Easy No Fuss Thanksgiving Turkey

1 12-20 lb. turkey

1 onion, peeled and quartered

1 lemon, quartered

1 apple, quartered

.75-oz. container fresh rosemary, divided

.75-oz. container fresh thyme, divided

.75-oz. container fresh sage, divided

Coarsely chopped vegetables: 4-5 ribs celery and 4 large carrots

 

Herb butter:

1 c. unsalted butter, softened, room temperature

1 t. salt

1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper

6-8 cloves garlic, minced

1 T. fresh chopped rosemary 

1 T. fresh chopped thyme

1/2 T. fresh chopped sage

If the turkey is frozen, thaw in the fridge, 24 hours for every 5 lbs. of turkey. Give one extra day, just to be sure.

Remove the thawed turkey from the fridge 1 hour before roasting, to let it come to room temperature.

Adjust oven rack so the turkey will sit in the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Make the herb butter: combine softened butter, salt, pepper, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and sage. 

Remove turkey from packaging and remove neck and giblets from inside the turkey. (No need to wash; cooking the turkey kills any bacteria.) Pat the turkey very dry with paper towels.

Season the cavity of the turkey with salt and pepper. Stuff it with the quartered lemon, onion, apple, and remaining herbs.

Optional: Loosen the skin over the breasts and smooth a few T. butter underneath the skin.

Place coarsely chopped vegetables in roasting pan. Add a little water. Set the turkey on top of the vegetables. 

Rub the rest of the herb butter all over the outside of the turkey, including legs and wings.

Roast at 325 degrees for 13-15 min. per pound. Check the turkey about halfway through cooking; once the skin gets golden brown, tent with tinfoil to prevent the breast meat from overcooking. (Alternatively, tent the turkey to start, then remove the tinfoil during the last hour of cooking to allow browning.) 

DO NOT open oven frequently to check turkey or baste it; that's what makes it dry and tough.  

Remove turkey to platter to rest once cooking is complete. Discard vegetables from roasting pan. Reserve drippings and juice from the pan to make gravy. 

Adapted from tastesbetterfromscratch.com.

Sausage, Apple, and Squash Sheet Pan Supper

1/3 c. olive oil

1-2 sprigs each fresh sage, thyme, and rosemary

2 medium unpeeled Honeynut squash (1-1/2 lbs. total) or equivalent amount of peeled butternut squash

1 large red onion, cut into 1/2"-thick wedges

1 large firm-tart apple, such as Granny Smith, cored and cut into 1/2"-thick wedges

1/2 c. fresh cranberries

1-1/2 t. kosher salt

3/4 t. freshly ground black pepper

6 fresh (uncooked) sweet or hot Italian sausages (1-1/2 lbs. total)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and set a rack in the middle position. Combine oil and herbs in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook until herbs have wilted and oil is very fragrant, about 3 minutes. Remove herbs from oil and set aside herbs and oil separately.

Halve squash lengthwise, scoop out seeds, and cut crosswise into 1/2"-thick half moons. In a large bowl, combine squash, onion, apple, cranberries, and herbs from the oil. Pour oil over the vegetable mixture (do not need to use it all*). Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Gently stir everything together with a spatula, then turn out onto a rimming baking sheet and spread into an even later.

Prick sausages several times with a sharp knife, then lay them over the vegetables. Roast, turning sausages and stirring vegetables halfway through, until squash is tender and sausages are browned and sizzling, 20-25 minutes. Serve hot.

*Use any leftover oil in a vinaigrette or drizzle over potatoes. 

Serves 4-6.

Adapted from New Hampshire Magazine, October 2025, p. 18. 

Glazed Carrots

3 lbs. large carrots, cut diagonally into 1/4" slices

1/4 c. water

2 t. kosher salt 

1/2 c. sweet orange marmalade

2 T. unsalted butter, melted

1 t. finely chopped fresh sage

1/2 t. Dijon mustard

1/4 t. crushed red pepper

Place carrots, water, and salt in a 4-qt. slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH until carrots are very tender, 3-4 hours. Transfer carrots to a colander and let drain thoroughly. Return drained carrots to slow cooker.

Meanwhile, stir together marmalade, butter, sage, mustard, and red pepper in a small bowl until well combined. Pour marmalade mixture over warm carrots and gently fold in with a rubber spatula until carrots are evenly coated.

Serves 6.

Adapted from a Southern Living magazine recipe.

Sausage, Apple & Squash Sheet-Pan Supper

 1/3 c. olive oil
1-2 sprigs each fresh sage, thyme, and/or rosemary
2 medium unpeeled Honeynut squash (or equivalent amount of peeled butternut squash) (1-1/2 lbs. total)
1 large red onion, cut into 1/2"-thick wedges
1 large firm-tart apple, cored and cut into 1/2"-thick wedges
1/2 c. fresh cranberries
1-1/2 t. kosher salt
3/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
6 fresh (uncooked) sweet or hot Italian sausages (1-1/2 lbs. total)

Preheat oven to 425 and set a rack in the middle position. Combine the oil and herbs in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook until herbs are wilted and the oil is very fragrant, about 3 minutes. Remove herbs from oil and set aside.

Halve the squash lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and then cut crosswise into 1/2"-thick half moons. In a large bowl, combine squash with the onion, apple, cranberries, and the herbs from the oil. Pout the oil, to taste, over the vegetables (reserve any leftover oil for  vinaigrette or drizzle over potatoes another time). Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Gently stir everything together with a spatula, then turn out onto a rimmed baking sheet and spread into an even layer.

Prick the sausages several times with a sharp knife, then lay them over the vegetables. Roast, turning the sausages and stirring the vegetables halfway through, until the squash is tender and the sausages are browned and sizzling, 20-25 minutes. Serve hot.

Serves 4-6.

Adapted from Yankee magazine, Sept. 2020, p. 50.

Creamy Pumpkin Pasta with Pine Nut Gremolata

12 oz. rigatoni
2 T. olive oil, divided
12 fresh sage leaves
1/4 c. pine nuts, toasted and roughly chopped
1 t. finely grated lemon zest
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 c. canned pure pumpkin
2 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/2 c.), plus more for serving
1/4 c. heavy cream
1/8 t. fresh grated nutmeg

Cook rigatoni per package directions. Reserve 1 c. cooking water; drain pasta and return to pot.

Heat 1 T. oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add sage and cook until crisp, 2-3 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate; when cool, crumble into pieces. Toss together sage, pine nuts, and lemon zest in a bowl. Set aside.

Add remaining 1 T. oil, shallot, and garlic to saucepan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 1-2 minutes. Add pumpkin, Parmesan, heavy cream, nutmeg, and 1/2 c. reserved pasta water. Cook until slightly thickened, 3-5 minutes. Season with salt. (If desired, use an immersion blender to puree until smooth.)

Add pasta and stir to combine. Add more pasta water if sauce seems too thick.

Serve sprinkled with pine nut mixture.

Serves 4.

Adapted from Country Living magazine, Oct. 2020, p. 91.

Tuna and White Bean Pasta Salad

1 lb. uncooked penne

1/2 c. olive oil, plus more for serving

1/4 c. mayonnaise

1/4 c. white wine vinegar

1/4 t. Worcestershire sauce

1 15-oz. can low-sodium cannelini beans, drained and rinsed, divided

1-1/2 t. kosher salt, divided, plus more for water

1 c. thinly sliced celery 

1 c. chopped celery leaves, plus more for garnish

1 c. roughly chopped pitted Castelvetrano olives

1 T. finely chopped fresh sage

1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper plus more for serving

1 7-oz. jar tuna fillets in olive oil, drained

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, 8-10 minutes. Drain; transfer to a large bowl.

While pasta cooks, place oil, mayonnaise, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, about half of the beans, and 3/4 t. salt in a blender. Process until smooth, about 10 seconds.

Stir three-quarters of the mayonnaise dressing (about 1 cup) into the hot pasta in the bowl. Let pasta mixture cool, tossing occasionally, to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

Add remaining dressing to pasta mixture. Stir in sliced celery, olives, sage, pepper, remaining beans, and remaining 3/4 t. salt. Fold in celery leaves and tuna, without breaking up tuna too much. Transfer to a platter. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with celery leaves and additional pepper.

Serves 8.

Adapted from Real Simple magazine, July 2020, p. 92. 

Sage-Roasted Fall Vegetable Salad

Salad:
1 c. wild rice
3 c. water
1 t. salt, plus more to taste
12 c. peeled and diced fall vegetables (any combination of winter squash, carrots, beets, rutabagas, turnips, parsnips)
1 onion, diced
1 T. chopped fresh sage
3 T. extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
2 c. sliced Belgian endive, radicchio, and other fall green

Cranberry Vinaigrette:
2 shallots, chopped
1 c. homemade or canned cranberry sauce
2 T. raspberry vinegar, other fruited vinegar, or red wine vinegar
2 T. fresh orange juice
3/4 c. walnut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine the wild rice, water, and salt in a small saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until rice is tender and most of the grains have burst open, 40-60 minutes. Drain off any excess water. Let cool.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly grease a large shallow roasting pan or half-sheet pan with oil.

Combine the diced fall vegetables, onion, and sage in a large bowl. Add the oil and and toss gently to lightly coat the vegetables. Transfer to the prepared pan and arrange in a single layer. Roast for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned. Let cool.

To make the dressing, finely chop the shallots in a blender. Add the cranberry sauce, vinegar, orange juice, and oil; process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine the roasted vegetables, sliced greens, and vinaigrette in a large bowl. Toss gently to mix. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired. Serve at room temperature.

Serves 6.

Adapted from The Garden-Fresh Vegetable Cookbook, p. 464.