Thanksgiving In A Pot Recipe - House of Brinson (2024)

I’m not sure where to start as to why this is one of our favorite dishes. Could it be the fact that it reheats easily, or that you can make it in advance. Who knows?! We just love it.

Thanksgiving can be a stressful time of year, especially if you don’t cook, or don’t like cooking for crowds. We love to cook and it stresses us out! We struggle with having everything come out hot and on time, and passing hot dishes at the table is so dangerous. Plus, everyone wants leftovers. There is no way one person could eat a whole pot, so you have built in left overs.

Here’s our top 8 reasons we love this recipe:

– This recipe reheats beautifully.

– You can make a lot at once in a little assembly line.

– You can serve a big crowd all at once.

– Send pots home with your kids in college or neighbors who don’t travel for Thanksgiving.

– It’s the ultimate make ahead.

– Reduces stress and blood pressure during the holidays.

– Great for gathering where you actually want to spend time with your guests.

– No knife required making it perfect for kids.

We provided simple recipes below for each item, but by all means, if you have a family recipe or want to use your left over turkey, mashed potatoes, etc., that works too. If you are short on time, you can find most of these items prepared, like stuffing and turkey gravy. Don’t get stressed about making each items if you can’t. The one thing I will say makes for a knock out table presentation is having nicely styled potatoes with waves and if I picked one thing to home make, I’d fry the onions at home. Although you can totally buy Frenches Fried Onions too.

Thanksgiving in a Pot Recipe

Recipe Overview

  • Prepare all the items that go into the pot, and let cool off if you just cooked them.
  • Layer from the bottom up of a single serving pot in this order: sweet potatoes, turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, turkey, gravy, stuffing, turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes.
  • Either cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge or bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
  • Bake on cookie sheet cause the gravy can get bubbly and messy.
  • After 30 minutes, put fried onions on top for the last 10 minutes.
  • This recipe takes a lot of gravy, if you buy or make yourself, have a lot on hand.

Turkey Breast (or use your left over turkey)

  • 1 bone in, 4 pound turkey breast
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Optional for Gravy

  • 1 shallot, roughly chopped
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 cup button mushrooms, sliced (reserve for later)
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • Roux, 1 table spoon of butter, 1 tablespoon flour mixed together

Instructions

  1. Place turkey on a rack inside a roasting pan. Rub with melted butter on top and generously salt and pepper. If you want to home make your own gravy, see step 2, or skip step 2 and add 2 cups of water to the bottom of the pan.
  2. To make gravy, add two cups of chicken broth to bottom of pan and the shallot.
  3. Bake at 375 degrees for about one hour. Depending on the size of breast it could be shorter or longer. Our breast came with a pop out timer, use that to be sure the bird is cooked throughly. The temperature should be 165 degrees.
  4. Remove from oven and let cool, then shred meat into bite sized pieces.
  5. For the gravy: In a sauce pan, sauté the sliced mushrooms in the butter on medium-high heat.
  6. Strain the drippings from the turkey roasting pan into the sauce pot with the mushrooms. Stir to combine.
  7. Add the rue to the sauce pan, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil then remove from heat, and the sauce will thicken.
Thanksgiving In A Pot Recipe - House of Brinson (2)

Sweet Potatoes, or depending where you live, yams

  • 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces, about half a potato per person
  • Butter
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boiled and place cut sweet potatoes into boiling water. Potatoes are done when they slip off fork easily.
  2. Drain and mash well. Add butter, salt and pepper to taste.

Potatoes

  • 8 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces
  • Butter
  • Heavy cream or milk
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boiled and place potatoes into boiling water. Potatoes are done when they slip off fork easily.
  2. To make the perfect mash, run potatoes though a food mill, then season with salt and pepper, add as much butter and cream as you like.
  3. Drain and mash well. Add butter, salt and pepper to taste.
Thanksgiving In A Pot Recipe - House of Brinson (3)

Fried Onions

  • 1 large onion (makes enough to top about 6 pots)
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup flour
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Lots of vegetable oil for frying
  1. Slice onions very thin, use a mandolin if you have one. Set aside, and get two shallow bowls.
  2. Place the butter milk in one bowl, and the flour in the second bowl. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Soak the onions in the buttermilk for at least 15 minutes, up to one hour.
  3. In the mean time, get out your frying pan, and fill it with about 3 inches oil. Wait until oil is hot enough to fry. (If you flick a drop of water it sizzles.)
  4. Remove onions from buttermilk and dredge in flour mixture. Place in hot oil and fry until golden brown about 2 minutes.

Cranberry Sauce

  • We used the jellied whole cranberry sauce from the can. Don’t be too fancy people.

We hope you enjoy and have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends.

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Thanksgiving In A Pot Recipe - House of Brinson (2024)

FAQs

What are some fun Thanksgiving questions? ›

25 Best Thanksgiving Icebreaker Questions
  • What's your favorite Thanksgiving pie?
  • If you had to pick between being at the Thanksgiving parade or the Thanksgiving football game, which would you pick? ...
  • What's your favorite Thanksgiving tradition?

Can you cook stuffing and turkey at the same time? ›

You can cook the bird and the bread in the same pan with delicious results.

Should you cook sides or turkey first? ›

Yes, the last thing in your oven should probably be the turkey (unless you're grilling or deep-frying). But any turkey should rest for at least 30 minutes before carving, so take full advantage. Your oven will be free to bake a batch of biscuits, or reheat any oven-baked side dishes that need to be warm before serving.

What are thankful questions to ask at Thanksgiving? ›

What act of kindness was done for you recently that you appreciated? What person (alive or dead) whom you have never met are you thankful existed? What challenging life experience seemed awful at the time you were going through it but turned out to be a positive thing and you are now grateful you went through it?

What are 4 interesting facts about Thanksgiving? ›

9 Fun Facts About Thanksgiving
  • The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621 over a three day harvest festival. ...
  • Turkey wasn't on the menu at the first Thanksgiving. ...
  • Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday on October 3, 1863. ...
  • The history of U.S. presidents pardoning turkeys is patchy.

Does stuffing have to cool before putting in turkey? ›

Stuffing a turkey

The stuffing must be cool before use to prevent bacteria from developing. Spoon stuffing into neck. Don't pack in too tight as it will expand. Secure with a poultry skewer, tie legs together at the top of the drumstick.

What can I put inside a turkey besides stuffing? ›

Classic Aromatics

Add halved onions, carrot chunks, celery and fresh herbs to the cavity of your turkey, inserting them loosely. These flavor builders are the base of stock and most soups.

Should stuffing be cold when putting in turkey? ›

usually about 30 to 40 minutes until it's warm, and then take off the foil so the top can crisp up, and it's absolutely delicious. ... If you want to stuff your bird, you should actually microwave the stuffing, and then you put hot stuffing inside the turkey.

When to start mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving? ›

You can make the mashed potatoes a few hours before dinner, and then keep them warm on the stovetop. When you should start cooking: A couple hours before dinnertime.

Why cook turkey breast side down? ›

Breast Side Down. The main difference between how my mother makes her turkey and everyone else is to cook it breast side down. By cooking the turkey this way, the juices from the cooking turkey fall into the breast while the turkey cooks, resulting in the most succulent breast imaginable.

Do I cook my turkey breast up or down? ›

The United States Department of Agriculture advises to cook a whole turkey breast side up during the entire cooking time. Turning over a large, hot bird can be dangerous and it's very easy to tear the skin, making the finished product less attractive.

What dishes can you make 2 days before Thanksgiving? ›

Dishes you should definitely make in advance
  • Thanksgiving stuffing. "We always make my mom's sweet potato stuffing ahead of time. ...
  • Casserole. "Pretty much anything with 'casserole' in the name is built for being made in advance." — ...
  • Mise en place. ...
  • Gravy. ...
  • Turkey and chicken stock. ...
  • Most desserts. ...
  • Brussels sprouts. ...
  • Dinner rolls.
Nov 14, 2023

What can I make 3 day before Thanksgiving? ›

Mashed Potatoes
  1. Classic Make-Ahead Macaroni And Cheese.
  2. Easy Cauliflower Casserole.
  3. Savory Sweet Potato Casserole.
  4. Double-Crust Pie Pastry.
  5. Homemade Cranberry Sauce.
  6. Lacey's Cornbread Dressing.
  7. 5-Ingredient Thanksgiving Recipes To Make The Holiday Just A Bit Easier.
  8. Can You Leave A Turkey Out To Thaw Overnight?

How early can you make Thanksgiving sides? ›

Whether your family demands green bean casserole or scalloped potatoes alongside their turkey, these dishes can be prepped and assembled two whole days before the big event. Make sure to cover and refrigerate them, then stick the dish in the hot oven once you've taken the turkey out to rest.

What are some Thanksgiving questions for kids? ›

The Best Thanksgiving Trivia for Kids
  • What was missing from the first Thanksgiving feast?
  • How long did the first Thanksgiving last?
  • Where was the first Thanksgiving in the U.S.?
  • What was missing from the first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade?
  • Has Thanksgiving always been the last week of November?
Dec 14, 2022

What are some good ice breaker questions? ›

Personal ice breaker questions

❖ What's the best piece of advice you have ever been given? ❖ If you had to teach a class on one thing, what would you teach? ❖ If you could eliminate one thing from your daily routine, what would it be and why? ❖ Would you rather be the funniest or smartest person in the room?

What are some good this or that questions? ›

Funny This or That Questions
  • Iced coffee on a snowy day or hot coffee in a heatwave?
  • Sandals or crocs?
  • Toe socks or toe rings?
  • Burping or farting?
  • Being sweaty in cold weather or sneezing in hot weather?
  • Bad haircut or bad dye job?
  • Pets who can talk or babies who can talk?
  • Mistaken lyrics or misquoted movies?
Aug 3, 2023

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