22 Thanksgiving Dinner Ideas for Two

Serves 2, with leftovers. Roast until the breast reaches temperature.

You need: 1 bone-in turkey breast, 2 tablespoons softened butter, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon dried sage, and ½ cup water.

Rub the breast with butter, salt, pepper, and sage. Set it on a rack in a roasting pan with the water underneath.

Roast at 350°F (175°C) until a thermometer in the thickest part reads 165°F (74°C). Rest it for 15 minutes before carving.

Swap the sage for dried thyme if that’s what’s in the cupboard.

This is for you if carving a roast is part of the holiday. It’s still a substantial purchase.

BJ’s lists a Butterball bone-in breast weighing 5.5 to 8.5 pounds and serving about three to five. Decide where the extra slices will go before you buy it.

Serves 2. About 30 minutes, one oven-safe skillet.

You need: 1½ pounds turkey breast tenderloins, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon butter, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and 1 teaspoon dried thyme.

Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Season the tenderloins with salt, pepper, and thyme.

Sear them in oil in an oven-safe skillet for about 3 minutes per side. Add the butter and transfer the skillet to the oven. Cook until the thickest part reaches 165°F (74°C).

Swap rosemary for thyme if its jar is closer to hand.

The tenderloins go from skillet to oven without another dirty pan. While they finish, reheat a side and put out the plates. Then spoon the buttery pan juices over the slices.

For this dinner, check the center with a thermometer rather than judging the browned outside. You get the smell of roast turkey and a platter you can carry with one hand.

Serves 2. About 1 hour, one roasting pan.

You need: 2 Cornish hens, 2 slices day-old bread, 1 tablespoon melted butter, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and ½ cup water.

Heat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Tear the bread into small pieces and toss it with butter and parsley.

Spoon the bread loosely into the hens and season their skin with salt and pepper. Set them in a roasting pan with the water. Roast until both the meat and the center of the filling reach 165°F (74°C).

Swap dried parsley for fresh; use 1 teaspoon.

A whole bird on each plate gives you the little ceremony of a roast. There’s no carving argument and no giant platter to find room for in the refrigerator.

Leave space between the hens so their skin browns. Before bringing them out, put the thermometer into the filling as well as the meat. That extra check matters when the bread cooks inside the birds. If you’d rather skip it, roast the bread in a small dish beside them.

Serves 2, with extra slices. About 1 hour, one baking dish.

You need: 1½ pounds boneless turkey breast, 1 cup bread cubes, 2 tablespoons softened butter, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, 1 teaspoon dried sage, ¼ cup stock, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Butterfly the breast and open it between two sheets of parchment.

Toss the bread cubes with stock, parsley, and sage. Spread them thinly over the meat. Roll the breast and tie it with kitchen string.

Rub it with butter, salt, and pepper. Roast until the center of the roll and its filling reach 165°F (74°C).

Swap chopped onion for parsley if you’re short on herbs.

This is the roast to choose when you want stuffing inside each slice. Butterflying looks harder than it is: keep the knife parallel to the board, and stop before cutting through the far edge. If the breast opens unevenly, press the thicker section flatter before adding bread.

Tie the roll before you heat the oven. Then the fiddly work is over before any other dish needs your attention. After a 10-minute rest, cut away the string and slice it on a board. The small platter will look full, and you’ll have enough left for another meal.

Serves 2. About 25 minutes, one baking dish.

You need: 2 fully cooked smoked turkey legs, 1 tablespoon mustard, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon water, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.

Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Set the legs in a small baking dish and add the water.

Brush them with mustard and honey, then cover the dish tightly with foil. Heat until the meat reaches 165°F (74°C). Uncover for the last 5 minutes if you want a stickier glaze.

Swap maple syrup for honey.

Check the package for “fully cooked” before you use this method. Raw legs need cooking as raw poultry, not this short reheat. That one glance at the label settles what kind of afternoon you’re planning.

Choose these if dark meat is the part you reach for first. The glaze makes them look ready for a holiday plate, while the foil keeps the dish easy to clean. Put a small bowl beside each plate for the bones and save yourself a trip from the table.

Serves 2. About 15 minutes, one skillet.

You need: 1 fully cooked 8-ounce ham steak, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon mustard, 1 teaspoon butter, 1 tablespoon water, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Brown the steak for 3 minutes on each side.

Stir the honey, mustard, water, and pepper into the skillet. Turn the steak to coat it, then split it between two plates.

Swap brown sugar for honey, using 1 tablespoon.

Turkey isn’t a contract. If you’re coming to the table for potatoes and cranberry sauce, ham leaves those dishes plenty of room. Buy a fully cooked steak for this quick method. At the store, read the package instead of assuming every ham steak needs the same treatment.

Serves 2. About 50 minutes, one sheet pan.

You need: 1 medium butternut squash, 1 cup bread cubes, ½ cup cooked white beans, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons chopped onion, ½ teaspoon dried sage, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ cup water.

Heat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Halve and seed the squash. Rub the cut sides with 1 tablespoon oil and roast them cut-side down for 25 minutes.

Toss the bread, beans, onion, sage, salt, water, and remaining oil together. Turn the squash over and fill the hollows.

Roast for another 15 to 20 minutes, until a fork slips into the flesh.

Swap cooked lentils for the white beans.

Put one half on each plate. It has the presence of a centerpiece and the savory bite you’d expect from dressing. There’s no separate main to time around it.

The shape of the squash decides how you serve the filling. A deep hollow holds a generous scoop. If yours is shallow, pile the rest beside each half on the pan. The bread gets browned there, too.

Use a fork at the thickest part near the neck to check it. The hollow end will soften first. That small test beats cutting into it at the table and finding a firm bite under the filling.

Serves 2. About 45 minutes, one sheet pan.

You need: 1 pound turkey breast cutlets, 2 cups cubed sweet potato, 2 cups trimmed green beans, 2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, and 1 tablespoon butter.

Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Toss the sweet potato with 1 tablespoon oil and roast it on the pan for 15 minutes.

Season the turkey and beans with the remaining oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Add them to the pan.

Roast for another 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the turkey when its thickest part reaches 165°F (74°C). Finish the vegetables with butter.

Swap carrots for sweet potato; cut them into small pieces.

Picture the sink after dinner. There’s a pan, a knife, and two plates rather than a trail of casserole dishes. Give the sweet potato its head start so the cutlets don’t wait for it to soften. Arrange the turkey where you can reach it with a thermometer.

Stonewall Kitchen’s sheet-pan Thanksgiving recipe follows the same one-tray idea. Serve straight from the pan if that’s the night you’re having.

Serves 2. About 30 minutes, one pot.

You need: 1 pound potatoes, 3 tablespoons butter, ¼ cup warm milk, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Peel the potatoes and cut them into even chunks. Cover them with water in a pot and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until a fork slips through.

Drain them well and press them through a ricer into the warm pot. Stir in butter, milk, salt, and pepper just until combined.

Swap warm stock for milk if that’s what you have open.

A pound sounds modest until the mash lands on two plates. The University of Wyoming Extension suggests about half a pound of raw potatoes per person. If you own a ricer, use it here for a smooth mash without a long session of stirring.

No ricer? A hand masher still gets dinner made. Stop when the lumps you dislike are gone. Those potatoes need a place for gravy, not a perfect surface.

Serves 2, with 2 extra muffins. About 30 minutes, one muffin tin.

You need: 2 cups dry bread cubes, ¼ cup finely chopped onion, ¼ cup finely chopped celery, 1 tablespoon butter, ½ teaspoon dried sage, ½ cup stock, and 1 beaten egg.

Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Cook the onion and celery in butter for 5 minutes.

Toss them with the bread, sage, stock, and egg. Grease four muffin cups and press the mixture into them. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the tops brown and the centers are set.

Swap ½ teaspoon dried thyme for the sage.

Give these the job of a crisp side, not the job of recreating the family stuffing dish. Each plate gets its own browned edges, with a middle sturdy enough to catch gravy.

Let them sit in the tin for 5 minutes before lifting them out. If one crumbles, it’s still good stuffing. Spoon that one onto your plate and carry on.

Serves 2. About 25 minutes, one sheet pan.

You need: ½ pound Brussels sprouts, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Heat the oven to 450°F (230°C) with the sheet pan inside. Halve the sprouts and toss them with oil, salt, and pepper.

Spread them cut-side down on the hot pan and roast for 15 to 18 minutes. Toss them with balsamic and hazelnuts just before serving.

Swap chopped pecans for hazelnuts.

Check the cut faces before adding vinegar. They should look brown, with a few deeply colored edges. Pour the vinegar on too early and those edges lose their crispness.

The nuts go in at the end as well. Then take the pan straight to the stove and serve the sprouts while they’re hot. It’s a vegetable that asks for one pan and no waiting spot in the oven.

Serves 2, with a little extra. About 35 minutes, one small baking dish.

You need: 2 cups cooked green beans, ½ cup condensed cream of mushroom soup, ¼ cup milk, ½ teaspoon soy sauce, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and ½ cup fried onions.

Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Stir the beans, soup, milk, soy sauce, pepper, and half the onions together in a small baking dish.

Bake for 25 minutes, until bubbling around the edges. Scatter the remaining onions over the top and bake for 5 more minutes.

Swap cooked frozen green beans for fresh.

This is the one to make if you wait all year for the creamy beans under the crisp onions. Use a small dish so the topping covers the beans rather than disappearing into a wide pan.

Campbell’s classic recipe serves six. This version keeps the familiar flavors while leaving space on the table, and in the refrigerator, for the rest of dinner.

Serves 2, with extra for leftovers. About 15 minutes, one saucepan.

You need: 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons flour, 1½ cups turkey or chicken stock, ¼ teaspoon dried thyme, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and salt to taste.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes.

Pour in the stock gradually, whisking until smooth. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in thyme and pepper, then taste before adding salt.

Swap vegetable stock for poultry stock if it’s already in the pantry.

Where are the drippings? You don’t need them to get started. Make the gravy before the holiday and reheat it when dinner comes together. If the roast leaves pan juices, stir in a spoonful then.

USDA gravy guidance gives it 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Write the day you made it on the container. That’s one saucepan out of your way when the turkey comes out.

Serves 2, with extra sauce. About 20 minutes, one saucepan.

You need: 1½ cups fresh cranberries, ½ cup sugar, ½ cup water, and 1 strip orange peel.

Rinse the cranberries and pick out any soft ones. Bring the sugar, water, and orange peel to a boil in a small saucepan.

Add the berries and boil for 10 minutes, stirring as they burst. Remove the peel and cool the sauce before spooning it into a bowl.

Swap 1 tablespoon orange juice for the peel.

Don’t judge the thickness while the sauce steams. Put a teaspoon on a cool plate and let it sit for a moment. That’s the spoonful to check.

Ocean Spray says to boil cranberries for at least 10 minutes for proper gelling. Make this ahead and let the saucepan retire before Thanksgiving Day. Even a little bowl of that bright sauce changes the look of both plates.

Serves 2, with another slice each. About 50 minutes, one 6-inch pie pan.

You need: 1 unbaked 6-inch pie crust, ¾ cup pumpkin purée, 1 beaten egg, ⅓ cup milk, ¼ cup brown sugar, ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, and a pinch of salt.

Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Fit the crust into the pan and set it on a baking sheet.

Whisk the pumpkin, egg, milk, sugar, spice, and salt together. Pour the filling into the crust. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the edges are set and the center has a slight wobble.

Swap cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice, using ¼ teaspoon.

A small pie is a pleasant answer to a full-size dessert dish that keeps asking to be finished. Let it cool before slicing, even if dinner ended a while ago. There’s no need to bring out a bigger pan for tradition’s sake.

If you’re adapting your own pumpkin pie, King Arthur Baking’s pan-size guide shows how to reduce a recipe for a smaller dish. Measure the pan before you mix the filling.

Serves 2. About 20 minutes, one skillet.

You need: ¾ pound fully cooked turkey breast slices, 2 cups cooked green beans, 1 tablespoon butter, ¼ cup stock, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Heat the butter and stock in a skillet. Add the turkey, cover, and warm it until the slices reach 165°F (74°C).

Heat the oil in the same skillet after moving the turkey to a plate. Add the green beans, salt, and pepper. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then serve them beside the turkey with the warm pan juices.

Swap cooked carrots for green beans.

This is the shortcut for the day you want Thanksgiving food but don’t want to open another can or turn on the oven. Buying cooked turkey takes the roast off your list.

Crisping the beans yourself gives the plate something fresh from the stove. Use the good plates if you feel like it; washing them is still easier than washing a roasting pan.

Serves 2, with leftovers. About 40 minutes, one covered pan.

You need: 1 fully cooked turkey breast of about 2 pounds, ½ cup stock, 1 tablespoon butter, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Set the breast in a small, deep baking pan and pour the stock around it.

Rub the top with butter, thyme, and pepper. Cover the pan tightly with foil. Heat for 25 to 35 minutes, checking that the center reaches 165°F (74°C).

Swap water for stock and add another teaspoon of butter.

Read the label before buying. This method is for a fully cooked breast, not a raw one. If it’s frozen, give thawing a place on your calendar.

Butterball’s fully cooked breast guidance allows up to 2 days in the refrigerator to thaw before reheating. Once dinner is ready, slice only what you’ll serve. The rest stays together for a later meal, and nobody has to carve a whole turkey to get supper on the table.

Serves 2. About 40 minutes, one sheet pan.

You need: 1 pound turkey breast cutlets, 2 small potatoes, 2 carrots, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon butter, ½ teaspoon dried sage, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and ½ cup prepared gravy.

Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Cut the potatoes and carrots into small pieces and toss them with oil and salt.

Roast the vegetables on a sheet pan for 15 minutes. Rub the turkey with butter, sage, and pepper, then add it to the pan.

Roast for another 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the turkey when it reaches 165°F (74°C). Warm the gravy and spoon it onto two plates before adding the turkey and vegetables.

Swap dried thyme for sage.

Restaurant-style plating is mostly about giving each food its own patch of plate. Put gravy underneath the slices so the browned turkey stays visible. Divide the vegetables rather than bringing out a serving bowl.

Warm plates buy you a little time between carving and sitting down. The meal looks considered, but the cleanup still fits in one hand.

Serves 2. About 15 minutes to shop the list; thawing takes longer.

You need: 1 frozen turkey breast, 1 pound potatoes, ½ pound Brussels sprouts, 1 bag fresh cranberries, 1 carton stock, 1 loaf bread, and 1 small pie.

Write down which dish uses each ingredient before you shop. Buy the frozen breast with enough time to thaw it in the refrigerator.

Set the breast on a tray to catch drips and keep it chilled while it thaws. Shop for the vegetables and pie closer to the meal. Cross off any dish you no longer want to cook.

Swap turkey tenderloins for the breast if freezer space or thawing time is tight.

This is a shopping plan, not a command to cook every item in the bag. If you already have bread for stuffing, strike the loaf. If pie matters more than cranberry sauce, spend your time accordingly.

The key clock belongs to the turkey. USDA thawing guidance calls for about 24 hours in the refrigerator per 4 to 5 pounds. Check the package weight before choosing your shopping day.

Serves 2, with 2 extra portions. About 40 minutes, one baking dish.

You need: 3 cups bread cubes, ½ cup chopped onion, ½ cup chopped celery, 2 tablespoons butter, ¾ cup stock, 1 beaten egg, ½ teaspoon dried sage, and ¼ teaspoon salt.

Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Cook the onion and celery in butter for 5 minutes.

Toss them with the bread, stock, egg, sage, and salt. Press the mixture into a buttered small baking dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned and the center is set.

Swap dried thyme for sage.

The muffins above are for crisp edges. This dish is for the stuffing you remember spooning out at home, with a soft middle and a browned top. If your family recipe is the part you refuse to change, halve its ingredients first.

Then pick a dish that keeps the stuffing close to its familiar depth. A thin layer will bake differently from the full dish you know. Write the amounts that work inside the recipe box. Next year, you won’t have to do the math again.

Serves 2 now, with 2 frozen meals. About 20 minutes to assemble, one skillet later.

You need: 2 cups cooked turkey pieces, 1 cup prepared mashed potatoes, ½ cup prepared gravy, 1 cup cooked green beans, 1 tablespoon butter, and ¼ cup stock.

Divide the turkey, potatoes, beans, and gravy between two freezer-safe containers. Cool the portions, seal them, and write the date on each lid before freezing.

Thaw a portion in the refrigerator when you want it. Heat it in a covered skillet with butter and stock until the food reaches 165°F (74°C).

Swap cooked carrots for green beans.

Open the freezer before filling containers. Two flat portions fit where one bulky tub won’t, and each holds a complete dinner rather than a pile of separate leftovers.

The USDA’s leftovers guidance gives most cooked leftovers 3 to 4 months in the freezer. Label the lid now so you don’t have to guess what dinner is when you find it.

Serves 2. About 15 minutes, one skillet.

You need: 4 slices bread, 1 cup cooked turkey, ¼ cup cranberry sauce, ¼ cup prepared gravy, 2 tablespoons butter, and ½ cup leftover stuffing.

Heat the turkey and gravy together in a small skillet until they reach 165°F (74°C). Toast the bread and spread two slices with cranberry sauce.

Divide the stuffing and hot turkey between them. Close the sandwiches, cut them in half, and sit down while they’re warm.

Swap mashed potatoes for stuffing; spread a thin layer on the toast.

This is tomorrow’s lunch, so its first step happens tonight. Clear space in the refrigerator before dinner. Then put away the turkey, stuffing, sauce, and gravy instead of leaving their bowls on the table while you tackle dishes.

USDA guidance says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of serving. Use refrigerated leftovers within 3 to 4 days. That gives you a clear plan: save enough for two sandwiches, then freeze any portions you won’t eat in that window.

When lunch comes, there’s no menu to settle. Warm the filling, make the sandwiches, and reclaim the kitchen table.