​These festive stuffed turkey rolls wrapped in bacon are easy, fun and look gorgeous sliced up to join the rest of the Thanksgiving or Christmas feast.

The mushroom and spinach stuffing infuse the turkey meat with a delicate and fresh flavour. At the same time, the bacon renders and poaches the turkey to perfection, plus gives a crispy, delicious coating.

They cook in no time and match perfectly with homemade cranberry sauce and gluten-free gravy.

If you are looking for a fuss-free turkey dish this season, without the hassle of roasting a whole turkey, these festive stuffed turkey fillets are convenient to prepare and cook ahead of time. Additionally, this could be an excellent alternative for those celebrating Thanksgiving or Christmas in a warmer climate.  

Imagine, no craving or messing with bones etc! Plus, you can use any leftover turkey slices to create a wholesome festive salad.

​How to prepare the turkey fillets

1. Flatten the turkey fillets with a mallet or the back of a rolling pin to an even thickness of no more than 2 cm. Season each side of the fillet with salt & pepper.
2. Arrange 4 bacon rashers on a flat surface slightly overlapping each other.
3. Position a turkey fillet on top sideways and place some spinach leaves in the centre of the turkey fillet, followed by the mushroom mixture.
4. Gently roll the bacon and turkey fillet until it reaches the end.
5. Insert 3 pre-soaked toothpicks to hold the turkey roll together.
6. Place in the casserole dish. Ready to go in the oven!

What goes well with turkey:

Homemade cranberry sauce

is one of the easiest fruit reductions to make that really makes a difference to a festive meal by combining aromatic spices like star anise, cinnamon and a generous sliver of orange peel.

Some tips when making cranberry sauce:

• Keep the heat at a medium-low level with the lid on while cooking the cranberries as the heat gently pops the occasional cranberry which can jump out of the pan unexpectantly.
• Use fresh seasonable cranberries, otherwise, if these are unavailable, frozen cranberries are just as good. Allow some extra time for them to thaw in the pan while cooking.
• The longer the cranberries cook, the thicker the jam will be, so cook until it reaches your preferred level of texture.
• Serve the cranberry jam semi-pulpy or blitz it to a smooth consistency.

Homemade gravy

Homemade gravy gently cooking on the stove is pure winter comfort food.

This gravy recipe can be made weeks ahead before your festive occasion, as it can be successfully stored away frozen. The addition of cornflour thickens the gravy and best of all makes it gluten-free.

If you prefer a simplified creamier gravy, my gluten-free creamy gravy served with Swedish meatballs can be made in half the time. Use the turkey juices collected at the bottom of the casserole tray to add to the gravy.