005 / 75 · Crisp-Topped and Potato Comfort

Turkey and Cranberry Sweet Potato Hotdish

One 8-in/20-cm square baking dish, at least 2.5 qt/2.4 L; 4 main-dish portions · Active 30 min · Total 1 hr 25 min

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A few tart cranberries cut through a savory turkey filling without turning supper into a holiday dessert. The sweet potato topping has butter and pepper, with no marshmallow or added sugar. Fresh orange zest links the fruit and meat, while celery and onion keep the filling rooted in an everyday savory bake.

Jump to ingredients

Drawn turkey and cranberry bake beneath orange sweet-potato mash.

Use cranberries as an accent

Fresh or frozen unsweetened cranberries behave differently from a spoonful of prepared cranberry sauce. They burst into small sharp pockets instead of adding a thick sweet coating. Keep the stated quantity modest and simmer them briefly in the filling so they begin to soften before the topping goes on. If a few berries remain whole, press them with the spoon. Dried sweetened cranberries are not a straight substitution here: they would change both the water balance and sweetness.

Make a topping that stays savory

Sweet potatoes usually need less added liquid than floury white potatoes. Steam-dry them after draining, then mash with the measured butter and a small amount of milk. The result should hold a soft mound on a spoon. Too much milk makes a topping that sinks and blends into the filling. Orange zest is divided between both layers, but the juice goes into the turkey sauce where it can simmer down. This gives a citrus note without wetting the mash.

Keep the turkey soft by controlling the sauce

Ground turkey benefits from a little stock and a properly thickened filling, especially after a second stage in the oven. Break it into small pieces and check 165°F before adding the flour and liquid. The sauce should lightly bind the meat, celery and fruit rather than pool around them. Spoon the potato topping over a hot filling, make a few broad swirls and stop. There is no need to cover the surface with cheese or chase a dark crust; gentle golden edges and a hot center are the useful finish.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb 9 oz sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1-in/2.5-cm pieces (700 g prepared)
  • 6 cups water (1.4 L), for sweet potatoes
  • 1 tablespoon butter (15 g)
  • 2 tablespoons milk (30 ml)
  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil (15 ml)
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped (150 g)
  • 2 celery stalks, finely diced (100 g)
  • 1 lb ground turkey (450 g)
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (8 g)
  • 3/4 cup low-sodium turkey or chicken stock (180 ml)
  • 3/4 cup fresh or frozen unsweetened cranberries (75 g)
  • 1/4 cup orange juice (60 ml)
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest (2 g), divided equally between filling and topping
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt (3 g), divided equally between filling and topping
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided equally between filling and topping

Set out

Oven, 8-in/20-cm square baking dish, at least 2.5 qt/2.4 L, Large saucepan, 10-in/25-cm deep skillet, Potato masher, Fine grater, Food thermometer, Rimmed baking sheet, Suitable foil if the topping colors before the center finishes

Allergens

Milk, Wheat, Celery; check stock labels. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Heat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Put the dish on a rimmed sheet. Cover sweet potatoes with their water in the saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer 15–18 minutes until tender. Drain thoroughly and steam-dry in the warm pan for 1 minute. Mash with butter, milk, half the zest, half the salt and half the pepper.
  2. Meanwhile heat oil in the skillet over medium heat. Cook onion and celery for 8–10 minutes until softened. Add turkey and cook 8–10 minutes, breaking it up, until several places reach 165°F (74°C).
  3. Stir in flour for 1 minute. Gradually add stock and orange juice, then cranberries, sage, remaining zest, salt and pepper. Simmer 5–7 minutes until berries begin to burst and the sauce lightly binds the filling. Press any large whole berries with the spoon.
  4. Spoon hot filling into the dish. Add sweet potato in small mounds and join gently into broad swirls. Bake 25–30 minutes until the edges color and the center and several other places reach 165°F (74°C). Cover loosely with foil if needed before the center is hot.
  5. Rest 5 minutes before serving one-quarter per person.

A different supper from roast leftovers

This recipe begins with raw ground turkey, not sliced leftover roast. Cooked roast meat would need a different browning stage and would retain its original storage deadline; use the stated starting ingredient for this method.

A useful detail

Start the turkey while the sweet potatoes simmer. The 85-minute total allows chopping, overlapping stovetop work, the full bake and rest. Use a sufficiently roomy square dish; many shallow brownie tins hold less than the required capacity.

Another way

  • Replace ground turkey with 450 g ground chicken and use the same 165°F (74°C) endpoints. Keep the unsweetened cranberries and measured juice unchanged.

Keep it well

Transfer leftovers to shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C), at 40°F (4°C) or below. Use within 3 days or an earlier ingredient deadline. Reheat to 165°F (74°C) throughout. Freeze promptly cooled portions for up to 2 months for quality; thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.