Cooking School: A 3-Course Feast Under One Lid

Thanksgiving dinner is one of the most delicious meals of the year. It’s also one of the most tedious and time-consuming to prepare. But it doesn’t have to be! We have a clever way to significantly trim prep time and cook time without skipping any of your favorite dishes. A three-course French-inspired Thanksgiving meal in less than an hour? Oui, s’il vous plaît!

During Kitchn’s Thanksgiving Food Fest, Kitchn’s Studio Food Editor Amelia Rampe teamed up with Ninja® Foodi® to walk you through how to cook creamy mashed potatoes with leeks, buttery garlicky radishes and carrots, and mustard-and-herb rubbed turkey breast (complete with crisp skin!) in just one appliance.

You won’t need an oven or a stove for this impressive meal that has a main dish and two sides, because all three cook together quickly in the Ninja Foodi XL Pressure Cooker Steam Fryer with SmartLid™.

The Ninja Foodi’s SteamCrisp™ Technology means that it can steam and crisp food at the same time all under the SmartLid™ (which can also be used for pressure cooking and air frying).

Potatoes and leeks go into the bottom of the cooking pot to cook until tender and mashable.

Then the Deluxe Reversible Rack increases the cooking capacity to cook two more dishes: Put radishes and young carrots on the lower rack where they steam to perfection, then place a pounded turkey breast rubbed with mustard and thyme on the top rack to cook until juicy and golden brown.

Everything cooks together on the Steam and Crisp setting in less than 30 minutes, leaving you free to set the table and maybe even enjoy a glass of wine. Here’s the step-by-step for how it all comes together when you’re ready to make this easy three-course Frenchy Thanksgiving dinner. Bon appétit!

1. Prep the potatoes and leeks. Thinly slice the white and light green parts of 1 medium leek; peel and chop 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes into 3/4-inch pieces. Stir the leeks, potatoes, 1 cup water or chicken broth, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt together in the cooking pot of a Ninja Foodi SmartLid.
2. Prep the radishes and carrots. Cover the bottom layer of the Deluxe Reversible Rack with aluminum foil, folding up the sides of the foil like a bowl, and place in the cooking pot. Trim the greens from 1 bunch young carrots and 1 bunch radishes. Cut the vegetables in half, place on the foil in an even layer, and season with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt.
3. Pound the turkey breast. Place 1/2 boneless, skin-on turkey breast (about 2 pounds) in a gallon zip-top bag or place skin-side down on a cutting board and cover with plastic wrap. Pound with a meat mallet or the bottom of a small frying pan until 3/4-inch thick. (You can always ask your butcher to do this!)
4. Season the turkey. Mix 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper together and rub all over the turkey.
5. Place the turkey on the top rack. Slide the Deluxe Layer rack through the lower layer’s handles, making sure the handles are facing up. Place the turkey skin-side up on the rack.
6. Cook on the Steam & Crisp setting. Cook on the STEAM & CRISP setting at 390ºF for 12 minutes. (There will be about 11 minutes of steaming time before the cooker will switch to the crisp setting and start the 12 minute timer.) Meanwhile, make the garlic butter by mixing 1 teaspoon chopped parsley leaves and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt into 2 tablespoons softened butter.
7. Make the garlic butter vegetables. Transfer the turkey to a clean cutting board and remove the top rack. Using tongs, transfer the carrots and radishes to the garlic butter and toss until the butter is melted. Use tongs to fold the foil up to keep the accumulated liquid from spilling out. Carefully remove the rack and foil and discard the foil and liquid.
8. Mash the potatoes and leeks. Transfer the potatoes and leeks to a large bowl and mash with 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and 1/3 cup heavy cream until mostly smooth.
9. Carve, plate, and serve! Slice the turkey, place on a serving platter, and garnish with more chopped parsley. Serve with the mashed leeks and potatoes and garlic butter radishes and carrots.