Thanksgiving Dinner Menu for Two

Thanksgiving with all the fixings is an effort, but you can rein that in by spreading it over two or three days and working on it together. This menu is geared for two with a day or two's leftovers (and will serve four if your neighbors have been dropping you hints).

Begin with incredible starters and glass of wine. Some caviar on toast points is always nice, but instead, you might consider making these Ceci Fritos or perhaps fig and goat cheese crostini.

A roast turkey for two may be a lot of turkey for two people but you'll be happy about the leftovers. One idea is to buy a whole small breast, thaw it, then cut it in half and refreeze half for later. Half a breast is not only enough for dinner for two, but enough for a couple of turkey sandwiches later. Try brining the breast which produces a moister and more flavorful result.

This apple and sausage stuffing recipe features pork sausage, apples, and cranberries and will beautifully complement the turkey. You can prep the bread, sausage, and vegetables a day in advance and then store in separate sealed containers until ready to combine and bake (don't refrigerate the bread cubes and make sure they've cooled completely before storing).

Just because you aren't spending three or four hours roasting a whole turkey doesn't mean you have to give up the homemade gravy. Here is everything you need to know to make a delicious gravy from scratch.

This broccoli with blue cheese is hardly worthy of being called a recipe, but it's a winner, not least because it's so quick and easy. You can also do this with steamed asparagus, but broccoli is really the best―the blue cheese complements the broccoli perfectly. For a shortcut, use a quality bottled dressing like Marie's Blue Cheese which is available in the produce section of most grocery stores.

In some families, rutabaga is served at Thanksgiving far more often than sweet potatoes. It's a sweet vegetable (albeit more like a winter squash than sweet potatoes) with a hearty texture. This mashed rutabaga with Bourbon and maple syrup is commonly served mashed with butter, but this doctored-up version makes a nice change from ordinary. Best of all, you can make this a couple of days in advance, then heat in your microwave.

End your meal with traditional fall flavors of apple and cinnamon. This apple crisp recipe calls for a buttery, crumbly oatmeal, and brown sugar topping.