Fix-It and Forget-It

When the Thanksgiving turkey platter is passed to me, I always root around looking for the dark meat. Early on, I must have hit a piece of white meat that behaved like sawdust in my mouth—and no amount of gravy could rescue it.

Well, I’ve re-thought things. A friend of mine who is a great cook, and who puts out a couple of highly acclaimed Thanksgiving meals each year, told me that she struck gold when she made “Turkey in a Pot” from the Fix-It and Forget-It PINK Cookbook. This—I could hardly believe it—is a turkey breast recipe!

I must have looked a little skeptical, although I know my friend is not a gusher. She just fixed her eyes on me and said, “It is flavorful. It is moist. It is virtually no work. I just tinkered a little bit with the recipe.”

We’ve tried the recipe in our test kitchen, and it is true. We have the votes!

If you feel a little panic creeping up on you about the Big Day on Thursday, here are 3 Tips to Settle You Down.

1. Make this blissfully simple, tender-to-the-bone turkey breast in your slow cooker. Do it the day before Thanksgiving or the morning of. Bonus: There’s no high-skilled carving required.

2. Make your whole feast in slow cookers. Bonus: You’ll escape the cooking-all-morning dread because you fixed the food ahead of time. And you’ll be able to enjoy your guests instead of going nuts in a steamy kitchen.

3. Need a menu? Here are links to more slow-cooker recipes that will grace your table and bless your guests. Now go round up the slow cookers and then take some deep breaths. Bonus: Things just got easier.

The Menu:
Turkey in a Pot (recipe below)
Chicken Dressing
Fruity Sweet Potatoes
Creole Green Beans
Golden Carrots
Pumpkin Pie Pudding

The “Turkey in a Pot” Recipe
(including the tinkering):
Makes 10-12 servings
Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking Time: 6 hours
Ideal slow-cooker size: 5- or 6-qt.

4- 5-lb. turkey breast
1 medium onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
3 Tbsp. melted butter
Salt to taste
Lemon pepper seasoning to taste
¾ cup chicken broth
1 cup white wine (or if you prefer, drop the wine and use 1¾ cups chicken broth)

1. Wash turkey breast. Pat dry. Place in greased slow cooker.
2. Put onion and celery in cavity.
3. Pour butter over turkey. Sprinkle with seasonings. Pour broth around turkey.
4. Cover. Check breast with a fast-read meat thermometer after the breast cooks for 5 hours. (Stick the thermometer deep into the center of the breast, but don’t let the thermometer touch the bone.) When the thermometer reads 155-160 degrees F, remove meat from cooker, cover it with foil, and allow it to rest for 20 minutes before carving.

The breast may need to cook for up to 6 hours, so be sure to allow for that much time when you start the meat in your slow cooker.