Three Ingredient Turkey Dinner
Welcome to the Three-Ingredient-Crock-Pot-Meals Series for Busy Professionals
Make it an entire meal with just six ingredients + butter and water.
Fast Easy Delicious Cooking for Busy Professionals
This tender, juicy, crock pot turkey is packed with flavor, and honestly, better than most Thanksgiving turkeys I have had — and the turkey itself is THREE ingredients. The whole dinner — turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, & cranberry sauce — is six ingredients, plus butter and water for the stuffing and potatoes. (No butter in the house? The stuffing works with water alone. I have done it in a rush. It is fine.
The whole meal takes about 5 minutes in the morning & 5-10 minutes when you get home. No exaggeration!
If you work all day, come home to kids, practices, and chaos, and still have to produce dinner — this one is for you. It was built for paralegals, but it works for lawyers, court reporters, office workers, and honestly anyone with a job and a family to feed.
The night this saved me
Last week I got home from work with about fifteen minutes before I had to be back out the door. My daughter needed dinner before cheer practice.
The turkey had been cooking all day. All I had to do was boil two pots of water; one for the instant mashed potatoes and the other for the stovetop stuffing. Pro tip: A pinch of salt in the water makes it boil fast. I put just a chunk or two of butter in the water for the stovetop stuffing, as per the instructions on the box. Next: stir, cover, done. The whole ordeal was about 5 minutes. I sliced the turkey while waiting for the water to boil. Two birds, one stone (figuratively)
Then on to quickly shovel turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes, and gravy (the gravy is made right in the crockpot with the turkey-you don’t have to make it) over everything into a takeout style Styrofoam container. Finally, garnish with little soufflé cup of canned cranberry sauce on the side. A perfect turkey dinner, out the door in fifteen minutes. I keep soufflé cups on hand for exactly this — sauces, dips, dinner to go. These are the soufflé cups I buy.
Pro tip: Put the can of cranberry sauce in the fridge before you go to work. That way the sauce is nice and cold.
The turkey: 3 ingredients
1 boneless turkey breast (about 3 lbs), thawed
1 packet French onion soup mix
1 can cream of chicken soup
In the morning rub the entire turkey with the French onion soup mix, then coat it with the cream of chicken soup. Turn to coat, skin side up, lid on, low. Done. Walk away and go to work.
Two things I add because they are already in my spice drawer: paprika and poultry seasoning. Not required — they just add a special touch. And do NOT add salt. The soup mix and the condensed soup have plenty.
A note on the soup mix: I usually buy the name brand, but it has gotten expensive, so I tried the Giant Eagle store brand this time and liked it just fine. Use what your store has. I often substitute Aldis brands with no complaints.
Want more gravy? Pro tip: Use two cans of cream of chicken soup instead of one. It does not hurt anything.
The whole dinner: = The Turkey + 3 more items
1 box Stove Top stuffing (turkey)
1 pouch instant mashed potatoes
1 can jellied cranberry sauce
When you get home, put two pans of water on to boil with a pinch of salt and follow the boxes — about five minutes each. The stuffing wants butter if you have it, water alone if you do not, and it needs to stand covered a few minutes (the box says five; three works when you are rushing). Open the cranberry sauce and you are done.
Feeding a bigger family, or meal-prepping for the week? Double everything. The turkey doubles in a large crock pot, and the stuffing and potatoes are only about $1.79–$2.50 a box. Want to take it a step further? Throw in a store-bought croissant or a Hawaiian roll, or do a can of green beans. The sky is the limit.
Less dishes, because obviously
Slice the turkey right in the crock pot with a knife and fork — the gravy is already in there. You can use a crock pot liner if you want cleanup even faster. I do not (I worry about microplastics), and if you use a liner, slice on a cutting board instead of in the pot.
The recipe
Prep: 5 minutes in the morning + 10 minutes at night · Cook: all day on low · The turkey serves 4–6; double for a crowd
INGREDIENTS — TURKEY
1 boneless turkey breast (about 3 lbs), thawed (put it in the fridge a couple of days ahead)
1 packet French onion soup mix
1 can cream of chicken soup (2 cans for more gravy)
Optional, if you have them: paprika and poultry seasoning, a sprinkle of each
INGREDIENTS — THE REST OF THE DINNER
1 box Stove Top stuffing, turkey flavor
1 pouch instant mashed potatoes
1 can jellied cranberry sauce
Butter and water, for the stuffing and potatoes
DIRECTIONS
Morning: rub the turkey all over with the soup mix. Coat with the cream of chicken soup. Sprinkle with paprika and poultry seasoning if using. Skin side up in the crock pot, lid on, LOW, all day (about 8 hours). No added salt.
Evening: boil water for the stuffing and the potatoes; make both by the box directions.
Slice the turkey in the crock pot. Plate (or pack) turkey, stuffing, and potatoes, spoon gravy from the crock pot over everything, cranberry sauce on the side.
Want more ideas like this? Sign up for my newsletter so you never miss a recipe.
— The Law Closet
What it cost me
Turkey breast — $12.99
Cream of chicken soup — $1.19
Mashed potatoes — $1.49
Cranberry sauce — $1.75
Stove Top stuffing — $2.75
Onion soup mix — $1.25 (half the $2.49 box — 2 packets, you use 1)
Total: $21.42 — feeds 4 to 6 people
