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Rachel Ray has done a Thanksgiving special before. She does like turkey breasts and smaller portion options for Thanksgiving dinner. You could totally find the recipes for it on the food network. Then you can make just enough food for dinner for too and maybe a turkey sanwich for lunch the next day. Good Luck!
How about Thanksgiving on a Bun? You buy the microwavable turkey (Jennie O), a jar of turkey gravy, Stovetop stuffing, mashed potatoes (homemade or boxed), cranberry sauce and hamburger buns.
You microwave the turkey (about 5 mins), make the stuffing and mashed potatoes...stack it all on a bun (including the cranberry sauce if you want to and cover with a little gravy! This is a knife and fork sandwich.
Its sooo good! Its great for any day, but it works well for a dinner for 2!
I think you should definitely cook something. Even if he's not very appreciative, you'll feel happier than if you ate PB&J. Cornish hens are really easy to prepare and there won't be lots of leftovers. You can make all of the sides in small portions. For example, you can make mashed potatoes using only 3 potatoes. You could buy mini tarts for dessert. :)
Oh, and some nice wine might help get him in the holiday spirit! If you're trying, I'm sure he'll make an effort.
check out this website: http://www.sheknows.com/articles/806544.htm
Last year I made Rachael Ray's Early Bird Turkey (google it) It was so easy and FI LOVED it. Then we just made stove top, 1/2 a green bean casserole and some rolls.
I'd do duck breasts with potatoes some greens and dressing. but I gotta say i Love the cornish hen idea too. But I'm a foodie , and so we'd have to cook something.
You can buy a turkey breast from Jennie-O. They are the best for a small group. I'm cooking one on Thursday for FI, my brother and his GF. They come in a box, vacuum sealed in juices. You just put it in and follow the box. It's great and super easy!
If you are doing four or less, a whole turkey is a waste of meat and of your time. Go with the turkey breast. It's the best part, big slices of white meat. A whole turkey that small (8lbs) just gives you a lot of bones and dark meat.
Good luck! And if you go the turkey breast route, don't tell your FI how easy it was. Play it up like Betty Crocker!!
http://www.jennieo.com/products/PanRoasts/LeanWhiteTurkeyPanRoast.aspx
Thank you for the suggestions everyone.
My biggest dilemma is whether to cook at all, because the only people present will be my FFIL and he is not a foodie at all. I could put in zero effort or lots of effort and I would get the same indifference from him.
My FI will not be with me - I .. would give anything for him to be with me, because he would appreciate my efforts.
@Automne - You hit it right on the head that if I don't cook I'd probably be super depressed. I really really hope that he'll make an effort to be cheerful and appreciative, although we talked about it once and he told me not to cook, not to make any kind of effort, because he flat out told me that he isn't used to Thanksgiving cheer and that he would feel really bad about disappointing me.
A waste? Girl I think you could make the full shebang and just say that since he's a bachelor (I'm assuming since he's alone on the holiday) you took care of this week's meals for him. I mean really, who can't get enough of Thanksgiving leftovers?
I think what you do is make thanksgiving food... but not ALL of it. Instead of doing turkey and stuffing and mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes and green bean casserole and cranberry sauce etc etc etc just do a turkey (or even chicken) breast with stuffing, mashed potatoes, and a veggie. :)
Wow your FFIL sounds like a barrel of laughs :) I must say I think you are a fantastic DIL - it would *never* occur to me to do what you are doing so I think you are wonderful! (That might have something to do with the fact that my FFIL is a hermit, but I'm not sure I would drive 7 hours to spend time alone with my FMIL either, and she's lovely.) I would cook a meal, to keep myself occupied and because I like eating good food and eating a toasted cheese sandwich would make me more depressed. Is there a cinema nearby? If you could eat a nice meal then spend the afternoon at the movies that might be a good way to get out of the house :)
Have you thought about going to a shelter in the area or local church to help cook and serve those less fortunate and shut-ins? It isn't for everone, but on a day when you want to be in the kitchen and getting into the holiday spirit, it's amazing how rewarding that can feel.
Just scale it down for the 2 of you- I made Thanksgiving for the 2 of us last year and it was super easy and I had a ton of fun. I made a turkey breast, roasted red skin potatoes, stuffing, and baked beans in the crock pot (his request). The turkey, potatoes and stuffing all cooked in the oven at the same time- it was so easy. And a pumkin pie takes about 5 minutes to assemble.
I scaled everything down to 3 servings because we wanted some leftovers- but not a lot, like you.
Good Luck!!
if you're not into cooking, look imto resturant buffets. nicer restaurants usually put on grand scale buffets on thanksgiving and are fairly reasonable- $15/20 per person.
that is what fi and i did last year. it was so nice because we were "alone"........... but surrounded by so many people at the same time.
i second offbeat's suggestion. my mom and i often find ourselves solo on turkey and it's a beast to cook all that food for two. we ended up going out to dinner a couple of times and it was really fun! you get the fesitve without the hours of dishwashing and cleanup :)
A good Thanksgiving for two could include a candle lit dinner with cornish game hens; one for each of you. Serve with wild rice and a ceaser salad and a nice white wine or other beverage of your choice. For desert, you could make some lemon meringe tarts or something else that is a favorite.
Stuff two cornish hens. Simple, elegant and easy!
I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for all your suggestions. I'm here at my FFIL's house, and I was going to go do the shopping for dinner tonight, but he told me not in so many words that dinner was just not what he was accustomed to, and that me giving it a try would be strange because his son isn't here.
I'm trying hard to understand, and I caved into his wishes and didn't prepare anything. I'm trying really hard to distract myself and not think about my family at home... and not try to take this as some kind of "sign" that he doesn't want me as a DIL. Blah blah.
So if you didn't cook, what did you two do? Get some quality talk time, and bond? :)
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Hi bees!
Sadly, if this were Thanksgiving for Two Newlyweds I would be thrilled to write this post, but this is Thanksgiving for Two People who Don't Have Anywhere Else to Go.
I can't fly home for Thanksgiving and spend time with my family and FI (which is a real tragedy for me), so the two options I have are 1. work through the holiday week or 2. drive 7 hours to my FFIL's. He's a bachelor and not a "holiday" type person and of course more than 30 years my senior.
I choose the second one, mostly because my co-worker is also in a LDR and I'd be giving her a ride to see her honey. I can't cancel and let her down. I'm curious what you bees would do, because I'm not sure how to handle Thanksgiving dinner.
I have the skills to pull off the big dinner, but it's a lot of expense, food that'll go to waste, and cleanup just for two people. I'm a foodie, but he's not.
We could go eat a restaurant, but the only ones within driving distance are chains like Applebee's. Nothing delicious that I know of.
I'm at a loss! Should I make peanut butter sandwiches and try not to look too disappointed? What do you do when you have to spent a holiday with no holiday cheer? Drumming up holiday cheer is really tough when it's only two of you and one of you isn't into it.
Is there anything I can do? Any creative ideas out there? Anything I can do to distract us both and/or keep me calm?
I guess what I'm expecting is Thanksgiving with my big happy family - I'm terrified that no matter what happens it'll be a big disappointment, because it will be.