Turkey 3 Days: First day crock pot

This is my most recent lifesaver.  Turkey Breast.  Supper for 3 (not necessarily consecutive) days.  Hallelujah!

Day One
Crock Pot Turkey Breast
Step one starts at the grocery store.  This is important: make sure the turkey breast you buy will fit in your crock pot!

I usually let the turkey thaw in the fridge for a night or two.  Sometimes three.  Once, I totally forgot about thawing it and put it in the sink with cold water to thaw.  That worked okay, but forethought works a lot better.  There is usually a big flap of fat on the end, I cut that off.  The brand I buy comes with a gravy packet, which I don't use.  Read the list of ingredients and you be the judge.

Pop that turkey in your slow cooker, slather on some garlic and rosemary (or poultry seasoning), salt and pepper, and a sprinkling of brown sugar.  Cook on low for about 5-6 hours.  Your crock pot may be different than mine, so keep an eye on it.

I usually make a pilaf or nuke some "baked" potatoes, add a veggie, and there's supper!  Now, a little more work...

My family eats a little less than one half.  Once I cut off the amount we will eat that night, I return the turkey to the crock, power off, until after we are done eating.  Then, after supper, I remove the other half of the meat, cut into pieces, and contain for later.  Then the bones and hard-to-remove-meat go back in the pot.  Add water to cover, add a couple allspice balls, maybe a bay leaf, and let it go a couple hours on high.

Once the kids are out of my hair, preferably sleeping, I can remove the meat (it will fall off the bones) and strain the broth.  Reserve the meat for your next meal. This whole process can get messy, but if you do it right, you will have such nice soft hands.  Ha ha, you'll see what I mean when you try it!  Put the broth in the fridge overnight.  The fat will float to the top and harden, so it will be easy to remove later.

So, now all the hard stuff is done.  Free sailing for two more days!  Well, kinda.

Up next:  Turkey Noodle Soup
or Turkey Gravy and spuds