Last Updated on January 4, 2026
Easy Turkey Dinner for Two – Christmas Made Simple:
Christmas lunch is one of those sacrosanct meals that you just need to make special. If you have a big family, in many ways it’s easy – albeit hard work. You buy a big turkey – you prepare everything in advance as much as possible – you cook, you serve, and you collapse in a heap to watch the Queen’s Speech. But what do you do when there’s just one or two of you? I know there are ready meals around, but somehow a microwaved turkey dinner doesn’t seem right. Enter my solution – a recipe for a Christmas Turkey Festive Dinner that is perfect for two (although it would work well for more!)
This year, I’m actually escaping to my family in Scotland. So I won’t be cooking a turkey dinner at all. But I’ve enjoyed cooking plenty of Christmas lunches for two. Sometimes I avoid turkey altogether. We like venison for Christmas lunch, and a small fillet isn’t a bad solution – it works well with all the normal Christmas lunch trimmings. Or beef wellington – I’ve got a great recipe for individual beef wellingtons. Game birds are also a great option. Partridge or pheasant both have a festive feel.
What if you want turkey, though? Well, even a crown of turkey will produce a lot of meat for two people. My solution for a Christmas Turkey Dinner for Two allows you to enjoy pigs in blankets and two kinds of stuffing. And, while it looks luxurious, it is actually a very frugal option because all you need is two turkey breast escalopes, some bacon, a few chipolata sausages and a little sage and onion stuffing. I have to confess to cheating with the stuffing and using a packet mix.
Here’s what to do.
Stuffed Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 2 Turkey Steaks or Escalopes
- 40 grams Packet Sage and Onion Stuffing
- 3 Chipolata Sausages
- 2 tsp Chutney of your choice
- 4 rashers Bacon
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil or poultry fat
- 1 large potato
- 1 large parsnip
Instructions
- Set the oven to preheat at 175C
- Peel the potato and parsnip. Cut the potato into chunks and the parsnip into ‘chips’. Place in a pan of cold water, bring to the boil and par boil for 5 minutes. Drain and put to one side
- Put each escalope between two layers of cling film and beat out with a rolling pin till they are as thin as possible
- Remove the skin from the chipolata sausages and mash the meat in a small bowl. Mix through the chutney
- Make up the sage and onion stuffing according to the packet directions
- Spread a mixture of sausagemeat stuffing over each escalope, leaving a border around each piece of meat
- Top the sausagemeat stuffing with sage and onion, then roll up the escalopes into neat parcels
- Lay out the bacon rashers and put each parcel on a pair of bacon rashers. Wrap the rashers up around the parcels. Use any left over chipolata sausages and bacon to make pigs in blankets by wrapping each chipolata in a small strip of bacon
- Tie up each parcel with string
- Put the oil or fat in a roasting pan and heat it in the oven for 5 minutes.
- Add the par-boiled vegetables and the turkey parcels
- Cook at 175c for 25 minutes before turning all the vegetables, basting the turkey parcels and adding the pigs in blankets.
- Cook for a further 20 minutes. To serve, cut and remove the string from each parcel
- Serve with gravy and your choice of vegetables.
Nutrition
What do I like best about this recipe? Well, you get all the best bits of the Christmas lunch with no leftovers. If you want to mix it up, use your own favourite stuffing and add trimmings of your choice
It’s the sort of Christmas lunch that I could eat every day of the year.
Want to make this recipe yourself? Why not pin it for later.
Festive Turkey Dinner for Two – FAQ
What is the Festive Turkey Dinner for Two?
This is a simple Christmas turkey dinner for two made with turkey escalopes, sage & onion stuffing, chipolata sausages, bacon, potatoes and parsnips roasted together for an easy festive main course.
How many servings and calories does this recipe have?
The recipe serves 2 people. Exact calories will vary depending on ingredients used, but as a meat-rich roast dinner with bacon and sausages it will be more caloric than a plain turkey breast alone — plan accordingly if you’re tracking intake.
What are the main ingredients?
The main components are 2 turkey steaks/escalopes, sage & onion stuffing mix, 3 chipolata sausages, chutney, 4 rashers of bacon, a large potato, a large parsnip, and seasoning, all roasted together.:contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
What temperature and cooking time should I use?
Preheat your oven to 175 °C. After preparing the parcels and par-boiling the vegetables, roast everything together for about 45 minutes until the turkey is cooked through and the bacon is crisp.:contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
Can I prepare anything ahead of time?
You can assemble the turkey parcels and wrap them with bacon in advance and refrigerate up to a few hours before roasting. Remove from the fridge ~30 minutes before cooking for more even roasting.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, then put them in airtight containers and refrigerate within two hours of serving. Stored like this, they should keep safely for up to 3 days. Always reheat until piping hot and only reheat once.
Can I freeze portions of this dinner?
Yes — the cooked turkey parcels and some components like stuffing can be frozen. Wrap well or use freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 2–3 months. Defrost completely in the fridge before reheating.
Is this recipe suitable for special diets?
This is a classic meat-based Christmas dinner, so it’s not vegetarian or vegan as written. To adapt for other diets, you can substitute plant-based sausages and vegetarian stuffing options, and omit the bacon.
This post was originally published on London-Unattached
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