A Christmas Turkey Dinner

Turkey for Christmas is an automatic crowd-pleaser. You just don't want to rehash last month's Thanksgiving feast. This menu turns the turkey in a more festive, wintry direction, pairing it with an elegant frisée salad, crunchy Dijon-roasted Brussels sprouts, and a luxe cheesecake topped with Cointreau-soaked cranberries.

Download a pdf of this menu, including all recipes, shopping list, and timeline.

the menu

Menu Timeline

Two days ahead:

Make the cranberry-Cointreau sauce for the cheesecake.

One day ahead:

Make the juniper-ginger butter.
Brine the turkey and let it sit uncovered overnight in the refrigerator.
Make and bake the cheesecake; refrigerate it uncovered overnight.

3-1/2 hours before dinner:

Put the turkey in to roast.

2 hours before dinner:

Make the breadcrumb topping for the brussels sprouts.
Make the salad dressing and soak the dried cherries.

1 hour before dinner:

Prep the Brussels sprouts for roasting.
Start cooking the potatoes.
Check on the turkey; when it's done, move it to a cutting board, tent with foil and let rest.

20 minutes before dinner:

Roast the Brussels sprouts.
Crush the potatoes and let them continue cooking.
Make the gravy.

Just before dinner:

Dress and assemble the salads.
Sprinkle the toasted crumbs on the Brussels sprouts.
Transfer potatoes to a platter and sprinkle with salt.
Carve the turkey and serve with gravy.

Just before dessert:

Spoon the cranberry-Cointreau sauce onto the cheesecake.

Shopping List

Fresh Produce

2 lb. baby Yukon Gold or Red Bliss potatoes (20 to 25 potatoes, 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 inches in diameter)
2 lb. Brussels sprouts
1 12-oz. package fresh cranberries
1 large head frisée (about 8 oz.)
2 medium shallots
2 large bunches fresh rosemary
2 large bunches fresh thyme
1 bunch fresh sage
1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 bunch fresh chives
1 bulb garlic
1 large piece fresh ginger
1 medium lemon

Meat, Eggs & Dairy

1 14-lb. natural turkey (preferably fresh)
4 8-oz. packages cream cheese
1 lb. unsalted butter
4 large eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
4 oz. good-quality blue cheese

Other Groceries

1 box graham crackers (about 10 full sheets needed)
3 cups lower-salt chicken broth (or use homemade)
1 cup coarse fresh breadcrumbs
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup dried tart cherries
6 Tbs. walnut oil
2 Tbs. Cointreau
2 Tbs. dried juniper berries
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. caraway seeds
Fleur de sel or other sea salt (optional)

Pantry Staples

2-1/2 lb. kosher salt for the brine (8-3/4 cups if you're using Diamond Crystal brand); more for seasoning the rest of the meal
6-1/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup honey
3 Tbs. Dijon mustard
2 Tbs. sherry vinegar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Black peppercorns