I've come to realize that my mom was always a master of making a fairly simple Thanksgiving that seemed like a lot of work.

Since my family's Thanksgivings are generally just our immediate family, my she has usually made a whole turkey breast. It's smaller, so it cooks a somewhat faster, and only has light meat.

She then makes something of a stuffing casserole. Stuffing from a casserole dish that has a nice crispy layer on top makes me wonder why anyone ever bothers sticking their hand up a bird's where-the-sun-don't-shine.

Her cranberry sauce recipe is very easy because it's no-cook -- it's more of a relish. Roughly chop cranberries, orange zest, and sugar in a food processor. Done! Just google cranberry relish for proportions and other ingredient ideas.

I'd go for a small turkey breast. If you are handy with a knife you can even take it off of the bone and it will cook much quicker and be less of a hassle--just slice off what you eat that night and put the leftover portion in the fridge to slice up as you need it for lunch.

A nice green veggie, stuffing, a little gravy made in the same pan that roasted the turkey, some cranberries a salad and little something sweet for dessert and you're all set!

Definitely a turkey breast, or cornish hens.

It was just my boyfriend and I and another couple for Canadian Thanksgiving. We found a 5lb turkey and cooked that. It fed us four hungry people and left us just enough leftovers (plus turkey stock.) I like turkey leftovers for sandwiches and soups, but that's a personal preference.

We make stuffed turkey breast. Actually, we buy it already stuffed from the butcher... (organic, free-range).

If you do it yourself, the stuffing is put in the middle, the flat breast rolled around it, and tied with butcher string.

I'm of the stuffing-isn't-good-if-it-isn't-inside camp (I particularly dislike the crunchy top on dressing), but I also make a cranberry and orange relish -- much nicer than cooked cranberry sauce, and less fuss.

I go with Delia Smith, and make bread sauce, roast root vegetables, and oven roast potatoes.

Eating Well has a "Turkey and Stuffing for Two" recipe that my husband and I made a few years ago and really liked.

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/turkey_stuffing_for_two.html

thighs! mmm. or a capon or duck?

Yeah the few times my mom and I just did Thanksgiving by ourselves we had either turkey breast or just chicken. Then mashed potatoes cause obviously you can make as much or as little as you need, something green (usually green beans just blanched and sauteed in a little garlic and oil), and she'd get a can of the jelly cranberry stuff in an attempt to make it traditional haha.

Boy, I must really love leftovers more than most people. DH and I are going to a friends house on the actual holiday, but I want lots of leftovers so we are roasting a "black Friday" turkey.

It's just the two of us and I'm planning on roasting a 12lb turkey. This will keep us stocked on good inexpensive breast meat for sandwiches and shredded meat for casseroles and soups. I'll also be boiling the carcass for stock.

If you want a small amount of turkey and are in the "stuffing-in-the-bird" camp, you can always make a turkey roll. Pound a whole boned turkey breast a bit and then roll around stuffing and tie like a pork roast.

The past few years I've made this turkey roulade from epicurious: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Turkey-Breast-Roulade-with-Crimini-Porcini-and-Pancetta-231089

it's still too much for just the two of us, but it's better than doing a whole turkey.

I've had the same problem in the past and went veggie with a couple of stuffed delicata squash and lots of dessert. :) Didn't miss the turkey at all... although these days I'd probably just roast a whole turkey for the leftovers! I'm w/you, charise! I could eat turkey sandwiches for eternity (cold w/cranberry, hot open-faced with stuffing, turkey salad w/celery, turkey turkey turkey!)

I'm w/you Charise...I am going to my mom's for Thanksgiving but between my two sisters and their families, there are never as many leftovers as I'd like. So we will stick cook a small bird (10-12 lbs) on Saturday to enjoy the wonderful leftovers. We won't do the whole nine yards of side dishes and instead would just treat the turkey like a regular meal with a green vegetable and perhaps a starch on the side. Given how much good quality leftovers we get from a turkey, I would most certainly cook one more than once/year if grocery stores stocked them more on a more frequent basis.

last year we made turkey roulade, with a yummy stuffing inside! and we still made a few sides and a small dessert. the meal was simple, and small, and perfect!

As a single guy with no nearby relatives I usually make the traditional Thanksgiving for myself. I stick to a turkey breast, usually in the 5 - 8 lbs range. The sides are simple enough to proportion. But the true fun comes in dealing with the leftover turkey. Aside from turkey sandwiches my favorite is to make turkey gumbo. It freezes really well, and with careful packaging I can have quick meals available for a long, long time for those occasions I don't feel like cooking. And let's face it, everyone has days like that from time to time.

Giada on the Food Network made turkey/cranberry ravioli with a salad that included cornbread as her thanksgiving for two. You can probably find the recipe online.

I second the Cornish hen suggestion. It looks as festive as a turkey, but is much tastier and can be individually portioned.

Two years ago I was in the same boat. I made a turkey roulade with sage and mushroom stuffing. In the same roasting pan, I roasted sweet potatoes which I topped with maple pecan butter once they came out. I also had some homemade cranberry sauce, macaroni gratin (i.e. mac and cheese with gruyere), and green beans.

I've done just the turkey breast before and it's not bad, but I feel like it dries out faster than using a full bird. Honestly, unless you're opposed to having leftovers (which is my favorite part of Thanksgiving) I'd say go ahead and make the full meal. You don't have to buy a huge turkey either. And if you don't like leftovers, there are dozens of creative and delicious recipes devoted to what to do with all those leftovers. (Just watch Food Network the day after and you'll see what I mean.)

The boyfriend and I always end up cooking a few turkeys even after we have two Thanksgivings (his family Thursday and then my family on Friday) because we love the stock and soups you can make with it afterwards. It's the only time of the year we seem to even eat turkey so we tend to go a little overboard making one after the other.

Turkey breast roulade is an excellent and totally customizable option.

Why not a whole roast chicken, maybe the vaunted Zuni Cafe method?

My mom used to make Cornish hens for us every Thanksgiving, so I have a soft spot for those. They tend to be giant these days (I can barely eat half of one if there are side dishes), and they come in 2 packs. Might be perfect for 2 adults and some kids!

I agree weith Eprewitt.......why not roast a whole chicken!? I don't do it frequently at home so it still feels special, but it doesn't take any where near the time too cook, and you'll still get enugh for leftovers the nextday. You can also still make gravy, potatoes & stuffing to go with.

you know, i'm having the same problem - a crowd of only 4, and i've never roasted a whole turkey before... honeslty i'm a little intimidated... i've come across a few recipes using the crock pot to cook a turkey breast (or even whole turkey if it's small) and i think it could be a winner! the moist cooking of a slow cooker will keep everything juicey and flavorful!

check out this post: http://theweekendgourmande.wordpress.com/2009/11/15/sunday-dinner-scaled-down-thanksgiving/
the garlic sage butter treatment of the turkey makes it taste special enough for Thanksgiving and keeps the turkey breast juicy, but it's still just a turkey breast so you can keep it as small as you need for a small family thanksgiving. also the recipe for stuffing avoids the problem of no longer having a turkey cavity to stuff!

This year there are four adults and I'm roasting two chickens (@eprewitt, yes, the vaunted Zuni method!) plus a few simple sides - cranberries (done the day before), potatoes, green something, and apple gallette for dessert. maybe biscuits.

Cook a 14-lb turkey, make fabulous gravy with mashed potatoes and stuffing, etc. After T-giving, immediately take a couple lbs of the cooked meat off the carcass, and Freeze it. On Friday have leftovers, and on Saturday or Sunday put the carcass in the stockpot and make turkey noodle soup, adding any turkey you haven't eaten up. The frozen turkey meat is a time saver in December when you are busy with the holidays. Just take it out and serve heated in gravy over noodles, or use it in a casserole or soup.

Admittedly I'm not American so Thanksgiving kind of passes me by but an alternative to Turkey might be a spatchcocked Poussin - small chickens that are very tasty and cook very quickly. A hungry adult could eat one a piece but for a small family, 2 to 3 would do. I love them with just salt and pepper and a little bit of paprika. Plus they feel just that little bit extra special, more so than an ordinary chicken.