25 Thanksgiving for Two Recipes (Simple Ideas)

These easy Thanksgiving for two recipes allow you to enjoy a wonderful dinner without a ton of leftovers!

You can get fancy with your main courses and side dishes when you don’t have to feed an army. 

Whether it’s classics like roasted turkey and stuffing, skillet turkey, or even tandoori chicken, these recipes are so tasty. 

These Thanksgiving for two recipes are unique and flavorful and celebrate the season without the fridge full of leftovers. 

1. Roast Turkey Breast with Traditional Stuffing 

Savory and mouth-watering stuffing doesn’t require an entire turkey. But you have to get creative. 

This recipe uses a turkey breast pounded thin, stuffed with herbal stuffing, and tied neatly. 

While the turkey breast cooks, all those delicious turkey drippings melt into the stuffing for an easy way to make turkey stuffing for two.

2. Juicy & Tender Air Fryer Turkey Breast 

I know, the look of a golden-cooked turkey is half of the appeal of Thanksgiving.

And this airy fryer turkey breast looks exactly like a fully cooked turkey out of a magazine- only smaller. 

While it incorporates simple seasoning like garlic, onion, and cracked pepper, the smoked paprika delivers that beautiful golden color. 

Using the air fryer locks in all those rich turkey juices, crafting a delightfully crispy crust and tender and juicy inside.

3. Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo 

Thanksgiving is about gratitude.

If you want to show your thanks to the Olive Garden’s chicken Alfredo, now’s as good a time as any!

This is a recipe that needs no formal introduction.

It’s buttery, garlicky, creamy, and demands a post-dinner nap like any decadent meal. 

And it’s so easy to whip up at home in a jiffy. Just don’t forget the breadsticks!

4. Skillet Turkey with Bacon and White Wine 

Thanksgiving for two means you can make more elevated turkey dishes because you’re not feeding an entire army. 

This skilled turkey recipe tastes as if it came straight from Martha Stewart’s Instagram. 

The bacon adds rich, smokey flavors to this skillet dish that lift off the plate with a decedent white wine reduction.

Using a skillet helps seal in those juices for a crispy crust and tender insides. 

5. Bacon-Wrapped Green Bean Bundles 

So, you have the main course covered and are on the hunt for a good side dish.

Green bean casserole works for feeding a houseful of picky eaters. But for two- you can get super fancy. 

These bacon-wrapped green bean bundles taste just as good as they look and are a great way to jazz up your side dishes. 

The bacon infuses the green beans with smokey, fatty deliciousness while the green beans maintain a bright crispy crunch. 

They’re finicky, but you only need to wrap enough for two!

6. Olive Garden Chicken Marsala 

It’s time to give thanks to the Olive Garden menu again!

Their chicken marsala recipe is a dinner dish worthy of Thanksgiving day.

It’s rich and buttery thanks to a decedent Marsala wine sauce, mushrooms, and robust herbal seasoning. 

Serve it over a bed of tender al dente pasta with buttery breadsticks and a crispy garden salad. 

7. Unbelievably Moist Turkey Meatloaf 

Meatloaf gets a bad rap. If meatloaf doesn’t land high on your comfort food list, it’s because you have yet to have good meatloaf. 

Enter this recipe for unbelievably moist turkey meatloaf. 

It tastes like the most flavorful and juicy meatball you’ve ever had, in meatloaf form!

Top to with ketchup for a boost of sweetness.

Serve it alongside other hall-of-fame comfort foods like mashed potatoes or mac and cheese. 

8. Ina Garten Mashed Potatoes  

If anyone knows how to do comfort food, it’s the Barefoot Contessa. 

These mashed potatoes are light and fluffy while being rich and decedent.

The trick to light and fluffy mashed potatoes is to use a potato masher and never a hand mixer. 

Pair them with milk, butter, and sour cream, and garnish with salt and pepper. 

Perfection!

9. Roasted Stuffed Butternut Squash 

Nothing screams autumn like this roasted stuffed butternut squash recipe.

It’s a little time-consuming for large groups but perfect for a party of two!

It pairs the earthy flavors of butternut squash with savory quinoa, mushrooms, kale, and walnuts. 

It’s 100 percent vegan but tastes meaty and satisfying thanks to the chewy bite from mushrooms. 

10. Ina Garten’s Roast Chicken

Ina Garten is back again with her deliciously moist roasted chicken. 

It cooks up like a roasted turkey but makes a much smaller portion, perfect for a party of two. 

It infuses bright seasonings like lemon, garlic, onion, fresh herbs, and oh-so-much garlic.

The skin is nice and crisp, while the insides stay impossibly juicy. It’s chicken at its finest!

11. Mushroom and Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash 

This vegetarian mushroom and quinoa stuffed acorn squash looks like it came straight from the pages of a magazine. 

It’s filled with rich autumn-inspired flavors and colors that look magnificent on a plate. 

It almost looks too pretty to eat. Almost.

12. Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Vinegar and Honey 

Need to fill your dinner table with more greens? 

You can’t go wrong with Brussels sprouts coasted in a sweet balsamic vinegar and honey sauce.

It’s a great way to ensure that you eat your greens. 

The savory notes from the Brussels sprouts pairs so well with the sweet notes from balsamic vinegar and honey.

They marry together after a quick trip in the oven. 

13. Ina Garten Shrimp Scampi 

In the mood for some seafood this Thanksgiving?

Ina Garten’s shrimp scampi is so deliciously decadent that it’s perfect for Thanksgiving. 

It’s light, garlicky, and beyond buttery. Pair it with fresh herbs, pasta, and a drizzle of fresh lemon juice, and dinner is served!

You can serve it with bread and butter, roasted veggies, or a crispy garden salad. 

14. Easy Duck Confit 

Don’t let the French recipe title trick you into thinking this dish is complicated.

While real confit takes days to prepare, this recipe makes your life easier (and tastes just as delicious!). 

It only requires two ingredients: duck and salt.

The magic happens once the duck hits the oven and marinates in fat and salt.

 It’s French cooking at its finest. 

15. Vegetable Pot Pie 

Homemade pot pies are the ultimate comfort food.

With a thick vegetable gravy and a crispy crust, it’s got a little bit of everything. 

And don’t worry, there’s no need to tinker with a finicky pie crust.

Arrange your filling in single-serving ramekins, and cover them with pre-made puff pastry. 

It’s fast, easy, so creamy, and delicious. Plus, it’s 100 percent vegetarian. 

16. Juicy Turkey Meatballs With Spinach and Feta 

Add some Mediterranean flair to your Thanksgiving table with these insanely flavorful turkey meatballs. 

They earn a bright kick of flavors from salty, tangy feta cheese incorporated right into the meat mixture. 

The flavors are out of this world with the additional onion, mint, garlic, and fresh parsley seasoning. 

17. TikTok Feta Pasta 

This TikTok feta pasta earned over 1 billion views for a good reason. It’s delicious!

It’s creamy, earthy, and a little spicy.

It earns its creamy bite from an entire block of feta cheese and spicy notes from crushed red pepper flakes. 

And who doesn’t adore bowtie pasta?

It picks up the creamy tomato sauce like a dream and comes together in under an hour. 

18. Tandoori Turkey Breast 

Looking to spice up Thanksgiving with some Indian flair?

This tandoori turkey breast doesn’t shy away from bold Indian spices, and it’s so easy!

It pairs a simple white meat turkey breast with rich Indian spices, garlic, and coconut cream. 

You can cook it in your Instant Pot for a quick and easy main course or roast it in the oven. 

19. Old-Fashioned Macaroni and Cheese 

With so many ways to whip up macaroni and cheese, sometimes, it’s better to go back to the basics. 

This classic takes simple mac and cheese staples and marries them together in cheesy harmony.

It’s rich and creamy and celebrates the flavors of cheese and macaroni. 

Is there anything better than a beautifully cheesy bowl of macaroni noodles? 

20. Butternut Squash Pasta with Sausage and Kale 

Butternut squash pasta with sausage and kale is a recipe that makes it hard to stop at just one bowl. 

With chewy egg noodles, smoky sausage, and earthy kale, it’s hard to put down your fork. 

Even with all those smokey and spicy flavors, the earthy goodness of the butternut squash shines through. 

Serve it with a garnish of fresh herbs and a little Parmesan cheese for a nutty bite. 

21. Bourbon Chicken 

No, this chicken recipe doesn’t contain bourbon.

It earns its name from its home on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. It’s tender, sticky, and ready for a big rice bowl. 

The thick, sticky glaze that generously coats each tender piece of chicken makes bourbon chicken irresistible. 

It’s sweet and spicy chicken New Orleans style (so you know it has to be good)!

22. Three-Bean Turkey Chili

Sometimes, the best part of Thanksgiving is using up all those leftovers.

So, why not just jump to the good stuff and make a big pot of turkey chili? 

It incorporates ground turkey with three different kinds of beans in a thick tomato base. 

Serve it with warm cornbread and all your favorite chili toppings. I love a dollop of sour cream and Fritos. 

23. Chipotle Chicken  

What is it about Chipotle chicken that’s so irresistible? I’m typically a steak fan unless it’s Chipotle’s chicken.

It’s so insanely moist and flavorful. So, how do they do it?

The trick to this copycat chicken recipe lies in the bold Mexican seasoning and a quick seer on the grill. 

Make your Chipotle buffet for two this Thanksgiving.

No rules state you can’t have Mexican food for Thanksgiving!

24. One-Pot Turkey Tetrazzini  

Turkey tetrazzini is typically a Black Friday dinner dish, but it doesn’t have to be!

It’s so creamy, savory, and filling that it makes a fantastic main dish for Thanksgiving. 

It pairs al dente pasta in a creamy sauce infused with earthy veggies and tender chunks of turkey. 

25. Roasted Butternut Bacon Soup 

It doesn’t get any better than this decadent roasted butternut bacon soup. 

It has smoky, mouth-watering flavors from bacon that pair well with earthy roasted butternut squash and bell peppers. 

It tastes like autumn in a bowl and is so creamy and delicious.