22 (Really Good) Christmas Recipes That Make Enough For 2 People

Fewer people? More for me. 😋

Hosting Christmas dinner for two people this year?

You can still treat yourself to a feast! From festive main dishes to comforting holiday drinks and desserts, you'll find all the Christmas recipes you need to put together a small but mighty holiday food menu.

1. Steak Dinner for 2

tasty.co

This three-course meal — a Caesar salad with bacon, garlic butter steak, and scalloped potatoes — is perfectly portioned out for two people. Don't forget to split a bottle of red!

Recipe: Steak Dinner for 2

2. Mashed Potatoes for 2

thekitchn.com

You can definitely whip up buttery mashed potatoes without making a giant potful — and this ultra-practical version doesn't even require a masher or ricer.

Get the recipe: Mashed Potatoes for 2

3. Air Fryer Chocolate Lava Cakes

temeculablogs.com

This recipe makes four individually sized cakes — but you can easily halve it if you only want two. (But also, who *doesn't* want more dessert for later?) Find more air fryer holiday recipes here.

Get the recipe: Air Fryer Chocolate Lava Cakes

4. Kale and Quinoa Salad

alexandracooks.com

I know Christmas is synonymous with comfort and indulgence, but this salad will be a refreshing note on the holiday table.

Get the recipe: Kale and Quinoa Salad

5. Salted Caramel Brûlée Latte

halfbakedharvest.com

Picture this: just the two of you, sitting on the couch, a cup of salted caramel latte in your hands, watching Die Hard for the hundredth time. What more do you need?

Get the recipe: Salted Caramel Brûlée Latte

6. Pan-Seared Duck Breast With Port Wine Sauce

alexandracooks.com

If you don't feel like cooking a ham or roasting a turkey, may I suggest duck? It's delicious, feels fancy, and actually not that hard to make. This pan-seared duck is brought to a whole new level thanks to a gastrique — a sweet-and-sharp sauce made with caramelized sugar deglazed with vinegar and port wine.

Get the recipe: Pan-Seared Duck Breast With Port Wine Sauce

7. Fingerling Potatoes With Rosemary and Thyme

alexandracooks.com

Only a few ingredients needed to make this foolproof side: potatoes, garlic, thyme, rosemary, olive oil, and kosher salt.

Get the recipe: Fingerling Potatoes With Rosemary and Thyme

8. Cauliflower Cheese

Deb Perelman / smittenkitchen.com

This English classic (think mac 'n' cheese but with cauliflower instead of pasta) can make for a great vegetarian main dish but will also shine bright as a side dish.

Get the recipe: Cauliflower Cheese

9. Berry-Stuffed French Toast for 2

tasty.co

This recipe uses thick-cut brioche bread and raspberries and blackberries — though you can sub in just about any fruit you have on hand.

Get the recipe: Berry-Stuffed French Toast for 2

10. Broiled Lobster Tails

wholesomeyum.com

The only tricky part in prepping this is that you need to butterfly the tails, but the recipe shows you how to do that, step-by-step. You then brush the tails with lemon-garlic butter before broiling them for a few minutes.

Get the recipe: Broiled Lobster Tails

11. Spicy Gingerbread Cookies With Lemon Icing

brooklynsupper.com

It is a truth universally acknowledged that gingerbread cookies will put you in a Christmas mood no matter what.

Get the recipe: Spicy Gingerbread Cookies With Lemon Icing

12. Paprika Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad With Prosciutto and Pimentón Aioli

brooklynsupper.com

The recipe is for six people, but you can easily half the portions. Ready in 25 minutes, this makes for a great first course or a side dish, depending on your mood.

Get the recipe: Paprika Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad With Prosciutto and Pimentón Aioli

13. Super-Simple Glazed Ham

Rocky Luten / food52.com

Is this recipe ambitious? Maybe. But if Christmas isn't the right time for a little bit of culinary ambition, I don't know when is.

Get the recipe: Super-Simple Glazed Ham

14. Chocolate Marshmallows

David Lebovitz / davidlebovitz.com

Homemade. Chocolate. Marshmallows. Need I say more? Alright: homemade chocolate marshmallows served in a cup of steaming-hot chocolate. You're welcome.

Get the recipe: Chocolate Marshmallows

15. Fritto Misto

Lauren Zaser / buzzfeed.com

Just because you're hosting for two people doesn't mean you can't cook your very own Feast of the Seven Fishes. This dish is a great place to start.

Get the recipe: Fritto Misto

16. Sweet and Savory Cheesy Bacon Wrapped Puff Pastry Twists

halfbakedharvest.com

You'll only need a handful of ingredients to make these (with puff pastry, bacon, and cheese being the main ones), and you can easily adjust the portions to make fewer twists than the original recipe yields.

Get the recipe: Sweet and Savory Cheesy Bacon Wrapped Puff Pastry Twists

17. Gingerbread Truffles

greenkitchenstories.com

All the flavors of gingerbread in delicious truffles. I'll take a dozen.

Get the recipe: Gingerbread Truffles

18. Garlic Roasted Carrots

damndelicious.net

Five ingredients, almost zero effort, and just five minutes' prep are needed to make this great side dish.

Get the recipe: Garlic Roasted Carrots

19. Panettone French Toast for 2

David Lebovitz / davidlebovitz.com

Take the ultimate Christmas morning brioche, turn it into French toast, and you're in for the best treat.

Get the recipe: Panettone French Toast

20. Seared Scallops With Herbs Salad

buzzfeed.com

The salad is just a vessel here — the stars are the scallops, and you can be assured that they'll shine bright over your Christmas meal.

Get the recipe: Seared Scallops With Herbs Salad

21. Green Beans With Bacon Bread Crumbs

gimmesomeoven.com

Just think of green beans as an excuse to eat a ton of delicious bacon bread crumbs.

Get the recipe: Green Beans With Bacon Bread Crumbs

22. Overnight Brioche Cinnamon Buns

alexandracooks.com

OK, so you might be wondering how you and your plus-one are going to eat nine cinnamon buns all by yourselves. First of all, you gotta believe in yourself! Second, you can actually freeze some of the buns before you glaze them and save for later.

Get the recipe: Overnight Brioche Cinnamon Buns