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Small Thanksgiving Menu For Four

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It looks like Thanksgiving, and the holidays in general, is looking very different for many of us this year. Some of us are planning small and intimate dinner parties with immediate family, some are planning virtual friendsgiving celebrations, and some might still be cooking up a huge Thanksgiving feast, boxing it up and dropping it off to family and friends. But just because the guestlist is small, doesn't mean that the thanksgiving dinner menu can't be epic. Today, I am sharing the best small Thanksgiving menu for four people with all the nostalgic classics (and of course some new comforting favourites) because we need all the holiday feels that we can get in 2020.

This intimate small Thanksgiving menu for four has all the nostalgic classics and new favourites including mains, sides, soup, salad, appys, dessert & more. | aheadofthyme.com

The menu is divided into the following sections: starters and snacks, mains, sides, soup and salad, dessert and thanksgiving leftovers.

Thanksgiving Starters and Snacks

Before we dig into our small Thanksgiving feast, and while the main course is spending its last moments in the oven, we need something to snack on. Bite-sized crostini like tomato bruschetta with balsamic glaze or curried white bean crostini is always a crowd favourite. You also can't go wrong with a classic holiday charcuterie board with creamy pumpkin hummus and sourdough crackers.

Pick one or two of the following starters to feature on your Thanksgiving menu:

Thanksgiving Mains

If you are planning to cook turkey for just a few people, you might want to reconsider cooking an entire whole juicy roast turkey (although this would be a good idea just for all the delicious leftovers you would get!). Instead, try making roasted turkey breast or turkey legs, slow cooker turkey breast, or braised turkey breast. Another great option for a fancy Thanksgiving main is a whole roast chicken or whole roasted spatchcock chicken.

Pick one of the following mains to feature on your Thanksgiving menu:

Thanksgiving Sides

Are you leaning more towards the nostalgic classics this year? Like creamy mashed potatoes, cranberry walnut apple stuffing, sweet potato casserole, roasted brussels sprouts and garlic green beans. Or do you want something festive but completely different? Like creamy brussels sprouts bake, sautéed garlic mushrooms, and stuffed butternut squash. Whatever you are in the mood for, I have a side dish for you.

Pick two to three of the following sides to feature on your Thanksgiving menu:

Thanksgiving Soup and Salad

I always start off my Thanksgiving dinners with a bowl of roasted butternut squash soup. It just sets the mood for the rest of the night. Plus, soup is really easy to make a few days ahead, and leftovers are good for up to 5 days to a week. I also usually throw in a light, seasonal salad on the dinner menu like apple walnut salad with balsamic vinaigrette just to balance out all the heavy comforting dishes.

Pick one soup and/or one salad to feature on your Thanksgiving menu:

Thanksgiving Bread

We always have a bread basket with an assortment of bread on our Thanksgiving table every year. My favourites to make during the holidays are rosemary cornbread, pumpkin focaccia, and pumpkin dinner rolls. You also can't go wrong with simple homemade biscuits. The great thing about baking bread is that you can always make it ahead of time which is pretty great when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner planning. Always make what you can in advance.

Pick one of the following bread to feature on your Thanksgiving menu:

Thanksgiving Dessert

No matter how filling Thanksgiving dinner may be, there always room for dessert. Whether you are craving the classics -- pumpkin pie or pecan pie -- or something different like caramel pecan pie cheesecake bars, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, or pumpkin pie bundt cake with cream cheeze glaze, we can all agree that one serving is never enough.

Pick one of the following desserts to feature on your Thanksgiving menu:

Thanksgiving Leftovers

Thanksgiving leftovers might actually be the best part of the Thanksgiving dinner experience, right? Which is a reason to just make a whole roast turkey even for a small intimate group. We always make leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches for lunch the next day, and a big pot of leftover turkey wild rice soup to last a few more days. And the cranberry sauce? Always make extra and bake up a storm. It's usually cranberry sauce oat bars or cranberry sauce muffins over here.