Cooking for just a couple this year? Skip the turkey and prepare a pair of Cornish hens with stuffing. I’ve also scaled down the most important side dishes, and you can complete your meal with two mini pumpkin pies.
It’s a perfectly proportioned feast for you and your plus one.
Table of Contents
Cornish Hens with Stuffing
Roasted Cornish Hens with Stuffing make Thanksgivings extra special. An easy apple mustard glaze takes the place of gravy, and a classic bread stuffing soaks up all the flavors.
Get the recipe: Cornish Hens with Stuffing
How to Truss a Cornish Hen
Cornish Hen should be trussed before roasting to ensure even cooking and supremely succulent, tender meat. Here’s how to do it; it only takes a minute and a length of kitchen twine.
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Mashed Potatoes for Two
My Best Mashed Potatoes recipe – scaled down for 2! They are just 3 ingredients (plus salt and pepper) and so simple they barely even need a recipe.
Get the recipe: Mashed Potatoes for Two
How to Boil Potatoes
This method for how to boil potatoes gives you perfectly cooked spuds for mashed potatoes, potato salad, and all your favorite potato recipes.
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Green Bean Casserole for Two
Green Bean Casserole is a must-have at any holiday meal, and this scaled down version makes the perfect amount for a hungry couple. Made from scratch, just like the original recipe; every forkful is so good you might wish you had more.
Get the recipe: Green Bean Casserole for Two
How to Blanch Green Beans
Learn how to blanch green beans so they are deliciously tender-crisp every single time. Then you can sauté them for dinner, add them to salads, or just snack on them throughout the day.
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Cranberry Sauce for Two
The best, easiest Cranberry Sauce recipe you’ll ever make flavored with fresh orange juice and just a little sugar. This classic version makes enough for two people and is ready in under 10 minutes.
Get the recipe: Cranberry Sauce for Two
Mini Pumpkin Pies for Two
Tiny and irresistible, Mini Pumpkin Pies come in handy for smaller gatherings or sharing with friends and family. They’re easy, creamy, and perfectly spiced, just smaller and cuter.
Get the recipe: Mini Pumpkin Pies
Fresh Pumpkin Purée
Fresh pumpkin purée makes an incredible pie, and it’s something you can do well ahead of time, when you have the oven space. It’s so easy, you may never go back to canned pumpkin. Every…
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More Thanksgiving side dishes for two
Although not necessarily created for two, these recipes can easily be scaled down for your fun-sized feast.
Side Dish Recipes
Rice Stuffing
Casserole Recipes
Vegetable Casserole
Vegetable Recipes
Harvest Roasted Vegetables
Vegetable Recipes
Roasted Butternut Squash
Vegetable Recipes
Roasted Asparagus
Vegetable Recipes
Roasted Carrots
Vegetable Recipes
Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon and Parmesan
Vegetable Recipes
Roasted Green Beans
Big batch bread-making (freezer friendly!)
From-scratch bread-making is always easier in a full batch (or a double batch). Luckily, the extras can be frozen for future meals.
Homemade Crescent Rolls
Pillowy soft with a sweet, buttery taste, these Homemade Crescent Rolls are perfect for all the holidays or a weekend baking project. Growing up, grandma’s Homemade Crescent Rolls were always a tradition at all the…
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Soft Yeast Dinner Rolls
When nothing but homemade bread will do, try these easy Soft Yeast Dinner Rolls. They are perfect at your holiday table, piled with any kind of meat, or on the side of Sunday Supper.
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Single-serving cocktails for a small Thanksgiving
If you’re craving something more labor-intensive than opening a bottle of wine, these delicious cocktails are made by the glass. You and your partner can each toast with your favorite.
Cocktail Recipes
Brandy Old Fashioned
From Friday fish fries to supper clubs, the Wisconsin drink of choice is a Brandy Old Fashioned. Here’s the authentic recipe for the Wisconsin twist on this famous classic cocktail. In 1893, during the Chicago…
Cocktail Recipes
Whiskey Sour
Cocktail Recipes
Hot Toddy
Breakfast Recipes
Mimosa
Cocktail Recipes
Aperol Spritz
Thanksgiving appetizer recipes
Most appetizers make way too many bites for the pair of you, so I recommend making a dip that you can enjoy with fresh vegetables, crackers, or toasted baguette slices. You can enjoy the leftovers the day after, too.
Appetizer Recipes
Easy Dill Dip
Easy Dill Dip is a sure-fire hit for all your parties from here on out. This super creamy classic uses only dried herbs and spices (a great excuse to raid your spice cabinet) and only…
Appetizer Recipes
Homemade Hummus with Za’atar Butter
Vegan Recipes
Roasted Eggplant Dip
Appetizer Recipes
Homemade Olive Tapenade
Appetizer Recipes
Veggie Dip
I hope wherever you are, and whoever you are with, you have a wonderful, safe, and happy Thanksgiving!
Dear Meggan, I have been scooping up your recipes for several years, and they are among the most reliably tasty of all the sources I consult. But. The Thanksgiving for Two vegetable casserole. Velveeta? Seriously? Kraft isn’t even allowed to label it as ‘cheese,’ because it is so heavily processed. The rest of the dish looks so good, can you provide me an alternative using real cheese, as opposed to slabs of ‘cheese food?’ Either a cheese sauce made separately, or a particular type of cheese which would substitute well for the… other stuff? Kids are scattered across three other states, so Thanksgiving for Two will prove a real help this year. Thanks for any help you may have in mind.
Hi John, thank you for the question! I recommend substituting with a homemade cheese sauce. Here’s the link to my recipe: https://www.culinaryhill.com/homemade-cheese-sauce/