Crock Pot Turkey Roast

I see absolutely no reason why turkey should be reserved solely for Thanksgiving. I know that the sheer size of a turkey breast can be a bit frightening at first. Do not fear! When cooked properly, turkey is moist and tasty. It's also lean and a great alternative to chicken. Due to its larger size, you will also most likely have leftovers for a turkey sandwich or another meal. When I  buy turkey, I go for one breast (a split breast) or a 2-3 pound turkey breast roast. You know the one I am talking about! It usually comes in a round or oval shaped package covered with that plastic netting that you have to cut off before you can open the turkey. When I open a turkey breast roast, the first thing I do is take off the stretchy netting from the meat. I rinse the meat and pat it dry. Next, I get out a frying pan, some cooking oil (olive oil, veg oil, etc), kosher salt, and cracked black pepper. Once my turkey breast is dry I salt and pepper both sides and then add to a pre-heated pan (medium heat) with a couple of tablespoons of oil. Cook larger pieces for 2 minutes per side, until the surface has a nice, golden-brown color. Cook smaller pieces about a minute per side. Searing meat before cooking keep the juices in, and when using the crock pot, it improves the appearance, flavor, and texture.

You may now place your turkey in the crock pot. Now, you can allow the turkey to cook several ways. You can add 1/2  cup of chicken broth and let it roast, or you can add some type of sauce for the turkey to cook in. Today I chose an orange-ginger-soy glaze. In a bowl, I combined 4 oz of orange juice, a healthy tablespoon of low sodium soy sauce, 2-3 tablespoons of brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of ginger, and a light sprinkle of granulated onion and a hearty sprinkle of garlic powder. Next, heat 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave. Whisk all ingredients except the butter until combined. Pour the melted butter over the turkey, then pour the glaze over it.

I plan to roast this turkey on low for 4-5 hours, and I know from past experience that it will be tasty!! Happy Cooking!

***This glaze is easy to modify. For a stronger orange taste, you could add frozen OJ concentrate. You could also use fresh grated ginger root, real onion, garlic cloves, etc. instead of the dried varieties. It easily adaptable to whatever you have on hand in the kitchen!

My rinsed, dry turkey roast pieces. Once you take that netting off, you will realize it's not really a round shape, but a bunch of breast chunks. :)

One side of the largest piece, salted, peppered, and seared. 

The two smaller pieces. There were also some tiny chunks that I browned for just 30 seconds per side and tossed in the crock pot as well.

All of the nicely browned turkey pieces. This is a smaller crock pot made for meals for 2!

After pouring on the butter and glaze.