Sheet Pan Turkey Dinner

by Aimee

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. Although I haven’t seen the awesome sounding cookbook Sheet Pan Suppers yet, I get it why the author Molly wrote it, I really do. 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.
• 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. I’m sure I’m not the only one who needs a good solid dinner to keep up the ChristmasiscomingChristmasiscoming pace this December.

What sort of comfort food do you crave over the holidays?

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