated in several cooking groups, mostly celebrating various holidays. This year I embarked on something new called The Book Club Cookbook Cooking Crew organized by Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla. Each month for a year, a different blogger picks a novel from which we will be creating a recipe. The novels and recipes in question are provided in a cookbook aptly named “The Book Club Cookbook”. As I have read several of the books included in this cookbook, I thought it would be a fun adventure! You can follow along by following #thebookclubcookbookCC on social media and find out more about the event HERE. (We also have a giveaway of the cook book which you can find at the end of this post.)

The novel I have chosen for this month is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Halloween may be over and you may not initially think that such a book is applicable to November but I protest this misconception. If you’ve ever read the book series or at least seen the movies you are familiar with the Thanksgiving-style feasts that are served at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I actually grew up reading these books one by one as they were released, and even went to a few midnight book releases so when I saw it was one of the available book options I pounced on it.

The recipe from the cookbook for this month is Harry Potter’s favorite treacle tart, one of the many luscious treats to magically appear on the tables at Hogwarts during the welcoming feast. While dark molasses and golden syrup may not be common things found in an American kitchen, the recipe is easily adapted using regular molasses, honey and corn syrup. I especially loved the hint of ginger and the nuttiness provided by the almonds. This would be a great alternative pie this Thanksgiving!

Want to join us this month? You can choose to read the book, make the recipe provided, adapt the recipe, or create your own recipe inspired by the book (check out my Harry Potter cookies and butter beer ice cream). You do not have to be one of the 12 hosts to join us! Anyone can join in by following the below guidelines:

1. Draw inspiration from the chosen recipe/book.
2. Blog about it! It doesn’t have to be a lengthy post. Just share your dish.
3. Include a link back to this post somewhere in your post. Grab the logo and use it if you’d like.
4. Your post must be current (during November 2015). And of course we don’t mind if your post is linked to other events. The more the merrier.
5. Email your entries to me at spiffycookie (at) gmail (dot) com by November 28th and include:
   • Your name
   • Your blog’s name and URL
   • The name of your dish and the permalink to the specific post you’resubmitting
   • Attach a photo of any size (or just give me permission to”pull” one from your post)
   • Indicate #thebookclubcookbookCC in the subject line

Deadline for submission is Saturday, November 28th.
Watch for the roundup to be posted on November 30th!

One year ago: Cinnamon-Sugar Pumpkin Bagel Bites for One

Two years ago: Baked Choco-Peanut Butter Doughnuts

Three years ago: Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes with Chocolate Cheesecake Frosting

Four years ago: Pumpkin Spice Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

TREACLE TART

Makes 1 pie

Ingredients:

CRUST

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

6 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

2-3 Tbsp cold water

FILLING

1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp golden syrup (or half light corn syrup half ginger honey)

1/4 cup dark molasses (or regular)

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1 cup bread crumbs (I used Panko because it’s what I had)

1 tsp freshly grated ginger (optional, I omitted because I used ginger honey)

2/3 cup finely chopped almonds (optional)

Directions:

1. In a food processor fitted with a mixing blade, combine the flour, salt, and butter. Pulse until it resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add the water until a smooth ball forms. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 12-inch circle. Carefully transfer and fit into a 9-inch pie or tart pan, folding over or cutting off the excess (can use excess for a lattice top or other decor on top).
4. Place pie weights into the bottom of the crust and bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool for 15 before filling.
5. While the crust cools, make the filling. Add all the filling ingredients to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and cook until mixture is slightly thinned. Pour mixture into cooled pie crust (add lattice topping or extra crust if desired, I added a lightning bolt).
6. Bake 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden and filling bubbles. Serve warm with ice cream.

Source: Adapted slightly from The Book Club Cookbook.

Items you may need (affiliate links):

One of our lucky readers – US and Canada only! – can enter to win a copy ofThe Book Club Cookbook, Revised Edition: Recipes and Food for Thought from Your Book Club’s Favorite Books and Authors by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp, courtesy of Tarcher-Penguin. Giveaway runs from November 1st till November 30th at 4 o’clock PM, Pacific time. Please see terms and conditions in the rafflecopter widget below. Many thanks to Tarcher Books. You may find Tarcher: on the web, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Pinterest.

*Disclosure: Erin received a complimentary copy of The Book Club Cookbook, Revised Edition: Recipes and Food for Thought from Your Book Club’s Favorite Books and Authors by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp as an opportunity to give a copy away. Opinions are our own. We received no further compensation for our posts.

Got plans this weekend? You do now! Time to make some homemade pasta sauce compliments of Bob’s Italian grandmother. For dinner one day, he pulled out his trusty family recipe-binder and whipped up a batch of his grandmother’s pasta sauce complete with some huge meatballs. The meatballs were cooked in the sauce which helps marry the flavors of the two together. Most of the sauce was then canned but some of it was served over spaghetti with the meatballs on top. The meatballs were even stuffed with gouda because, well, why the heck not?

One year ago: Peanut Butter Greek Yogurt Fruit Dip

Three years ago: Berries & Cream Granola

GRANDMA’S MEATBALLS & PASTA SAUCE

Makes about 4 quarts sauce & 6 large meatballs

Ingredients:

MEATBALLS

2 lb. ground beef

1 egg + 1 egg white, lightly beaten

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Salt and pepper, to taste

SAUCE

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 (29 oz.) cans tomato puree + 2 canfuls water

1 (12 oz.) can tomato paste

Handful (about 1/4 cup) fresh basil, chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, stir together all the meatball ingredients. Gently roll into 6 large or 12 medium meatballs (if you squeeze them too much they will be tough). Place on a plate or tray and set aside.
2. In a large stock pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add tomato puree, water, and tomato paste, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and stir in basil and salt and pepper. Place meatballs in the sauce and let simmer for 4-6 hours, stirring often.
3. Serve meatballs and sauce over pasta. Refrigerate, freeze, or can the remaining sauce.

Source: Bob’s grandmother

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Nut-crusted chicken is one of my favorite ways to prepare chicken. This obsession started when I first made this recipe with my friend Brandi years ago, pre-blogging years. While unpacking, sifting through a pile of recipes long forgotten, I rediscovered this guy and it quickly was thrown onto the menu. This time I combined it with another one of my favorite chicken-cooking techniques: oven-frying. The result? Crispy, citrusy, spicy. Serve along with a spinach salad and it’s healthy dinner time!

P.S. The Weber root beer gets special mention for being one of the best root beers I have had from my Seattle root beer shopping spree. I still need to unpack all my bottles to fill in more of my root beer collection list.

One year ago: Cream Cheese and Bell Pepper Stuffed Chicken

Three years ago: Buttermilk Pecan Waffles

Four years ago: Spaghetti with Feta and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

ORANGE PECAN-CRUSTED CHICKEN

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 to 1-1/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded 1/4-inch thin

1/2 cup pecan halves

1/4 cup plain Panko bread crumbs

1-1/2 tsp freshly grated orange zest (I used a mandarin orange)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground chipotle pepper

1 egg white

1 tsp water

Cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Arrange a wire rack on a large baking sheet and coat rack with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Place pecans, bread crumbs, orange zest, salt and ground chipotle in a food processor and pulse until the pecans are finely ground. Transfer the mixture to a shallow dish.
3. Place the egg white and water in a second shallow bowl and lightly beat. Dip the chicken into the egg then coat with the bread crumbs. Arrange on prepared rack and spray tops with cooking spray. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
4. Serve immediately with spinach side salad.

Source: Adapted from Eating Well. Cooking method from my Oven-Fried Chicken & Biscuit Waffles.

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tag #TheSpiffyCookie

Instead of croutons, top your salad with oven-fried mac and cheese ravioli! You may never go back. Mac and cheese ravioli are coated in breadcrumbs and oven-fried for an indulgent salad topping.

Before I get into this recipe, I just have to say that I am super stoked about Taco Bell’s breakfast menu. I don’t eat fast food very often but when I do it’s typically Taco Bell or occasionally breakfast from one of the main-stream burger joints. To join those two together is a dreamland. Admittedly, I have eaten regular Taco Bell menu items for breakfast more times than I can count but now I’ll have the option of actual breakfast food. Glory and celebration!

Now that I’ve warmed you up to atypical meal options, how do you feel about macaroni and cheese on top of a salad? Let me explain before you run away thinking I’ve lost my mind completely.

After hearing about Mac and Cheese Mania, hosted by Rachel and Brandy, I knew I had to jump on board. An entire event dedicated to carbs and cheese? Heck yea I want to participate in that celebration! As an added bonus there are prizes involved.

In order to win you have to link up a mac and cheese recipe (up to 4, old or new) and link back to their pages. I already submitted an old one but decided to whip up something new for another entry. And because I’ve been trying to eat more salads O:-).

This event just so happens to be occurring at just the right time as I have been meaning to use a bag of frozen mac and cheese ravioli for quite awhile. I know you are familiar with fried ravioli, but this time I used those mac and cheese stuffed ravioli, oven-fried them, and then threw them on top of a salad! Air fryer mac and cheese would also work well here. 

You could skip the salad and serve the oven-fried mac and cheese ravioli as an appetizer with Ranch dipping sauce, but it’s so much more fun to put unhealthy things on top of a healthy salad (Like my BBQ salad topped with Cheetos) because everyone knows that a salad negates anything bad you eat with it. This is science people, the science of denial. 

Come join Mac and Cheese Mania at Rachel Cooks and Nutmeg Nanny sponsored by Door to Door Organics and OXO – Win prizes! **CLOSED**

One year ago: Baked Banana-Pecan Oatmeal

OVEN-FRIED MAC AND CHEESE RAVIOLI SALAD

Serves 4

Ingredients:

RAVIOLI

• 16 oz. package Mac + Cheese Ravioli (or any flavor of choice)
• 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 1-1/2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• Pinch of salt and pepper

SALAD

• 1 head romaine, chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Ranch dressing

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top. Spray the rack with nonstick spray. In one shallow bowl, add egg whites and in another mix the bread crumbs and seasonings.
2. Bring water to a boil and cook ravioli for half of the recommended time. Drain them and quickly spray with a little nonstick spray (helps them not stick together). Once cool, dip each ravioli in egg whites then coat thoroughly with the breadcrumb mixture, pressing to adhere. Place on the wire rack and repeat until finished. Spray tops with nonstick spray. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until crispy and golden.
3. Toss together the salad and serve immediately, topped with oven-fried ravioli and Ranch dressing. Store any leftover ravioli in the fridge and reheat using a toaster oven.

Source: Adapted from Crispy Oven-Fried Ravioli.