Roasted Turkey Breast with Mustard-Sage Crumbs

GOOD MORNING!  Our house is a disaster, and this blog is my way of turning my back to it at the moment.  The dishes are piled up so badly that I can't see my counter tops, the laundry is spilling onto the floor and the only thing in the house that is relatively clean is the dog that got bathed yesterday...
Normally, this would upset me.  Today...don't care!  I bring you RECIPES!

picture by © Melanie Acevedo

This picture above is from Food&Wine Magazine because the meal that I made was cooked for friends.  We were all so hungry by the time we got around to cooking that I scarfed it down and didn't get very good photos.  So I thought I'd give you an idea of what this is supposed to actually look like.  And honestly, it does come out this fancy, with almost no effort on your part.  Maybe I'll update the pictures when I make this again.  It's a staple meal in this house.

I've served this feast a good six or seven times, and people are always impressed with it.  It's easy to make, looks great, tastes even better, and everyone leans back in their chair with a grin when they're finished.  I usually compliment the turkey with mashed potatoes or some kind of roasted squash and a leafy green salad.
This is typically what I'd call a fall meal, but it's been unusually chilly here in Texas and we call 50 degrees COLD so I'm posting it.

My only advice to you is that if you're using fresh breadcrumbs from stale bread ( I used some hardened rosemary sourdough), make sure that the crumbs really are DRY because if not, the crumbs soak up all the melted butter and end up soggy and not distributing correctly.  Okay I lied...one more thing: don't skimp on your Dijon quality either, it makes a huge difference.  Use one that you really like!

As a side note, I typically find two small turkey breasts at the store instead of a single two-pounder, so don't stress if you can't find exactly what this calls for.  This also (as usual) makes excellent leftovers with mac n' cheese and what have you.

For my beginner cooks, if you don't have fresh parsley on hand, use dried parsley but only HALF of what it calls for when it's fresh!  That's a pretty standard rule when it comes to fresh vs dried herbs.

Turkey Breast with Mustard Sage Crumbs

Adapted from Food & Wine Magazine

Printable Version!

Makes: 4 Servings   Takes: 1 hour total (40 mins cook time)

You Need: 

• small amount of olive oil or veggie oil for oiling pan
• 1/2 C dried breadcrumbs (make sure they're dry!  I use stale rosemary sourdough)
• 1 1/2 tsp dried sage
• 1/4 C fresh parsley (or 2 Tbsp dried)
• 3 Tbsp melted butter
• 3/4 tsp salt
• one 2-lb or two 1-lb boneless skinless whole turkey breasts
• 1/4 tsp black pepper or more to taste
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1.  Preheat oven to 450 F.  Very lightly grease a roasting pan and set aside.  Mix in a small bowl bread crumbs, sage, parsley 1/4 tsp of the salt and butter.  Use the rest of the salt (1/2 tsp) and the pepper on the turkey breast.  

2.  Brush the top and the sides of the turkey breast with the Dijon mustard, then sprinkle crumb mixture on top.  Lightly press it to make sure it stays on the turkey.

3.  Roast for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes, turn the temperature down to 375 F and roast until done, about 15-20 minutes more.  Make sure it's done but not dried out.  Remove from oven, put on a cutting/carving board and let sit for 10 minutes while you finish the rest of your meal.  Cut into slices and serve warm.