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Smaller Thanksgiving Recipes

Published: by · 12 Comments

Not all Thanksgiving feasts are enormous. Smaller households do not need a 20-pound turkey and multiple large dishes. Whether you are cooking for one, two, or even three to four people, this is for you. Let's review my suggestions to "cook small" for the holiday with small-batch recipes.

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Graphic for Thanksgivings Recipe roundup - Image licensed from Fotolia November 20, 2017. Copyright ©TeddyandMia - stock.adobe.com. Modifed per allow by licensed.
Image licensed from Fotolia November 20, 2017. Copyright ©TeddyandMia - stock.adobe.com. Modified as allowed by the license.
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While I love Thanksgiving, the amount of work can be overwhelming. Let's fix that by starting with smaller recipes and planning for success. There is no need to be working for days. I have X amount of time and energy and will put it where it does most good.

Our smaller holiday feast is traditional, with a Roasted Turkey Breast, Sausage Stuffing, Sweet Potato Casserole, and Broccoli Slaw Salad.

🦃Smaller Main Courses

We usually start with a turkey breast, not the whole bird. And you can do two if you need more. Check out this variety of possibilities.

Oven Roasted Turkey Breast—The Easy Way
Learn how to oven-roast a turkey breast the easiest way, with crispy skin and juicy, tender meat. With these easy, step-by-step photo instructions, anyone can bake turkey breasts perfectly.
Oven Roasted Turkey Breast
turkey slice with gravy on orange plate.
Small Ribeye (Boneless Prime Rib) Roast
A ribeye roast, also known as a boneless prime rib roast, is a classic entrée for holidays and other special meals. With a garlic butter crust and delicious, juicy meat, this recipe is perfect for smaller gatherings but can easily be scaled for larger crowds. A bone-in stand rib roast can also be used.
How to Cook a Small Prime Rib Roast
slice of Ribeye Roast on a white plate
Small Crock Pot Ham with Brown Glaze
This small crock pot ham with a brown sugar glaze is perfect for any occasion. The brown sugar blends with honey, pineapple juice, and spices to create a delicious, moist, and tender glazed boneless ham that is ideal for small households or as a second meat for holidays.
Small Honey Ham Recipe
slices of ham with pineapple on white plater
Turkey Tenderloin Recipe
This Turkey Tenderloin Recipe uses a brief sear on the stovetop, then oven-roasted to finish for a moist and tender turkey. Perfect for a smaller Thanksgiving or other delicious dinner that is lean and healthy for smaller households.
Turkey Tenderloin Recipe
image of cut turkey with gravy on plate
Grilled Turkey Breast
Grilled Turkey Breast is perfect for a smaller Thanksgiving or a healthier year-round change of pace. Use traditional seasoning or make BBQ with the recommended brown sugar dry rub.
Grilled Turkey Breast
Sliced turkey breast on a board.
How to Cook Ham Steak
Learn how to cook ham steak on the grill, fried on the stovetop, or broiled in the oven for a delicious dinner for two or more. This recipe requires only 5 minutes of prep time and about 10 minutes of cooking time. Add the delicious brown sugar glaze for an easy dinner for two.
How to Cook Ham Steak
grilled ham steak on a sandwich with a tomato slice.

🍠Small-batch Side Dishes

Side dishes make the meal. Every family has its traditions, so here are ours. This recipe group is full-size but has specific small-batch instructions for making it smaller (except the last one).

Green Bean Casserole Without Mushroom Soup
This Green Bean Casserole without Mushroom Soup features tender green beans, a creamy sauce, lots of cheese, and your favorite toppings—a perfect Thanksgiving side dish. Once you make this easy recipe, you will never use that can of soup again!
Green Bean Casserole without Soup
A spoonful of green bean casserole.
Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole
Make the holidays complete with an Old-Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole. This easy, traditional recipe starts by baking sweet potatoes and ends with a pecan brown sugar topping or the alternate classic marshmallow topping. It is a creamy holiday classic that we enjoy every holiday season.
Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
Sweet potato casserole on a white plate
Mom's Sausage Dressing
Everybody loves this homemade sausage dressing, made from scratch with breakfast sausage meat. This perfect old-fashioned Thanksgiving side dish is cooked outside the turkey for safety. A full-size recipe that is easy to scale to a small batch of sausage dressing for two with fewer leftovers.
Sausage Dressing Recipe
Sausage dressing on a white plate.
How to Make Gravy—Quick and Easy
Learn to make the best homemade gravy from scratch with these easy instructions. With or without pan dripping, you can have perfect gravy in about 10 minutes with either a roux or flour slurry. The same techniques can be used to thicken most liquids.
How To Make Gravy
pouring gravy on turkey and potatoes

This delicious salad is already as small as it will go (8 servings) without significant waste

Broccoli Slaw Salad
Broccoli Slaw Salad has great crunch and flavor. It has broccoli slaw salad, veggies, almonds, and rice noodles. The homemade dressing is a delicious touch.
Broccoli Slaw Recipe
broccoli slaw salad in a metal bowl

🍞Bread Recipes

I do love great bread. Here are some easy homemade choices—except the Julia Child's bread, but it is worth the work.

Easy Dinner Rolls
This easy dinner roll recipe is ready in an hour. You can serve delicious homemade yeast dinner rolls that are the perfect addition to any meal. Soft and fluffy, these easy yeast rolls will become a family favorite. Make a full recipe for the whole family or a small batch half recipe for smaller needs.
Easy Dinner Rolls
Bowl of dinner rolls.
Lunch Lady Rolls—Small Batch Version
Old fashioned 60s school Lunch Lady Rolls, those wonderful hot rolls everybody loved in the cafeteria. You can now be made with this small batch recipe mixed by hand or in a stand mixer at home.
Lunch Lady Roll Recipe
Stand Mixer Lunch Lady Rolls from 101 Cooking for Two
Honey Wheat Dinner Rolls
These soft, homemade Honey Wheat Dinner Rolls are perfect for everyday or special dinners. Vary the amount of whole wheat flour to your taste and add a touch of honey—quick to make in about an hour.
Honey Wheat Roll Recipe
the soft inside of a wheat dinner roll.

Now, a full-size choice, but it is worth trying at least once.

Julia Child's French Bread - Simplified
Julia Child's French Bread recipe is the ultimate crusty artisan French bread. An excellent round bread, simplified to the essentials to get it done with less fuss. While speed was not a goal, it was 5 hours from the start to the cooling rack.
Julia Childs French Bread
Julia Child's French Bread on wooden peel.

🥧Mostly Small-batch Desserts

We must have something sweet to finish the feast. Here are some easy treats.

Small Crock Pot Apple Crisp
This small-batch crock pot apple crisp recipe is simple to make and one of the best homemade apple desserts with crispy oat topping and apple pie flavor. It is versatile; use half the recipe for a mini apple crisp for two in a 2-quart crock pot or double it in a full-size slow cooker for a crowd.
Small Crock Pot Apple Crisp
Apple crisp with ice cream.
Easy Cheesecake Bars
These Easy Cheesecake Bars are creamy and delicious with a Graham cracker crust and lemon—the quick small-batch recipe you need with great tasting cheesecake bars.
Cheesecake Bar Recipe
Cheesecake bars on a blue plate.
Apple Berry Crumble
A fast, old-fashioned Apple Berry Crumble that combines apples and berries with a buttery streusel crumb topping. Use fresh berries and apples, or make it "semi-homemade" with frozen berries and a can of apple pie filling. So easy, so good.
Apple Berry Crumble
blue bowl of apple berry crumble with ice cream

Full-size Dessert Recipes

If you need to take a dish to a larger gathering, I have included these larger recipes that are easier than they look.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake or Cheesecake Bars
This easy Chocolate Chip Cheesecake recipe can be made as a whole cheesecake or, as we prefer, impressive Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars. It is simple and almost foolproof, using cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, and an Oreo crust. Please try our go-to recipe for parties or take-a-dish occasions.
Chocolate Chip Cheesecake and Bars
Chocolate chip cheesecake bars on a platter square view.
Easy Cinnamon Apple Cake
You will love this moist and delicious old-fashioned cinnamon apple cake recipe. It is fast and easy, using only two apples and a few pantry ingredients. This small batch recipe is for an 8X8 or 9-inch round pan, but it is easy to double or make a half-size apple cake for two.
Easy Apple Cake
Apple cake on a white plate.
Easy Apple Crumble Pie
This easy Apple Crumble Pie recipe is quick to make with a few fresh apples, a premade crust, and a simple buttery crumb streusel topping! An everyday homemade apple crumb pie recipe you will make over and over using refrigerated store-bought pie crust takes to do most of the work for you.
Apple Crumble Pie Recipe
Slice of apple crumb pie.

🍬Candy Recipes

It's time to get into the holiday spirit and give some love to those you care about.

Easy 5-Minute Chocolate Fudge
This easy, foolproof 5-Minute Chocolate Fudge recipe only needs 3 ingredients—sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, and your choice of chocolate chips plus optional additives. Perfect for holiday gifts, parties, or snacks.
5-Minute Fudge
pile of fudge on a white plate.
Crock Pot Chocolate Peanut Clusters
Chocolate Peanut Clusters are easy to make in your crock pot, microwave, or stovetop. Use four ingredients for the best nut clusters—nuts, chocolate chips, almond bark, and Bakers chocolate to boost the quality. Nothing says love like a gift of delicious homemade candy, so give them your best.
Chocolate Peanut Cluster Recipe
Chocolate peanut cluster being held in a hand.
Oreo Fudge
Oreo Fudge is a white fudge with crunchy bits of Oreo cookies. It is a variation of the classic 5-minute fudge recipe. You will love this fast and easy stovetop recipe as much as the creamy, delicious white chocolate fudge.
Oreo Fudge Recipe
pile of oreo fudge
Crock Pot Fudge
Make your holidays sweeter with this Crock Pot Fudge recipe. 4 ingredients and 55 minutes prep is all you need to make delicious chocolate fudge with the gentle heat of your crock pot—time to have fun with kids and make it together.
Crock Pot Fudge
pieces of fudge with nuts on a red plate
Cinnamon Candied Almonds
Candied almonds are easy to make at home. Sugar-coated with lots of cinnamon and vanilla, this simple roasted almond recipe can also be adapted to make candied cashews, peanuts, walnuts, or any mixture of these or other nuts. With six ingredients and 10 minutes of prep time, they are ready to roast to perfection.
Cinnamon Candied Almonds
Roasted candied almonds fresh out of the oven.

⚕️Food Safety

When I was still practicing medicine, I saw several kids with food poisoning—primarily minor after every major holiday. After only a few questions, the cause was almost always apparent and preventable with little care.

Gatherings are ready-made for food safety issues and leftovers at the party. Let's plan for food safety and get it right. Check out the USDA Food Safety recommendations.

🐕Don't forget the dogs.

Low-Fat Homemade Dog Treats—Healthy & Delicious
Low Fat Homemade Dog Treats are the perfect low-calorie treat for your dog. With only five ingredients, your dog will love the peanut butter and pumpkin taste. Much healthier than commercial treats—any veterinarian would approve.
Healthier Dog Treat Recipe
Pile of homemade dog treats on a wire rack

Are you feeling like a bit of holiday shopping early? Check out the new Holiday Shopping section in THE SHOP.

Have a great Thanksgiving from Wifo, Molly, Lilly, and DrDan!

Molly and Lilly are running in a row.

Editor's Note: Originally Published November 17, 2016. Updated yearly with current recommendations and discussion.

More Holiday Recipes

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  1. Jerri Altman says

    Happy Thanksgiving to you, Dr. Dan! Thank you for your wonderful recipes!

    Reply

  2. Kathy Mitchell says

    Thank for the smaller recipes, it is a royal pain trying to cut recipes down for one person. I certainly appreciate them. Love hearing about your dogs.

    Reply

    • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says

      Hi Kathy,

      Welcome to the blog.

      Cooking for one is tough and I'm glad I'm at least some help.

      Please let me know if you have any questions.

      Dan

      (PS—you might want to check the 2-quart mini-crock recipe category if you have not already.

  3. Elisabeth Wasslen says

    Hello Dr. Dan,
    It isn't Thanksgiving here right now, being in Canada, but I want to say I hope you and your family and your beautiful dogs have a Happy Thanksgiving. We have a lot to be thankful for, including your blog. Life is good.

    Reply

  4. Jean Rawlings says

    Hi Dr. Dan,
    You'll get a chuckle out of this..I wanted to make your recipe for Sweet potato Casserole before the big day Thanksgiving to see if my husband of 50 years would enjoy it. Well he whined a bit when I told him there were no marshmallows going on top. He offered a half a dozen times to go to the store and get some because he was certain it would be a total failure without them. He loved your recipe. He had seconds and is waiting for the left overs for dinner tonight.
    Thank you..thank you!
    Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
    Warmly
    Jean Rawlings

    Reply

    • DrDan says

      Thanks Jean,
      You can feel free to change the topping but I want the nuts.
      I'm republishing that recipe Sunday.
      Have a good holiday.
      Dan

  5. Leslie says

    Thanks for posting your menu ideas, makes cooking a special dinner easier (keeps me from getting anxious) thank you Leslie

    Reply

    • DrDan says

      Thanks Leslie,
      Have a good holiday.
      Dan

  6. laurajay says

    Thanks Dr Dan, I always love the blog, recipes and pictures. Happy thanksgiving to you and your family.

    Reply

    • DrDan says

      Thanks for the note.
      Dan

  7. Joan says

    How I use leftover turkey

    This is not a recipe although I am sure it started as one and is how my family uses some leftover turkey. My family calls it High Turkey Sandwich. It is really a form of a club sandwich and I first had it at Gilmore's Tea Room in Kalamazoo, Michigan and I think it may have been served at Marshall Field's in Chicago.

    So here is my non recipe which I would like to share with you. One slice of white bread, a slice of cheese, cold turkey meat, a slice of bread, bacon, tomato, lettuce, a slice of bread, slices of hard boiled egg, and to top it off, Thousand Island dressing made from mayonnaise, ketchup, and sweet pickle relish. Once, I ate the whole thing, but now I leave out the center slice of bread and can't really get through that.

    You are welcome to make it into a recipe if you wish, Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

    Reply

    • DrDan says

      Thanks for sharing and Happy Holidays.

      Dan