I love Thanksgiving. I love any occasion to cook a big meal for people period! But, many times, I hear from friends and family that they don’t know what on Earth to do when they only have a small group for dinner. My advice is: do something small, and sit back and enjoy your guests! Here is a sample menu for some of your Divas and Divos who are at a loss:

– Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Turkey (or Chicken breasts)

– Apple, Sage, Caramelized Onion Stuffing

– Lemon Haricot Vert (french green beans)

– Stewed Spiced Apples and Pears with Cookie Crumble

Apple, Sausage, Carmelized Onion Stuffing

Ingredients

• 16-ounces cubed French bread
• 1 stick butter
• 1 pound fresh sage sausage
• 1 medium onion
• 1 large apple, preferably Honeycrisp
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 egg, beaten

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Put the bread cubes in a large bowl and set aside. Butter a casserole dish.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and break up with a spoon. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the sausage and pan drippings to the stuffing cubes. Melt the remaining butter in the pan. Add the onion, apple, and salt. Cook until the vegetables get soft, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and sage and bring to a boil.

Pour the vegetable mixture over the stuffing cubes and toss until evenly combined. Mix in the eggs. Loosely pack the dressing in the prepared pan and cook uncovered until the top forms a crust, about 40 minutes. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of melted butter over the top. Cook until the top is golden, about 20 minutes more.

You can check out the taping of these recipes here: Savory Thanksgiving Sides, The Domestic Diva on Living Dayton.