Food & Cooking Recipes Holidays & Events Mastering the Holiday Meal 14 Small Yet Special Roasts for Your Holiday Meal From beef tenderloin with a potato crust to roast chicken with extra stuffing, these entrées will delight at a more intimate feast. By Rebecca Morris Rebecca Morris Rebecca is a freelance writer for MarthaStewart.com. Editorial Guidelines and Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer is an experienced food editor, writer, and recipe developer. She manages the Martha Stewart recipe archive and is always curious about new ingredients and the best techniques. She has been working in food media for over 20 years. Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 25, 2023 Close If you're feeding a smaller group this year and need a festive—but not enormous—roast as the centerpiece of your feast, look no further. We've gathered our favorite small roasts, from pork rib roast to roast chicken, from whole roasted cauliflower to beef tenderloin. They range from feeding a family of four to a party of eight, and what these roasts lack in size, they make up for in presentations worthy of special occasions. These stellar options will make your meal look and taste celebratory. Roast Beef with Shallots 01 of 14 Mini Beef Wellingtons Marcus Nilsson It's fun for everyone to have their own special parcel of beef tenderloin wrapped in flaky puff pastry. Another bonus? This recipe is freezer-friendly, which means you can bake just what you need and save the rest for another night. View Recipe 02 of 14 Herb-Stuffed Pork Roast With Mustard Gravy Johnny Miller This pork rib roast is the perfect option if you want to serve a smaller cut of meat but still deliver the wow factor. It's stuffed with fennel seed, garlic, and parsley and served with an Italian-inspired agrodolce sauce (think sweet and sour). It's simple to pull off but still delights. View Recipe 03 of 14 Inside-Out 'Stuffed' Chicken With Mushroom Dressing Having trouble finding a tiny turkey? We suggest opting for a fancy chicken instead. It's easy to make this beloved bird feel a bit more special when you follow a recipe like this one—you'll bake the whole chicken on top of a savory mushroom dressing. View Recipe Tired of Your Traditional Holiday Menu? Try These Alternatives to 7 Classic Dishes 04 of 14 Acorn Squash With Mixed-Grain Stuffing Louise Hagger Festive and delicious, acorn squash halves are the perfect portion size for a plant-based entree. And when the stuffing is as delicious (and healthy) as this inspired bread-free combination of wheatberries or spelt plus millet, two kinds of mushrooms, golden raisins, spices, and fresh parsley, you know it’s a winning dish. Another bonus, the squash can be made ahead and reheated for serving. View Recipe 05 of 14 Marinated Beef Tenderloin Chris Court Here’s dinner for eight, or for four with leftovers. And no roasting pan is necessary: this beef tenderloin is cooked in an oven-safe skillet. It’s marinated in a lively mixture of Worcestershire sauce, garlic, lemon, and oil, then cooks quickly under the broiler. View Recipe 06 of 14 Pork Chops With Herb Stuffing Richard Jung This main dish tastes great and won't break the budget, either. Stuffing the chops with a mixture of breadcrumbs, herbs, and spices will make it feel like a special occasion treat, too. View Recipe 07 of 14 Whole Roasted Cauliflower With Green Herb Sauce Martyn Thompson As well as being an impressive centerpiece, a whole-roasted cauliflower makes a great anchor to a vegan or vegetarian meal. Pair it with a bright herb sauce and perhaps this vegan mushroom-leek stuffing. View Recipe 08 of 14 Sage and Garlic Crusted Pork Tenderloin If your holiday gathering is smaller this year, swap the bigger roast for something more petite. This easy pork tenderloin coated with aromatic garlic and sage fits the bill. As an added bonus, it's ready in just 40 minutes. View Recipe 09 of 14 Potato-Wrapped Beef Tenderloin A mouth-watering roast and potato side dish all in one? Yes, this recipe is an all-around winner. To make it, wrap a small cut of beef tenderloin in par-cooked russet potatoes. The spuds crisp up nicely in the oven and make for a pretty presentation on the table; any leftover beef makes for excellent sandwiches the next day. View Recipe 10 of 14 Stuffed Turkey Breast With Apricot Jam Romulo Yanes For an extra-easy stuffed bird, this no-truss turkey recipe can't be beat. The recipe has you tuck a deeply savory stuffing made with sausage, sage, lemon zest, and apricot jam underneath the skin. View Recipe 11 of 14 Individual Portobello Mushroom Gratins Portobello mushroom caps become the perfect vegetarian vessel for a creamy and cheesy mushroom gratin filling. View Recipe 12 of 14 Roasted Chicken Breasts With Grape Stuffing Marcus Nilsson A cozy entrée for an at-home feast, split chicken breasts are browned and then set atop a rustic stuffing made with torn ciabatta bread and grapes. They roast together in the oven, melding the flavors and turning the surface of the stuffing delightfully crisp. View Recipe 13 of 14 Apple-Braised Turkey Thighs If the months of November and December could be summed up in a recipe, this may be the one. Turkey thighs are braised in a mixture of apple cider, cider vinegar, fresh apples, and shallots for savory depth. View Recipe 14 of 14 Chicken Roasted Over Lemons and Onions Bryan Gardner Our test kitchen’s ultimate roast chicken recipe skips the stuffing. Instead, the focus is on roasting the bird to perfection with a crispy brown skin and moist meat. The chicken is salted ahead, a key step, then roasted on a sheet pan over a bed of sliced lemons and onions, which you can enjoy along with the chicken. 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