Recipes

[Firemans Wife 2001]

What is on your menu for Thanksgiving?

[DiAnne]

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!

[spix]

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

[Mothertrucker]

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

[GinaV24]

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.

[Zita]

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.

[beckyb1012]

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@Mothertrucker wrote:

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

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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.

[chickenbutt]

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.  

[IamMrsG]

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.  

[ciao_bella]

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.