Need help with a turkey recipe, or maybe looking for a tasty alternative to the usual feast? Check out for this week’s holiday food page.

combines sauteed onion, garlic and shredded zucchini with Parmesan and ricotta cheeses, all bound together with fresh breadcrumbs. But feel free to experiment, as I'm sure that any moist stuffing would do the trick.

Of course, it's still important to avoid overcooking the bird. But you also need to make sure you cook the meat to a safe temperature. This is a balancing act. Cooking the bird to 165 F is the best bet for safety, but that doesn't mean you need to leave the bird in the oven until it reaches that temperature. Meat continues cooking even after you pull it from the oven. So if you leave it in until it hits 165 F, you'll actually cook it to about 170 F.

My solution is to pull it out of the oven at 160 F. As the meat rests on the counter (20 minutes is ideal), it reaches 165 F. Resting also allows the juices in the turkey to redistribute so that when you slice the bird the juices don't all come streaming out, leaving you with dry turkey meat. And by the way, to get an accurate reading when you take the bird's temperature, be sure to insert the thermometer deep into the meat, not just into the stuffing, and not next to the bone.

When you finally carve the breast, make sure that every slice has a little bit of stuffing and skin at the top. Also, while this turkey is wonderfully delicious as is, this is Thanksgiving, after all, and folks expect gravy with their turkey. You can whip up some pan gravy while the breast is resting.

5- to 7-pound bone-in turkey breast

Heat the oven to 325 F. Set a rack in the lower third of the oven.

Using a food processor or box grater, coarsely grate the zucchini. In a colander, toss the grated zucchini with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, then let it drain over the sink for 20 minutes. A handful at a time, squeeze out the zucchini to remove excess liquid. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium, heat the oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the Parmesan, breadcrumbs and ricotta. Season with salt and pepper.

Use paper towels to pat dry the turkey skin, then rub with a bit of oil and season with salt and pepper. Using your fingers, a chopstick or a grapefruit knife ( my favorite), gently separate the skin from the meat on the breast, being careful not to tear it and leaving it attached at the edges. Stuff the zucchini mixture evenly under the loosened skin of the turkey (this is a messy project; just do your best), then place the turkey on a rack set in a roasting pan. Cover the breast loosely with foil.

Roast the turkey breast for 1 hour. Remove the foil and roast for an additional 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the turkey reaches 160 F. If the turkey starts to brown too much, cover it again with foil. Transfer the turkey breast to a platter and let it rest at least 20 minutes before carving.

Nutrition information per serving: 630 calories; 270 calories from fat (43 percent of total calories); 30 g fat ( 9 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 215 mg cholesterol; 690 mg sodium; 11 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 74 g protein.

Sara Moulton is host of public television's "Sara's Weeknight Meals." She was executive chef at Gourmet magazine for nearly 25 years and spent a decade hosting several Food Network shows, including "Cooking Live." Her latest cookbook is "Home Cooking 101."