Thanksgiving on 2 Sheet Pans
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 4 servings
- Total: 2 hr 25 min (includes resting time)
- Active: 1 hr
Ingredients
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 teaspoons 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 (see Cook's Note)
One 6- to 7-pound whole turkey breast, breast halves removed from the bone with skin attached
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
2 strips thick-cut bacon, chopped
3 tablespoons 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
4 dinner rolls
Gravy, for serving
Directions
Special equipment:
2 half-sheet pans (about 18 by 13 inches each) and a small oven-proof ceramic baking dish- 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.
- Generously 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, 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 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.
Cook’s Note
If using fresh bread, spread on a sheet pan and bake at 375 degrees F until dry and lightly toasted, about 20 minutes.