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Last Updated on December 20, 2021 by Aimee
This was my first attempt at a Spinach and Feta Turkey Roulade and although it may look intimidating, it was really simple to make. A mixture of spinach and feta are stuffed into a turkey breast tenderloin that has been pounded thin. It is then rolled and secured with kitchen twine. The drippings are the base for the white wine and shallot pan sauce. Elegant in it’s presentation and incredibly delicious. I really hope you give this one a try!
What is roulade?
The word itself derived from the French word rouler, which means “to roll.”In cooking, a roulade is a term used for a rolled dish – meaning one food is rolled around another and then sliced into pinwheels. Roulades can be either sweet (such as a pumpkin roll) or savory, such as this turkey roulade.
How to make the spinach and feta stuffing
Add pre-washed spinach to a saute pan with a tablespoon of water. Cover and allow it to wilt, stirring occasionally.
Take the spinach to the sink and squeeze the water out of it. You want to get as much out as you can!
Now, add the remaining ingredients for the filling. you’ll need:
- Spinach, wilted and cooled (you can also chop it if you’d like)
- Shallot (or Onion), finely minced and cooked for a few minutes
- Garlic Powder (if using fresh, finely minced and cooked with the shallot)
- Feta Crumbles
- Panko Breadcrumbs
- Italian Seasoning Blend
- Salt
- Pepper
- and an Egg White
How to prepare the turkey breast tenderloin
Set the filling aside. Slice the turkey breast in half (butterflied) taking care not to cut all of the way through so you create one big piece. It’s okay if the piece is not even or the same size. It all works out in the end.
Place a turkey breast between two pieces of plastic wrap. Using a rolling pin or meat tenderizer, pound thin. This tenderloin is more fragile than say, chicken, so go easy here. Remove and discard the top piece of plastic wrap.
How to make Spinach and Feta Turkey Roulade
I’m using two Jennie-O Savory Roast turkey breasts which is how they come packaged, so I divided the filling between them. Now using the plastic to assist you, proceed to roll the turkey. Starting with the short side, like a jelly roll, cookie dough or sushi, tucking as you go. Tuck in any stray pieces and then using kitchen twine, secure the breast in 3 to 4 areas. This keeps it from falling apart during the browning process.
Add oil to a pan over medium high heat and do your best to brown all sides. It’s still fragile, so you can even push them up against the sides of the pan which also works well.
If your pan is not oven safe, remove to a baking dish and cover with foil. Place in a preheated oven set at 325 degrees. This is much lower than you are used to but will produce a tender, juicy breast. Cook for about 45 minutes or until a thermometer reaches 165 to 170 degrees. Be sure to cut away and remove the twine. Then, allow to rest for a minute or two before slicing.
CHEF’S NOTE: Do not discard the pan you cooked the turkey in. This is the base for the pan sauce. We’ll also add any juices from the baking process.
How to make a pan sauce
If you’ve followed me for any amount of time, you know I love this bouillon base by Better Than Bouillon, but you can use canned or boxed broth if that is what you have. I used 3/4 teaspoon to 3/4 cup of boiling hot water.
You’ll also need:
- Cornstarch + Water
- White Wine
- Vegetable Broth
- Shallots, finely minced
- Butter
- Parsley
Saute the shallots in a bit of oil for a few minutes until tender. Deglaze the pan with the white wine cooking until the alcohol has mostly evaporated. Then add the broth and bring back to a boil. Next comes the cornstarch mixture (not shown here). Stir until thickened and the butter goes in to finish off the sauce. Finally, a bit of chopped parsley.
Serve two to three slices with mashed potatoes and garnish with a parsley sprig.
Serve with plenty of the pan sauce. It’s SO good!
Doesn’t that look amazing? Oh my gosh – it was so worth the effort to make this. It’s going on my rotation to make again and again, though I might attempt this recipe with alternate fillings and flavorings just for fun.
Did you make my Spinach and Feta Turkey Roulade? Leave me a comment below and let me know what you thought! You can also tag me with your photos on Instagram @aimee_stock I love seeing what you come up with 🙂
Spinach and Feta Turkey Roulade
Equipment
- Nonstick Skillet
- Baking Dish
- Kitchen Twine
- Plastic Wrap
- Meat Tenderizer
Ingredients
FOR THE FILLING:
- 8 oz Fresh Spinach wilted and squeezed of all its moisture
- 1 tbsp Water
- 2 tbsp Shallots finely chopped
- Garlic Powder
- 1/2 c Feta Cheese crumbled
- 1 tbsp Panko Breadcrumbs
- 1/8 tsp Italian Seasoning Blend
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/8 tsp Pepper
- 1 large Egg White
FOR ASSEMBLING:
- 2 Turkey Breast Tenderloins (such as Jennie-O) butterflied and pounded thin
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp Oil
FOR THE PAN SAUCE:
- 1/2 c Dry White Wine
- 3/4 c Vegetable Broth
- 1 1/2 tsp Cornstarch + 1 tbsp Water
- 2 tbsp Shallot finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 1 tbsp Fresh Parsley chopped
Instructions
- Heat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add spinach and 1 tbsp of water. Cover and wilt. Cool and then squeeze all liquid from the spinach. Add to a mixing bowl.
- To the spinach add the remaining filling ingredients and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Take each turkey breast from the package and butterfly taking care not to cut all of the way through. Place between two pieces of plastic wrap. Using a meat tenderizer or rolling pin, pound until you achieve an even thickness. Discard top plastic.
- Season with salt and pepper and divide filling evenly between the two, keeping a border around the filling. Roll from the short end, using the plastic to help you roll. Similar to rolling sushi, a pumpkin roll, etc, tuck as you go and fold in any pieces to form a log. Using kitchen twine, secure the roll in 3 to 4 places.
- Grad]b the same nonstick skillet you used earlier and over medium high heat, add oil and the rolled breasts, browning on all sides. It will not be fully cooked at this point, we're just adding another layer of flavor and color. DO NOT WASH or DISCARD THIS PAN.
- Place the turkey into an oven safe baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes or until a thermometer inserted reads 165-170 degrees. Cover with foil and allow to rest while we make the sauce.
- In the pan used for browning the turkey, add shallots and cook for 3 minutes. Add a smidge more oil or water if you need to. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping up those brown bits. Cook until the alcohol evaporates.
- Add the broth and bring to a boil. Stir together the cornstarch and water mixture and add to the pan, cooking until thickened.
- Finally, add the butter, whisking until smooth and finally, the chopped parsley. Spoon the sauce over the turkey pinwheel slices. I like serving this with mashed potatoes.
