Low-Carb Thanksgiving Turkey and Gravy Recipe

PREP TIME: 15 minutes

COOK TIME: 1 hour 28 minutes

INACTIVE TIME: 15 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 58 minutes

SERVES: 8

NUTRITION FACTS (per serving):

• 628 Calories
• 6.1g Carbohydrates
• 0.7g Fiber
• 5.4g Net Carbs
• 76.6g Protein

Skip the fuss of a whole turkey and get right to the good stuff with this turkey roulade. Don’t be intimidated by the fancy name -- roulade simply means “rolled.” You’ll butterfly and pound out a turkey breast and fill it with a savory stuffing, ensuring the perfect stuffing-to-turkey ratio with every bite. 🍗🍴

Our sausage stuffing skips the carb-loaded bread and instead opts for pork rinds. When crushed, pork rinds make an excellent breadcrumb substitute and add a ton of flavor. The stuffing is easy to make ahead of time so all that’s left to do on the big day is stuff, roll, and roast. We chose a classic blend of herbs to season this stuffing, but feel free to add your own twist with different herbs and spices.

While the roulade is incredible, the real showstopper here is the gravy! First, you’ll brown butter in your turkey pan to take advantage of all the flavorful drippings. Browning butter is a simple process -- cook the butter until it take on an amber hue. This usually only takes a few minutes, so keep a close eye on it. A classic gravy is usually thickened with some type of starch, but we skip those carbs and instead employ a seasonal classic -- chestnuts. This time of year, it’s easy to find roasted chestnuts in a jar or can, but feel free to roast your own to make your house smell amazing. You’ll cook them in the brown butter than transfer everything to a food processor. The chestnuts add a nutty flavor and thicken the texture of the gravy.

INGREDIENTS

For the Roulade:

• 1/4 cup butter, divided
• 1/4 cup celery, diced
• 1/4 cup carrots, diced
• 1/4 cup onion, diced
• 1/3 lb loose Italian pork sausage
• 1 egg
• 1 cup pork rinds, crushed
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
• 2 Tbsp thyme, chopped
• 2 Tbsp rosemary, chopped
• 2 Tbsp sage, chopped
• 1 (3-4) boneless skinless turkey breast

For the Gravy:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup chestnuts, roasted and peeled
• 1 1/4 cups turkey or chicken broth

 Allergens: Dairy, Eggs

DIRECTIONS

For the Roulade:

1. Preheat oven to 450F. Place a rack in a roasting pan. Set aside.
2. In a large sauté pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add celery, carrots, and onion. Sauté 3-4 minutes, until onions are translucent.
3. Increase heat to medium-high. Add sausage and cook another 6-8 minutes, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until cooked through. Add 2 Tbsp butter and stir to melt.
4. Transfer sausage mixture to a large heat proof mixing bowl. Add egg, pork rinds, parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
5. Pat turkey dry. Butterfly turkey breast by slicing slicing 3/4 of the way through horizontally. Do not cut all the way through. Unfold and lay flat. Cover in plastic wrap and pound to about 3/4-1 inch thick with a meat mallet or heavy pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste on both sides.
6. Spread the sausage mixture into an even layer over the turkey.
7. Starting at one short end, tightly roll the turkey breast into a cylinder. Tie with kitchen twine or secure with toothpicks then transfer to prepared roasting pan.
8. Transfer to oven for 20 minutes then reduce the heat to 350F. Cook another 55-65 minutes, until cooked through.
9. Remove from oven and transfer turkey to a plate to rest for 15 minutes, reserving drippings in the roasting pan.

For the Gravy:

1. Place the roasting pan over medium heat. Add butter and chestnuts and cook 3-4 minutes, until butter is golden and frothy. Add chicken broth and stir to combine.
2. Transfer gravy to a food processor or blender. Process until smooth and thick.
3. Slice turkey roulade and serve with gravy.

Danielle Moore

Danielle Moore is a Nutritionist and the Founder of Sunday Bacon Kitchen, a full service culinary design firm inspired by her son’s love of bacon on Sunday mornings. Follow her cooking and eating adventures on Instagram at @sunda