Bacon wrapped Sausage and Portobello Mushroom Turkey Roulade

Here is a centerpiece for your Thanksgiving dinner table! What I have here for you is a Turkey Roulade with a delicious hot sausage and Portobello mushroom stuffing, en- wrapped in a bacon crust...drooling already???

Roulade [roo-LAHD]is a French term for a thin slice of meat rolled around a filling such as mushrooms, bread crumbs, meat, cheese or a mixture of vegetables and cheese. The rolled package is usually secured with string or a wooden pick. A Roulade is browned before being baked or braised in wine or stock. 

A Roulade has always fascinated me simply because of its intriguing presentation and this was the right time to try one. Here after I have added this to my menu for fancy dinners :)

For small families like mine or especially if you are celebrating Thanksgiving with a small group, it might be impractical to cook a whole 20-25 pound Turkey simply because you might end up eating only Turkey for a week or even more (unless you just love turkey and are waiting for such an opportunity). This is a beautiful and delicious alternative that is just the right portion size and still stays with the Turkey theme. Moreover, I find Turkey meat pretty bland and in need of some serious flavoring if you intend to serve it by itself, but this elegant and impressive looking Roulade, is a blend of various rich flavors and textures, that simply cannot go wrong.

My husband was down with a bad toothache this week but luckily by the time the food was served the painkillers had kicked in and we all equally enjoyed the dish which really made me content!!! 

Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!! Hope you enjoy your Turkey as well as we did :))

Did you know that a 4-ounce serving of turkey breast contains only 1 gram of fat and is the leanest type of meat you can include in your diet? It is easy to reduce the fat content of turkey because most of it resides in the skin, which can be easily removed. By including a serving of turkey as part of your Healthiest Way of Eating, you will not only be reducing your fat intake, but fulfilling 65% of your daily value for protein! 

Ingredients

For the Roulade
1 turkey breast, removed from the bone, about 4 pounds
10-12 - sliced bacon strips
Salt and Pepper to taste

For the Stuffing
Oil
1/2 - Large onion, diced
4 cloves - Garlic, smashed and finely chopped
1/2 pound(8oz) - Shiitake or Baby Portobello mushrooms, julienned
1/4 bunch - Fresh Sage, leaves finely chopped OR 1/2 Tsp - Ground Sage powder
Few leaves - Fresh Oregano
1/2 pound - Bulk Hot Italian sausage, crumbled (Refer notes)
1 cup - Bread crumbs
1/4 cup - Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
1 - Egg
1/4 cup - Milk
Salt and Pepper to taste

For the Gravy
1 - Carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 rib - Celery, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 - Large onion, diced
2 Tablespoon - Butter
2 cups -Chicken stock
1/2 cup - White wine
Thyme bundle
1 1/2 Tbsp- All-purpose flour
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

For the Stuffing

• In a large Saute pan, add the diced onion and cook until they are soft, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
• Toss in the Mushrooms and Sage, season with salt to taste.
• Cook until they are soft and wilted, about 5 to 7 minutes.
• Stir in the sausage, using a large kitchen spoon to chop up the sausage as you stir. Cook until the sausage is brown and a little crispy, about 10 to 12 minutes. 
• Transfer the sausage mixture to a large mixing bowl and let cool.
• To the mixing bowl with sausage mixture, add the bread crumbs, grated cheese, the eggs and milk. Mix all ingredients together. Taste and season with salt if needed.

Assembling the Roulade

• While the sausage mixture is cooling, cut the turkey breast into 2 separate halves and remove skin. Butterfly each half to make a wide, flat surface. Cover each half with plastic wrap and with a meat mallet, gently pound each breast half, to flatten.
• Lay about 10 bacon slices in the middle, slightly overlapping. 

• Arrange a turkey breast on top. Season with salt and pepper.

• Lay the stuffing mix on the turkey and roll it up, creating a nice even log. 

• Wrap 2 pieces of bacon around each end, then fold the bacon tip underneath around the turkey.  Tie with twine to secure. Repeat process with the second turkey breast.
• Preheat the oven to 375 F degrees.
• Put a large roasting pan on a burner, coat it with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. 
• Add the turkey rolls and brown on all sides. 

• Remove the turkey rolls from the pan and transfer it to a roasting pan. 
• Add in the remaining diced onion, carrots, celery. Season with salt, to taste, and cook the veggies until they start to soften, about 7 to 8 minutes. 
• Add chicken stock and white wine to the roasting pan, along with a thyme bundle. 
• Transfer the cooked onion mixture to the roasting pan with the turkey rolls.

• Cover with foil and roast in the oven for 25 minutes, remove the foil and roast for 10 more minutes.
• Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the turkey to a tray or platter and cover with foil to rest and keep warm.

For the Gravy / Sauce

• Remove the thyme bundle and skim the fat. 
• Take the gravy from the roasting pan and transfer it to a sauce pan. Ladle a spoonful of gravy in a separate bowl and add the flour and whisk well to make a sauce. Slowly whisk it into the sauce pan. 
• Add butter.
• Reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture has thickened to a gravy consistency. Taste and season with salt, if needed.
• Remove the twine from the Roulade and slice into medallions. 
• Arrange the Roulade medallions on a serving platter and serve with the gravy.

Notes and Tips

• Make sure you secure the Turkey rolls with a twine.
• The bulk sausage used for this dish is without its casing.
• While assembling the Roulade, work on an area with plastic wrap.This makes it easy to roll the turkey and also reduces the mess in the kitchen.
• Reheat leftovers (if any ;) ) in a conventional or toaster oven.
• You can make the same dish with Chicken.

Sending this recipe for a Blog event - Christmas Delicacy