Halving recipes
Most birds sold for Thanksgiving dinners in U.S. supermarkets have traditionally been in the 16-pound range, with some much larger. That size turkey will serve 12 to 16 people. As a rule, when buying turkey, aim for about 1 pound per person when purchasing a whole bird; when cooking a smaller bird, especially if you want leftovers, aim for about 1 ½ pounds per person.
So a 10-pound turkey might by OK for a group of 8, feeding your gang generously. But if your group is much smaller, think about buying just a turkey breast, say, and a couple of drumsticks.
First, you might serve fewer of them. Miller Ffrench says one of her favorite things about Thanksgiving has been “all the large variety of dishes, which just seems ridiculously decadent” now.
Instead of a table overflowing with food this year, she will spotlight each family member’s favorite dish. And that’s all.
“Just one kind of cranberry, not two. Just squash, and not sweet potatoes as well. I hope we will take the time to relish each bite more, really focus on the individual flavors of each food, not the collective mounded plate,” she says.
“These past months have taught me to truly savor things more, figuratively and literally.”
Many recipes can be halved: roasted butternut squash, mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts are all good examples.
If you have a recipe for stuffing that calls for a 9-by-13-inch pan and feeds 1012, you can cut it in half and bake it in a
Pies
Chef Maya-Camille Broussard, owner of Justice of the Pies bakery in Chicago, has some ideas for that most important category of Thanksgiving desserts: pies.
What if you’d like more than one kind of pie, but multiple 9-inch pies feel excessive?
Broussard suggests making galettes, mini pies in a muffin pan, or even whoopie pies in your favorite flavors. She also has small Le Creuset pots that she uses all the time to make individual pies.
“You may use a biscuit cutter to make small crust circles,” she says. Or turn a coffee mug or a glass upside down, dip the lip in flour, and use it to cut out a circle of dough.
If you decide to make one of those smaller pies or muffin-tin pies, remember
Finding creative ways to use Thanksgiving leftovers has always been an issue, this year even more so.
Leftover squash can become a pureed soup; turkey a pot pie and a pozole soup. Mashed potatoes might top a shepherd’s pie later in the week. And everyone looks forward to a day-afterThanksgiving turkey sandwich, maybe topped with extra cranberry sauce and a drizzle of gravy.
Miller Ffrench suggests freezing gravy flat in freezer bags and using it alongside a grilled chicken breast, or to enhance a pot pie base.
Another smart tip: “Slices of pumpkin pie are a delicious addition to any smoothie … crust and all.”
Above all, says Miller Ffrench, remember that it’s not the size of the feast or the crowd that matters most: “Big or small, and most importantly, we’ll be counting our blessings.”
Katie Workman has written two cookbooks focused on family-friendly cooking, “Dinner Solved!” and “The Mom 100 Cookbook.” She blogs at themom100.com/about-katie-workman. She can be reached at Katie@themom100.com.