Are you looking for a quick and easy way to prepare your holiday bird? Roast it all in one pan as a Turkey and Stuffing Casserole! The preparation is simple and it's cooked in under two hours. You'll never go back to roasting a whole turkey again.
There's something so iconic about that image of bringing a whole, bronzed, roasted turkey, majestically resting on a large platter, to the table to be ceremoniously carved by the host. Each guest holds out their plate as the host carves off their preferred slices and serves it to them.
But who really does that anymore?
The reality is a flurry of panic and chaos in the kitchen as someone is roped into cutting apart the roasted turkey, hacking the meat into slices, and arranging it haphazardly on a platter, while someone else makes the gravy, and another couple guests are delegated to scoop the potatoes and vegetables into serving bowls. When the turkey platter arrives at the table, no one else has seen that bird in its full glory except the kitchen helpers.
So why not skip all that and just roast the turkey in pieces? It's cooked in under two hours, so there's no need to get up early to wrestle a huge turkey into the oven, which is now freed up to cook other things that need to be done in the morning.
It's Turkey Pieces Time
There are three ways to get your turkey in pieces:
- order a whole fresh turkey and get your butcher to cut it into pieces for you
- buy a whole fresh or frozen turkey, defrost it if frozen, and cut it into pieces yourself (look online for instructions)
- buy turkey pieces already cut and individually packed, either fresh or frozen, from the grocery store
Buying a whole, frozen turkey is the most inexpensive option, if you don't mind cutting up the turkey yourself. Ordering a whole, fresh turkey can vary widely in price, depending on the quality of turkey you choose. Buying pre-cut turkey pieces in the grocery store is more expensive than a whole turkey, but is very convenient (that's what I choose), as you can buy the parts you want. Like more dark meat? Buy more drumsticks, thighs, or wings. Like more white meat? Go for more breast pieces.
What About the Stuffing?
Make your favourite stuffing in the amount you'll need to feed the crowd you're having. I use 1½ times our family's favourite gluten-free stuffing recipe to feed 12 to 14 people. The recommended amount of stuffing is ¾ cup of stuffing per person, but I always go with more - because who doesn't like leftover stuffing? For our family, I go with at least 1 cup of stuffing per person.
Try to have about a 2-inch deep layer of stuffing, or more, in the roasting pan you use
Make and Roast the Turkey and Stuffing Casserole
Make your favourite stuffing, but make it with a little less liquid than usual, to compensate for the extra juices and fat that get released from the turkey pieces as they roast. (I use about 2 cups of liquid in my stuffing recipe.)
Put the stuffing into a roasting pan. Aim for a layer at least 2 inches thick.
To prepare the turkey pieces for the oven, dab them dry with paper towel, then rub them all over with a drizzle of oil or with a bit of softened butter. Sprinkle both sides of each of the pieces with salt and pepper. That's it! If you want, you can add other favourite spices or herbs, but just salt and pepper will still make great turkey.
Arrange the turkey pieces over the stuffing in a single layer, skin side up.
Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃).
Roast the turkey and stuffing casserole until the turkey pieces are done to the desired temperature. Start checking the temperature at about an hour and a half into the roasting time.
What Temperature to Cook Turkey Pieces?
USE A THERMOMETER FOR BEST RESULTS!
An instant-read thermometer is invaluable. If you have an oven probe, that is even better as you don't need to keep opening the oven door, which reduces the temperature and adds a bit to the roasting time.
Turkey breast is leaner and dryer and will take less time to be cooked, while dark meat - thighs and drumsticks - are more fibrous and filled with more collagen and connective tissue, which takes longer to break down.
Remove the turkey breast when it reaches 150℉ (65℃). Put it on a plate and tent it with foil to let it rest for 15 minutes. Its temperature will keep rising slightly due to carryover cooking/residual heat while it rests and it will be perfectly cooked, moist and juicy.
Continue cooking the turkey and stuffing casserole for another 10 - 15 minutes, until the temperature in the thickest part of a thigh registers 180-185 ℉ (82-85℃).
165℉ (74℃) is the recommended temperature for food safety, but dark meat actually benefits from a longer cooking time - it gets more tender and juicy, as the fat and collagen needs more time to break down and baste the meat in its luscious juices.
Allow the dark meat to rest for 5 minutes, then carve it and the breast meat and serve it with the stuffing, which will have some wonderfully crisp edges and some soft and juicy parts - enough to please everybody.
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Guten Appetit!
Roast Turkey and Stuffing Casserole
Equipment
- 1 large roasting pan
- 1 instant-read thermometer
Ingredients
- one 10-15 lb (4.5-7 kg) turkey or 8-12 lbs (4-5.5 kg) of turkey pieces
- 1-2 tablespoons oil or softened butter
- salt and pepper
- enough prepared stuffing for the amount of people you are serving, our favourite stuffing recipe (see Notes, below)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃).
- Prepare the stuffing, making it with a little less liquid than usual to compensate for the juices that will be released from the turkey as it roasts. (I use 2 cups in my stuffing recipe.)
- Place the stuffing in an even layer in a large roasting pan so that it is in about a 2-inch (5 cm) thick layer.
- Pat the turkey pieces dry with a paper towel. Rub them all over with olive oil, and salt and pepper them generously on all sides. Add any other spices or herbs you wish. Arrange the turkey pieces over the stuffing in a single layer, skin-side-up.
- Place the roasting pan in the oven, and roast (uncovered) until the turkey pieces are done. The breast will usually take less time, depending on its size. Start checking at about 1½ hours into the roasting time. Test with a thermometer, and remove the breast when it reaches 150℉ (65℃). The dark meat pieces (thighs and drumsticks) need to reach 165℉ (74℃) for food safety but are actually at their best (more tender and moist as more fat and collagen breaks down) at 180-185℉ (82-85℃).
- Remove the breast when it is done, put it on a plate and keep it warm, tented with foil - it will keep increasing in temperature as it rests. Continue roasting the rest of the turkey until the thighs are done.
- Allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes, then carve and serve it.
Joan Park
Hello Margaret,
I LOVE this idea!
I also love reading all your stories along with your recipes:)
Have a Very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Margaret
😊 Thank you so much, Joan. And thank you for your comment and reading my blog. That means so much to me ❤️. I love when we can share ideas to make our lives easier. Wishing you, also, a very Merry Christmas with wonderful family times (and some delicious feasting 😋)