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Enjoy a complete Thanksgiving dinner for one with these easy small batch recipes. Find perfectly portioned turkey, classic sides like stuffing and mashed potatoes, and single serving desserts such as pumpkin pie and pecan pie, all without the stress or waste of cooking for a crowd.

Small Thanksgiving dinner for one recipe images with roast turkey breast, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and mini pumpkin pie on a cozy fall table.

If you’re cooking for two, check out our Thanksgiving for Two Guide. It includes small batch recipes made just for two, a printable grocery list, and a step-by-step video to help you prepare a stress-free holiday meal together.

Table of Contents

Small Thanksgiving Dinner For One

Cooking Thanksgiving for one this year? You can still have the whole meal: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and pie. I built every one of these single serving and small batch recipes for one or two from the start. You buy less, cook less, and nothing goes to waste. It’s still a holiday, and you deserve the full plate.

Spread the cooking over a couple of days so the day itself feels easy. Have a little turkey left? Turn it into my small batch Thanksgiving sliders the next day.

Why You’ll Love These Small Thanksgiving Recipes

  • Minimal Leftovers: Each single serving or small batch recipe is perfectly portioned, so you can enjoy your holiday meal without too much left over.
  • Perfect Portions: Designed for one or two people, these dishes let you enjoy all your favorite Thanksgiving flavors in just the right amount.
  • Simple and Stress-Free: Made with easy-to-find ingredients, these recipes make preparing a small Thanksgiving dinner simple, practical, and enjoyable.

Thanksgiving Menu Ideas for a Small Thanksgiving Meal

Turkey Without the Fuss

You don’t need to roast a whole turkey for a Thanksgiving dinner for one. Try a juicy roast split turkey breast, tender turkey cutlets, or a small turkey roast, each perfectly sized for one. They’re simple to make, full of flavor, and great for leftovers. You can even substitute chicken for turkey in recipes like chicken soup for one, chicken salad for one, or chicken spaghetti for one.

Sides That Shine

Thanksgiving sides are often the highlight of the meal. With our single serving and small batch recipes, you can enjoy a complete Thanksgiving meal for one without very little waste. From creamy mashed potatoes for one and savory small batch cornbread dressing to a mini sweet potato casserole, these dishes bring all the flavor and comfort of a classic Thanksgiving feast.

A Sweet Ending

No Thanksgiving meal is complete without dessert. Treat yourself to perfectly portioned favorites like mini pecan pie, apple pie for one, or classic pumpkin pie for one scaled down for just the right size.

Build Your Perfect Menu

Build your menu one course at a time. Start with one of my turkey recipes for one. Add two or three small batch Thanksgiving sides. Finish with a Thanksgiving dessert for one. Cooking for two this year? My Thanksgiving for Two guide has everything scaled up a little, plus a printable grocery list.

Easy Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes for One

an oven roasted turkey breast on a baking sheet.

Roast Split Turkey Breast

4.80 from 24 votes
A roast split turkey breast with crisp skin and juicy white meat, seasoned with rosemary butter under and over the skin and done in 45 minutes. This bone-in half turkey breast is sized for one or two people.
Roast Turkey Breast Recipe
A turkey roast on a plate surrounded by cherry tomatoes and spinach.

Herb Crusted Turkey Roast

4.91 from 32 votes
This herb crusted turkey roast recipe turns a 3-pound boneless turkey roast into juicy slices with browned, herb-seasoned skin. It makes dinner for one or two people with leftovers.
Herb Crusted Turkey Roast Recipe
sliced oven roasted turkey tenderloin on a white plate next to green beans.

Turkey Tenderloin Recipe

5 from 24 votes
This oven roasted turkey tenderloin is made for one or two, with a savory herb rub. It roasts up tender and juicy and finishes with a rich butter pan sauce.
Turkey Tenderloin Recipe
a single pan seared turkey cutlet with gravy next to mashed potatoes on a white plate.

Turkey Cutlet With Gravy

4.78 from 77 votes
A tender pan-seared turkey cutlet with rich onion pan gravy, made in one skillet for a single serving turkey dinner ready in 20 minutes.
Turkey Cutlets With Gravy For One

Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes For One

a small baked carrot souffle in a square red baking dish next to a container of powdered sugar and raw carrots

Mini Carrot Soufflé

5 from 17 votes
This mini carrot soufflé is a small batch version of the Piccadilly classic, made with carrots, butter, sugar, and vanilla and baked for one or two people. It comes out light and fluffy and sweet enough to serve as a side dish or dessert.
Mini Carrot Soufflé Recipe
a single serving of mashed potatoes in a bowl.

Mashed Potatoes For One

4.70 from 13 votes
These single serving mashed potatoes are made from scratch with Yukon Gold potatoes cooked in garlic-infused milk and cream, then mashed with butter and stone-ground mustard until creamy.
Mashed Potatoes For One Recipe
a small batch of cranberry sauce in a clear dish.

Small Batch Cranberry Sauce For One

5 from 7 votes
This single serving cranberry sauce is made from scratch with fresh cranberries, sugar, orange juice, water, and a cinnamon stick. It’s a sweet-tart whole berry sauce made for one or two people.
Cranberry Sauce For One Recipe
small batch sausage stuffing on a silver tray.

Small Batch Sausage Stuffing

4.86 from 7 votes
This small batch sausage stuffing is a scaled down version of the classic holiday side, made with Italian sausage, fresh herbs, and crusty bread. It serves one or two people.
Small Batch Sausage Stuffing Recipe
a baking dish filled with cornbread dressing on a silver tray next to carrots and onions

Small Batch Cornbread Dressing

5 from 10 votes
This small batch cornbread dressing is a classic Southern side made from scratch for one or two people. Homemade cornbread, sautéed vegetables, and a little cream bake into a dressing with a golden top and a rich, savory center.
Small Batch of Cornbread Dressing
a pink bowl filled with cooked green beans topped with almonds.

Sautéed Green Beans For One

5 from 7 votes
These single serving sautéed green beans are a classic green beans almondine, blanched until crisp-tender and finished in butter with garlic and toasted slivered almonds.
Sautéed Green Beans For One
a mini sweet potato casserole with marshmallows.

Mini Sweet Potato Casserole

4.87 from 15 votes
This mini sweet potato casserole bakes spiced mashed sweet potatoes under pecans and toasted marshmallows. A from-scratch holiday side made for one or two.
Mini Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
a mini cauliflower casserole topped with green onions.

Cauliflower Casserole For One

5 from 5 votes
This single serving cauliflower casserole is made with roasted cauliflower baked in a creamy, cheesy sauce with bacon and green onions, all baked in a ramekin.
Cauliflower Casserole For One Recipe
a spoon scooping out a portion of homemade corn pudding

Small Batch Corn Casserole

4.67 from 6 votes
This small batch corn casserole is made from scratch with easy-to-find ingredients and sized much smaller than the standard version, so it's just right for one or two.
Small Batch Corn Casserole
a white plate filled with roasted carrots topped with chopped parsley.

Roasted Carrots For One

4.88 from 8 votes
These roasted carrots are lightly sweetened with honey, seasoned simply, and roasted until tender with golden edges. A final toss in melted butter adds extra richness and flavor.
Roasted Carrots For One Recipe
a single serving of rice pilaf in a bowl next to half of an onion.

Rice Pilaf For One

5 from 4 votes
Easy single serving rice pilaf made with white rice, butter, onions, garlic, and broth. Light, fluffy, and full of flavor. The perfect side dish for any meal.
Rice Pilaf For One Recipe
a small green bean casserole on a silver tray next to gourds

Small Green Bean Casserole

5 from 17 votes
This small green bean casserole is the classic holiday side made from scratch, with tender green beans in a creamy, cheesy mushroom sauce and crispy fried onions on top. The sauce simmers in one skillet with no canned soup.
Small Batch Green Bean Casserole
A small creamed spinach casserole in a red baking dish next to a blue napkin.

Small Batch Creamed Spinach

5 from 3 votes
This baked creamed spinach is made from scratch for two, with softened cream cheese as the creamy base and a golden breadcrumb and Parmesan topping. It’s a rich holiday side that’s just as easy for a weekday dinner.
Mini Creamed Spinach Recipe

Thanksgiving Bread and Rolls For One

Warm bread on the table without baking for a crowd. Each of these makes a small batch, and the extra rolls freeze for later. Make the cornbread a day ahead and it can go straight into my small batch cornbread dressing.

a small batch of french bread dinner rolls on a tablecloth next to a stick of butter.

Small Batch French Bread Rolls

5 from 5 votes
These small batch French bread dinner rolls bake up with a crisp golden crust and a soft, fluffy center. This easy homemade yeast roll recipe makes 8 bakery-style rolls, perfect for dinner, soups or sandwiches. The extras freeze well.
Go To Recipe
a small square baking dish filled with 4 butter swim biscuits next to a white napkin and a jar of jelly.

Small Batch Butter Swim Biscuits

4.95 from 59 votes
Small batch butter swim biscuits are buttermilk biscuits that are baked in melted butter for a crisp, golden crust and soft, fluffy center. Makes 4 biscuits in 20 minutes.
Go To Recipe
a square piece of cornbread on a floral plate next to a pan filled with three squares of cornbread

Small Batch Cornbread

4.83 from 80 votes
This small batch cornbread is made from scratch for one or two people and baked in a mini cast iron skillet or small baking dish. It has a crisp, buttery crust and a moist, lightly sweet crumb.
Go To Recipe

Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes For One

a small pumpkin pie on a white plate.

Pumpkin Pie For One

4.85 from 32 votes
This single serve pumpkin pie is a real pumpkin pie made from scratch for one, with a creamy, spiced filling in a graham cracker crust. It bakes in a 10-ounce ramekin.
Pumpkin Pie For One Recipe
a small dutch apple pie in a square blue baking dish.

Mini Dutch Apple Pie

4.95 from 17 votes
This Mini Dutch Apple Pie is a single serve Dutch apple pie made from scratch, with spiced apples and a streusel topping over a buttery shortbread crust. Baked in one small dish, it serves one or two.
Mini Dutch Apple Pie Recipe
a small pecan pie in a red baking dish.

Mini Pecan Pie

4.79 from 75 votes
This pecan pie for one has a buttery homemade shortbread crust under a rich, gooey pecan filling. It's a classic pecan pie made from scratch and sized for one or two.
Pecan Pie For One Recipe
a small sweet potato pie in a square baking dish next to a plate of sliced sweet potatoes.

Mini Sweet Potato Pie

4.86 from 28 votes
This small sweet potato pie is made for one or two, with a smooth, lightly spiced filling on a graham cracker crust and maple whipped cream on top.
Mini Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
a single serving cherry pie in a square dish

Small Cherry Pie

5 from 10 votes
This small cherry pie is made from scratch with fresh cherries, baked in a small baking dish with a shortbread crust and a cinnamon crumb topping. It's sized for one or two.
Mini Cherry Pie Recipe
an individual apple pie on a white plate.

Apple Pie For One

5 from 23 votes
This single serving apple pie is a from-scratch, open-faced pie made with one apple and a buttery homemade crust. It's sized for one, and the filling sets on its own with no flour or cornstarch.
Go To Recipe
a small crustless pecan pie in a ramekin with a spoon on the side.

Crustless Pecan Pie For One

5 from 15 votes
This single serving crustless pecan pie skips the crust and bakes in a single ramekin, with a maple-sweetened custard filling and pecans on top. It's an easy dessert made without corn syrup.
Crustless Pecan Pie No Corn Syrup
an individual pecan pie with maple syrup in a dish with a fork on the side.

Mini Pecan Pie Without Corn Syrup

5 from 18 votes
This pecan pie without corn syrup gives you all the flavor of a maple pecan pie in a single serving, with a buttery homemade shortbread crust and a gooey filling.
Pecan Pie Without Corn Syrup

Thanksgiving Leftovers For One

Cooked a turkey breast or tenderloin? Each one serves two, so you’ll have enough for one more meal. Pile it onto sliders with your leftover stuffing and cranberry sauce, or swap it in for the chicken in a pot pie.

a single Thanksgiving slider on a plate.

Small Batch Thanksgiving Sliders

5 from 3 votes
These small batch turkey sliders are made for one or two with Thanksgiving leftovers. Turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce bake inside soft Hawaiian rolls under melted havarti and a buttery poppy seed top.
Go To Recipe
a mini chicken pot pie in a white ramekin topped with puff pastry.

Chicken Pot Pie For One

4.94 from 16 votes
This single serving chicken pot pie features a creamy, flavorful filling made with tender chicken, vegetables, and a rich sauce, all topped with a flaky puff pastry crust.
Go To Recipe

Thanksgiving for One Game Plan

Here’s how I’d time a classic menu so nothing’s rushed on the day.

Up to 4 days before: Blanch, cool and dry the green beans for my sautéed green beans, then refrigerate them. Make the cranberry sauce for one. It keeps in the fridge for up to a week.

The day before: Bake the small batch cornbread (30 minutes). Then assemble the cornbread dressing, cover it and refrigerate. Bake your pie too. The mini pecan pie needs about 2 hours to cool.

Thanksgiving Day: A split turkey breast takes about 10 minutes to prep and 45 minutes to roast at 400°F. When it comes out, tent it with foil and turn the oven down to 350°F. Bake the cornbread dressing for about 30 minutes, until the top is lightly golden. The turkey stays warm while it rests. Start the mashed potatoes as soon as the dressing goes in, and finish the green beans in the skillet in the last few minutes. Making a turkey cutlet with gravy instead? It takes about 20 minutes on the stove, so the oven’s free for the dressing.

Shop Small, Waste Less

  • Skip the whole bird. Buy a split turkey breast, or ask the butcher counter for a single turkey tenderloin or cutlet. They’re usually packed two or more to a tray.
  • Use 1 cup (about 4 ounces) of fresh cranberries for the cranberry sauce. Turn the rest of the bag into small batch cranberry jam or cranberry orange scones, or freeze them for later.
  • Bake the rest of the canned pumpkin into small batch pumpkin bars.
  • Pick up celery, carrots and onion at the salad bar. The cornbread dressing only needs ¼ cup of each.

RELATED: Recipes For Empty Nesters

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I cook instead of turkey for Thanksgiving dinner for one?

While turkey is the traditional centerpiece, it doesn’t have to be the star of your Thanksgiving dinner for one. If you’d like something different, try one of these flavorful alternatives:
* Chicken Caprese For One: A fresh, flavorful option that still feels festive.
* Baked Stuffed Fish: Perfect for a smaller, elegant main dish.
* Pumpkin Soup For One: A cozy, seasonal option that pairs beautifully with classic Thanksgiving sides.

What are some vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes?

A Thanksgiving meal for one can be just as satisfying without meat. Many classic side dishes are already vegetarian like mashed potatoes, stuffing, roasted vegetables, or cranberry sauce. For a meatless main dish, try one of these:
* Vegetarian Chili For One
* Chickpea Curry For One
* Mini Eggplant Parmesan

How do I plan a Thanksgiving dinner for one person?

Keep it simple and perfectly portioned. Choose:
* One main dish such as a turkey breast or turkey cutlet.
* Two or three favorite sides, like stuffing, mashed potatoes, or roasted carrots.
* One small dessert, such as mini pumpkin pie or apple crisp for one.

How can I make Thanksgiving feel special when cooking for one?

Even a small Thanksgiving can feel meaningful with a few thoughtful touches. Set the table, light a candle, play your favorite music, and cook a meal you truly enjoy. The goal is to celebrate gratitude and comfort, whether it’s a simple plate of turkey and sides or a full small batch Thanksgiving feast.

Can I make Thanksgiving dinner ahead of time?

Yes! Many small batch Thanksgiving recipes can be prepared in advance. Make your stuffing, cranberry sauce, or desserts a day early, then roast your turkey or main dish on Thanksgiving Day. This helps keep the day stress-free and enjoyable.

Tips For A Simple, Stress-Free Thanksgiving Dinner For One

  • Plan Your Menu Ahead: Choose your dishes a few days in advance. Planning early gives you time to shop, stay organized, and ensure you have everything you need for your small Thanksgiving meal.
  • Choose Make-Ahead Recipes: Prep what you can the day before. Simple make-ahead sides, desserts, or even part of your turkey will save time and help your day feel calm and enjoyable.
  • Set a Special Table: Even if it’s just for you, setting the table with your favorite dishes, a candle, or a bit of fall décor makes the meal feel festive and meaningful. You deserve to celebrate in style!

With a little planning and these easy Thanksgiving recipes for one, you can enjoy a relaxed, delicious holiday that feels just right.

For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.

If you’ve tried any of these single serving and small batch Thanksgiving recipes or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.

Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see!

Joanie Zisk, chef and author of The Ultimate Cooking for One Cookbook, holding her cookbook.

Welcome!

I'm Joanie, a chef with over 35 years of cooking experience, author of The Ultimate Cooking for One Cookbook, and creator of One Dish Kitchen. For the past 15 years, I've developed and tested 700+ single serving and small batch recipes. Every one is made from scratch and built for one from the start, so nothing goes to waste. I'm so glad you're here.

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5 Comments

  1. Telina Lund says:

    I usually cook a game hen for Thanksgiving dinner then the day after I make chicken and dumplings. I cook the carcus for a very long time and then remove the meat from the bones and add my veggies, make my dumplings, they are light and fluffy and I don’t have to cook them forever. They are the best and I have enough for 2 meals.

    Reply
  2. HRM says:

    I stumbled on your blog only now in 2021 when planning my Thanksgiving meal (I still want to celebrate holidays even though I’m on my own!) and I can’t be happier. You’re solving a major problem I have – cooking for one isn’t as simple as just cutting recipes down. I’ve made your delicious blueberry muffin (which actually made 4 servings for me instead of 1 but was super easy). My entire Thanksgiving meal will be from this page and I can’t wait!

    Reply
  3. Janet says:

    How about a recipe for honey glaze with pineapple for a small ham or ham steak?

    Reply
  4. Grace says:

    Thank you! This makes me feel better about being home alone on Thanksgiving. I will cook, bake and decorate!

    Reply
  5. L. says:

    Thanks for these recipes! They are very good.

    Reply