sheet-pan thanksgiving turkey meatballs
Deep Dives
Explore related topics with these Wikipedia articles, rewritten for enjoyable reading:
-
Meatball
12 min read
The article explicitly compares the dish to 'Swedish meatballs with lingonberry sauce vibes.' Readers would benefit from learning the history of this iconic dish, its origins in Swedish cuisine, the debate over its Turkish influences, and how it became internationally famous through IKEA.
-
Thanksgiving (United States)
15 min read
The entire article centers on Thanksgiving dinner alternatives. While readers know the holiday exists, the Wikipedia article covers fascinating history including the Plymouth colony origins, Lincoln's proclamation making it national, the evolution of traditional foods, and the Franksgiving controversy—context that enriches understanding of why certain dishes became traditional.
Thanksgiving season is officially upon us!
I had a very specific goal in mind when working on this week’s recipe: I wanted to create a meal that a family of two or four (or even more!) could happily eat as their Thanksgiving meal — but I also didn’t want it to be SO Thanksgiving-y that it isn’t appealing any other week of the year.
I’m happy to report that these 35-minute sheet-pan turkey meatballs toe that line perfectly. Cook this recipe today if you’re in the mood for an easy cozy dinner. Make it on Thanksgiving if you’re cooking for a smaller crew and don’t want a week’s worth of leftover turkey and casseroles in the fridge. Or cook it for a feast with friends — it’s a great option for Friendsgiving and would let you avoid eating back-to-back identical feasts this month!
We’re cooking turkey — but instead of a traditional roast turkey, we’re making quickie turkey meatballs and serving them with roasted delicata squash and shallots over a truly delicious creamy cranberry sauce. This meal has Swedish meatballs with lingonberry sauce vibes, but with a Thanksgiving spin. I’ve cooked it a few times this week and not one of us has grown tired of it yet — my kids are absolutely obsessed with the meatballs!
Like the idea of cooking this for Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving but need more food for your group? We have ideas!
Double it. As written, this recipe feeds three to four people. But it’s so easy to double! Just cook one sheet pan full of meatballs and one sheet pan full of veg. The squash goes fast — you won’t regret having more.
Bulk it up. The pear and blue cheese salad from last year’s easy-but-fancy meal plan would be an excellent addition. Another idea: Serve the squash and meatballs over the Boursin risotto from 2023’s easy-but-fancy holiday menu. You won’t need the sauce, the risotto is creamy enough!
Add some classic sides. If you can’t imagine Thanksgiving dinner without grandma Jane’s green bean casserole, just add it to the plate! Green bean casserole, pea salad, braised collard greens, mashed potatoes, yeast rolls, mac and cheese… literally any Thanksgiving side you can’t live without would play nicely with this dinner.
Serve a fun cocktail. A batch of apple butter bourbon smash would be my pick!
You may be thinking: OK, OK, this sounds
This excerpt is provided for preview purposes. Full article content is available on the original publication.