Stuffed Turkey Breast Tenderloin Recipe – An Easy Thanksgiving Dinner For Two!

When it comes to making a small Thanksgiving dinner for two, I always enjoy making this Stuffed Turkey Breast Tenderloin Recipe. Tender turkey breast meat stuffed with a classic, yet easy to make homemade dressing recipe.

It is a great way to get the focus of Thanksgiving dinner on the table without a lot of extra work. Then once it comes out of the oven serve it with a vegetable and a complete holiday dinner is ready.

Not to mention that is a budget friendly recipe as well. I was able to make this delicious dinner for under 7 dollars.

And that was without purchasing items on sale! It is a fantastic way to get the main dish and a classic Thanksgiving side dish recipe on the table with very little cost.

Although you may be thinking about purchasing a whole turkey breast for your holiday meal, a turkey breast tenderloin is a great option when you don’t want to have a ton of leftover meat.

As much as I love to use leftover Thanksgiving turkey to make turkey noodle casserole and turkey pot pie by the time Monday rolls around, I am tired of turkey.

Therefore, I prefer to cook a turkey tenderloin instead of an entire turkey or turkey breast when there is just the two of us for dinner. Especially since we most likely have already enjoyed an early Thanksgiving celebration with our family.

Turkey Breast vs. Turkey Breast Tenderloin

So what is the difference between a turkey breast and turkey breast tenderloin? Although both cuts of meat come from the breast of a turkey, there is a slight difference.

If you have ever purchased a whole turkey breast, you will notice that it is a fairly thick and large cut of meat. Often sold with the bone and skin intact, it is designed to feed 6-8 people.

When you purchase a whole breast, it is actually the two breasts still attached together. And the tenderloin is the section of meat that is in between the two breasts.

The turkey breast tenderloin is the most tender cut of the turkey because it is a muscle that doesn’t get used often. When cut away from the bone, it has a long and slender shape.

Although not often sold at a butcher shop as an individual cut of meat, you can often find a package of turkey tenderloin in the poultry refrigerator section of a large grocery store. Look for a long, sealed package that looks similar to the packages of pork tenderloin.

Most often the turkey breast tenderloin will be sold in a 24oz. package. This includes two tenderloins that may have been slightly seasoned.

Although you will only be using one tenderloin for this stuffed turkey breast tenderloin recipe, the other one can be frozen and used at a later time.

Stuffed Turkey Breast Tenderloin Recipe

*A printable recipe card is located at the bottom of this article which contains the specific measurements, temperatures and cook times. However, continue reading below to learn about more helpful tips about this specific recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 turkey breast tenderloin, approximately 10-12 ounces
• 2 cups bread cubes, 1/2-inch in size
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup celery, finely chopped
• 1-2 tablespoons chicken broth (or water)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Then spray a small oval baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set the dish aside while you prepare the turkey breast tenderloin.

Place a turkey tenderloin on a large cutting board. Then place your non-dominant hand on top of the turkey tenderloin.

Using your dominant hand take a sharp knife and cut a slice through one side of the turkey breast tenderloin, being sure not to cut all the way through to the other side.

Once you get 3/4ths of the way through the meat, open up the tenderloin so that it is butterflied. Place the opened up tenderloin in the prepared baking dish and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Set the turkey aside to prepare the stuffing.

Prepare The Dressing

Start by placing the bread cubes in a medium size bowl. Set aside.

In a medium size skillet placed over medium high heat, add 1 tablespoon of butter. Once the butter melts add the diced onions and diced celery.

Saute for 4-5 minutes until the onions become translucent. Pour the onions and celery over top of the bread cubes and toss to coat.

Pour 1 tablespoon of chicken broth or water over the bread cubes. Gently toss to coat.

You want the bread cubes to be slightly moistened so you may need to add a little more broth. However, you don’t want them soaked and mushy.

Toss the bread cubes so that each one can absorb some of the liquid. Then add the salt, pepper, sage, thyme and parsley to the bowl and toss until the seasonings are well combined and coating the bread cubes.

Place the stuffing mix in the center of the turkey tenderloin. There will be enough that it should mound up quite high.

Fold the top side of the turkey tenderloin over the stuffing. It will not cover it completely, but you want it to cover the top side of the stuffing.

Baking Time

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the turkey has reached an internal temperature of 160°F when checked with an instant read digital thermometer.

Remove the baking dish from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy! Mary

Follow My Facebook Page For Great Recipes For Two! I Cook For Two Facebook Page

To receive FREE recipes delivered directly to your email, be sure to sign up for the iCookfortwo newsletter. A sign up form is located in the middle of this article. If you have any questions, comments, or want to submit an idea for a recipe for two, feel free to email at mary@icookfortwo.com