Sheet Pan Turkey Dinner
The other night I complained to Danny “I just want to get in my kitchen and cook for two days solid”. And I completely meant it.
This month is among the most exciting for whipping up tantalizing appetizers and show-stopping desserts, but I’m way behind. Yes, we’ve been back and forth from the hospital with Clara a lot, getting interrupted sleep and trying to prep for Christmas, too. It’s been okay, really; I know others are far worse off than we are, but man, I miss my kitchen.
So when I recently had an afternoon to throw something together for dinner, I put a spin on a familiar favourite. This new recipe is a direct result of craving holiday comfort food yet having limited time to prepare it (like last year’s Slow-Cooker Christmas Chicken in Milk).
I tend to stress eat and can’t subside on granola bars and wraps from the hospital cafeteria when times get tough. I need a meal. Well, enter the sheet pan turkey dinner.
It has all the key elements of a holiday meal, roasted up together so the flavours marry, and served up family style. I can promise you the sheet pan turkey dinner meets all the criteria of a well-rounded comforting meal – and makes your house smell like Christmas Day, too.
Happy Holidays indeed.
Now I am not at all suggesting that this is your simplified holiday dinner for the 25th, it’s a little rustic for that, but it is a pretty darn great weeknight meal (even if the roasting time is longer than most).
Roasting an entire dinner on a sheet pan is one of my favourite tricks for a quick meal. Whether you call it ‘one-tray’ or ‘one-pan’ or ‘sheet-pan’ dinner, it’s worth having a couple of these recipes in your back pocket.
I’ll usually roast up sausages like Rebecca has here, prepare Allison’s chicken dinner, or stuffed salmon and surround it with heaps of vegetables. These dishes are invariable delicious and ever so simple.
With this new sheet pan supper, the turkey skin gets crispy, while the legs stay moist. Some of the stuffing soaks up the turkey juices, while the rest get toasty on top– it’s the best of both worlds. The vegetables have both crispy edges and soft interiors. It’s almost impossible not to have seconds.
A few notes on this freshly concocted family favourite:
- You could switch out the sweet potatoes for cubed regular potatoes – or serve the dish with a side of perfect mashed potatoes. I went with sweet potatoes because they are exactly what I want to be eating with turkey and stuffing.
- I chose turkey legs because I prefer brown meat. I’m guessing the same dish could be done with two turkey breasts (and probably in even shorter time). If you try them out, please leave a comment and tell us how it went.
- It’s imperative to have the turkey at room temperature when it goes in the oven. And don’t skip the resting period, otherwise you’re not going to have tender poultry.
- I like my green beans very al dente, but if you want them slightly softer, add them to the pan at the same time as the rest of the vegetables.
- Speaking of beans, this dish would be far better with Brussels sprouts, but I have three children who adore green beans, so this one is for them.
- You can roast your own chestnuts, but I buy mine cooked, peeled and vacuum packed from the grocery store.
You probably have most of the other ingredients on hand, so add fresh turkey to your shopping list and put this Sheet Pan Turkey Dinner on the menu this week.
Sheet Pan Turkey Dinner
Ingredients
- 2 fresh turkey legs separated at the joint.
- salt and pepper
- 1 large sweet potato about 1 lb
- 1 large red onion peeled
- 3 large stalks celery washed
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil divided
- fresh thyme
- 2 cups cubed hearty rustic-style bread
- 4 Tablespoons chicken stock
- 3 Tablespoons salted butter melted, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon ground savory
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 1 cup cooked, peeled chestnuts
- 1 1/2 cup snapped green beans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Season turkey pieces all over with salt and pepper. Place on a large rimmed baking sheet and cover the pan with aluminium foil. It should be sealed.
- Roast turkey for 30 minutes. Remove foil (keep it for later) and roast for an additional 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Peel or scrub sweet potato and cut into 1 inch cubes. Cut onion into 8 sections. Cut celery into 1-inch sections. Combine all three vegetables in a bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few sprigs of fresh thyme.
- Remove turkey from the oven and increase the temperature to 425F. Spread the vegetables around the pan in a single layer. Return to the oven and roast for 20 minutes.
- Place the bread cubes in a bowl and pour over the chicken stock and 2 Tablespoons melted butter. Toss bread cubes with ground savory and more fresh thyme. Combine cranberries, chestnuts and green beans in the vegetable bowl. Drizzle with 1 Tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Remove pan from oven (yep, one more time!). Tuck the bread cubes around the turkey. Sprinkle the cranberries, chestnuts and green beans all over the sheet pan. Brush turkey with remaining melted butter. Roast everything for 10 minutes.
- Remove pan from oven. Cover loosely with foil and rest for 10 minutes. Carve and serve.
Nutrition
What sort of comfort food do you crave over the holidays?
Mmm this is so simple but so delicious!
Now this is my kind of dinner! Sheet pan chicken is one of my go-to meals . . . can’t believe I’ve never tried turkey though. I love the idea of adding bread/stuffing to it. Christmas dinner – check!
Love all of those veggies! Great meal! I hope Clara is feeling better! xo
This looks so delicious, not to mention beautiful with all those colors!
Love how easy this is to put together!! The perfect weeknight meal – so clever to put all the veggies on there too!
Could you do this with chicken?
I did and it rocked!
Awesome, Suzanne! Yes, MissWeb, you could, although you’d probably reduce the cooking time by a bit.
This looks so yummy. My mother-in-law hinted at getting me new sheet pans for Christmas, so if I can snag some turkeys on sale after the holidays, I’d love to add this to my menu.
Oh, and I can relate to needing a substantial, healthy meal when stressed or exhausted. I crave a hearty protein and lots of fresh veggies!
This looks so good! I am definitely making this before the end of the holidays.
I always mean to write a comment but never do. So here it is: I love your blog. I find it very inspiring. Your recipes are amazing and I love all the things you do with your kids.
I hope your daughter gets better soon.
Happy holidays!
Clément – thank you so much for popping in and commenting. I really appreciate it and your kind words. Great encouragement to keep going another year. 😉
I hope your baby girl is feeling better. The dish looks great and full goodness and comfort.
I totally get what you mean about missing your kitchen. I hope things are settling down for you now and your little one is on the mend.
Same to you, Christina. We’re not quite back in a grove, but things are looking up. Wishing you and yours a very merry Christmas.
Made this tonight and it was a HUGE success. Loved the ease of prep, the beauty of the dish, the flavors. I used chicken and it was perfect. THANK YOU for the inspiration tonight.
Fantastic!! Glad you enjoyed it.
Sorry to hear about all stress with Miss Clara 🙁 Glad you had some time in the kitchen to create this beautiful & healthy meal!
I’m obsessed with sheet pan dinners, and this is just about the prettiest one I’ve seen yet. I ordered the book you mentioned in your post and am anxiously waiting for it to arrive.
Aw, thanks, Jan!
And that book, Sheet Pan Suppers, can’t wait to grab a copy.
Best wishes to Clara and your family. I have heard A LOT!! about this book- I have got to check it out for myself with delicious meals like this!
Oh my, is this ever brilliant! I want to try this with duck!
Oh my gosh – perfect idea!
This is brilliant. I’m fond of the one pan/pot meals and when life is crazy, they are a great solution.
Hope Clara is doing better and you get that time in the kitchen. XO
Thank you, Breanne. She is on the mend, I think.
Merry Christmas to you and the family. xo
This is not only visually stunning, it sounds delicious too. We are spending the holiday with my in laws and I always feel gyped to come home to no leftover turkey but of course, I don’t want to roast a whole bird. This sounds like just the cure for my post Christmas turkey blues! My favorite comfort dish I crave most during the holidays is my mother’s raw cranberry salad. Fortunately, I am well versed in the recipe and it’s incredibly easy technique!
That salad sounds downright delicious!! And I hope you give this recipe a go.
This looks and sounds completely amazing! Perfect for a chilly evening!
This looks AWESOME! For those who’ve done it with chicken, how did you time the first part (before the veggies go in)? Instead of 30 min. covered and 15 min. uncovered, maybe more like 10 and 10?
I’m curious about that as well!
My kids made this tonight. It was delicious! We couldn’t find turkey legs, so we bought chicken thighs instead and they cooked them for less time. We also couldn’t find chestnuts anywhere, so we skipped those. I can see that we could be eating this a few times before winter is over.
Can this be made ahead of time, say right up to end of #5?
I need to make and transport to my sister’s. Once there I thought I could add the bread, cranberries, chestnuts, beans and reheat for 10-15 min then let rest for 10 min.
Made this last night .. for New Years dinner for two. It was awesome! Ued a whole turkey, that my husband cut in pieces … sheewas a bit crowded … Such an easy wato prep a turkey dinner!!!
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I made this for a group get together. It over real well, but since I couldn’t get legs I used Turkey wings. I would not recommend that. The wings are hard to eat. We plan to do this again but with turkey tenderloins. I also like the idea of the chicken instead of turkey for one night. I have come to love sheet pan dinners.