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In addition to the usual menu, I always like to include a new side dish or salad, or something Southwestern like Chile Relleno Casserole.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: wannaquilt2,

Ours is traditional -- no "surprises"! Not even as to desserts. I look at recipes for things done a bit differently . . . but I just can't change!

Martha

When I cook, it's always the same traditional meal- family doesn't want me to mess around with something different. This year will be unique for us as 2 other couples and us will be going out for our Thanksgiving dinner. None of us will have any family down here so we decided to let ourselves out of of the kitchen. Will miss the good smells and leftovers but not the work. We will have family with us for Christmas for a week so will have plenty of cooking to do then.

Nope! It will be exactly the same menu that DH and I have done for years which we combined from both of our favorites from each family the first year we were married. It's probably a sense of nostalgia but it's also comforting to have one thing remain the same when so much else has changed. There are 364 other days in the year to experiment with new dishes!

If I were cooking the general foods stay the same with some additions: Turkey, gravy, dressing, green beans, sweet potatoes, rolls, deviled eggs and cranberry sauce. Then a few extra sides depending on how I feel.

The only recipes that don't vary are the sweet potatoes and the cranberry sauce. The glazed sweet potatoes are from the 1990 Southern Living Cookbook and the cranberries are from teh back of the bag.

I do the turkey different almost every year. I usually brine it but I used a citrus brine last year - I think it is a keeper. Most years I smoke the turkey. The green beans might be in a casserole, if they are I'll have another green vegetable; or I'll do the WW Asian or traditional with pork seasoning. Rolls I will usually do Virginia light rolls. I might do a potato dish or I'll do a Grits Casserole. I play around with the dressing every year. I think last year was pretty good.

My mother cooked the exact same meal the same way every Thanksgiving and repeated it on Christmas Day. I've not cooked a big dinner on Christmas day in years.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Charming,

We aren't turkey lovers, so it's more often than not non-traditional here. Usually pork roast. One year I made chicken and dumplings... another, lasagna. We're invited this year to DS's new MIL's for dinner. She's making pot roast. A woman after my own heart... LOL
Like some people think rules are meant to be broken, I think traditions are.

Since we usually have 2 Thanksgivings each year I didn't want both meals identical so the one here at home varied. I'd tone it down to turkey, mashed potatoes, very small dish of sweet potatoes, cranberry salad, pumpkin rolls and apple crisp or apple dumplings.
Sometimes Mom wanted to do ham or grill a marinated pork loin instead of turkey so it's been alot of different menus over the years.
Only my stuffing is the constant recipe; I have a nice sized folder of recipes for this holiday meal.
I tried different recipes for pumpkin pie and finally decided that Anita Pritchard's is the best - brown sugar and cream.
Williams Sonoma website has great menus & recipes for Thanksgiving and all are great!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Lurah,

No surprises. This is Thanksgiving, we go all traditional and basic. The turkey isn't brined, or rubbed or gussied up. the potatoes aren't "smashed" they're mashed. The cranberries are jelled, and the pie is punkin.

Since we do so much entertaining during December, we keep Thanksgiving very low key. I stock the refrigerator and pantry with sandwich and salad fixings and some junk food that we normally wouldn't buy. I listen to Christmas carols and wrap presents while others watch football. It's a day for relaxing and being thankful for our lives.

Thanksgiving is pretty traditional at my house. I host, and have about 30 people every year, mostly family and then sometimes friends with no place else to go.

I cook the core of the meal - the turkey, potatoes, gravy, and homemade rolls, and my sisters (5 of them) bring the rest. Every once in a while there will be a non traditional dish that is brought in. The last few years one sister has brought a corn casserole that was never before part of out traditions. She has been growing her own field of corn lately, and boy is that a good dish with her fresh corn. We got a "candy bar salad" once that was weirdly good. Sort of a fruit salad only with cut up chunks of candy bars, and a whipped cream dressing. More like a dessert than a salad to me.

Anyway, yes, once in a while we get non traditional dishes at out thanksgiving dinner, but they aren't made by me.

Step-daughter holds Thanksgiving at her house. EVERYTHING is a surprise! The rest of the family wants traditional foods. Her house is for sale, so she's asked her brother and sister-in-law about cooking at their home. She's cooking roasted piglet this year. It's going to be hard to eat a baby pig. In the last few years, I generally lose a pound or two over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Some,time between Thanksgiving and Christmas I'll have the opportunity to cook traditional when my son brings his 'family' and comes to visit. I'll invite the others then too.

Edited to add: Looks like we are going to have a 2 in 1 meal on Thanksgiving. Daughter-in-law called this morning. They are buying a smoked turkey and want stuffing/dressing, mashed potatoes, etc. Since her sister-in-law (my step-d) will have the oven tied up with the baby pig she was wondering what to do. I told her that you could cook dressing in a slow cooker. And they can heat the smoked turkey on the gas grill. I'm taking the bread machine and mac 'n' cheese...which I may pour in a cast iron skillet, top with bread crumbs, and "bake" on the gas grill. I'll also take a dessert if she thinks it is needed.

It is going to be "interesting"...

This message has been edited. Last edited by: KeepYouInStitches,

Mostly traditional. I'll bring what I'm requested to bring but usually make a new dish/dessert just to try out on my side of the family. With our large clan it is usually consumed.

DH asked me to make a pork roast; he's not that keen on turkey. That's fine with me!!

DH would declare that Thanksgiving hadn't come if there was no turkey. We'll be at step-son's house again, so I doubt I'll be allowed to contribute anything to the meal. I like turkey but am game for new recipes for all the sides.

Pssstttt....I prefer ham.

quote:

Originally posted by KeepYouInStitches:
Pssstttt....I prefer ham.

I do too. For me though it is all about the side dishes. The meat is just a protein on the plate. But to have all those side dishes you don't normally prepare is what I love.

I thought ham was traditional for Thanksgiving. If you have enough people turkey and ham are both served. Not everyone likes turkey, although I do.

In my family, ham was traditional for all holidays! We did not eat turkey. If it were left up to me...I would never cook a turkey. But, alas, I am not the only person eating. I am buying a ham (picnic ham) this year and getting a turkey for free.

DH went with me to pick up some beef from the fresh meat plant Monday. An older man was in there ordering a ham for Thanksgiving. That's where my mother purchased her hams. One for Thanksgiving and then another for Christmas. AND if we were going to have a big gathering at Easter - she got another.

I got a bit melancholy and started to ask if I could join his family.

I agree with Charming! Give me the side dishes for Thanksgiving. I love the aroma of the food cooking and mashed potatoes and yummy stuffing/dressing with lots of gravy are my favorite. Really, a bite or two of turkey (smothered in gravy) is all I need of that.

For the last couple of years, I've tried to make a turkey and all the extras for the sake of my kids, so they begin learning about traditions. Well, what a flop. Neither kid liked any of it. Ack!

After said baby pig complete with apple in its mouth was roasted (in the gas grill outside so the visual could be ignored), it was dissected and meat put on a platter so the whole unappetizing thing was not in the center of the table. A piece was poked in front of my face and I had no choice...mushy and bland. No texture or flavor or even seasoning. Also had fresh green beans roasted...then set aside and reheated before sitting down to eat...they were forgotten and came out crispy. Whole roasted carrots with so much chipotle peppers and sauce on them that they were too hot for most to eat. Also had some braised cabbage that was very good!

The smoked turkey was delicious! StepD frowned as the dressing was being assembled (but remember this was not her house). LOL DIL goofed and purchased blue cornmeal! She called the night before and we had a good laugh. Husband came into the living room and I told him the "problem"...well he thought they either needed to go to the store and buy more meal or I should bake some cornbread here and take there - blue dressing should not be served on a holiday...that would be like green eggs and ham! LOL They had already baked the cornbread. I told her to taste it and if it tasted the same (which I fully expected it to) that she should use it. Step-Ss verdict was that it tasted the same. With the gas grill and oven occupied, it was "baked" in a slow cooker at my suggestion. I've done that once before myself. Very good! Oh...and it lost most of its "blueness"...!

That along with my homemade bread and New York style cheesecake... and pecan cream cheese pie and pumpkin pie. Oh and SILs homemade cranberry sauce for those who eat it (all except me as I do not like sweet with my meal...save that for dessert). Visiting, playing with grandchildren, eating, the guys watched football, the women play Scrabble after the late afternoon meal... Very enjoyable day!