I grew up celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday in which several tables were pulled together to ensure that there was plenty of seating for the 20-30 people who would attend the dinner. This year we will enjoy a Thanksgiving Feast For Four.
Once I married and moved far away our Thanksgiving tables have fluctuated in size over the years. This year we will have between 4-6 attending. Yet even with such a small gathering, I want to create a memorable meal.
Perhaps if you too are cooking for a small crowd this post will provide some inspiration.
Of course, the star of the show is the turkey. For years I had to cook both a turkey and a ham because one of my kids would not eat turkey. That all changed the year I made Crock Pot Turkey Breast with Cranberry Sauce.
Not only is it super easy, with just 4 ingredients, but it is moist and delicious.
Now let’s talk side dishes.
One must have stuffing and we love Cornbread Dressing with Sausage. I personally omit the can of cream of chicken soup and it is still really moist.
Carrots always add a pop of pretty color to the buffet. This recipe for Ombre Carrots produces a yummy showstopper. I use a food processor so it takes mere minutes to prepare.
If you are looking for an alternative to the soup drenched green bean bake this Green Bean Casserole is it. It can also be made ahead of time which is wonderful.
In a nod to the first Thanksgiving, we always like to have a corn-based dish. Roasted Corn Pudding is SO flavorful that there are generally no leftovers.
Now, of course, the two men in our family are always hungry WELL before dinner so I generally try to set out some hors d’oeuvre’s. The Fashionista has recently become enamored with making charcuterie boards. So she will be in charge of this.
She plans on making a Baked Brie with Cranberry-Apple Chutney to serve with crackers for the board.
My favorite part of the meal is dessert. I generally make a Rustic Apple Tart that serves double duty as breakfast the morning after.
While I personally am not a huge fan of pumpkin these Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Praline Bars are the bomb!
Now I am thinking I still might make one more dessert….
I’d love to hear what your favorite is.
Laura
If you live in the D/FW area and will be alone on Thanksgiving there is a seat for you at Storybook Cottage. You can email me by clicking on round green envelope button located at the top upper right of the blog.
Your menu sounds amazing! We have large get togethers with extended family and there's way too much food. We do always have friends of friends and people who don't have family nearby. That definitely makes the time more special. 🙂
Thank you for these wonderful ideas, Laura. I am going to print some of the recipes for maybe my Birthday brunch which is this coming Saturday. While I would LOVE to try new recipes for Thanksgiving, my daughter won't let me. She (and Jim) have already made it clear that they want all of the boring traditional items that they are accustomed to, so anything new, and I have to try it for another event, lol. The other issue is my parents – both of them are a handful now and sadly as my Mom's Alzheimer's worsens, dinners are always tricky. It will likely be just the 5 of us as well for Thanksgiving, as all of those fun crowded Thanksgiving dinners are a thing of the past at our house.
Love, Linda
Goodness me!
yes! I can't describe your amazing work with words specially first picture gets my heart.
GOD bless you always!!
Kitchen Soak Tank
Wow Laura, what a lovely spread. I am thrilled that you shared so many delicious recipes. Ours is usually small,but I do enjoy cooking and sharing. The leftovers are always great.
What a delicious looking lineup of dishes for your Thanksgiving feast! I'm especially interested in the green bean casserole, without canned soup – I stay away from that stuff. We've had Thanksgiving already, but there's always next year!
Love these options – We always have a small Thanksgiving dinner with just a few choices I don't like to eat to the feeling of being stuffed. I'm a little behind the curve though because I didn't realize that thanksgiving was next week. So thanks for these ideas!!
Carole @ Garden Up Green
mm everything looks delicious as does the table setting.
such wonderful ideas.
Yum, it all sounds so good! I think our get together will be around 6 this year. Sometimes I miss the days when there was a huge family gathering. I need to try the green bean dish, it sounds better than the normal green bean casserole.
Oh wow — that looks fabulous. I love Thanksgiving — the holiday, the cooking, the food. And we usually end up with two of them — the one with the kids and the one with us and whomever we can dredge up to join our merry band. The sweet potato dish I included in my TOHOT post on Thanksgiving is our must-have for at least one dinner and the dreaded green bean casserole at the one we have with the kids. (aka glop — and I have to admit, I love it!). What joy and love at your table. Love the charcuterie board idea, too!
We will be embracing the joy and many blessings of the seasons with good food and many new babies!
J.
Oh my goodness, Laura, your menu sounds fabulous! I love what the Fashionista is doing with the boards, too.
Thanks for all the inspiration!
P. S. Looks like my comment is taking, at least from my iPhone!
This is amazing! I think it will just be the four of us this year, as we have family coming in next month. So, this is perfect! I am sure your holiday will be wonderful!
Hi Laura, your meal looks and sounds so delicious. What a fabulous menu. For a crowd or a few, it's going to make the best memories. Thanks for sharing and always inspiring. xo
What a beautiful post! love the trees in the centerpiece.
Maria
Great ideas for a wonderful and tasty Thanksgiving meal! The pumpkin praline bars look divine! Ours will most likely be a small gathering this year, too! Hope you have and your family have a happy one! ~Rhonda