Here’s How to Make a Sheet Pan Thanksgiving Dinner for Two—For Under $65 

While some years you may attend a Thanksgiving for many, in other years, you may be cooking for only yourself and a partner, a friend, or a relative. 

If you’re planning a Thanksgiving dinner for two this year, we’re going to show you how to make an impressive spread using only a sheet pan—and for under $65. Instead of buying a whole bird, this recipe uses turkey cuts like thighs and drumsticks to cut down on cost (and time spent in the kitchen). You’ll cook the turkey on the same pan as your side dishes: a colorful fall medley of roasted rosemary and garlic butternut squash, mushrooms, and green beans with a zest of lemon. 

To season the turkey, you’re going to use a dry brine, which is much easier and less cumbersome than a wet brine. This type of brine locks in flavor and moisture, but you’ll want to set aside 12 to 24 hours to really let it work its magic.

Finish things off with a spoonful of cranberry sauce, a drizzle of turkey gravy, and your favorite wine (or non-alcoholic beverage) and you’ve got an intimate Thanksgiving dinner for two—no laborious turkey carving required! 

How We Did the Math

Our pricing is intentionally conservative because we don’t want you to feel misled by the $65 budget. To get to this number, we included the average prices of the meat, the fresh produce, the fresh herbs, and any pre-made mixes. Even when the recipe only needs a tablespoon of something, we’ve included the price of the entire container (because that’s what you’ll actually be buying). 

And while our prices at Thrive Market change based on things like sales and location, we tried to ensure that this shopping list is always under the $65 budget. 

What We Assume You Already Have

To keep the budget realistic, we assume your kitchen is stocked with a few everyday basics, like spices and olive oil. And if you’re missing something, don’t sweat it (and definitely don’t buy something extra!)

A couple helpful tips: 

• If this recipe calls for a spice you don’t have, try to swap in a similar one you do.
• If you don’t have olive oil, any neutral oil will work. 

The whole point is to help you avoid buying one-off ingredients you’ll only reach for on Thanksgiving—and help you stretch your grocery budget, cut down on food waste, and make the holidays a little bit easier.

Sheet Pan Thanksgiving Dinner for Two Recipe

Yield: 2 servings + leftovers
Active Time: 1.5 hours
Total Time: 1.5 hours + overnight brining

Ingredients: 

From your pantry:

1 ¼ teaspoons coarse salt (½ teaspoon salt per pound)  
1 ¾ teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons rubbed sage
¾ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

To buy: 

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped ($1.50)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped ($2)
2 turkey thighs ($10.50)
2 turkey drumsticks ($8.50)
(Note: Together, these should equal roughly 3.5 pounds of turkey)
4 tablespoons butter, unsalted, softened ($6) 
½ pound green beans, trimmed ($6)
5-6 ounces mushrooms, roughly sliced (King Oyster and Beech both
work well) ($9)
1 shallot, thinly sliced ($1)
Zest of 1 large lemon ($.70)
1-2 garlic cloves, chopped ($3)
2 butternut squash ($9)
1 packet turkey gravy mix ($2)
1 can cranberry sauce ($3)

Approximate total cost: $62

Instructions: 

Add the brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, sage, paprika, pepper, lemon zest, fresh rosemary, and fresh thyme to a bowl and mix thoroughly to create a dry brine. Set aside.

Paper towel pat dry all sides of the turkey. Loosen the skin away from the meat and sprinkle the rub in between, then massage the rub on top of the skin. Place the turkey cuts on a tray (or a wire rack on top of the tray), then put it in the fridge, uncovered, for 12-24 hours. This allows the skin to dry out a little so it becomes crispier in the oven.

Remove the turkey from the fridge one hour before you’re ready to cook to allow it to reach room temperature. 

Preheat your oven to 375° F. Place one rack in the lower third section of the oven. 

Prepare your sheet pan by lining it with aluminum foil and then parchment paper (this makes for easy cleanup). 

Place the turkey cuts in a single row along the long edge of your sheet pan. Take 3 tablespoons of the softened butter and evenly rub it over the turkey pieces, including under the skin. (Tip: Make sure the turkey cuts aren’t touching; the little bit of space around each piece lets the oven air circulate them, ensuring crispy skin all around.)

Place the green beans, mushrooms, and shallot right on one quarter of the tray. Drizzle with olive oil and add the lemon zest, garlic, salt and pepper to taste, and any leftover fresh herbs. Give it a good toss. Don’t worry if they’re overlapping a bit; they will slightly steam and caramelize at the same time.

Next, prep the squash. Slice both in half longways, scoop out the seeds, and spread the leftover 1 tablespoon of softened butter over all four halves. Sprinkle the brown sugar, sage, chopped rosemary, salt, and pepper on top. Lay the four halves cut sides down on the remaining quarter of the sheet tray.

Place the sheet pan in the oven with the turkey cuts (the long side of the sheet pan) towards the back of the oven. Roast for 30 minutes. 

After 30 minutes, use tongs to toss the green beans and mushrooms and flip the squash, so the cut side is facing up. Then, add the pan back to the oven to continue cooking. Set the timer for 10 more minutes.

During the final 10 minutes, prepare your turkey gravy and cranberry sauce according to package directions. 

Once the timer goes off, check the temperature of your turkey with a meat thermometer. All pieces should be around 170° F. 

Once you’ve made sure the turkey is cooked all the way through, turn on the broiler and place the sheet pan back in for an additional 4 to 6 minutes. This will get the internal temp of the turkey legs closer to 180° F., while crisping up the skin and giving the vegetables a final, slightly golden char. Remove the sheet pan. 

Carefully transfer the turkey pieces to a serving platter and allow them to rest for at least 10 minutes.

Tip: Don’t dump the turkey pan juices! Instead, use them to make these Date, Celery and Apple Salad with Sourdough Pan Juice Croutons

Divide equal servings of turkey, vegetables, and the optional salad between two plates, then add the cranberry sauce on the side and a generous drizzle of gravy on the top.

Optional garnishes: Add crumbled tangy, fresh chèvre or salty, grated Parmesan cheese on top of the squash, and/or add a wedge of lemon to your green beans.

Tip: Save your food scraps—and your dollars!—and make your own homemade turkey bone broth.