Perfect For Pairs, These Easy Thanksgiving Recipes Make the Ideal Amount of Food For 2
Thanksgiving is all about food, food, food, and more food, but if you’re only cooking for two this year, having a table piled high with a feast fit for your extended family and then some isn’t always the most logical. And regardless, you can only eat leftovers for so many days. That’s why we curated a list of the best Thanksgiving recipes that can be easily tweaked for two. This way you can still enjoy the best flavors of the season, but you don’t have to worry about food waste, a fridge that’s stuffed to the brim with Tupperware containers containing cold mashed potatoes, and the dreaded food coma right after eating more than you can handle.
If your Thanksgiving gathering is on the smaller side this year, take a look at these delicious recipes that are perfect for pairs. From portion-controlled potatoes to an herb-roasted turkey breast that’s easy to make, these recipes are all you need to have a quaint dinner with the one you’re most thankful for. Take a look at the best Thanksgiving recipes for two, ahead.
– Additional reporting by Megan duBois
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Butternut Squash Green Bean Casserole
Make green bean casseroles the star of the side dish show when you add roasted butternut squash and sliced almonds to the recipe. Not only is it creamy while still being crunchy, but it also has a new fall flavor that’s hard to pass up. This recipe serves eight, so our advice is it cut the ingredients in half and make enough for four people so you can have something to nosh on for dinner the night after.
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Cranberry Brie Pastry Tarts
Quick, easy, and a fan favorite, these tarts are too good to be true. Creamy brie, tangy cranberries, and a fluffy puff pastry work together to make these cheese-filled tarts ready to be served in no time. Since this recipe is made to make 12 servings, you can either freeze them for later, give a couple to your family, or warm them up for days to come.
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Crock Pot Mac and Cheese
Asiago, sharp cheddar, Monterey jack, and gouda work together to make this cheesy recipe one to remember. And the best part is, the noodles cook directly in the sauce which means one less step for you. What could be better? This recipe serves 12, so we suggest cutting the recipe in half and saving the leftovers for an easy-to-heat-up lunch.
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Stuffing Muffins
Savory, comforting, and carb-heavy, stuffing (or dressing, if you’d prefer) is divine in its many permutations, but none are as flat-out adorable as these stuffing muffins. Not sold on the cute factor? No matter; stuffing muffins are also proportioned, easier to serve, have more of those delectable crispy edges, and if – and that’s a big if – you have leftovers, they’re easy to pop in the freezer to keep fresh for days down the line.
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Cornbread Dressing
You’ll get the best of both worlds when you make this hearty dressing. Full of sausage, veggies, cornbread, cranberries, and spices, it’ll leave you wanting more. And did we mention it’s gluten-free? This hefty recipe was made to feed 12, so adjust the ingredients to the amount of mouths you want to feed, and you’ll be good to go.
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Crispy Salt and Pepper Smashed Potatoes
Normal mashed potatoes are always good, but change things up with these smashed ‘taters. They are crispy and smooth at the same time, which is why they will be everyone’s favorite dish after just one bite. The ideal amount of potatoes to use when you’re cooking for two is anywhere from two to three, but the chef can call the shots based on how hungry everyone is!
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Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows
Craving something sweet this Thanksgiving? This recipe is for you. Mashed sweet potatoes are flawlessly paired with brown sugar and warm butter and topped with marshmallows. Just bake it until it’s brown, and every bite will be a treat for your taste buds. You can adjust this recipe to your liking by choosing how many servings you want to make before you start cooking.
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Deep-Fried Stuffing
If your family is the type that loves fried food, this recipe is for you. Bite into a warm, crunchy, and oh-so-good stuffing ball, and watch as your mouth waters for more. We suggest making about four or five of these for two people as they’re pretty rich. Enjoy!
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Baked Sweet Potato Parmesan Tater Tots
Take advantage of the season’s best sweet potatoes with this drool-worthy recipe. These tots are crispy on the outside (thanks to crunchy Panko bread crumbs) and soft on the inside (thanks to warm mashed sweet potatoes) and will have you coming back for more. Dunk them in ketchup, ranch, or honey if you want some extra flavor. This recipe makes six servings by using four medium sweet potatoes, so if you want to make these tots fit for two, we suggest using one medium sweet potato for best results.
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Salted Honey Rolls
Light, fluffy, and topped with a dreamy honey butter, these rolls pair well with gravy, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and more. Sorry, cornbread, but these will win the side dish game. Feel free to make as many as you please – the recipe is easy to tweak!
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Cream Corn
If you’re feeling lazy this holiday, let the Crock Pot take over. This creamed corn recipe only requires five minutes of prep, and the results are more than mouthwatering. Add a dash of cilantro on top to make it look like a true masterpiece. Since this recipe is made to feed six people, just chop the amount of ingredients you need in half, and it’ll be the perfect recipe for a small group.
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Warm Walnut Goat Cheese Bites
Tell us, is there anything better than a bite of warm, gooey goat cheese? We think not. This easy recipe combines rich goat cheese with honey, walnuts, and spices that are baked until warm. The ideal amount of bites for a group of two is around four to five, but feel free to make any many as your heart desires.
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Roasted Butternut Squash Bruschetta
Bruschetta is good any time of year, but this fall-inspired recipe makes it even better in the chilly months. A fluffy baguette is topped with goat cheese, arugula, roasted butternut squash, and tomatoes to make this app practically burst with flavor. (You can adjust how many people you want to serve by typing in the number of servings at the top of the recipe and hitting “enter.” The recipe automatically adjusts to that serving size. How nice is that?)
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Pumpkin Chili
There’s nothing better than warm chili on a cold day, especially when it’s pumpkin-flavored chili! With ground turkey, chicken maple sausage, veggies, beans, and pumpkin puree, this hot dip will go fast. This recipe yields 10 servings, so you can freeze some and save it for later.
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Skinny Pumpkin Pie Dip
If you have a soft spot for dips, this pumpkin-pie-inspired dish will make your mouth water. With only six ingredients, this sweet appetizer can be made in minutes. Dip pretzels, graham crackers, and more into it!
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Whole30 Pumpkin Muffins
With wholesome ingredients, these tasty pumpkin muffins offer the perfect balance between spicy (thanks to the pumpkin-pie spice) and sweet. They’re moist, tender, and easy to nosh on! If you’re feeding two people, we suggest making about four muffins just so you have some to enjoy the next day.
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Crescent Rolls
There’s no denying it – crescent rolls are irresistible. Buttery, flaky, and melt-in-your-mouth-good, this recipe will put carb-lovers into a tizzy. Douse them in butter, gravy, cranberry sauce, or even mashed potatoes. To customize how many rolls you want to make, simply hover your mouse over the number of servings section, and you’re good to go!
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Cranberry Goat Cheese Ball
Sweet and savory, this cheese ball is so easy to make! All you need is fresh rosemary, dried cranberries, sliced almonds, and goat cheese. Dunk crackers, toast, pears, apples, and veggies into it for best results.
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Mashed Potatoes
Don’t overcomplicate mashed potatoes – cream, butter, and salt are really all you need to impress even your pickiest relatives this holiday season. Trust us, this pared-down recipe will result in simple, delicious mashed potatoes that are more than worthy of your Thanksgiving table. Did we mention how easy it is to make?
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Cheesy Garlic Butterflake Rolls
Half roll, half garlic knot, these bread bites are what your taste buds have been dreaming of. With hints of cheese, garlic, and herbs, you’ll want to make these even when it’s not Thanksgiving. This site allows you to customize the recipe to the amount of people you want to feed, making a dinner for two easier than ever.
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Baked Sweet Potatoes
Give the classic casserole a makeover with this buttery and bourbon-y recipe. Rich bacon pecans are layered on top of hearty potatoes, meaning your taste buds will get the perfect balance of sweet and savory. Just cut this recipe in half, and you’ll have the ideal amount of food for dinner plus a little extra for leftovers.
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Broccoli Casserole
Complete with a homemade cheese sauce and a buttery cracker topping, what could be better than this hearty broccoli casserole? Every bite offers bold broccoli flavor that pairs effortlessly with the rich cheddar and cream cheese sauce. The best part about this recipe is that you can customize how many people you want to feed, and the ingredient list automatically adjusts to the number you picked!
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Warm Caramelized Fennel, Leek, and Cheese Dip
Take the traditional cheese dip up a notch when you whip up this gooey dish. The leeks and garlic give it a kick, while the brie, parmesan, and mozzarella will make cheese-lovers swoon. Add a dash of lemon zest and crushed red pepper for an extra hint of spice.
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Cranberry Brie Pull Apart Bread
Warm, savory, and sweet, this pull-apart bread is a dream come true. Just cut the bread to create a crosshatch pattern; stuff it with butter, brie, pecans, and cranberries; and bake until warm. It’s almost too easy not to make! Since this recipe makes six servings, you can enjoy it for nights to come.
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Cheesy Southern Squash Casserole
Creamy, hearty, and comforting are just a few ways to describe this Southern casserole. It’s topped with crispy cornbread crumbs, so you’ll be scraping the bottom of your bowl for more. Adjust the amount of servings you want to make at the top of the recipe before you start cooking so you don’t make too much!
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Hash Brown Casserole
Forget the turkey! If you have a hash brown casserole that’s as creamy, cheesy, and crunchy as this recipe, you’ll forgo the main dish all together. We suggest adding extra Corn Flakes to really give it a kick. Since this recipe serves 12 people, we suggest dividing the ingredients by four so you can feed two people, plus have a little extra since it’s just that good.
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Deviled Eggs
This recipe delivers the tastiest, fastest, and easiest deviled eggs of them all. Just throw eggs in an Instant Pot and in less than 30 minutes, you’ll have the side dish of your dreams. Cook up as many as you please, and enjoy a light appetizer before the main meal.
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Arugula Salad With Grapes, Farro, and Black Pepper Vinaigrette
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Cranberry Sauce
If you need cranberry sauce, and you need it now, this recipe only takes 10 minutes to make. Flavored with fresh orange juice and a dash of sugar, you’ll want to whip this up for every meal.
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Winter Roasted Cauliflower With Goat Cheese
This gluten-free vegetarian dish is a versatile side for any Thanksgiving table, even if there are just two of you. The tasty recipe combines cauliflower, goat cheese, and pomegranates. The original recipe makes four servings, so cut it in half for two people.
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Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast
The star of any Thanksgiving table is the turkey, but when there’s just two people, a whole turkey seems excessive. This herb-roasted turkey breast is only 190 calories a serving and takes just a few minutes to prepare for roasting.
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Fall Harvest Roasted Butternut Squash and Pomegranate Salad
The best of fall produce is mixed together in this salad. And while salad might not always seem like a Thanksgiving staple, this one is definitely worth adding to the menu. The recipe makes six servings, so cut everything in thirds to make enough for just two.
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Apple-Stuffed Acorn Squash
This apple-stuffed acorn squash is a major Thanksgiving win because it can be made partially in the microwave, and the sausage in the recipe can be omitted to make the dish vegetarian. The original recipe makes eight servings, so cut everything down by four to make two servings, or by half if you want leftovers for the next day.
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Instant Pot Acorn Squash Stuffed With Wild Rice, Cranberries, and Chickpeas
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Roasted Butternut Squash, Pomegranate, and Wild Rice “Stuffing”
Stuffing just got a healthy twist with this recipe. The “stuffing” is filled with wild rice, butternut squash, and pomegranate, and it’s gluten-free. Since the original recipe yields six to 12 servings, cut the recipe in half or in thirds based on if you want leftovers for the next day.
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Healthy Green Bean Casserole
This take on green bean casserole is really just fresh green beans with onions and mushrooms. If green beans are on your menu this year, you’ll want to cut this recipe in half to only serve two.
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Cheesy Cauliflower Au Gratin
Cauliflower is a great low-carb substitute for potatoes, so this cheesy cauliflower au gratin is a must at your Thanksgiving table this year. The recipe serves six, so cut all of the ingredient measurements in half to make a more manageable amount for two.
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Butternut Squash and Kale Quinoa Stuffing
If rice isn’t for you, then this quinoa-based stuffing might fit your needs if you’re vegetarian and gluten-free. This recipe serves six, so cut it in half if you don’t want leftovers for days.
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Gluten-Free Pecan Pie
Pie is a must at Thanksgiving, and this gluten-free and paleo version of a traditional pecan pie is worth the time to make. After munching on this on Thanksgiving, wrap up the leftovers in plastic wrap and foil to freeze for later on in the holiday season.
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Pumpkin Soup With Bacon
This pumpkin soup would be great on its own for Thanksgiving, or served with the roasted turkey breast mentioned first. The soup can be made vegetarian by omitting the bacon and using vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth. This makes six servings, but can be frozen after making for a meal another time. If you don’t want to freeze the leftovers, cut the recipe in thirds to make enough for two.
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Roasted Carrots With Curried Yogurt
This simple side dish requires only five ingredients and is vegetarian. While the original recipe serves six, you can cut the recipe in thirds to serve two.
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Stuffing Muffins With Sausage and Apples
Stuffing is a must at Thanksgiving, and most people fight over the crispy edges. With these stuffing muffins everyone gets their own crispy edges. Even though the original recipe makes 24 muffins, you can easily freeze the leftovers to have another time.
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Crunchy Cranberry and Butternut Squash Stuffing
This crunchy cranberry and butternut squash stuffing might just please both people at your table. The gluten-free stuffing serves six, so cut the entire recipe in half for a better amount for two.
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Healthy Green Bean Casserole
If a more traditional take on green bean casserole is what you’re looking for then this is the recipe for you. The recipe uses all fresh ingredients and no cream of anything soup. The original recipe serves 10, so cut this in half and save some for leftovers the next day.
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Sweet Potato Skins With Sage Pesto and Bacon
Usually sweet potatoes are covered with marshmallows on Thanksgiving, but these sweet potato skins are a healthy alternative to the sugary sweet dish. The skins are filled with sage pesto, bacon, and arugula for a tasty side dish. The original recipe makes eight potato skins, so cut the recipe in half or fourths depending on how many potato skins you want to eat.
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