There are so many ways to make a great Thanksgiving dinner at the campground. This year, my goal was to create a menu that is simple and made mostly in advance, but still features all the tastes of a traditional Thanksgiving meal.
Turkey Sandwiches with Stuffing and Cranberry Sauce
For years, I prepared a ‘leftovers’ meal on the Friday after Thanksgiving to bring to my grandmother who lived a few hours away. I piled rolls high with sliced turkey, stuffing, and homemade cranberry sauce. I also added a little horseradish cream to my own sandwich, but that’s just because I like everything to have a little kick. You won’t find my young boys buying into that flavor profile.
So how do you put Thanksgiving dinner on a bun with only about 60 minutes worth of prep time in the kitchen? Here are my steps…
Turkey Breast
If we are camping over Thanksgiving weekend, I forget about making a whole turkey and just buy a turkey breast. You can usually find a nice 3-pounder that feeds a family of six just fine. Preparing the turkey in the oven according to the package directions will get you where you need to go, but I happen to be in love with an appliance called the Instapot, which cooks the turkey in about 30 minutes.
We recommended the Instapot on our 2016 Spring Gear Guide, and it is everything it’s cracked up to be. Seriously, I heart the Instapot.
Ingredients:
- Turkey breast, 3 lbs
- 1 cup turkey broth
- salt
- pepper
- thyme
- 1 garlic clove
Season the turkey breast with salt, pepper, garlic, and thyme, then place it in the Instapot with a cup of turkey broth. Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes. After letting it rest for 30 minutes, wrap in saran and place in the refrigerator. I wait and slice the meat at the campground right before assembling the sandwiches.
Stuffing
I am a bit of a stuffing snob, and usually insist on making it in the bird with lots of goodies mixed in…food safety experts be darned. But for Thanksgiving at the campground, I keep it simple and everyone seems to love it anyway.
Ingredients:
- 14 ounce bag of Pepperidge Farm
- two celery stalks, chopped
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups turkey stock
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a large pot (I use my Dutch Oven) and sauté the celery and onion until soft. Stir in the bag of stuffing. Pour in the stock and stir until combined. Place the stuffing in a greased Pyrex and bake for 30 minutes. I leave it uncovered because I like a crunchy top.
Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1 12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries
- the juice of two oranges
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup sugar (I like less, but kids…)
- pinch of salt
Place all of the ingredients into a sauce pan and stir. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the sauce completely cool. Place in a tupperware and store in your RV refrigerator.
Now you can get all fancy and make your own rolls, but I have some bakeries around my house that do a pretty good job of that so I just buy a half dozen and call it a day. No guilt at all.
How do I make all of this in under 60 minutes? It’s easy…
- Season the turkey breast and place in the Instapot for 30 minutes at high pressure.
- Prepare the cranberry sauce and set on stove to cook.
- Prepare the stuffing and place in oven to cook while the turkey and cranberry sauce finish.
Everything packs up easy and compact for the RV refrigerator. And don’t forget to put the rolls in the RV pantry!
Ready for something sweet? Check out the Pumpkin Bread Cupcake with Cream Cheese Frosting we are having for dessert!
Happy Thanksgiving from our RV to yours!
See you at the campground,
Stephanie
