Thanksgiving Dinner
I'm serving my entire Thanksgiving Dinner in the same roasting pan that I used to cook my turkey.
Equipment
- 2 rimmed baking sheet pans
- 1 Dutch oven 3-quart (heavy bottom)
- 1 saute pan 12-inch
- 1 saucepot 3-quart
- 1 roasting pan with rack
- 1 large plastic container with lid 8-quart
- 5 mixing bowls 2 large, 2 medium-sized, and 1 small
- 1 vegetable peeler
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 cutting board
- 1 whisk
- 1 pint container With a tight-fitting lid
- 1 electric mixer Hand-held
- 1 meat mallet
- 1 slotted spoon Large
- 1 extra large bowl Substitute container
Ingredients
The Day Before Thanksgiving, at 8:00 am...
Ingredients for the Brine:
- 1 3-pound boneless turkey breast
- 2 quarts water Room temperature
- 2 tbsps kosher salt
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 orange peels
- 1 lemon peel
- 2 cups organic apple juice Cold
- 2 fresh bay leaves If possible
- 1 tbsp tri-color peppercorns
Ingredients for the Cranberry Sauce:
- 1 12-ounce package fresh cranberries (Ocean Spray)
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 whole orange Zested
- 2 tbsps freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 whole cinnamon stick
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
Ingredients for the Homemade Oven-Baked Croutons:
- 4-6 cup bread cubes 1 1/2-inch size cubes (1 loaf of Tuscan Ciabatta garlic loaf, or plain Ciabatta bread)
- 1/4 cup olive oil Divided
- 2 tbsps kosher salt Divided
- 2 tsps black pepper Freshly ground and divided
- 2 cups sweet cornbread stuffing breadcrumbs (Pepperidge Farm)
Ingredients for the Roasted Butternut Squash and Sweet Potatoes:
- 6 cups butternut squash (1 large or 2 medium-size butternut squash, peeled, 1 1/2-inch dice). Reserve the roasted butternut squash for assembly.
- 6 cups sweet potatoes (3 medium-size sweet potatoes, peeled, 1 1/2-inch dice)
- 4 tbsps kosher salt Divided
- 2 tsps black pepper Freshly ground and divided
- 2 tbsps dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup olive oil Divided
Ingredients for the Pecan Topping:
- 1 cup pecans Roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Ingredients for the Mashed Sweet Potatoes:
- 6 cups roasted sweet potatoes
- 4 tbsps butter Unsalted and at room temperature
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper Freshly ground
Ingredients for the Sautéed Artichokes and Leeks:
- 2 leeks Cleaned, cut into half-moons, and thinly sliced
- 1 9-ounce package thawed frozen artichoke hearts (Birds Eye brand)
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 1 tbsp garlic Minced
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper Freshly ground
Ingredients for the Italian Sausage And Mushroom Mixture:
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage Casings removed
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 tbsps butter Unsalted
- 1 large sweet onion Diced
- 4 ribs celery Diced
- 1 pint cremini mushrooms Sliced
- 1 tbsp dried sage
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper Freshly ground
- 1/4 cup chicken stock Unsalted
Ingredients for the Flavored Butter:
- 8 tbsps butter Unsalted and at room temperature
- 1 whole orange Zested
- 1 whole lemon Zested
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves Finely chopped
- 2 tbsps fresh sage leaves Finely chopped
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper Freshly ground
Ingredients for the Flavored Broth:
- 1 1/2 quarts chicken stock Unsalted
- 4 tbsps butter Unsalted and at room temperature
- 2 tbsps fresh sage leaves Finely chopped
- 1 tbsp thyme leaves Finely chopped
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper Freshly ground
Ingredients for the Turkey Gravy:
- turkey pan drippings
- 4 tbsps butter Unsalted
- 3 fresh sage leaves
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 quart chicken stock Unsalted
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper Freshly ground
Instructions
- The Day Before Thanksgiving, 8:00 am...Instructions for the Brine:Using an 8-quart plastic container with a tight-fitting lid, pour in the room-temperature water, add the kosher salt and light brown sugar, and whisk until salt and sugar are completely dissolved. Next, add the cold apple juice, both the lemon and orange peels, bay leaves, and the tri-color peppercorns; mix to combine. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before adding the turkey. Submerge the turkey in the brine, secure the lid, and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.Instructions for the Cranberry Sauce:In a small heavy-bottom pot, add fresh cranberries, water, orange zest, orange juice, a cinnamon stick, and dark brown sugar, and stir to combine. Over medium heat, bring the cranberries up to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. The cranberries will start to pop, and the liquid will thicken. Take the pot off the heat and let it rest for 15 minutes or until it reaches room temperature. Transfer to a pint container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate.Instructions for the Homemade Oven-Baked Croutons:Preheat oven to 350°F.Start by evenly dividing the bread cubes out onto two rimmed baking sheet pans. Add olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper, and toss to coat the bread cubes. Spread the bread cubes evenly into a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes, turning them once halfway through to make sure they brown evenly. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside.Instructions for 8:00 am on Thanksgiving Day...Instructions for the Roasted Butternut Squash and Sweet Potatoes:Preheat oven to 400°F.Start with the first large mixing bowl; add the diced butternut squash, 2 tablespoons of kosher salt, 1 tablespoon of freshly ground black pepper, and 1/4 cup of olive oil. Toss to coat all the butternut squash well. Divide and spread the diced squash evenly onto 2 rimmed baking sheet pans in 1 layer.In the second large mixing bowl, add the diced sweet potatoes, 2 tablespoons of kosher salt, 1 tablespoon of freshly ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons of dark brown sugar, and 1/4 cup of olive oil. Toss to coat all the diced sweet potatoes well. Divide and spread the diced sweet potatoes evenly onto 2 rimmed baking sheet pans in 1 layer.Cook for 40 minutes, until fork-tender, turning the butternut squash and sweet potatoes halfway through the roasting process to caramelize on both sides.Once the roasted butternut squash and sweet potatoes come out of the oven, transfer them into two separate large mixing bowls.Instructions for the Mashed Sweet Potatoes:In the bowl containing the roasted sweet potatoes, add the room-temperature butter, dark brown sugar, heavy cream, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Using a hand-held electric mixer, on low speed, mix until smooth. Set aside.Instructions for the Pecan Topping:Place the pecans into a sealed baggie. Using a meat mallet, crush up the pecans, then transfer them to a small mixing bowl. Add brown sugar, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper, and mix to combine. Set the bowl aside.Instructions for the Sautéed Leeks and Artichokes:While the sweet potatoes and butternut squash are roasting, prepare the leeks and artichokes.In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add olive oil and sliced leeks. Add the minced garlic, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stirring occasionally until leeks begin to soften, about 2-3 minutes. Add thawed artichokes, stir to combine, and cook for another 10 minutes until they have a nice caramelized color. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.Instructions for the Italian Sausage and Mushroom Mixture:Using the same large sauté pan, cook the leeks over medium-high heat, and add the Italian sausage and 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary. Using a wooden spoon, break the sausage up, stirring frequently. Brown the sausage for 15 minutes or until no longer pink and cooked through. Fish out the rosemary stems and discard.Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked sausage to a large plate lined with a paper towel. Allow most of the grease to drain off, then transfer the sausage to a large mixing bowl.Remove most of the grease from the sauté pan, leaving about 1 tablespoon to remain. With the pan still over medium-high heat, add the butter. While stirring, allow the butter to melt. Next, add the diced onion. Once the onion starts to soften for 2-3 minutes, add kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, and stir to combine. To the pan, add the diced celery and sliced cremini mushrooms; continue stirring. Add dried thyme and dried sage. Stirring continuously, cook until the celery starts to soften and the mushrooms release their liquid and brown nicely, 5-7 minutes.At this point, add the chicken stock to *deglaze. Using a wooden spoon, scrape all the bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. After the chicken stock has evaporated, turn the heat off and transfer the mushroom mixture to the bowl with the cooked sausage. Stir to combine.Preheat oven to 350°F.Instructions for the Flavored Butter:In a small mixing bowl, add softened butter, orange zest, lemon zest, chopped rosemary, chopped sage, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Mix to combine and set aside.The turkey has been in the brine for 24 hours. Remove the turkey and discard everything in the container. Rinse it out well, and fill it up with fresh water. Place the turkey into the water for 2-3 minutes to remove any remaining salt. Remove the wrapping from the turkey, and dry it completely. The turkey should be tied up with kitchen twine to hold the breast in place. Place the dried turkey on a rimmed baking sheet pan.The turkey for this recipe will come out of the oven when the internal temperature is 155 to 160°F.Rub the flavored butter all under the skin and all over the top. Place the turkey onto the rack of a roasting pan. Place on the center rack of the oven for 1 hour 20 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 155 to 160°F.Remove the turkey from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, remove the skin and dice the turkey into 1 1/2-inch size cubes. Transfer to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Reserve the turkey drippings in the roasting pan for the gravy.Instructions for the Broth:In a small saucepot over medium heat, add chicken stock, butter, freshly chopped sage, fresh thyme, kosher salt, and fresh-ground black pepper. Stir until the butter has melted, 1-2 minutes. Turn the heat off and cover to keep the broth warm.At this point, all the components of this dish are ready, and it's time to assemble everything into the roasting pan.In a large plastic Tupperware container (or a container large enough to hold all the ingredients), add the sausage and mushroom mixture, croutons, cornbread stuffing breadcrumbs, and roasted butternut squash; gently stir to combine.Next, add the flavorful broth one ladle at a time, giving the dressing enough time to absorb the liquid. Repeat until all the liquid has been added. Set aside.Instructions for the Turkey Gravy:Place the roasting pan with the turkey drippings on a burner set to medium-high heat. Add butter, sage leaves, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper; allow the butter to melt. Using a whisk, slowly add in the all-purpose flour to form a *roux. Once the raw flour has cooked out and makes a paste-like mixture in the pan, add the chicken stock in slowly. Continue to whisk while scraping the bits off the bottom of the roasting pan. The sauce will begin to thicken to a gravy-like consistency. Remove the roasting pan from the heat for 3-5 minutes. Times may vary slightly to reach a gravy-like consistency. Pour the gravy over the diced cooked turkey, and stir to combine. Set aside.Adjust the oven temperature to 375°F.Assembly:At this point, all the components for this dish are ready, and it's time to assemble everything in the roasting pan.The first layer in the pan is the sautéed leeks and artichokes. Next, evenly add the diced roasted turkey and gravy over the vegetable mixture. Over the roasted turkey and gravy, spread the roasted sweet potato mash, then evenly sprinkle the crushed pecan topping over all the potatoes. Top with the roasted butternut squash and the sausage dressing.Cover the roasting pan tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil and continue for another 15 minutes until the inside is hot and the top is golden brown.There you have it, my layered-into-one-pan Thanksgiving Dinner.
Notes
1) The Kcal count is only for the Thanksgiving Dinner and does not include any dessert.
2) *Deglaze: Add liquid (wine, stock, or water) to a hot frying pan or baking dish. Scrape and stir the browned bits from the pan over medium-high heat to melt all of the cooking residues into the liquid.
3) *Roux: A mixture of equal parts fat (especially butter) and flour to make sauces.
4) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through a preferred online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.