This post will outline how to make a small Thanksgiving dinner for two people - almost everything is made on one sheet pan, ready in less than 2 hours and you'll still have some delicious leftovers! I'm even including a timeline infographic for when to make what and how much can be prepared ahead of time.
Line a large high-sided sheet pan with aluminum foil, making sure to cover the bottom and sides, folding the ends of the foil over the edges of the pan.
For the sweet potatoes
Rinse and scrub the outside of your sweet potatoes and pat dry.
2 small to medium sweet potatoes
Slice each sweet potato in half width-wise.
Rub them all over with just enough olive oil to coat, and sprinkle with kosher salt.
olive oil, salt and pepper
Place your four potato halves, cut side up, on one end of your foil-lined baking sheet.
For the stuffing
In a medium saucepan, heat butter over medium high heat until melted.
¼ cup unsalted butter
Add garlic, onion, and celery and stir frequently until tender.
2 cloves garlic, 1 cup onion, 1 cup diced celery
Add chicken broth, give it a stir, and bring to a boil.
8 ounces chicken broth
Remove from heat and add stuffing mix, cornbread (if including), sage, and parsley, and stir to coat and combine. Add salt and pepper as you see fit.
6 ounces of cubed stuffing mix, 1 cup cornbread, 1 Tablespoon sage leaves, ½ cup fresh parsley, salt and pepper
Transfer to baking sheet on the opposite side of the baking sheet from the potatoes, leaving a well in the center for the turkey. Leave a gap between the potatoes and cornbread for the green beans.
For the turkey
Pat turkey breast dry and season all over with salt and pepper.
1 2-pound boneless, skin-on turkey breast, Salt and pepper
In a small bowl, stir to combine butter, garlic, sage, and thyme.
Using a pastry brush or your hands, rub the turkey all over with the butter mixture.
Place the seasoned turkey breast in the center of the stuffing, directly onto the foil (not on top of the stuffing).
Time to roast: Part I
Place the prepared baking sheet containing the sweet potatoes, stuffing and turkey in the oven on the middle rack and let it roast at 400°F for 40 minutes.
Prep the green beans
In a small bowl, toss green beans with a drizzle of oil, sliced garlic, salt and pepper.
6 ounces green beans, 1 clove garlic
Time to roast: Part II
After everything else has roasted for about 40 minutes, carefully remove the pan from the oven and add the green beans to the center of the pan.
Put back in the oven to roast for another 15-20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes and green beans are tender, and the stuffing is golden brown.
The most critical part of all of this, of course, is that the turkey is cooked to 165°F (you can remove it from the oven at 160°F it will come up to 165°F while it rests). If your turkey is not yet to temperature when the rest of the sides are ready, transfer the turkey breast to a separate baking sheet and place it back in the oven until it's cooked to the proper temperature.
Cover the other baking sheet with prepared items with aluminum foil and set in a warm place while you wait for the turkey to be done.
Alternatively, if the turkey isn't going to be much longer, you can instead use pieces of aluminum foil to cover everything except the turkey to prevent them from browning too much while the turkey finishes.
Once the turkey is cooked to 165°F, transfer to a cutting board that has a well around the edges to catch the juices to let it rest for at least 15 minutes. Slice as desired.
Serve!
If you want a formal presentation, transfer everything to a large platter and each of you can serve yourselves at the table.
If you want the quickest route to eating, portion what you'd like between two plates and dig in!
Video
Notes
Read the whole post carefully, as there is too much helpful information than what can fit into this box!