topic Re: Thanksgiving menu in Recipes

Thanksgiving menu

Firemans Wife 2001 — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 15:39:10 GMT

What is on your menu for Thanksgiving?

Re: Thanksgiving menu

DiAnne — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 16:13:07 GMT

Pretty traditional for us. Turkey, cranberry sauce, dressing, gravy, fresh green beans and mushrooms (no green bean casserole), candied yams (no marshmallows), brussel sprouts, salad, pumpkin pie with five spice and an apple crisp.

I don't make mashed potatoes because they are always left over because everyone in my family loves dressing. Try to aim to not have too much leftover. One good turkey sandwich makes me happy!

Re: Thanksgiving menu

spix — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 16:26:29 GMT

Pretty much traditional, relish tray, turkey,(and a turkey breast so everyone can take doggie bags) stuffing, mashed, gravy, candied sweets, cranberry sauce, creamed cabbage, asparagus, corn souffle, rolls. pumpkin pie, apple pie.

Can't deviate or there would be mutiny lol

Re: Thanksgiving menu

Mothertrucker — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 17:44:00 GMT

My kids told me they want LESS food this year.. Not sure what to cut out....

Re: Thanksgiving menu

GinaV24 — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 18:10:36 GMT

We do the traditional things, too. One thing I really miss is one of my aunt's brought home made succotash and I can't quite recreate how she did it. Of course I'm one of the few people in the family who LIKE lima beans.

Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes and mashed, too. Followed by pumpkin, apple and cranberry mince pie.

I'm hungry thinking about it.

Re: Thanksgiving menu

Zita — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 18:38:46 GMT

I have to wait to see what Coburn's Delivers brings me! My daughter is sending a pre-cooked turkey dinner with sides and dessert. All I have to do is set the table and buy some wine! After a hundred years of cooking Thanksgiving dinners, this will be fun.

Re: Thanksgiving menu

beckyb1012 — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 19:34:23 GMT

@Mothertrucker wrote:
My kids told me they want LESS food this year.. Not sure what to cut out....

Tell them it is only one day a year. Would they have wanted you to say less Christmas presents when they were children? More food the better.

We always have turkey and another meat (last year it as Pork tenderloin), two kinds of potato's all the same traditional sides and cranberry sauce and about 6 different desserts or more when you factor in fudge and cookies.

No guilt only food, football and above all else fellowship.

Re: Thanksgiving menu

chickenbutt — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 20:23:45 GMT

I pretty much do the same thing every year - turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, a veg (maybe a green bean/almond/mushroom sautee), gravy, and one dessert - more often than not it's pumpkin pie.

That is more than enough for us.

Now, it takes me 4 days, including all prep and grocery shopping, to put that together properly. So I don't take it lightly. I could take shortcuts but I'd really rather go all the way to making the best possible food so, as long as I can manage it, that's what I will do.

I've made a few revisions that make it easier for me. The latest one is roasting the turkey on Wednesday. I brine it overnight on Tues, and then make up my dry rub and cook it Wed. That way i have plenty of time to let it cool, carve the whole thing (my least fav task on Thursday!) and I put some in a casserole to heat up on Thursday (add a little turkey stock to moisten and it's like new) and the rest just goes into a large L&L (or two) until a couple of days later when I further break it down and vacuum seal/freeze it.

I also make the dressing on Tues or Wed, and just set it up in the casserole to bake on Thurs. I make croutons with sourdough bread, tossed in olive oil with some spices/herbs - bake in the oven until slightly crisp and browned. Then I saute the veg, make the wild rice, and cook up some sausage and it all ends up going together with the rest of the ingredients and into a covered (sealed up) casserole in the refrigerator.

I spread EVERYTHING out as much as possible so that I'm not wanting to die by the time I'm done. For the last few years that I did everything, but the pie, on Thursday, I was so dead when I was done that I couldn't even eat a crumb. I don't eat that much anyway, but it's nice to be done and still feel fairly ok.

Re: Thanksgiving menu

IamMrsG — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 22:15:38 GMT

Roast Turkey with Cornbread Sausage Stuffing

Cranberry Sauce with Dried Cherries and Cloves
Sweet Potato Poon
Turkey Gravy
Sauteed Cipolline Onions
White W.K. corn
Whole Green Beans

Dinner rolls

Pinot Grigio

Pumpkin Pies (2)

Additionally, I am supplying a link I posted @Chickenbutt last Thanksgiving morning.

Re: Thanksgiving menu

ciao_bella — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 23:23:25 GMT

For the last 40 years or so, I have made the traditional Thanksgiving dinners, sometimes with lots of company and other times with just a handful of family, and it has always been a joy to do it.

This year, it will be a small family gathering of 5. My daughter mentioned it would be fun for each of the five family members, including me, to write a favorite family dinner on a piece of paper, other than turkey. We threw the papers into a hat and picked a winner... It was lasagna with meatballs and sausage, Caesar salad, garlic bread and cannoli for dessert. So, lasagna it will be!

Everyone will pitch in and help make this year a non-traditional turkey day, but one thing will never change; sharing with the love of family.

Re: Thanksgiving menu

Bridgegal — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 23:31:10 GMT

We're are going to Texas for the first family Thanksgiving together since 1994. I'll eat anything on the table but I sure am hoping for our traditional Thanksgiving meal. Especially the cornbread and sage dressing..

Re: Thanksgiving menu

Mothertrucker — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 23:42:58 GMT

I am with you @chickenbutt...I am a do-a header! However, in the case of Thankgiving, I work a 12 hour day Weds, and the kids won't be able to start the drive down from Reno till late Weds as well...

good thing I am an early riser...at least my turkey will be brined....and my son is bringing one of his special desserts.....sigh.....I will only make one kind of stuffing this year...I can do my stock in advance..i'llget some extra necks and wings...

Re: Thanksgiving menu

JeanLouiseFinch — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 01:32:48 GMT

Turkey
Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Glazed Carrots
Green Beans
Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry Orange Relish
Strawberry Pretzel Jello
Dinner rolls or mini croissants
Soft drinks
Wine
Pumpkin Dump Cake
Texas Sheet Cake

Re: Thanksgiving menu

qualitygal — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 13:04:04 GMT

@Firemans Wife 2001 wrote:
What is on your menu for Thanksgiving?

What's on yours?

Re: Thanksgiving menu

Blk&GoldFan — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 13:27:32 GMT

I, too, starting doing my turkey the day before a few years ago. I reheat low and slow on a warming tray with a little turkey or chicken stock. Gets the house smelling great again. One hint I read was to cover the turkey with the skin when storing and reheating to help keep it moist. I also make my gravy a week or so ahead with purchased turkey wings and freeze. Then I add the broth/turkey drippings from Wednesday cooking to make additional. After years of stress, I have found as many ways to simplify Thursday as possible to let me enjoy my family. I had a co-worker tell me she would set her table days ahead and cover it all with a clear plastic tarp to keep glassware/silverware clean. This is great to do as I also put all the serving pieces in the middle of the table w/post-it notes on each with what food goes where.

Re: Thanksgiving menu

beckyb1012 — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 14:52:01 GMT

@Bridgegal wrote:
We're are going to Texas for the first family Thanksgiving together since 1994. I'll eat anything on the table but I sure am hoping for our traditional Thanksgiving meal. Especially the cornbread and sage dressing..

Tyler Texas here born here and will die here. There had better be cornbread/sage dressing on your table or it is not the home of a real TEXAN!!

The only thing in the last couple of years we have added different to our Texas Thanksgiving menu is having a Cajun twist to the mashed potatoes and their very own Cajun gravy. Love that heat!!! Still have the other gravy for the turkey and stuffing. 1994? Mercy how did you stand the wait, WELCOME!!!!!!!!

Re: Thanksgiving menu

Firemans Wife 2001 — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 15:48:56 GMT

my menu is pretty traditional too:

- turkey with gravy

- stuffing

- mashed potatoes

- sauteed mushrooms

- green bean casserole

- glazed carrots

- coleslaw

- cranberry sauce

- relish tray

- rolls

- Carmel Apple Cake

- Pumpkin Piie

Re: Thanksgiving menu

chickenbutt — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 16:53:02 GMT

Mothertrucker wrote:
I am with you @chickenbutt...I am a do-a header! However, in the case of Thankgiving, I work a 12 hour day Weds, and the kids won't be able to start the drive down from Reno till late Weds as well...

good thing I am an early riser...at least my turkey will be brined....and my son is bringing one of his special desserts.....sigh.....I will only make one kind of stuffing this year...I can do my stock in advance..i'llget some extra necks and wings...

Hey Tam! Oh, I forgot that your kids live up here. I hope they are enjoying a few cool days we've had lately. I guess it's getting warm again soon, though. I sure miss our long, cold, snowy winters.

Yeah, the further we get on with age and physical challenges the harder it gets to knock it all out in a short period. After a one day thing, except making the pumpkin pies on Wed, I started with two days, then went to three, and now four. But that includes my grocery shopping. It's the one huge list I have each year. I always order a fresh turkey from Raley's to be picked up on Monday. It's a little bit spendy but totally worth it.

Hope you and the family have a great holiday! I'm trying not to think about it too much so soon because I end up getting too into it and I peak out ahead of time. That probably sounds weird, but it makes sense in my complicated head.

Re: Thanksgiving menu

NoelSeven — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 22:00:28 GMT

I'm with Chicken Butt, I try to make as much ahead of time as I can, too. We used to have a crowd over but people have moved away, a few have passed on, so there's just the three of us for holidays now.

Now I've added something new... There are a couple of things I make the next day to add a little spark to the meal and so I don't get too tired, like yams.

DH has always done the turkey and dressing. He slices celery and chops onions Wednesday night and keeps the dressing mix in the frig.

DD makes my mother's gravy.

I make a fancy homemade cranberry sauce Tuesday. Usually the one with Gran Marnier.

We're not big fans of green beans, so I do a festive salad: baby greens, small blue cheese chunks, candied nuts and bright red pomegranate seeds.

Black olives and watermelon pickles. My mother used to make the watermelon pickles from scratch, I order them from the Vermont Country Store.

Dessert is always homemade pecan pie, but I cheat with a frozen crust.

And champagne throughout the meal.

Re: Thanksgiving menu

NoelSeven — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 21:56:39 GMT

Forgot one thing...

Our daughter is allergic to onions so she makes her own dressing. She begins by making her own croutons, sometimes from Challah, which comes out amazingly well.

Always fresh sage, which we also use under the turkey skin, and other little fancy touches she adds. Hers is incredibly delicious.