Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to gather with family and friends and share a delicious meal. However, if you are cooking for just two people, you may not want to cook a whole turkey. That's where this article comes in. We'll provide you with some tips on how to choose the right size turkey for your needs, as well as a few recipes for cooking a smaller turkey that will still be moist and flavorful. We'll also provide some tips on how to make sure your turkey is cooked safely. So whether you're a seasoned cook or a beginner, we've got you covered.
Here are our top 4 tried and tested recipes!
THANKSGIVING TURKEY FOR TWO
One of the hardest meals to plan is a holiday meal for two. You want all the smells and feelings of the season, but you don't want leftovers until June! This recipe is the tasty answer. -Joyce Kramer, Donalsonville, Georgia
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 40m
Yield 2 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Place turkey in an 11x7-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine the wine, butter, salt, tarragon and paprika. Spoon over turkey. Arrange mushrooms around tenderloins., Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 30-35 minutes or until a thermometer reads 170°, basting occasionally with pan drippings. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with remaining pan drippings.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 260 calories, Fat 8g fat (4g saturated fat), Cholesterol 98mg cholesterol, Sodium 429mg sodium, Carbohydrate 2g carbohydrate (1g sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 40g protein. Diabetic Exchanges
TURKEY FOR TWO WITH PAN-SAUCE GRAVY
This easy Thanksgiving breast is just the right amount to serve two with leftovers, or four for dinner. While the turkey roasts, its juices mingle in the pan with aromatics and just enough cornstarch to add body, creating an expertly seasoned gravy that's ready at the end of the cooking time.
Provided by Anna Stockwell
Categories turkey Thanksgiving White Wine Thyme Rosemary Sage Garlic Butter Wheat/Gluten-Free
Yield 2-4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Season turkey with salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour, which will help the turkey cook more quickly and evenly.
- Heat oil in a 10" ovenproof skillet over high until just barely smoking. Sear turkey skin side down until deeply golden brown, about 5 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add wine to skillet, scraping up browned bits with a spatula, and cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, add thyme, rosemary, sage, garlic, cornstarch, and 2/3 cup water, and whisk to combine.
- Place breast skin side up in liquid in skillet and transfer skillet to oven. Roast, checking every 20 minutes or so and adding 1/4 cup more water if liquid under turkey is evaporating lower than 1" in pan, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breast without touching bone registers 150°F, about 50 minutes (temperature will continue to rise as turkey rests).
- Transfer turkey to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.
- Meanwhile, remove herb sprigs from skillet and discard. Whisk liquid remaining in skillet until garlic mostly dissolves, adding a splash of water and heating over high if needed to loosen (gravy should be thick but easily pourable). Whisk butter into gravy until melted. Strain gravy through a fine-mesh sieve into a small pitcher or bowl.
- Serve turkey with gravy alongside.
THANKSGIVING TURKEY TWO WAYS
Provided by Geoffrey Zakarian
Categories main-dish
Time 16h30m
Yield 10 servings
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- The morning before roasting, spatchcock one of the turkeys. Remove the backbone by cutting 1 1/2 inches to the left and right of the backbone (opposite side of breast) from front to back. Remove the backbone and reserve for stock if desired. Place the turkey breast-side up on a large flat surface. Place a clean kitchen towel on top and press down firmly on the breast to flatten. Season both sides of the spatchcocked turkey with 1 tablespoon each of the celery salt, granulated garlic, granulated onion and pepper.
- Season the whole turkey inside and out with 1 tablespoon black pepper and the remaining celery salt, granulated garlic and granulated onion. Allow both turkeys to sit in the refrigerator overnight, uncovered, to dry the skin.
- The next day, allow the turkeys to come to room temperature for 1 1/2 hours.
- Arrange one oven rack in the bottom lowest position of the oven and one in the top third. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Combine the minced parsley, tarragon, oregano, minced thyme, lemon zest and shallots with some salt and pepper in a small bowl. The salt will help to draw the moisture and flavor from the mixture. Add the olive oil to form a paste. Divide the mixture between the turkeys and spread all around both sides of each turkey. Season again with salt and pepper. Halve 3 of the lemons. Stuff the cavity of the whole turkey with the lemon halves and parsley and thyme sprigs.
- Divide the carrots, onions and fennel between 2 roasting pans or baking sheets. Arrange the spatchcocked turkey skin-side up on the vegetables in one pan. Put the whole turkey breast-side up on the vegetables in the second pan. Divide the stock and wine between the 2 pans.
- Put the whole turkey on the bottom oven rack and the spatchcocked turkey on the top rack and roast, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices and adding a little more liquid to the bottom of the pans as needed to prevent burning. Keep an eye on the turkeys: when the spatchcocked turkey is nicely browned, remove the roasting pan and carefully move the top oven rack to the middle position (see Cook's Note). Move the whole turkey to the middle rack and the spatchcocked turkey to the bottom rack and continue to roast until the thickest part of the thighs registers 155 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 hours total (10 minutes per pound) for a 12-pound spatchcocked turkey and 2 hours 25 minutes to 3 hours total (12 to 15 minutes per pound) for a 12-pound whole turkey. Allow the turkeys to rest for at least 1 hour before serving.
ONE-PAN THANKSGIVING DINNER FOR TWO RECIPE BY TASTY
One pan meets all your favorite fixings in this easy Thanksgiving feast for two: stuffing, turkey, yams, and green bean casserole. Everything you need for a small, yet delicious, dinner!
Provided by Betsy Carter
Categories Dinner
Time 1h30m
Yield 2 servings
Number Of Ingredients 22
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with foil.
- Make the stuffing: In a large bowl, mix together the cornbread, egg, chicken stock, onion, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. Spread on half of the prepared baking and let rest for 10 minutes while you prepare the turkey and yams.
- Make the turkey: In a small bowl, mix together the butter, parsley, and thyme. Rub the butter mixture under the skin of the turkey breast until completely coated. Season the skin with the salt and pepper, then place on top of the stuffing.
- Make the yams: Place the yams on a quarter of the baking sheet and, using a fork, puncture all over.
- Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the green bean casserole: In a medium bowl, mix together the green beans and cream of mushroom soup.
- After 30 minutes of bake time, remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the green bean mixture to the remaining quarter of the pan. Top with the fried onions.
- Return the pan to the oven and cook until the internal temperature of the turkey breast reaches 165°F (75°C), 30-35 minutes.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and slice an opening lengthwise down each yam. Add ½ tablespoon butter, ½ tablespoon pecan pieces, and ½ tablespoon marshmallows to each opening. Tent the tray with a piece of foil and let sit for about 10 minutes while the turkey rests and the marshmallows melt from the residual heat.
- Carve the turkey, then serve with gravy and the side dishes.
- Enjoy!
Tips:
- Thaw the turkey properly: Place the frozen turkey in the refrigerator for 24 hours per 4-5 pounds of turkey. For faster thawing, place the turkey in a sink filled with cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes. Once thawed, immediately remove the giblets and neck from the turkey cavity and pat dry.
- Use a small roasting pan: Since you're cooking a small turkey, use a small roasting pan to prevent the turkey from drying out. A 9x13 inch roasting pan is a good size.
- Season the turkey inside and out: Generously season the turkey cavity with salt, pepper, and your favorite herbs. You can also rub the outside of the turkey with butter or olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and herbs.
- Roast the turkey at a high temperature: Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) and roast the turkey for 30 minutes. Then, reduce the oven temperature to 325°F (165°C) and continue to roast the turkey for 1 hour and 15 minutes per pound, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature.
- Let the turkey rest before carving: Once the turkey is cooked, remove it from the oven and let it rest for 15-20 minutes before carving. This will allow the juices to redistribute throughout the turkey, making it more moist and flavorful.
Conclusion:
Cooking a small Thanksgiving turkey for two can be a great way to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal without having a lot of leftovers. With a little planning and preparation, you can easily cook a delicious and moist turkey that will be the perfect size for your small gathering. Remember to thaw the turkey properly, use a small roasting pan, season the turkey inside and out, roast the turkey at a high temperature, and let the turkey rest before carving. With these tips, you'll be able to cook a perfect small Thanksgiving turkey for two that everyone will enjoy.
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