Thanksgiving for two is a collection of my favorite small Thanksgiving dinner recipes to help you prepare and enjoy a classic holiday meal that's hassle-free and hits all the cravings. These super simple Thanksgiving recipes actually accommodate 4 people (with no leftovers) or 2 people (with leftovers).
Thanksgiving Dinner for Two (or four) includes recipes for breakfast or brunch, appetizers, salad, sides, turkey main course, and dessert. We've covered all the bases for a simple and fulfilling day of food and thanks.
Breakfast or Brunch
Wholesome, easy breakfast and brunch ideas to kick off your Thanksgiving morning.
Dutch Baby Pancake
Start your Thanksgiving morning with a simple, fruit-filled breakfast. This light, puffy, golden brown pancake requires 5 minutes of prep + 15-minute bake time. No blender and no special skills required. I promise!
Smoked Salmon Dip
Enjoy a holiday brunch with this easy salmon dip recipe. It's made with smoked salmon, cream cheese, Greek yogurt, and fresh dill. Serve with crackers, crostini, bagels, or vegetables.
Holiday Appetizers
Easy appetizers to get you warmed up to Thanksgiving dinner.
Cranberry Brie Crostini
Cranberry Brie Crostini is a mouth-watering holiday recipe that disappears at every holiday event. It’s a simple crostini recipe with brie cheese, cranberry relish, walnuts, and fresh thyme.
Herb Artichoke White Bean Dip
5-minute bean dip recipe with white beans, artichokes, fresh herbs, and feta cheese. This fan-favorite bean dip is savory, zingy, and perfect with crackers, vegetables, or crostini.
Spinach Artichoke Dip
Everyone's favorite warm appetizer. It's super creamy and divinely delicious. Make spinach artichoke dip in the Instant Pot OR bake it in a bread bowl the old fashioned way.
Thanksgiving Sides
Easy sides to accompany your Thanksgiving dinner for two.
Cranberry Sauce with Orange Juice
Cranberry sauce with orange juice is a quick and easy way to brighten up a classic holiday sauce. Everyone loves the subtle citrus flavor in
this mouthwatering cranberry orange sauce recipe.
Pomegranate Cranberry Relish
A no-cook cranberry sauce that's so juicy and mouth-watering, you'll crave it every holiday. The pomegranate makes it pop with unexpected flavor and texture. Serve cranberry relish on crostini appetizer or as a holiday side. Watch out...it's addictive! I recommend making it a day ahead to build a full flavor profile.
Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Kale & Apples
Here's a delicious party in a bowl! Kale, pomegranate, apples, cranberries, and sunflower seeds are tossed in apple cider vinaigrette giving this holiday salad some sweet, some savory, and texture galore! This salad is the perfect compliment to a delicious Thanksgiving dinner.
Apple Sausage Stuffing
Apple Sausage Stuffing is a scrumptious Thanksgiving dressing recipe with sausage, apples, onions, homemade croutons, walnut, and sage topping. It's savory, sweet, and easy to make! Sausage and apple stuffing is a holiday dinner must.
Green Bean Casserole (it's vegan, but you'd never know it)
Scrumptious Vegan Green Bean Casserole with fresh green beans, scratch-made creamy mushroom soup, and crispy topping. Even non-vegans love this holiday side. Includes easy make ahead instructions.
Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
This is the ultimate shortcut for a hassle free Thanksgiving dinner. No peeling, boiling, babysitting, or schlepping a heavy pot. Just press a few buttons, add your favorite secret ingredients, and mash. You can even serve the potatoes right from the pot set on keep warm mode.
Smashed Potatoes Recipe
Crispy roasted potatoes with a soft inside where baby potatoes are cooked, smashed, oiled, and baked to crispy perfection. Serve smashed potatoes sprinkled with salt or your favorite toppings. Everyone can decorate their own!
Easiest Thanksgiving Turkey ... Ever!
It's 100% possible to enjoy delicious, juicy roasted turkey on Thanksgiving ... without babysitting one all day. We've done it every year for a decade and I just don't know if I'll ever go back!
Easy Roast Turkey Breast
10-min prep + 45 min hands-free bake = juicy, tender, roast turkey breast that melts in your mouth and you didn't have to babysit all day. Roast turkey breast easily accommodates Thanksgiving dinner for two (or four).
Air Fryer Turkey Breast
Air Fryer Turkey Breast is golden brown, super juicy, and on the table in 40 minutes! It's so easy, even beginners will conquer turkey dinner with this mostly hands-off method.
How To Make Gravy Without Drippings
Knowing how to make gravy without drippings in 10 minutes is a cook's secret weapon. It's silky, delicious, and crazy easy! Available drippings can be used, but this 5-ingredient gravy doesn't need them.
Dessert
I couldn't decide which two desserts to offer you, so I included four 🙂
No Bake Peanut Butter Pie
Luscious, no-bake dessert with flaky graham cracker crust, fluffy peanut butter filling, and lightly salted chocolate topping. This super easy and not-too-sweet chocolate peanut butter pie is the perfect easy dessert for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Chocolate Eclair Icebox Cake
No-bake chocolate graham cracker cake with vanilla pudding, whipped topping, and super easy, fudge frosting. This icebox cake recipe is fun for all ages to make and the perfect no bake dessert for any holiday celebration.
Bananas Foster (10-min recipe)
New Orleans-inspired Bananas Foster recipe made with bananas quickly cooked in a caramel rum sauce, ignited, and topped with vanilla ice cream.
Pear Cranberry Apple Crisp
Pear Cranberry Apple Crisp is naturally sweetened apple crisp recipe
with pears, apples, and cranberries under a delicious, crispy oat
topping. Serve it warm with a scoop of ice cream and close Thanksgiving dinner with happy taste buds.
Extras
These holiday dinner "extras" are must-haves!
Homemade Croutons
3-ingredient Homemade croutons are light, crispy, and totally customizable. This classic crouton recipe will level up your salads, soups, and holiday stuffing. Skip the store, save money, and make the best homemade croutons right at home!
How To Make Crostini
Toasted bread slices with olive oil and salt. Perfect for bruschetta and party dips!
Thanksgiving FAQ
Refrigerator method: Ideally, frozen bone-in turkey breast is thawed by transferring it from the freezer to the refrigerator. Generally, we would allow 24 hours for every 5 lbs of turkey. The same rule applies for bone-in turkey breast. Also, store the turkey in a way that prevents it from touching other refrigerated items to avoid contamination.
Cold water: This is a quicker way to thaw frozen turkey breast. Simply leave the packaging in tact and submerge the turkey breast in cold water in a container. This process can be done at room temperature (note: water must be changed every 30 minutes to maintain cold temperature) or in the refrigerator (without changing the water).
It is not recommended to thaw poultry at room temperature; i.e., sitting on your counter. This is an unsafe holding temperature and can promote harmful bacteria growth that can cause food borne illness. Information sourced from U.S.D.A.
165° is the minimum internal temperature when a meat thermometer is inserted next to the bone in the center of the turkey breast. Any poultry that doesn't hit this temperature is considered unsafe to consume.
Allow Thanksgiving dinner items to cool completely before storing. Refrigerate leftovers in airtight containers up to five days. Freeze leftovers in freezer safe containers up to 30-90 days. I'm in love with these locking containers and find them to be the most effective style of food storage containers on the market.
1) Oven reheat: Place cooked Thanksgiving leftovers on a covered, heat-safe dish and baked in the oven at 350° for 30 minutes.
2) Microwave method: Place leftover in a covered, microwave-safe dish and heat on medium-high heat in 1 minute intervals until everything has warmed through.
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