Make Thanksgiving Easier by Cooking Your Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, and Gravy Together!

After extensive experimentation, we created a recipe in which the potatoes cook at the same time as the turkey, nestled right underneath it. Not only did this save us a pan and some stovetop space but it also meant that the potatoes soaked up all the delicious drippings from the turkey. The main building block of the gravy, a flavorful broth, came out of the same pan, too. 

So how did we do it? 

Let’s start with the turkey. In the test kitchen we often recommend brining a turkey to ensure that it turns out moist and flavorful. But we also know that time and refrigerator space (a container of brine takes up way more room than just the turkey) are valuable during the holidays, so for this recipe we opted for a prebrined bird. Using a turkey that has been injected with a salt solution negates the need for brining and still results in juicy, moist meat. 

To enhance the flavor of the turkey, we turned to herbes de Provence—a blend of dried herbs that usually includes thyme, basil, rosemary, marjoram, sage, fennel, and sometimes lavender—plus salt and ample black pepper. (We added salt to the rub because even though the bird is preseasoned, salt helps dry out the skin and promotes browning.) Then we combined the herb mixture with melted butter and rubbed it all over the turkey to season not only the turkey but also the potatoes that are cooked underneath it. About those spuds . . .

We peeled and thinly sliced Yukon Gold potatoes (which we chose for their medium starch content and buttery flavor) and arranged them in the bottom of a roasting pan, along with some smashed whole garlic cloves, the turkey neck, and a few bay leaves. 

Next we set the turkey on a V-rack in the pan, where its drippings could infuse the potatoes with even more flavor while the turkey and potatoes cooked together. Then we poured in enough hot store-bought chicken broth to fully cover the potatoes; heating the chicken broth jump-started the cooking of the potatoes so they would be the right texture for mashing by the time the turkey was done. This ensured that the potatoes cooked through evenly, with no dry leathery exposed surfaces, and also boosted the poultry flavor. 

We roasted the turkey and potatoes together in a 425-degree oven for 45 minutes with the turkey breast covered with foil. Then we dropped the temperature to 325 degrees, uncovered the breast, and finished roasting the turkey. This two-temperature cooking method ensured that the breast meat stayed moist and the skin turned golden brown during the time the dark meat needed to cook. 

Now for the finishing touches. We set the turkey aside to rest and drained off the cooking liquid from the roasting pan, making sure to reserve it—why throw away all that flavor? (It is no more difficult than draining a big pot of pasta; just be sure to pour from the corner of the pan. You can set a colander in a bowl in the sink for ease.) 

Then we added ½ cup of the cooking liquid back to the potatoes and mashed them right in the roasting pan along with some butter.

With our potatoes mashed (and covered to keep warm) and our turkey resting, it was time to move on to the gravy. That’s where the rest of that turkey-infused cooking liquid came in.

Returning to the saucepan we had used to warm the broth, we made a lightly toasted roux with flour and butter and whisked the cooking liquid right in, along with a cup of vermouth. The fortified wine is more aromatic than white wine and tastes of green herbs and citrus, bolstering the turkey’s distinct herby flavor and peppery notes. 

To finish our trio, we covered the gravy to keep it warm while we carved the turkey and arranged it on a serving platter. And then we stirred 1 cup of heavy cream that we heated in the microwave into the mashed potatoes to rewarm them and add a little richness. 

On a busy cooking day like Thanksgiving, we’re happy to have this three-in-one recipe in our arsenal, and we hope it helps you streamline your meal too.