If you're hosting a small Thanksgiving this year, this menu feeds about four people! It includes a free downloadable guide with a menu, grocery list, printable recipes (for cooking screen-free), and prep plan.
What was your Thanksgiving like growing up? I have a large extended family, so Thanksgivings for us were always crowded (maybe 50 people?) and required lots of food. But in my adulthood, they're much smaller (my immediate family), and can vary from year to year, depending.
It made me think about Thanksgiving menus in a much different way, and how if you're having a small Thanksgiving (about 4 people), you might not want to make a whole turkey, or nearly as much food as a some recipes call for. That said, you might still want a nice meal that's planned out, and maybe even has a few leftovers for you to enjoy.
For that reason, I put together a small Thanksgiving menu and guide to help make your prep and holiday feel streamlined, even at a smaller size. Full disclosure: the goal is simplicity, so we're roasting a chicken instead of turkey. But I think some people really like that better anyway? Either way, just want to manage expectations. Take a look and see if it's a fit, then download the full plan & grocery lists if it's helfpul!
Want other options? I've got a whole bunch of recipes to choose from if you want to swap any of these! These easy Thanksgiving recipes would be a great place to start, or browse my side dish recipes for even more options.
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the Guide
Real quick, before I walk through the menu, here's how you can sign up to get the guide. It includes a full menu, prep checklist (what to do two days out, one day, and day of), grocery list, and all of the recipes, in case you don't want to use screens while cooking.
The recipes
Here's the menu! The idea here is simple, nourishing, streamlined, colorful, and seasonal. This is a meal that will feel abundant, while also feeling good to eat.
Main Course: Herby Roasted Chicken
Juicy, crispy outsides, and no-fuss. We're not worrying about brining, thawing a 30-pound frozen bird in time, or really that much prep at all. The chicken gets stuffed with some lemons, onions, and herbs, then rubbed with olive oil, fresh sage, rosemary, and plenty of salt and pepper. In the oven it goes, right in a cast iron skillet (or dutch oven, or other pan you have on hand).
Side #1: Wild Rice & Pomegranate Salad
This is the salad my family requests from me every year! It brings so much color and brightness to a table that usually has a lot of brown foods.
Side #2: Mashed Potatoes (Instant Pot or STovetop)
I normally make this in an electric pressure cooker (such as an Instant Pot) because I love freeing up some stove space when cooking a bigger meal. But, not to worry if you don't have that! I provide a stovetop option in the recipe notes as well.
Side #3: Roasted Delicata Squash
Roasted delicata squash is always a crowd pleaser because it's so sweet! It also comes together really quickly and easily, which is perfect when you're trying to simplify a meal.
Side #4: Cranberry Orange Relish
My family's speciality: cranberry relish! I like it so much more than cranberry sauce, and the best part is it can be made the day before. In fact, it's better when the flavors have had a day to hang out in the fridge. It also comes together in 5 minutes in the food processor. So easy!
Side note, another popular Thanksgiving side dish on my site is this maple walnut roasted Brussels sprouts recipe.
Dessert: Apple Pear Crisp
Again in the name of simplicity, we're skipping the pie crust! This crisp can also be made the day before, kept at room temp, and slightly warmed just before eating, if you want. I love this method of prep because gently reheating it the next day makes it taste fresh from the oven, even though you baked it in advance.
Alternatives & Optional Recipes
If you're vegetarian and/or want to put a couple appetizers together, these are some suggestions I include in the guide as well.
Vegetarian Main: Pumpkin Sage Pasta
Comforting and festive for fall holidays, but vegetarian-style!
Appetizer Option #1: Rosemary Nuts
These are SO freaking good, and so perfect for making a day ahead to set out for nibbling before the meal. They're actually good for the entire holiday season, and DIY gifts... so keep this recipe handy either way!
Appetizer #2: Marinated White Beans
This recipe uses canned white beans, so it's really easy to throw together the night before and have ready for an appetizer on Thanksgiving Day. Serve these with something that can scoop, like a good sourdough baguette (sliced), crostini, or crackers. Maybe even add some cheese on the side or feta sprinkled in. Yum!
Can I scale These Recipes?
Yep! Just go to the recipe card in the blog post, and to the right of the ingredients section, you can scale down ½, or scale up by 2 or 3x.
Some Helpful Kitchen Tools
For these meals, I love having a few items on hand to help make cooking easier!
Instant Pot
Buy Now → So awesome for the mashed potatoes! I provide instructions for making those on the stovetop, but using the Instant Pot allows you to be a little more hands-off, while also freeing up stovetop space.
CAST IRON SKILLET
Buy Now → This is how I always roast my chicken now! 10 inches is the size I have, which is a versatile size for other uses as well, like frittatas or skillet meals (speaking of, this cottage cheese frittata is one of my favorites right now).
Buy Now → This is the food processor I use to make my cranberry relish recipe, and it's my third and best food processor. It's a Cuisinart, and the other two brands I tried all died within a couple years of using or frankly, just didn't work that well. This one has been going strong for almost 5 years, and I highly recommend it!
Other Recipes
If you want to peruse other recipes and build a different menu or swap some things out, take a look at my recipe index!
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