Holiday dinners can seem overwhelming, but IMHO it might just be one of the easiest dinner parties you can throw with a little planning and a streamlined menu.
This hot take is based on the fact that the staples of the menu are pretty easy if you don’t overcomplicate them. Turkeys are large and provide an impressive centerpiece to any table, but it is super easy to prepare. Throw in some mashed potatoes, a green veg, rolls, and gravy and you are basically done and anything else you are able to throw together is just the proverbial “gravy.”
You want everyone to feel welcome and well-fed, so I like to have a bountiful cheese board (if you’re feeling ambitious, check out our Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board), easy-to-grab snacks, and fun drinks at the ready when guests arrive (our Apple Cider Old Fashioned is the perfect pairing for this meal). Thanksgiving is an eating marathon – it’s not just limited to the actual turkey dinner!
The 7 quick recipes we’ll be covering on this page are: Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Sweet Potatoes, Roast Carrots, Bacon Brussels, and Dinner Rolls.
I. Turkey
This is a simple bird. Do yourself a favor and don’t overcomplicate it. You want to try to get moist meat and crispy skin. To achieve this, you will want to (1) ice the turkey breasts, so they do not dry out before the dark meat is done; and (2) roast low and slow in the beginning and then crank up the heat at the end to brown the skin.
- Pat your bird dry with paper towels, then place two bags of ice over each turkey breast. Remove the ice bags after 45-60mins.
- Make sure you’ve removed any goodie bags (organs and necks), and then generously salt and pepper inside and out of the bird.
- Rub the bird all over with a stick of room-temperature butter. Place the aromatics and herbs in the bird (I like a halved lemon, a whole head of garlic with the top cut off, fresh thyme, oregano, and rosemary.)
- Place in a heavy roasting pan and add a carton of good-quality bone broth to the bottom.
- Tent with foil and roast at 325 F for approximately 2.5 hours for a 10-12 lb bird. Add 10-15 minutes for each additional pound.
- Remove the foil and crank up the heat to 425 F to brown the skin.
II. Mashed Potatoes
Obviously, I’m recommending you use Idaho Russet potatoes for this dish! (Fun fact: In my early 20s, my roommate was a lovely Cuban-Mexican girl from Miami. While she was first moving in she unpacked a box of instant potatoes, which I immediately and dramatically threw across the room. We are still good friends and get a good laugh out of it.)
- Peel and rinse your potatoes; cut them into 1-2 inch chunks and cover with cold water in a large pot. Add a good dash of salt to the water and boil until the spuds are fork-tender.
- Once the spuds are tender, drain them and return them to the pot. Add a generous amount of butter (start with a whole stick and add more to taste) right away so it can start melting.
- Add a splash of milk or cream, and start mashing, adding milk or butter to achieve the desired consistency and flavor. I like to add garlic salt, but regular salt works just fine, too.
*Tips on Mashing Tools: I myself like a rougher mash, which requires a good ol’ hand masher. If you like a smoother, french style, use a ricer to achieve a silky smooth potato dish without it becoming gluey. I don’t recommend using an electric mixer because it can whip them into a gluey texture. Pour into a beautiful serving dish and garnish with a few pats of butter, which will create luxurious pools of butter on the top.
III. Gravy
You don’t want all that hard work with the turkey and mashed potatoes to go to waste by skimping on the gravy. Do the following, and you won’t be disappointed:
- Pour the drippings from your turkey pan into a saucepan, skimming it to remove any unwanted debris.
- If there are no drippings, but the bottom of the turkey pan has baked on goodness, place it on a burner at medium heat and deglaze with broth or stock – this will make sure you collect all of that rendered turkey flavor.
- Even if you have drippings, you may need more liquid to get to the desired quantity of gravy (ideally enough for you to swim in – more is more, right?!). In this case, use a high-quality bone broth or stock.
- Bring the pan to a simmer over medium heat.
- To thicken, add a slurry of cornstarch (add a few tablespoons of cornstarch to an ⅛ cup of cold water or broth, stir until smooth) and whisk until fully incorporated.
- Keep stirring for 3-5 mins. If it is too thin, you can add another half dose of cornstarch slurry. If it is too thick, cut it with broth.
- Once it is silky and smooth, season to taste with salt and pepper.
IV. Sweet Potatoes
As you can see, we used a split dish to create two versions of this dish. One topped with the classic toasted mini marshmallows, and the other topped with a rich pecan crumble.
- For the base, simply roast six whole sweet potatoes:
- Wash them, prick them with a fork a few times, and throw them into a 400 F oven until fork tender – time will vary depending on the size of the potato.
- Once tender, remove from the oven and let cool.
- Once cooled, either pull the skin off or cut one off and squeeze the contents into a bowl.
- Add 4 cups of brown sugar, 2 tsp of cinnamon, and 2 tbsp of butter, and stir well.
- You’re now ready to pour the mixture into your baking dish and top with either marshmallows, pecan crumble, or something else.
- To make the pecan crumble, mix a cup of chopped pecans, ½ cup flour, ½ cup brown sugar, 5 tbsp of butter, ½ cup brown sugar, and ½ tsp of salt.
- Once the toppings are loaded onto the potatoes, place them in a hot oven for 30 mins or until the top is golden brown.
V. Roast Carrots
Whole roasted carrots are super easy and a beautiful addition to any table. I like to buy the multicolored carrots when available.
- First, toss the carrots in olive oil, season with Chinese five spice and salt, and place on a baking sheet.
- Elevate the flavors by mixing equal parts honey and orange juice, seasoned with a dash of Chinese five spice; then stir in a half cup of shelled pistachios.
- Drizzle this mixture over your carrots and roast at 375 F until tender.
VI. Bacon Brussels
Forgo the gloopy old green bean casserole, and roast some halved brussels sprouts with some bacon. It is far less effort and tastes amazing.
- First, cut your bacon into half-inch slices and pan-fry in a large cast iron pan.
- Once the bacon is cooked but still soft, add in clean, halved Brussels sprouts – stirring until the sprouts are coated in the bacon grease.
- Season with salt and pepper, and roast in a 375 F oven until everything is crispy. If you want to jazz this up further, add in diced dates.
*FYI: In the picture, you may notice that we skewered our Brussels and bacon. It looked nice, but I won’t do it again. It’s just not worth the effort, especially if you’re making this full meal.
VII. Dinner Rolls
I have an amazing friend who makes insanely good rolls and bread. If she isn’t available, I use frozen Rhodes Rolls because unless you really love to bake bread, this is not the day for that journey. Resist the urge to overcomplicate this day so that you can actually enjoy yourself a bit.
- Take the frozen balls of roll dough out in the morning and place them on a buttered baking sheet, cover them with a clean towel, and let them thaw and rise.
- Once they’ve doubled in size, bake them as instructed and serve warm.
*FYI: If you can’t find Rhodes Rolls, just buy some from a bakery OR hop on Tinder and search for a single looking for love who also knows how to bake.
