Small Thanksgiving Dinner Menu and Recipes with Grocery List

Small Thanksgiving Dinner Menu and Recipes

This is your ultimate guide on how to make a small Thanksgiving dinner with less stress and some delicious leftovers too!

You'll learn what to make ahead of time, when to set the table, and you'll get my grocery list to help you shop for all the ingredients you need, as well as a timeline to help you get this small feast on the Thanksgiving table with less stress!

I include all of our family favorite Thanksgiving recipes to make things easier on the big day. The Thanksgiving recipes included in this collection are ones my family enjoys year after year. I'll occasionally make up something new just to surprise everyone, but what you see here is what we'll be enjoying for our small Thanksgiving dinner feast this year.

Cast Iron Chicken Breast (Pan Roasted)

My Cast Iron Chicken Breast recipe is a staple in our home, because it is super easy to pan roast with little prep time, so I can get it on the dinner table in a little more than 30 minutes.

A quick pan sear gets the skin nice and crispy and then the whole pan goes into the oven to roast the chicken breasts to juicy perfection. It is an easy two-step cooking process that gives me time to whip up a quick dinner salad for a healthy, budget-friendly meal everyone loves.

BBQ Pulled Pork Tacos

BBQ Pulled Pork Tacos make a quick and easy dinner when you have leftover pulled pork. Perfect for Taco Tuesday!

Fill a soft flour tortilla with leftover pulled pork and top it with the BEST Coleslaw Ever as well as some fresh cilantro to make these delicious, reheat and eat, BBQ Pulled Pork Tacos!

Apple Pie Bread Pudding Recipe with Maple Cream Sauce

Apple Pie Bread Pudding with Maple Cream Sauce is an easy dessert bursting with flavor from warm apples, sweet cinnamon, and the irresistible maple cream sauce. This dessert recipe is super EASY to make and LOVED by all!

Easy Apple Puff Pastry Recipe

Bursting with fresh and juicy sweet caramelized apples encased in a buttery delicious pastry, this Easy Apple Puff Pastry Recipe melts in your mouth!

With only 4 ingredients, you'll LOVE how EASY my Apple Puff Pastry Recipe is to make! Find more easy apple recipes like this one below the recipe card at the bottom of this article.

Crescent Roll Apple Turnovers

Crescent Roll Apple Turnovers are sweet cinnamon apple goodness tucked inside a buttery, flaky crescent roll and dipped in homemade caramel sauce. This homemade apple turnover leaves you feeling all warm and fuzzy! Perfect for Fall and your Thanksgiving table!

This is one of the easiest apple desserts you'll ever make! These apple turnovers are ready in just 30 minutes and the filling tastes just like apple pie! If you love apple recipes like we do, you'll want to check out my Apple Puff Pastry, and Apple Pie Bread Pudding recipes too.

Easy Garlic Butter Sauce for Pasta in just 15 Minutes

Garlic is the star in this quick and easy Garlic Butter Sauce for Pasta!

Toss this sauce with your favorite pasta and enjoy simply with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley or pair with grilled chicken or seafood for a flavorful side dish. This is the perfect recipe for busy weeknights.

Alton Brown French Toast Recipe

Alton Brown's French Toast Recipe is a classic French Toast recipe. It is easy, uses common ingredients, and has a secret ingredient that sets it apart from the rest! Hint - it's not sugar!! Can you guess what the secret ingredient is?

Steamed Vegetables with Garlic Butter

Fresh Steamed Vegetables drizzled in a garlic butter sauce is a deliciously easy side dish perfect for any night of the week! These steamed veggies fit right in on your holiday table too, AND I even make this steamed veggies recipe just for snacking!

Quaker Oatmeal Cookies Recipe

Loaded with oatmeal and raisins, Quaker Oatmeal Cookies vanish almost as soon as they come out of the oven, which makes sense they are also known as Vanishing Oatmeal Cookie recipe! Chewy oatmeal raisin cookies have a soft texture and are best enjoyed warm right out of the oven.

Because we especially love our Quaker Oatmeal Cookies warm, I show you how to make the oatmeal cookie dough and freeze the dough balls for storing in the freezer. Then when you have a chewy cookie craving, all you have to do is bake just what you need, saving the rest for later.

Cornbread Recipe without Buttermilk

This Cornbread Recipe without Buttermilk will be your GO-TO, easy cornbread recipe. It is an easy recipe using simple ingredients you may already have on hand. No need to make a run to the store to pick up special ingredients!

This cornbread recipe is a little less dense than traditional southern cornbread, and a touch of honey adds just the right amount of sweetness. I recommend making this cornbread recipe in a cast-iron skillet for a nice crispy outside with a tender crumb and delicious inside that is cornbread perfection!

Orzo Pasta Recipe with Spinach and Parmesan

Orzo Pasta with Spinach and Parmesan is an easy recipe using fresh ingredients to maximize flavor. This orzo pasta recipe makes an impressive meatless meal or side dish, but orzo pasta recipes are super versatile, so just add chicken for a heartier dinner that's quick and easy any night of the week.

How to Make Mini Fruit Tarts in 3 Easy Steps

How to make MINI FRUIT TARTS in 3 easy steps - a NO BAKE dessert recipe perfect for summer, quick and easy, and looks like it's straight out of Martha Stewart's kitchen!

Mini fruit tarts filled with a brown sugar and cream cheese fruit dip and decorated with juicy, colorful fruit in a festive star pattern perfect for the 4th of July or other patriotic holiday.

This red, white, and blue easy dessert recipe is NO FUSS, NO BAKE, and confirms everyone’s suspicion that you are, in fact, Martha Stewart’s carbon copy.

Mango Jalapeno Salsa with Avocado

With just a few simple ingredients, this Mango Jalapeno Salsa with Avocado is truly easy to make! Homemade Mango Salsa is a little bit sweet, a little bit spicy, and a whole lot tasty!

I love the unique flavor of the mango combined with the heat of jalapeno pepper with hints of citrus from lime and cilantro, as well as the buttery texture of the creamy avocados. Fruit salsa is very versatile too! It isn't just for chips...

Easy Taco Pie Recipe

My Easy Taco Pie recipe with tortillas is the perfect savory pie for those busy weeknights! This savory pie uses simple ingredients and is a budget-friendly, easy recipe ready in just 30 minutes!

Refried beans and seasoned ground taco beef baked between 2 large flour tortillas is topped with shredded cheese and fresh vegetables to create a Mexican inspired dish that is sure to be a family favorite! This easy taco pie bake with tortillas puts a fun spin on taco night.

Serving up a slice of cheesy taco pie baked with tortillas

How To Cook Hot Dogs

Ask 3 different people and you'll most likely get 3 different answers about How To Cook Hot Dogs, but no matter how you cook your hot dogs, that first bite of summer always tastes the best.

In this article you will learn how to cook hot dogs five different ways. You will learn how to pan fry hot dogs, grill hot dogs, oven roast hot dogs, air fry hot dogs, and microwave hot dogs.

Pan Seared Sirloin Steak Dinner for Two

Pan Seared Sirloin Steak Dinner for Two is the perfect meal for a romantic dinner for two.

A cast iron steak dinner complete with creamy mashed potatoes, sautéed mushrooms, and steamed vegetables is QUICK and EASY to make and budget friendly too! Awesome idea for a Valentine's steak dinner for two!

Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake with Oreo Crust

Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake is a creamy, rich, decadent white chocolate cheesecake with swirls of slightly tangy raspberry jam and a sweet chocolaty Oreo crust.

15 Stunning Christmas Dinners You'll Absolutely Want To Make

Are you ready for Christmas? If you are a planner like me, you might be wondering what to make for Christmas dinner. I've got you covered with 15 stunning Christmas dinners to help you get in the mood to plan your special occasion! It's not too early to start making a plan for Christmas dinner!

How To Make Chicken Salad Sandwiches

To make the BEST chicken salad sandwiches you need fresh chicken, the right mix of flavors, a little bit of crunch, and the absolute perfect bread that is soft, yet sturdy enough to hold a big scoop of chicken salad.

My absolute favorite chicken salad sandwich recipe is all that! Let me show how to make chicken salad sandwiches at home using fresh, poached chicken. It's just a little extra effort than opening a can, but I promise, you'll never buy chicken in a can again!

How to Make Homemade Chicken Broth

Have you ever wondered how to make homemade chicken broth? Is it hard? Is it worth the time and effort? I'll show you how to make homemade chicken broth and give you ideas for how to use it. It's not hard to make and it's totally worth the time and effort!

With robust flavor, this homemade chicken broth is lightly seasoned and perfect for making homemade chicken soup or my Tomato Basil Soup recipe. Additionally, homemade chicken broth is used to make casseroles, rice dishes and any recipe that calls for chicken broth.

Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken

Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken packs a lot of flavor in an easy-to-make dinner. Fresh cilantro, lime, garlic, and chicken drumsticks cook just a few hours in the slow cooker. So simple, yet so tasty!

Skillet Shepherd's Pie

Skillet Shepherd's Pie is a meaty, savory, classic comfort food dish cooked in a skillet for an easy recipe ready in just 30 minutes! This Shepherd's Pie recipe uses fresh ingredients for maximum flavor the whole family will love!

Skillet Shepherd's Pie is an easy dinner any night of the week, but it's especially fun to celebrate St. Patrick's Day!

Banana Pudding Milkshake

Homemade Banana Pudding Milkshake is a classic southern dessert made easy! Fresh bananas, cookies, and creamy vanilla bean ice cream all blended together to make the BEST banana milkshake ever!

Slow Cooked Chili

Slow Cooked Chili is an EASY homemade Chili recipe made with sausage for an extra punch of flavor! Sausage, beans, and vegetables are slow cooked in a chunky sauce that's spiced just right.

This hearty Slow Cooker Chili recipe simmers up to 10 hours on low in the slow cooker, but if you're short on time, you can crank the slow cooker up to high and you'll be enjoying this chili recipe in just 4 hours.

Oven Baked Ham and Cheese Sliders Recipe

Baked Ham and Cheese Sliders are the perfect party appetizer! This easy recipe, loaded with ham and cheese, is topped with a buttery Dijon glaze to give these sliders a flavor explosion.

They are baked to ooey gooey cheesy deliciousness! You might want to make extra, because these sliders disappear quickly!

The Best Pecan Pie Bars

Best EVER Pecan Pie Bars recipe! Buttery shortbread crust. Ooey gooey, caramel-y pecan pie filling. Easy, make-ahead recipe. Finger licking goodness in every bite! These pecan pie bar cookies will be your go-to easy dessert recipe for sure!

Sausage Apple Cranberry Stuffing

Sausage Apple Cranberry Stuffing is a traditional Thanksgiving stuffing recipe in our home. Full of fresh ingredients to maximize flavor, this Thanksgiving stuffing recipe is sure to become your favorite holiday side dish! Bonus - this stuffing recipe is super easy to make and can be made ahead too!

Best Cranberry Sauce Recipe

The BEST Cranberry Sauce Recipe is fresh, homemade, and make-ahead. With just 3 ingredients and 15 minutes of your time, you can enjoy the absolute best homemade cranberry sauce this Thanksgiving.

Make this recipe a few days before Thanksgiving to save time and have one less thing to do on the big day!

Check out my Small Thanksgiving Dinner Menu with Recipes and a Printable Grocery list. I show you step-by-step how to make Thanksgiving dinner.

Gooey Chocolate Mug Cake

A Gooey Chocolate Mug Cake satisfies your chocolate cravings quicker than a hot knife through butter! Warm, chocolaty deliciousness made all in one mug in about a minute. What are you waiting for? You need chocolate and this microwave mug cake is the answer!