Smaller Thanksgiving Recipes

Let's get planning for the Thanksgiving feast. But, it is much harder to find more traditional dishes for smaller celebrations than a large one. This is for you whether you are cooking for one, two, or even 3-4 people. Let's fix that with my suggestions to "cook small" for the holiday with small-batch recipes.

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.

Jump To (scroll for more)

🦃Smaller Main Courses—Turkey and More
🍠Small-batch side dishes
Larger-side dish
🍞Small-batch bread recipes
Full-size bread recipes
🥧Small-batch desserts
Full-size dessert recipes
🍬Candy recipes
Food Safety
Don't forget the dogs.

While I love Thanksgiving, the amount of work can be overwhelming. So, let's get our plan started. First, how many dinners and leftovers do you want?

And second, how much time and energy do you have? Some super planners out there will pull everything off from scratch. I'm not there; honestly, I don't want to be. 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—Turkey and More

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

Oven-roasted turkey breast is perfect for two or smaller households when a whole turkey is too much. Most recipes for turkey breasts intimidate home cooks, but with our simple step-by-step recipe, even the novice cook can bake the perfect turkey breast.

Oven Roasted Turkey Breast

turkey slice with gravy on orange plate.

Small Crock Pot Ham with Brown Sugar Honey Glaze

This Small Crock Pot Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze recipe uses Pineapple, a precooked quarter or half ham, and pantry spices to make a perfect holiday ham for a small household or as a second main dish for large holiday feasts.

Small Honey Ham Recipe

slices of ham with pineapple on white plater

Small Ribeye Roast

Ribeye roast is a classic main entree for special meals. A ribeye roast is Prime Rib without the bone, making it easier to cook and scale to the right size at home.

How to Cook a Small Prime Rib Roast

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

Grilled Turkey Breast

Grilled Turkey Breast is amazingly easy. Moist, tender, and flavorful—perfect for smaller gatherings or Thanksgiving. Add the optional Brown Sugar rub for even more flavor or seasoning of your choice.

Grilled Turkey Breast

How to Cook Ham Steak

Ham Steak makes a delicious dinner for two or more. Add the optional brown sugar-mustard glaze for the exceptional taste of grilled ham steak. Or cook on the stovetop or under the broiler.

Cooking Ham Steak

🍠Small-batch side dishes

Side dishes make the meal. Every family has its traditions, so here are ours. This recipe group is either smaller already or has instructions for making it smaller. And I add one larger recipe that my family insists upon.

Mom's Sausage Stuffing

Call it dressing or call it stuffing, but Mom's Sausage Stuffing is a classic must-make for Thanksgiving or other holidays. Using savory breakfast sausage with bread and spices, it has been a family favorite for over 40 years.

Sausage Stuffing Recipe

Green Bean Casserole Without Mushroom Soup

Green Bean Casserole Without Mushroom Soup has a creamy homemade sour cream sauce, tender beans, and crunchy topping—no need for mushrooms or a can of soup.

Green Bean Casserole without Soup

Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole

Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole has a creamy sweet potato custard filling with a pecan or marshmallow topping and has become an American traditional holiday classic.

Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

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

Larger-side dish

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

🍞Small-batch 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.

Quick and Easy Yeast Dinner Rolls

These Quick and Easy Yeast Dinner Rolls are golden brown with a buttery crust and tender inside. Perfect for holiday meals or your family dinner.

Easy Yeast Rolls

nicely browned dinner rolls still in a baking pan being brushed

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

Full-size bread recipes

Larger recipes but worth making.

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

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

🥧Small-batch desserts

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

Crock Pot Apple Crisp

This super easy Crock Pot Apple Crisp uses apples, oats, and pantry ingredients to make a delicious crock pot dessert perfect for a holiday or everyday dinner.

Crock Pot Apple Crisp

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

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

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

This easy recipe for Chocolate Chip Cheesecake or cheesecake bar with Oreo crust will become your signature dessert for special occasions and parties. Make a traditional full-size cheesecake or cheesecake bars or bites for finger treats at parties.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake and Bars

slice of chocolate chip Philadelphia cheesecake

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

Easy Apple Crumble Pie

This Easy Apple Crumble Pie (AKA Dutch Apple Pie) uses fresh apples, a premade pie crust, and a delicious homemade crumble topping.

Apple Crumble Pie Recipe

🍬Candy recipes

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

Oreo Fudge

Make this delicious Oreo Fudge in no time with only 4 ingredients. With chunks of crunch Oreos in sweet and creamy white chocolate, it is fast and easy to make on the stovetop.

Oreo Fudge Recipe

Crock Pot Chocolate Peanut Clusters

Chocolate peanut clusters are the best candy treat and are super easy to make at home in your crock pot. Lightly salted peanuts covered with sweet chocolate coating make the perfect gift, or keep them all for yourself—you can always make more with this smaller recipe.Only a few ingredients.

Chocolate Peanut Cluster Recipe

Chocolate peanut cluster being held in a hand.

Crock Pot Fudge

Make your holidays sweeter with this Crock Pot Fudge recipe. 4 ingredients and 15 minutes 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

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

Candied Almonds or Other Candied Nuts

Candied Almonds have a caramelized coat of vanilla, sugar, and cinnamon. Roasted nuts are a perfect party snack or holiday gift. Use this easy recipe to make candied walnuts, pecans, or mixed nuts. No one will believe you roasted these sweet candied nuts yourself at home.

Candied Nut Recipe

finished candied nuts on the cooking tray with white parechment paper

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