Jet Tila's Alternative Thanksgiving Main Serves Three Staples In One Dish

Cooking a Thanksgiving turkey is a big task. From the days-long defrost to steps like stuffing, brining, and injecting flavor, there's a lot to do if you want to execute a bird that's moist, tasty, and worth the time and effort. Let's be honest; some years, we just aren't up to it.

And yet, there's no denying there's a reason turkey is our go-to bird on Thanksgiving. So, if you're cooking the holiday meal at home, the presence of that mainstay fowl really is essential. Fortunately, culinary icon Jet Tila offers a timesaving shortcut dish that not only simplifies the prep but combines turkey, stuffing, and gravy all in one scrumptious offering. With this Food Network star's triple-threat main dish, Rolled Stuffed Turkey Breast with Quick Stuffing and Gravy, your guests won't be missing the big, standalone poultry (via Instagram).

Jet Tila's recipe uses butterflied turkey breast, which cooks much faster than a whole bird — about 40 minutes total. Slice the breast, fill it with your stuffing of choice (a pumpkin and herb or a wild rice and cornbread stuffing work well here), and then roll it up just like you would a roll cake. Tila holds everything together with cooking twine while it sears and bakes. Top off the dish with a classic giblet gravy recipe (or try a peppercorn-Riesling gravy if you don't have access to giblets), and the extra sauce can be served on the side, as well, effectively knocking out these three Thanksgiving staples in one go.

If you're worried your holiday table may look sparse with the absence of the large winged star, a honey ham is an easy, picturesque second meat you can serve that requires little prep. Simply warm it up and plop it onto the table. Of course, you could prep and freeze some spicy meatballs to serve as hors d'oeuvres — just skewer them with decorative toothpicks, arrange them prettily on a platter, and your dinner guests will happily devour them. You can use turkey meatballs if you want a second version of the holiday's featured protein. You can even skip the meat and make meatballs out of ricotta cheese for the vegetarians in your life.

In terms of poultry shortcuts, there are additional ways to shorten or simplify the task if you want a full bird but don't want all the work. For example, spatchcocking the turkey cuts the cooking time in half, and it's easier to do than you might think. Another shortcut of sorts, cooking a frozen fowl, will extend the cooking time, but it eliminates the arduous defrost period that monopolizes your fridge space during precious T-day prep. If you've wondered if it's safe to cook a frozen turkey without thawing, the answer is yes, and, in addition to circumventing the thawing process, it can actually result in juicier, more tender meat.