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Easy Sheet Pan Thanksgiving Dinner

Looking for an easy sheet pan Thanksgiving dinner recipe? This recipe combines Cornish hens, sweet potato casserole, stuffing, and Brussels sprouts roasted all together for a perfect dinner for 4 option!
5 from 3 votes
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

For Cornish hens:

  • 2 Cornish Hens about 3 pounds each
  • 1 tablespoon butter melted
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon fresh parsley chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary minced

For stuffing:

  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large carrot chopped
  • 1 stalk celery chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary minced
  • 1/3 cup dried cranberries
  • 4 cups stale bread cubes about 1 inch
  • 2 tablespoons butter cut into small cubes

For sweet potato casserole:

For roasted Brussel sprouts:

Instructions

  • For Cornish hens: 
  • Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Create a foil bowl that is about 1/4 the size of your sheet pan - making sure it’s just large enough to hold both cornish hens. 
  • In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, olive oil, garlic powder, parsley, and rosemary. 
  • Pat the cornish hens dry with a paper towel and rub them all over with the herb butter. Season the hens with salt and pepper and place them in the foil bowl on your sheet pan, making sure to tuck the wings under so they don’t burn. If your hens don’t have the legs tied together, secure them with kitchen twine. 
  • Cover the hens with more foil and roast them for 25 minutes while you prepare the sides. 

For dressing:

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the chicken stock and egg. Season with salt and pepper. 
  • Add the carrot, celery, garlic, rosemary, and cranberries. Stir to combine. 
  • Add the bread cubes and mix just until the bread is moistened. Set the dressing aside until ready to use. 
  • For sweet potato casserole:  
  • In a large bowl, mash together the yams, half-and-half, brown sugar, butter, egg, and cinnamon until your desired consistency. Add a small pinch of salt. 
  • If you want a very smooth casserole, you can also puree the mixture with a mixer or immersion blender. 
  • Set the mixture aside until ready to use. 

For Brussel sprouts:

  • Add the Brussels sprouts, olive oil, and garlic powder to a large bowl and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside until ready to use. 
  • For final roast: 
  • Uncover the hens and baste them with juices from the pan. If you don’t have any juices to baste with, use one tablespoon of melted butter to baste the hens. 
  • Create another foil bowl that is 1/4 the size of the pan and add the sweet potatoes to the bowl. 
  • Add the dressing to another 1/4 of the sheet pan, making sure to spread it out into an even layer. Top the dressing with the butter cubes. 
  • Lastly, add the Brussels sprouts, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. We want them to roast, not steam! 
  • Roast everything together for an additional 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and flip the Brussels sprouts. Base the hens again with juices from the pan, or melted butter. Add the mini marshmallows on top of the sweet potato casserole. 
  • Return the pan to the oven for an additional 15 minutes or until the internal temperature of the hens is 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer and the marshmallows are golden brown. 
  • Enjoy immediately or keep warm in a 200 degrees F oven for up to 30 minutes. 

Nutrition

Serving: 4servings | Calories: 1354kcal | Carbohydrates: 153g | Protein: 56g | Fat: 59g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 23g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 353mg | Sodium: 666mg | Potassium: 3338mg | Fiber: 17g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 4231IU | Vitamin C: 100mg | Calcium: 231mg | Iron: 7mg
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword cornish hen thanksgiving, easy thanksgiving recipes, holiday sheet pan meal, sheet pan thanksgiving dinner
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