Scaling Down a Thanksgiving Meal – Making a Feast for Two
November 4, 2011
•Le Cordon Bleu
•San Francisco
• 0 Comments
Scaling Down a Thanksgiving Meal – Making a Feast for Two
Traditionally, Thanksgiving is the time for lots of food and large gatherings of friends and family. Many times, the dishes are prepared by many of those attending the meal. But for those who feel like having a more intimate gathering this holiday, it can be rather challenging to find culinary info to guide you on how to scale down the recipes that are normally calculated to feed many. Everyone loves Thanksgiving leftovers, but most people can only eat so many turkey sandwiches and other creative leftover creations.
This year, cut down on the cooking time and the massive leftovers by following some of these simple tricks.
1. Skip the turkey
While this may sound unfathomable to those who look forward to the bird the most, there are other poultry options that can more appropriately feed two, as opposed to an entire crowd. Try cooking a Cornish game hen or a roast chicken. If you simply can’t imagine giving up the turkey, try and find a smaller one and freeze the leftovers.
2. Bake sweet potatoes
Rather than mash up a whole lot of sweet potatoes, simply bake two. Not sure how to do this? Don’t worry it’s easier than it seems. Simply heat the oven to 375 F, pierce sweet potatoes with a fork and allow to bake for about 45 minutes. Next, scoop out the middle part of the potato (cutting the potato lengthwise) and mash in a bowl with a little butter, milk and brown sugar. Put the mixture bake in the jackets, place in a cooking dish and allow to bake uncovered at 400 F for about 20 – 25 minutes. There you have it, perfect single serve sweet potatoes!
3. Pick a veggie
Normally, when cooking Thanksgiving dinner for a large group, you need to offer a variety of veggies to give your guests options. The good thing about cooking for two is that there is no need to waste time money or food with extra side dishes. Only choose the ones you like! Try making a side of steamed veggies for a healthy twist on Thanksgiving dinner, or choose a decadent salad rich with nuts, goat cheese and whatever else you may choose to add.
4. Don’t skip dessert!
Make your favorite apple or pumpkin pie recipe and keep the leftovers! We’ve decided this is just one part of Thanksgiving you shouldn’t have to scale down on!
Try these simple tricks and you will have the best San Francisco cooking available in the comfort of your own home!
This article is presented by California Culinary Academy. California Culinary Academy offers culinary arts and pâtisserie and baking training programs in San Francisco, California. To learn more about the class offerings, please visit Chefs.edu/San-Francisco for more information.
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