Used to Going Big? How to Enjoy a Downsized Holiday Meal

Consider adding a catering spin to your holiday meal with a soup bar and a spread of toppings such as handmade croutons and lardoons, Brownstein says. With the freedom to do things differently, she says, why not pass on apple pie in favor of an ice cream sundae bar for dessert?

"Rather than looking at this as a bummer, look at these things we can do that we don't normally have a chance to do,” says Brownstein. “You can really be with your guests and be with your family when you're not worrying about serving 20 or 30 people.”

Prioritize the experience

It's true that large holiday meals require intense preparation — and for the people who've been working tirelessly in the kitchen since daybreak, relaxing and enjoying with guests usually comes secondary to the logistics of making sure everything is properly cooked and presented.

"Food is important, but it's the family experience that far outweighs what's on the table,” says Alex Pyser, chef de cuisine of Sear + Sea restaurant at the JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa in Orlando, Florida.

"There's no shame in turning away from the stereotypical holiday meal,” he says, but the good vibes of being together, even if it's just a few people, or by connecting virtually, hardly needs to be sacrificed.

Rather than a paper-plate meal where everyone serves themselves from the counter in the kitchen and arrives at the table at different times (often the norm for big, harried family meals), fewer guests make it easy for everyone to sit at the table and eat together. Spread the dishes across the middle of the table and delegate one person to serve everyone to make it all the more intimate.

"Things like that can make the experience a little more meaningful,” says Pyser.

If you usually avoid bringing out the good china and silverware because you don't want to ready the entire set (or risk younger guests breaking a treasured heirloom), a downsized affair offers the opportunity to add some extra elegance to your table while ironing just a few linen napkins and prepping limited silverware settings.

"Everyone always wants to do this stuff, but it can be overwhelming when it's too many people,” Brownstein says. “It's a lot easier to polish just a few settings versus a table full of silverware.”

And if you don't want to give up tradition, of course, there's no reason you should, says Graubart.

"Now is the perfect time to look at those family favorite recipes and your Thanksgiving memories,” she says. “It's a lot easier to cut down a recipe for fewer servings than to multiply it up.”

Find ways to involve loved ones who can't make it

Zoom burnout is all around us. But if any time is a good time to resurrect video chat, it's during your holiday meals to connect with those who aren't with you in person.

"I can foresee a holiday meal with a laptop and camera set up with a place setting in front of it at the table so you can look over while you're eating and see your family member,” says Pyser.

If you're worried that might interrupt the rhythm of real-life meals, you could also consider scheduling a specific time for everyone to gather virtually for a holiday toast or to cook a beloved family recipe. Zoom has lifted its time limit this year for those who don't pay for the service.

Brand USA and Airbnb recently teamed up to launch new USA Country Collection of Online Experiences, in case you're looking to gather virtually with family while doing something totally out of the box together (yet apart). The offerings for Thanksgiving Day include group pad thai cooking lessons, drawing lessons with a New York artist and a lesson in the Zen art of rock balancing.

And don't forget, an old-fashioned phone call can also do the trick.

"Call the people you're usually with on that day, reminisce about the great holiday meals you've had,” says Graubart. “We're going to be gathering again, it's just not going to be this year.”