Another Way to Cook the Thanksgiving Turkey

Just so the title isn't too misleading, I'll clarify that I'm speaking of a turkey breast.

I never thought the Thanksgiving turkey could be made without an oven in which to roast it.  But I was wrong.

Almost two weeks ago, our kitchen stove died and a replacement ordered. The sad news is it won’t be delivered until next week, which left me with a dilemma. How on Earth could be turkey be roasted or the pies baked?

I don’t do well cooking in someone else’s kitchen, so making dishes at my mother’s house was out of the question. It was decided that this year we would go out to eat. Not my idea of the way Thanksgiving should be – lining up on a buffet line where others in front of you messed up the food and/or possibly sneezed over it. But it seemed we had no other alternative, dispite the challenge of getting mother and her wheelchair there.

And then a light bulb went off in my head. I wondered if a turkey breast could be made in a crockpot. A quick Internet search yielded wonderful news: not only were there many recipes, but notes indicated the meat comes out moist and delicious.

So I was off! I've had a turkey breast thawing in the refrigerator since Monday, planning to roast it after the new oven arrived as an after-Thanksgiving treat. So it's a matter of getting the meat into the pot and cooking it for eight hours. Later tonight, when it's done, I'll refrigerate it and reheat tomorrow.

There were the usual preparations:

-- Spray the pot with oil and line it with three stalks celery, one chopped onion and 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic.

--Wash and dry the meat; rub with a package of Lipton’s Onion Soup Mix, thyme, sage and oregano.

--Drizzle with one tablespoon butter.

--Add ½ cup chicken broth.

--Cover and cook one hour on high and seven hours on low.

(The meat can be placed under the broiler (at my mother's house, of course) before serving to get that brown crispy skin.)

Oh my goodness! That distorted blob on the top is my reflection!

As for the pie, I measured the glass Pyrex pie plate in the toaster oven and it just fits, so I’ll be able to bake a pecan pie later today. (This toaster oven has been a lifesaver these past days for heating things during the absence of a large oven.)

Now with the cornbread dressing my sister is making (and who knows what other delectable dishes she'll come up with!), the cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy and a green salad we'll have our traditional meal.

We won't have the turkey legs extending into the air (as in a Norman Rockwell painting) but at least we'll be in a warm and cozy home environment instead of a crowded restaurant with all that pushing and shoving and noise.

Happy Thanksgiving to all those in the U.S. who are celebrating this holiday tomorrow!