Thanksgiving will be different for everyone this year and for us it means celebrating just the two of us and from abroad. As food is a such a focus for Thanksgiving, I wanted to share with all of you what we plan to make for our paired down Thanksgiving. For the menu, we each picked our Thanksgiving must-have dish and then added some other favorites to round out the meal. 

Duck Breasts With Citrus Port Cherry Sauce - While we both like turkey for sandwiches, neither of us really like roast turkey that much and because small turkeys are still quite large, we decided we would change to another poultry option. We thought about doing cornish hens, but as we have never made them at home, we decided we didn't want to make things complicated by adding a new to us main dish. We have made these duck breasts numerous times and find them easy and delicious, so they will be a great poultry alternative to turkey. 

Mashed Potatoes (My Husband's Must-Have) - My husband is a big mashed potatoes fan, so I knew we couldn't pass on having them for our mini Thanksgiving. I do prefer mashed potatoes with skins, so we will be following this recipe. 

Stuffing - Stuffing is my second favorite item for Thanksgiving after pecan pie. I have been having this one at Thanksgiving for the past few years and will be making it again this year. The recipe is so good!

Glazed Carrots - I first made these carrots this past spring and they are delicious! The maple glaze also makes them feel extra festive. 

Green Beans - With everything else on the heavier side, I wanted a green vegetable to cut through all the fat. Ina's recipes are always amazing, so I am sure these will be the perfect addition to our mini Thanksgiving. 

Pecan Pie (My Must-Have) - Pecan pie has been my favorite pie as long as I can remember. I also only have it on Thanksgiving, so it's something I always look forward to on the holiday.