Small Thanksgiving: For a family of 4 to 6, what do you make?

[justlearning]

Thanksgiving at our house this year is going to be just DH, our two sons, his two parents, and me (6 total). When I've read the threads on here with Thanksgiving menus, it appears that they're for larger gatherings.

So, I'm curious to hear from those of you who will be having a small gathering--what do you make? Do you still go all-out with lots of sides or try to keep it really simple?

[boolady]

Two years ago, it was just DH, DD, my parents, and me. I still made everything we normally have, just less of it. When we are with my family, which is quite small, there are only 8 of us anyway, so it wasn't that much of a difference. I got a small turkey, though considered doing just a breast, and tried to make reasonable quantities of side dishes. We do enojoy leftovers, though, so maybe that's why I did it that way. I think you should do whatever you're comfortable with/feel like making, since you're the one doing the work.

[Melaine]

For the last several years we've celebrated at a friend's house so only bring a couple items. But in the past, I've done big meals for just our nuclear family so that we have tons of leftovers. IMO, it's just as much trouble to make a small meal as a big meal (as far as quantity goes) and leftovers are the best part! I usually do a big turkey, cornbread dressing, sweet potato casserole, pea salad, another veggie and side and bread.

I just love having a lazy Thanksgiving weekend with tons of yummy food and all the prep work done.

[LMPC]

I agree with cooking just a breast. So much easier!

[BabbyO]

We always do the same food as for a large gathering...just scaled back. And definitely only a turkey breast.

Turkey breast
mashed potatoes & gravy
stuffing
pumpkin pie
cranberry relish
green beans

we'll probably skip sweet potatoes and the cranberry relish is usually optional. Sometimes we throw in an apple pie. If it were up to my sister, we'd be eating tacos...she doesn't relish the food like the rest of us do. So we cook while she hosts...works well!

[KDsMommy]

My mom will be cooking for the 4 of us (me, DS, my mom and my dad). She always goes all out and we always have lots of leftovers.

Big turkey
2 kinds of stuffing
sweet potato casserole
green bean casserole
Cranberry sauce
mashed potatoes
gravy
rolls
pecan pie
apple pie

[SnuggleBuggles]

All out with sides but a turkey breast only.

[Pear]

We will have 4 adults and 1 3yo who lives on air and peanut butter.

Our menu
Turkey
Stuffing
Mashed potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Green beans
Carrots
Gravy
Cranberry sauce
Rolls

2 pies


I dropped a few of our traditional sides to simplify the menu.

[jammytoast]

Its just the 4 of us, but DH is a turkey fanatic and has banned the Turkey Breast as he MUST have the dark meat (urgh), and we live off the leftovers for a while. I'll still do the sides, but only the essentials (in our house, that means stuffing, cranberry relish, potatos, green bean casserole and a sweet potato, just steamed up with butter) Will do one pie, but no rolls, no other roasted veggies, no jello.

I'll freeze half of the stuffing and a bunch of turkey and have an easy meal a few weeks later, too (esp if we dont do turkey at Christmas)

oho, and turkey this year is coming from Popeye. Really!

[joonbug]

We dont even have turkey! Nobody likes it at our house. Thanksgiving will be baked ham and sides, it will be only 3 adults and a 3 yo that s in a feeding therapy rotfl.... No feast here! I wish for a big family gathering for t-day or Christmas ;).

[mom2one]

It's just the three of us here for T-day. We are on the west coast, family is onthe east coast.

For the most part it is 2 of us that eat most of the food. :) Our DS is getting more adventurous in his eating.

We cook a big meal and have leftovers for 2 days. Hooray for football and online shopping.
We try to get a small turkey, but we do make everything else --cranberry relish, sweet pot casserole, mashed potatoes, homemade gravy, homemade rolls (yum), veggies, and stuffing. This year we did buy a pumpkin pie, but everything else is made by us.

[Aishe]

We always have just five people total for Thanksgiving. DH and I don't care that much for turkey so we always roast a chicken. Everything else is pretty traditional, though.

[KLD313]

This hear it's my BF, my mom, me, 2 yo DD and 3 mo old DS. I'm making a 13 lb turkey, stuffing, corn, peas with bacon and shallots, mashed potatoes and my mom may make another side. We're having two or three desserts.

[Jupiter]

I always have a small thanksgiving, 6-7 people. We make our favorites, so

Turkey
Mashed potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Salad
Stuffing
Corn
Rolls

Then apple and pumpkin pie!

[momtoonegirl]

It is just the 4 of us. We are having the following:

Turkey Breast
Stuffing and Gravy
Yams
Greens
Rolls
Pumpkin and Apple pie

I prepared the same last year, and everybody was satisfied. There are leftovers, but only for a day or two at the most after.

[Liziz]

Last year it was just DH and I and another couple. I went all out -- I love to cook (and eat!), and knew we'd happily eat leftovers. We did:

Turkey
Gravy
Cornbread Stuffing
Regular Stuffing
Mashed potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Rolls
Cranberry relish
Green salad
Another type of salad
Green bean casserole

I didn't make a ton of anything, and it was definitely too much food, but I love to have all the favorites at Thanksgiving.

This year, it's just DH and I (and DD, but she's not eating all that much yet!) for Thanksgiving itself, although we've been invited to a Thanksgiving feast on Friday. Since we'll have a full big meal Friday, on Thursday, I'm just doing:

Turkey breast
Gravy
Cornbread stuffing
Sweet Potatoes
Green Bean Casserole

Still quite a bit, but I love the holiday!

[ChristinaLucia]

2 adults, 2 kids.
Ham
Sweet Potato Casserole
Mashed Potatoes
Cranberry Apple Raspberry dish
Bread
Stuffing
Apple Pie

[georgiegirl]

Just me, DH, and our kids (6 and 3). We are making

turkey legs and thighs
Stuffing
Mashed potatoes
Roasted broccoli
Butternut squash risotto (I'm vegetarian)
Cranberry sauce
Pumpkin pie (whole foods)
Pecan pie ice cream (from trader joes)

[kristenk]

3 adults, 1 kid (8yo):

smoked turkey (planning to use leftovers in soup and who knows what else!)
cornbread dressing
sweet potatoes
cranberry sauce
green beans with mushrooms and bacon
dinner rolls
pumpkin pie
apple tart

[doberbrat]

Its just the 4 of us this year. So we're going simple. Turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, and veggies. Some sort of gluten free dessert.

[twowhat?]

We still go all-out and we will just have 6 people this year. I cook a 14-16 pound turkey. We do stuffing, cranberry relish, some sort of potato, corn, sweet potato, veggies, rolls, desserts...thanksgiving leftovers are the best:)

[MontrealMum]

It's just the 3 of us this year, but it's really not much more work to do smaller sides, Also, the leftovers will feed us for the week so I almost always do a full menu regardless of our number. In the past we have done potlucks as well with the guests bringing variations of the sides below. That's always tons of fun because I get to taste and acquire new recipes ;)

We will have:
12lb turkey
gravy
mashed potatoes, not sure which type
mashed squash or yams
turnip (this is DH's fave)
green beans or red cabbage (for DS, who won't eat the mashed root veggies)
pan stuffing, recipe courtesy of a dear friend of mine and fellow M.O.W. cook who passed away last year
cranberry sauce, recipe courtesy of the same friend
pumpkin pie with real whipped cream - I'll probably make two and maybe freeze the 2nd, the crust recipe is for two after all ;)

[lilycat88]

Reservations :rotflmao:

[dhano923]

We are having my parents, my brother, SIL and their 2 small kids. I usually do a spiral ham, but we decided to do turkey this year, so we will be having:

14lb turkey
Gravy
Stuffing
Potato casserole
Roasted vegetables
Corn casserole
Green beans with mushrooms
Pumpkin pie

[sophiesmom03]

We have

12 lb turkey (DH really likes the dark meat)
Mashed potatoes
Baked squash
Steamed green beans
Asparagus (DH favorite)
Stuffing with sausage (family tradition from my grandfather)
Cranberry sauce
Gravy
Apple pie
Brownies

Maybe a banana bread if over around to making it.

[specialp]

When we’ve had just us in the past, we scaled down the size of the turkey (can find them at 8-9 lbs. if you look early), the amount and size of the sides, but it is still a feast with leftovers and there are good recipes out there for leftover turkey. I will also make a dessert like a pie that can be halved and baked it in a loaf pan vs. a pie pan. Leftover pie in this house is dangerous so I do try to scale it back.

[MamaSnoo]

We have this issue every year; this year will be 5 adults, 1 kid, 1 baby.
I have the same approach every year.

Turkey breast only.

Simplify the sides- dressing, mashed potato (redundant with dressing IMO, but DH's favorite), 1 green veggie (roasted asparagus this year; have done grean beans, brussel sprouts, etc in past), cranberry-orange relish

1 dessert- this year a cranberry parfait

Some years I have added a lettuce salad- non-traditional, but we all like it.

The dessert and the green veggie are what changes year to year.

I find that this meal is not much harder to cook than a nice "regular" meal- I get some help from family on the dressing, relish and the dessert, so I just do the bird, veggie and potatoes myself. Also, because we have fewer choices, people do not stuff themselves as much as years past when we had a more elaborate spread with many yummy sides and desserts.

[infomama]

Table for 6 these days.

We will be having....
Turkey breast
mashed potatoes and gravy
cranberry orange relish
PW's green bean casserole
PW butternut squash puree
stuffing
jello with pineapple
pumpkin pie
candied yams
rolls


Can't wait till tomorrow!!

[justlearning]

I've enjoyed reading your posts. I've decided to try to keep it simple in terms of prep work but still have a quite a few dishes. Here's my plan:

Turkey Breast from Costco
Mashed potatoes from Costco
Gravy from Costco
Mrs. Cubbison's Classic Seasoned Dressing (simple recipe on box)
Biscuits from cans
Bacon Braised Green Beans: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/bacon-braised-green-beans-recipe/index.html
Sweet Potato-Coconut Casserole: http://www.marthastewart.com/945631/sweet-potato-coconut-casserole
Spaghetti Squash with Maple and Shallots: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/10/spaghetti-squash-with-maple-syrup-and-shallots/
Cranberry-Orange Sauce: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/cranberry-orange-sauce-recipe3/index.html

[infomama]

Cranberry-Orange Sauce: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/cranberry-orange-sauce-recipe3/index.html
that looks so good