5 Holiday Menus For A Smaller Crowd

A Smaller Turkey Dinner

Drink:

• Spiced Apple Spritz

Appetizer:

• Beet-Goat Cheese Dip
  

Main:

• Dutch Oven Turkey Breast

Sides:

• Garlic Parmesan Green Beans
• Cranberry Orange Sauce

Dessert:

• Apple Spice Cake

If you still want to serve turkey, but certainly won't need the whole bird, this is the menu for you. This turkey breast recipe roasts alongside potatoes and carrots, for two built-in sides. We suggest serving an extra dose of veggies like our Garlic Parmesan Green Beans on the side, and fresh cranberry sauce for the turkey breast (unless you prefer canned.)

Before the party gets started, you can put out our vibrant Beet-Goat Cheese Dip, with plenty of crackers and crunchy crudites. And our single-serve Spiced Apple Spritz makes it easy to mix up only as many cocktails as you need.

For a sweet finish, we suggest our Apple Spice Cake. Although it's no apple pie, it yields one, single layer 8x8 cake, so you won't have tons of leftovers. Plus, it's much easier to make than a pie.

Steak Dinner For Two

Drink:

• Partridge In A Pear Tree Cocktail

Main:

• Cast-Iron Cowboy Steak

Sides:

• Super Crispy Smashed Potatoes
• Brown Sugar-Glazed Brussels Sprouts With Bacon

Dessert:

• Chocolate Lava Cakes

If it's just the two of you this year, this menu will help you craft an extra special meal on a slightly smaller scale. Instead of a rib roast or beef tenderloin, get that showstopping main dish moment with our Cast-Iron Cowboy Steak.

While the two of you might not need a slew of appetizers to get the holiday started, a festive cocktail, like our Partridge In A Pear Tree Cocktail is a great way to kick things off. Alongside the steak, we suggest serving our Super Crispy Smashed Potatoes and Brown Sugar-Glazed Brussels Sprouts With Bacon. To finish the night, serve a couple warm and gooey lava cakes. It might not be a pie or a Southern layer cake, but we're sure it will still hit the spot.

A Cozy Chicken Dinner

Drink:

• Cranberry Mules

Appetizer:

• Baked Brie With Pomegranate and Pistachios
  

Main:

• Roast Chicken

Sides:

• Glazed Carrots
• Browned Butter Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Dessert:

• Stovetop Rice Pudding

Chicken tends to be seen as bland or unspecial, but a perfectly roasted whole chicken is a thing of beauty. For a smaller gathering, it also happens to be the perfect size for serving fewer guests, while still creating a centerpiece to anchor the meal on.

Served with multi-colored Glazed Carrots, Browned Butter Mashed Sweet Potatoes, and a homey rice pudding for dessert, this chicken dinner will feel anything but boring.

A Tender Moment Menu

Drink:

• Mississippi Bourbon Punch

Appetizer:

• Spicy Sweet Potato Crostini
  

Main:

• Pork Tenderloin With Apples

Sides:

• Lemony White Bean Salad with Broccoli
• The Easiest Mashed Potatoes

Dessert:

• Glazed Apple Tart

A pork tenderloin might be no glazed ham, but for 4 to 6 diners, it's the perfect main dish. Cooked in a cast-iron skillet with apples, which turn saucy and extra sweet, we promise no one will miss the ham this year. Served with a crisp broccoli salad and super simple mashed potatoes, this meal will easily deliver on flavor without breaking a sweat.

An extra easy apple tart replaces a more labor-intensive pie (and only serves 6), while a bourbon-based cocktail and Spicy Sweet Potato Crostini hold the guests over while you put the finishing touches on dinner.

A Christmas Casserole Menu

Drink:

• Hot Toddy

Appetizer:

• Smoked Salmon-Potato Chip Canapés
  

Main:

• Shepherd's Pie With Sweet Potato Mash

Sides:

• Yorkshire Pudding Muffins
• Green Bean Almondine

Dessert:

• Chocolate Pudding

We've taken some inspiration from across The Pond with this menu. Instead of roast beef, we opted for a smaller shepherd's pie featuring mashed sweet potatoes, paired with fluffy Yorkshire Pudding, and a different kind of pudding for dessert (albeit a decidedly less British pudding): Chocolate Pudding.

The appetizer on this menu is a riff on "fish and chips," as this easy-to-assemble snack uses lox on potato chips. As for the drink, we suggest something cozy and comforting, and a Hot Toddy surely fits that bill.