45 Small Holiday Dinner Ideas for Two to Six People

Roasting a giant bird (be it aturkey,duck, orgoose) or glazing a whole smokedhamfor the holiday table are classic moves for a reason. They’re delicious, of course, and they all feed a crowd of revelers. (Or, lacking that usual crowd, they’d make for a great pile of leftovers.) If you want to go all out with a big holiday meal even though you have just a few mouths to feed, more power to you. Stash the uneaten portions in the freezer and you’ll have provisions at the ready for months.

But there is another way. If you can’t commit the time, attention, or money that a large-format main dish demands—or you don’t want to eat leftover sandwiches for weeks after your festivities—there are plenty of smaller but no less celebratory entrées. Take these holiday meal ideas with you into感恩节,Hanukkah,Christmas,New Year’s Eve, and any other winter holiday you observe.

One note: Even if you do downsize the main course, feel empowered to go ahead and bake that wholecake, fit as many batches ofcookiesinto the oven as you can, and pour that post-dinner glass ofeggnog. Because whatever else may happen, one thing is certain: You can never have too manyholiday desserts.

Instead of a whole roast (or whole braised brisket):

Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Simon Andrews

For one or two:Herb and Garlic Lamb With Green Olive Salad

This recipe technically serves four, but it’s easy to cut by half if you’d like. You’ll make one lamb backstrap per person—the backstrap is similar to a tenderloin, but cut from a different part of the lamb’s back. If you can only find tenderloin, you could cook it in the same way (in a pan, on the stovetop, searing all over in an herb-infused oil until cooked to your preferred doneness). Top the lamb with a salad of green olives and cucumbers tossed with fresh mint and white balsamic (sherry vinegar or regular balsamic would be fine, too) and serve with a light-bodied red wine.

For three or four:Turkish Lamb Chops With Sumac, Tahini, and Dill

This recipe calls for lamb loin chops, which aren’t the same as the chops you’d get on a rack. They’re also usually a little less pricey (yay, loin chops!). They’re coated in a cumin, coriander, fennel seed, and dried chile rub before going under the broiler (or, if you still have the grill going this winter,take them outside). Serve them with a lemony tahini sauce and a scattering of fresh herbs and pomegranate seeds.

Other options:

Instead of glazed ham:

Photo by Andrew Purcell, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell

For one or two:Pork Chops and Padrón Chiles en Escabèche

I’m pretty passionate about good pork chops. If you can buy just one really beautiful, thick bone-in chop to split between two people, it feels like celebration enough to me; but go ahead and buy each person their own chop if that’s what you’d prefer. Pair it with the pickled vegetables in this recipe from Epi contributor Christian Reynoso, and you have a dish that’s rich enough to suit a holiday meal and bright enough to warm you through a cold winter night.

For three or four:Cider-Brined, Mustard-Glazed Pork Loin

For big ham flavors without Big Ham fridge-takeover, grab a pork loin and brine it in apple cider and spices. It still has the classic mustard-brown sugar glazeandthe same ability to make a sublime midnightdinner rollsandwich.

Other options:

Instead of turkey:

Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell

If you simply must have turkey to to make itreallyfeel like the holidays, go forroasted turkey tenderloinorconfit legsto feed a small group. Orpoach a whole breastin aromatic broth, then shred and serve over rice theTaiwanese way. Otherwise, really good chicken is the answer—and it pairs just as well withmashed potatoesandcranberry sauce.

For one or two:Charred Chicken With Sweet Potatoes and Oranges

If you’re me, you could eat an entire half chicken in one holiday meal sitting. But if you aren’t interested in cooking a whole chicken, the solution is chicken thighs. With this recipe, you roast a sweet potato and then tear it into big pieces to toss onto a platter. Top the potato with pan-roasted chicken thighs (one or two per person), then scatter on an olive and feta salad and sliced oranges that get seared in the chicken drippings.

For three or four:Yogurt-Braised Chicken Legs With Garlic and Ginger

Braising chicken legs in yogurt and spices is a surefire way to make them moist, flavorful, and exceedingly tender. You’ll also make the most of canned chickpeas here: They are rinsed but otherwise unaltered before you scatter them onto the platter. They add a creamy element that makes the dish really satisfying. Just make sure you get chickpeas thattaste great straight out of the can.

Other options:

Or pick an alternative bird:

Photo by Alex Lau

For one or two:Cornish Hen in Port Wine and Fig Preserves

A Cornish hen is small enough that you could serve one whole bird per person if you’d like. This recipe suggests one bird for two, cooked entirely in the slow cooker (it just may be the easiest holiday recipe on the entire site). If your slow cooker is big enough, and you’d like to make more than one bird, it’s fine to put in two or more side by side and scale up the other ingredients accordingly.

For three or four:Seared Duck Breasts With Blood OrangesorChile–Marmalade Braised Duck Legs

For me, a duck breast always feels festive and is among the verybest Christmas dinner ideas. Here, the skin is crisped slowly over a low burner, which gives the thick layer of fat time enough to render. Lay the sliced breasts on a simple salad of frisée and seasonal blood oranges for a minimal holiday dinner with a lot of panache. If this feelstoolight, start off with an appetizer of butteryspiced pecansorbrie in puff pastryto round out the meal.

If you’re more of a ducklegperson, opt for a braise that comes complete with a side dish of duck-fat glazed Brussels sprouts. Tuck a few orange wedges in with the bird to perfume the whole thing with citrus—and keep the orange skin intact, as it softens and soaks in that duck fat and becomesimpossibly deliciousin the process.

Other options:

Put the focus on seafood:

Photo by Alex Lau

Fish for one or two:Tamarind-Glazed Black Bass With Coconut-Herb Salad

This recipe makes two whole black bass, technically feeding four. (For the record, my partner and I roasted two fish this same size for Thanksgiving last year, ate one for the holiday meal and then flaked the second intofish saladandfish burgers在接下来的这几天。强烈推荐。但是,如果you do want to scale down, buy one bass and halve the ingredients for the sauce and toppings.) You’ll brush the whole fish with a rich glaze made from tamarind, honey, soy, tomato paste, ginger, and garlic. The bass then spends just about 20 minutes in the oven before you transfer it to a platter and sprinkle with toasted coconut, crispy shallots, fresh chiles, and mint.

Fish for three or four:Salmon With Potato Salad and Horseradish Yogurt

If cooking a whole fish just isn’t for you, you can still make a grand dinner for four by buying a large piece of salmon (or Arctic char, or ocean trout, orwhatever your seafood monger says is best that day) and slowly roasting it with fragrant caraway seeds. Serve with horseradish yogurt and boiled potatoes tossed in a tarragon vinaigrette. If you want to go the extra mile, scatter crispy fried herbs all over the top.

Other options:

Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell

Shellfish for 1 or 2:Seared Scallops With Brown Butter and Lemon Pan Sauce

Scallops are great no matter how many people you’re cooking for: You can buy exactly as many as you want to eat. They also always seem special to me—especially when beautifully seared and buttery—so they're perfect for a New Year’s Eve or Christmas dinner for two. Here, they’re glossed with a sauce of brown butter, lemon juice and segments, and capers (this is known in French cookery as sauce meunière). Serve it withan elegant salad, citrusygreen beans, and somereally good bread.

Shellfish for 3 or 4:Cioppino With Gremolata Toasts

Customize this seafood stew however you see fit for the holiday season. The recipe calls for squid, shrimp, mussels, clams, and white fish, but if you don’t have access to great fresh seafood, you could grab an extra pound of frozen shrimp, scallops, or squid instead. Same goes for the fish: Buy whatever fits into your price point and know that with the rich tomato broth, laced with fennel, white wine, andclam juice, it’ll taste great however you go. Live somewhere where you can get fresh crab? Feel free to add a spoonful to each bowl just before serving.

Other options:

Make it vegetarian:

Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Sue Li

For two:Cauliflower Steaks With Coconut-Turmeric Relish

You can get two main-course vegetable steaks out of one whole cauliflower (plus some extra florets to save for a future meal). Here, they are seared and then roasted so that they’re both caramelized and tender throughout. Garnish with a spiced relish of toasted coconut, garlic, ginger, chiles, and golden raisins for a vibrantly flavored finish.

For four:Vegetarian Skillet Stuffed Shells

Stuff jumbo pasta shells with a mixture of sautéed spinach and mushrooms with Parmesan and ricotta, then nestle them in a bed of store-bought marinara (orhomemadeif you prefer) and then cover and steam until everything is warmed through. The resulting dish is so rich and delicious that no one will believe how easy it was to make.

Other options: