by Lenna Gonya

Created on: November 06, 2009

My mother-in-law and brother-in-law live across the country from us, and, they are sometimes alone at Thanksgiving. So, several years ago, I came up with an idea to make sure that they had a Thanksgiving dinner that was easy to fix, yet contained all of the traditional foods needed for a Thanksgiving dinner for two.

It's sometimes easier to ignore Thanksgiving altogether if you are away from the rest of the family, unless you have all the ingredients on hand. You can assemble this Thanksgiving dinner ahead of time for yourself or for friends and family, and deliver it or send it as a surprise Thanksgiving gift.

The chief complaint about fixing any big meal when there are only two of you is that you have too many leftovers and no one to share them with. Often, you have nowhere to freeze or store the leftovers either. With this Thanksgiving in a Box meal, there is enough for two, without the excess, and, it's much better than a frozen turkey TV dinner.

The beauty of this Thanksgiving care package is that the items don't need to be refrigerated, and are relatively easy to package and send.

Canned turkey may not be a freshly roasted bird right out of the oven, but it is pretty good with mashed potatoes and gravy. Two people are sometimes hesitant to deal with even the smallest bird. And, there are few leftovers to finish up. The mashed potatoes, of course, are instant, and the gravy canned, but there are a lot of good boxed instant potatoes on the market now.

Canned sweet potatoes, or candied yams, canned cranberry sauce, and cans of assorted vegetables compliment the meal. If they like the traditional bean bake you can add green beans and a can of mushroom soup.

There are also any number of boxed easy to fix muffin, roll, and stuffing mixes on the market, that take very little time to make. Other mixes that are quick dessert ideas, such as cheesecake and even a do-it-yourself refrigerator pumpkin pie kit can be included.

Along with the meal for two in a box it's fun to add some homemade touches, such as cookies, candy or, even a small cake.

This would be an easy fix for any couple that's going to be alone for Thanksgiving, or any single person. It's not as good as a big family get together and feast, but it gives everyone a taste of Thanksgiving without all the work.

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