Crockpot turkey breast

There is little I like more than a big turkey dinner. Thanksgiving is hands down one of my favorite holidays. The stress of buying gifts is removed and there's no religious component to the day - it's really just a holiday that's all about the food and family. Two of my favorite things!

One of my big complaints about the holiday is always that the leftovers don't last long enough. Or, if you're like us and tend to celebrate the holiday at someone else's house, you find yourself after the holiday with temporarily full bellies that quickly crave the post-Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches. Sadly, we often find ourselves leftover-less since our hosts understandably don't always want to share the turkey leftover goodness. Enter crockpot turkey. Easy to make on a weeknight and just as delicious as the pan-roasted version.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 Tbls unsalted butter or olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1/3 c. flour
2 c. low sodium chicken broth
1 c. water
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tsp fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
4-5 lb whole bone-in turkey breast, skin on, trimmed of fat
salt and pepper

Directions: 

1. Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. 

2. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cook until onion is soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. 

3. Stir in the flour and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. 

4. Stir in 1 cup of the broth and scrape up any browned bits and smooth out any lumps; transfer to slow cooker.

5. Stir in the remaining broth, water, wine, thyme, and bay leaves into the slow cooker. 

6. Season the turkey with salt and pepper, place skin side up in the slow cooker, cover and cook for 5-7 hours on low or until the turkey's internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

7. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and cover it loosely with with foil and let it rest for 20 minutes.

8. Let the braising liquid settle for a few minutes, then remove the fat from the surface using a large spoon. Strain braising liquid into saucepan, remove the carrots, celery, bay leaves and simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

9. Remove the skin and carve the turkey and serve with gravy. Makes 2 1/2 cups of gravy.