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How to Make a Full Thanksgiving Dinner in Just One Pot

published Nov 6, 2020

Cook a whole small Thanksgiving dinner, including turkey breast, mashed potatoes, green beans, and stuffing, all in a single pot in just a few hours.

Serves5

Prep1 hour

Cook2 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours 15 minutes

Jump to Recipe

Cooking Thanksgiving dinner, especially for just a few people, doesn’t mean you have to break out every pot, pan, and baking dish in your kitchen to pull it off. In fact, all the essential dishes of the meal can actually cook together in a single 5.2 5-quart Le Creuset Dutch oven.

This versatile, tall-sided pot can be layered with mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing, and a juicy herbed turkey breast and cooked together for the ultimate — and even portable — one-pot meal. This Dutch oven is also gorgeous enough that it can sit proudly on the Thanksgiving table when it’s time to feast. To see how it all comes together, head to Kitchn’s Instagram and tune into our IGTV segment where Kitchn Food Editor Meghan Splawn makes it from start to finish with QVC’s David Venable.

If you want a 5.25-quart Le Creuset Dutch oven of your own, right now, you can get one for just $199.98 from QVC through 11/16.

Turkey First

Getting a delicious gravy to drown your mashed potatoes and turkey in starts with browning the turkey to make a flavorful base. Sear a bone-in turkey breast right in the pot to form some tasty browned bits, then deglaze those bits off with some broth. Pour it off and set aside to build the gravy later, then rub the turkey with a flavorful herb oil and it’s ready for roasting.

Next Come the Sides

Next come the mashed potatoes. You can use regular potatoes, sweet potatoes, or a combination of both. They bake right in the Dutch oven until tender, eliminating the need for boiling and draining. Cover with the heavy Dutch oven lid and let them bake while you prepare the stuffing and green beans.

Meanwhile, cook up the aromatics for the stuffing in a frying pan, then mix with some dried bread cubes and broth for a simple homemade stuffing. Finally, toss green beans with olive oil and garlic, and you’re ready to layer everything in the pot for the final cook.

Time to Layer

When the potatoes are ready, add some milk and mash them right in the pot. Then comes the fun part: layering everything! Place the green beans on top of the mashed potatoes and cover them with the stuffing. Finally, put the turkey breast on top. The stuffing insulates the green beans to essentially steam them, absorbs all the tasty juices from the turkey, and even browns a little for those that like the crispy bits.

Bake this layered masterpiece uncovered until the turkey is ready, which will take about 1 1/2 hours. This leaves you plenty of time to get all the dishes washed and set the table — don’t forget the cranberry sauce! When the turkey’s ready, let it rest while you make the gravy on the stovetop, and then you’re done! Carve the turkey, bring the Le Creuset Dutch oven to the table, and dig into your delicious one-pot Thanksgiving feast. Linger at the table and have an extra glass of wine knowing that cleanup will be a cinch.

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Cook a whole small Thanksgiving dinner, including turkey breast, mashed potatoes, green beans, and stuffing, all in a single pot in just a few hours.

Prep time 1 hour

Cook time 2 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours 15 minutes

Serves 5

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

For the turkey and gravy:

1
(2 1/2 to 3-pound) bone-in or boneless split turkey breast
1 tablespoon
finely chopped fresh sage or thyme leaves, or a combination
3 tablespoons
all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon
soy sauce
Cranberry sauce, store-bought or homemade, for serving

For the smashed potatoes and green beans:

3 pounds
Yukon Gold or sweet potatoes, or a combination
1/2 cup
whole or 2% milk
1 pound
green beans
2 cloves
garlic

For the stuffing:

8 slices
hearty white sandwich bread (about 10 ounces)
2 tablespoons
finely chopped fresh sage or thyme leaves, or a combination
1
medium sweet apple
1/2
medium yellow onion
2
medium celery stalks

Shared pantry ingredients:

4 tablespoons
olive oil
2 3/4 cups
low-sodium turkey or chicken broth
11 tablespoons
unsalted butter
4 1/4 teaspoons
kosher salt, plus more as needed
1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed

Instructions

Show Images

Dry out the bread for the stuffing (up to 2 days ahead):

Cut or tear 8 slices white sandwich bread into 3/4-inch pieces (about 8 cups). Place on a baking sheet in a single layer. Let sit uncovered at room temperature until dried out, 1 to 2 days. Alternatively, bake in a 275ºF oven until dried out but not browned, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

Sear the turkey and deglaze the pot:

Arrange a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 375ºF. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a deep, 5 1/2-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Pat 1 split turkey breast dry with paper towels. Place skin-side down in the pot and sear until light golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
Remove the pot from the heat. Carefully pour in 1/4 cup broth and scrape up the browned bits at the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Pour the deglazed mixture into a heatproof bowl or cup.

Bake the potatoes:

Cut 3 pounds Yukon Gold or sweet potatoes into 1-inch chunks (no need to peel). Melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter in the Dutch oven (no need to clean) over medium heat. Add the potatoes, season with 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, and stir to coat in the butter.
Cover and bake, stirring halfway through, until the potatoes are cooked through and knife tender, 45 to 50 minutes total. Meanwhile, season the turkey, prepare the stuffing, and prepare the green beans.

Season the turkey, prepare the stuffing, and prepare the green beans:

Peel and dice 1 large apple (about 1 1/3 cups). Dice 1/2 medium yellow onion (about 1 cup). Dice 2 medium celery stalks (about 1 cup).
Finely chop until you have 3 tablespoons fresh sage or thyme leaves. Place 1 tablespoon of the chopped herbs in a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and stir to combine. Rub the mixture all over the turkey.
Melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the apple, onion, and celery, season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons chopped herbs and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Pour in 1 cup broth and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Pour the mixture over the dried bread cubes, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and stir until the bread is evenly moistened. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Trim the stem ends from 1 pound green beans and pat the beans dry if needed. Finely chop 2 garlic cloves. Place both in a large bowl, drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, season with 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper, and toss to combine.