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It’s Thanksgiving already! This year has truly flown by. Of course, today is the day we reflect and acknowledge everything we are thankful for in our lives. Like many of you out there know I have a lot to be thankful for this year. Unfortunately, this year I am forced to work on my favorite holiday. It’s always a bit of a bummer not seeing my family on Thanksgiving but I wanted to make sure I was able to at least have a feast prepared that I could enjoy on my own. Seriously, it’s not Thanksgiving unless you stuff yourself silly with a great delicious meal. In the spirit of kitchen adventures, I decided to tackle something I have never tried before. I wanted to make my own turkey dinner! Surprisingly, I found a recipe that allowed me to do just that on two sheet pans. This Two Sheet Pan Thanksgiving Dinner was a challenge for me that reaped a delicious reward. While it may not have been my family recipes, the meal as a whole was better than I expected and I will definitely keep in as a backup dinner for any holidays where I can’t make it home!

There’s no way I was going to cook an entire turkey. I didn’t need that much poultry in my fridge. This recipe called for fresh turkey breast and I was excited to find that my local Wegmans had it ready to go. Or so I thought. Being a newbie to cooking the entire Thanksgiving dinner left me with very little experience on how to handle this bird. My naïveté became painfully obvious when I opened up the packaging of the breasts to find the entire bird was basically still intact. I foolishly thought the breasts would be separated and I would be strutting down easy street to a delicious meal. Upon the realization that I needed to separate the breast I did what anyone would do, I sought reinforcements. I called my Mom. We discussed a game plan but came to agree that good old YouTube may be my only hope. I found an excellent video that made finding the wishbone and removing the breasts a breeze. I’m not going to lie, I was very pleased with myself and thankful for my mother and YouTube after accomplishing this feat.

This meal on two sheet pans impressed me to no end. In about two hours I had a wonderful meal that really brought me into the season when admittedly that holiday feeling was lacking. I had a delicious early Thanksgiving dinner and I learned a new skill. I tackled my turkey feast and I’m thankful. Happy Thanksgiving from DCDishes to you and your family! I feel thankful for all of your love and support today and every day.

Two Sheet Pan Thanksgiving Dinner

What You Need:

• 1 stick plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup crumbled cooked chestnuts (about 5 ounces)
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh sage
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large egg
• 8 cups stale 1/2-inch cubed bread, preferably brioche.
• One 6- to 7-pound whole turkey breast, breast halves removed from the bone with skin attached
• 2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 4 strips thick-cut bacon, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 small sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
• 8 ounces cranberries (about 2 cups)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup mini marshmallows
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 4 dinner rolls
• Gravy, for serving

Instructions:
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• Position the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Butter half of a sheet pan crosswise with 1 tablespoon of the softened butter.
• Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the celery and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, chestnuts, sage, thyme, 3/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat and set aside.
• Whisk the egg in a large bowl, add the bread cubes and the vegetable mixture and stir to combine. Transfer the stuffing mixture to the buttered half of the prepared sheet pan, spreading it in an even layer over just the buttered part of the pan. Dot the stuffing with 2 tablespoons butter cut into small cubes.
• Sprinkle the turkey breasts on both sides with salt and pepper and put them skin-side up on the other half of the sheet pan next to the stuffing. Rub the skin with 2 tablespoons of the butter.
• Combine the Brussels sprouts, bacon, olive oil, garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl. Toss to coat and spread out over half of the second sheet pan. Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork and arrange them on the other half of the sheet pan next to the Brussels sprouts.
• Combine the cranberries, sugar and orange zest in a small ovenproof ceramic baking dish, then cover with foil and put on the sheet pan next to the sweet potatoes.
• Put the sheet pan with the turkey and stuffing on the rack in the upper third of the oven, and put the second sheet pan on the rack in the lower third.
• Cook 30 minutes, then remove both pans from the oven. Stir the Brussels sprouts and cranberry sauce once or twice, mashing the cranberries with the side of the spoon. Tent the stuffing with foil if it has started to brown too quickly. Rotate the pans but return them to their same racks.
• Continue cooking until the turkey skin is golden brown and crisp, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 160 degrees F, 20 to 30 minutes more. At this point the potatoes should be tender, the stuffing browned in some areas, the Brussels sprouts browned and tender and the cranberries softened and bubbling.
• If the sweet potatoes are undercooked, take them off the pan and put them back in the oven directly on the rack to continue cooking until tender, up to 10 minutes more.
• Transfer the turkey breasts to a cutting board to rest at least 10 minutes before slicing.
• Remove the foil from the cranberry sauce and set aside to cool. Use a fork to combine the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, cinnamon, and the brown sugar in a small bowl. Split the sweet potatoes, fluff with a fork and stir in the butter and brown sugar mixture; sprinkle with salt. Top with the marshmallows and return to the pan with the Brussels sprouts.
• Put the dinner rolls on the same pan and return to the oven to warm the marshmallows and rolls, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Carve the turkey breasts and return them to the sheet pan with the stuffing to serve.
• Serve with gravy and enjoy!

Cook With Me:

• Position the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Butter half of a sheet pan crosswise with 1 tablespoon of the softened butter.
• Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the celery and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, chestnuts, sage, thyme, 3/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat and set aside.
  

  

  
• Whisk the egg in a large bowl, add the bread cubes and the vegetable mixture and stir to combine. Transfer the stuffing mixture to the buttered half of the prepared sheet pan, spreading it in an even layer over just the buttered part of the pan. Dot the stuffing with 2 tablespoons butter cut into small cubes.
  

  

  

  
• Sprinkle the turkey breasts on both sides with salt and pepper and put them skin-side up on the other half of the sheet pan next to the stuffing. Rub the skin with 2 tablespoons of the butter.
• Combine the Brussels sprouts, bacon, olive oil, garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl. Toss to coat and spread out over half of the second sheet pan. Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork and arrange them on the other half of the sheet pan next to the Brussels sprouts.
  

  
• Combine the cranberries, sugar and orange zest in a small ovenproof ceramic baking dish, then cover with foil and put on the sheet pan next to the sweet potatoes.
  

  
• Put the sheet pan with the turkey and stuffing on the rack in the upper third of the oven, and put the second sheet pan on the rack in the lower third.
• Cook 30 minutes, then remove both pans from the oven. Stir the Brussels sprouts and cranberry sauce once or twice, mashing the cranberries with the side of the spoon. Tent the stuffing with foil if it has started to brown too quickly. Rotate the pans but return them to their same racks.
• Continue cooking until the turkey skin is golden brown and crisp, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 160 degrees F, 20 to 30 minutes more. At this point the potatoes should be tender, the stuffing browned in some areas, the Brussels sprouts browned and tender and the cranberries softened and bubbling.
• If the sweet potatoes are undercooked, take them off the pan and put them back in the oven directly on the rack to continue cooking until tender, up to 10 minutes more.
• Transfer the turkey breasts to a cutting board to rest at least 10 minutes before slicing.
• Remove the foil from the cranberry sauce and set aside to cool. Use a fork to combine the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, cinnamon, and the brown sugar in a small bowl. Split the sweet potatoes, fluff with a fork and stir in the butter and brown sugar mixture; sprinkle with salt. Top with the marshmallows and return to the pan with the Brussels sprouts.
• Put the dinner rolls on the same pan and return to the oven to warm the marshmallows and rolls, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Carve the turkey breasts and return them to the sheet pan with the stuffing to serve.
  

  
• Serve with gravy and enjoy!

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