There’s nothing like a turkey sandwich with freshly roasted turkey.  Some of the deli stuff is OK, but most of it is salty, and the texture just isn’t the same.

I admit, cooking a whole turkey is very intimidating, and I’ve never actually done it in my own kitchen.  Instead, I’ve cooked turkey breasts which yield all white meat, without all the fuss. And now I discovered you can cook a turkey breast right in the crockpot!

This recipe, inspired by Skinnytaste,  is perfect for summer.  You don’t have to heat up the kitchen by using the oven, and you can either make a turkey dinner, or use the meat for sandwiches for the week.  If you find a turkey breast on sale (I got mine for $1.19/lb. at Target) it can also be cost effective compared to deli meat.

The turkey in this recipe came out amazing; it was tender, juicy, and reminded me of Thanksgiving.  I did have some trouble with the gravy not thickening up very well.  Gravy is really not my ‘thing’, so I played with it a little but gave up pretty quickly.  If you do love gravy, I think the cooking liquid in this recipe is a flavorful base, but you may need to add more flour.

Even without perfect gravy, I am calling this recipe a success!

Crockpot Turkey Breast and Gravy

1 T oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 t minced garlic
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1/3 c. flour
2 c. vegetable broth
1 c. water
1/2 c. white wine
2 t seasoning (I used Penzey’s Mural of Flavor, but the original recipe called for sage)
1 (4-5 lb.) turkey breast

Heat oil in a frying pan.  Add onion, garlic, and carrot, and cook for 15-20 minutes, until soft and beginning to brown.  Add flour and 1 c. vegetable broth.  Stir to combine, and break up any lumps.  Pour mixture into the crockpot.  Add remaining broth, water, wine, and seasoning to crockpot, and stir.

Sprinkle turkey with salt and pepper, and place in crockpot, breast side up.  Cook on Low for 5-6 hours, until an instant read thermometer registers 165F.  Remove from crockpot, cover loosely with foil, and allow to set for 15 minutes.  Remove skin, and carve away.

For gravy, allow liquid to cool slightly in the crockpot for 10 minutes.  Remove visible fat with a spoon.  Strain remaining liquid into a saucepan.  Simmer on medium heat for 15-20 minutes, until thickened.  (Note: My gravy didn’t thicken up well, and needed more flour.)

-Adapted from Skinnytaste

• Main Dishes