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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsWhat is your Thanksgiving Day menu?
While I'm a 60 year old, soon to be 61, I'm the cook and this is what I'll be making with help from my wife, father-in-law and step daughter:
Turkey
Stuffing (prepared by my wife)
Turkey gravy (from a bottle)
Garlic mashed potatoes
Yams (from a can)
Green bean casserole (made by my stepdaughter)
Three bean salad
Cooked rutabaga (made by my father-in-law)
Corn (from a can)
Deviled eggs
Sliced bread
Pumpkin Pie (made by my wife)
Pineapple pretzel salad (made by both my wife and I)
Cranberry Gelatin Salad (made by my wife)
Applesauce (from a bottle)
Ice cream
Coffee
Milk
Pop
handmade34
(22,756 posts)planning an easy day
PJMcK
(22,029 posts)I'm 61 and also will be the cook. But from there, we diverge.
My wife is going to be in the Macy's parade then we're driving from NYC to Maryland to visit family. So our dinner will be on Friday this year.
Beef tenderloin roast (horseradish and Bearnaise sauces)
Baked red potatoes with minced onion and thyme
Steamed asparagus with bits of red bell pepper
Creamed spinach
Caesar salad
Freshly baked bread
Mixed fruit salad
Ice cream
Pumpkin pie
Full bar
Coffee
Sodas (if anyone wants it)
Have a great time and enjoy your meal!
veganlush
(2,049 posts)No animal "products", just plant based goodness, lots of veggie whole food side dishes. Cold beer and red wine, warm bread. Plan to try a white castle impossible burger stuffing recipe a saw yesterday
Arkansas Granny
(31,514 posts)Turkey and gravy
Stuffing
Mashed potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Broccoli rice casserole
Cranberry orange relish
Pumpkin, pecan, sweet potato, apple pies
Hot rolls and butter
Various adult beverages
Cooking chores will be divided amongst the attendees.
True Blue American
(17,982 posts)I make the Dressing,( Secret recipe) and began to make the gravy after my DIL pulled out a can. Funny because she is a Food Scientist.
Wavering between an old fashioned sweet potato pie or peanut butter.
Sons specialty, Turkey on the char coal grill.
And whatever the rest bring.
Arkansas Granny
(31,514 posts)The exceptions would be the hot rolls and pie crusts. I used to make really good, but it seems that I've lost the touch.
True Blue American
(17,982 posts)Now my son does
bucolic_frolic
(43,123 posts)and some veggies. I don't fuss.
lkinwi
(1,477 posts)SIL:
Turkey
Stuffing
Mashed potatoes
Homemade gravy
Green bean casserole
Me:
Corn casserole- homemade
French silk pie- store bought
Cheesecake-store
Other Family members:
Deviled eggs
Jello
Sweet potato casserole- homemade
Various snacks and hors doeuvres
Drinks 😁
Freddie
(9,259 posts)Turkey
Mashed potatoes
Filling (Pa Dutch bread and potato stuffing)
Green bean casserole
Copes Dried Corn (also PA Dutch)
Sweet potatoes (frozen)
Cranberry sauce (can)
Rolls or homemade bread
Pumpkin pie
Apple crisp
True Blue American
(17,982 posts)Cranberry sauce I still prefer that jellied.
Ohiogal
(31,969 posts)Thats the only kind my mother ever served so I guess thats what I got used to.
True Blue American
(17,982 posts)Of my son grew up on a ranch in SD. He saw my can, said, Real Cranberry sauce!
Freddie
(9,259 posts)To get it to come out of the can perfectly. Over the years Ive figured it out.
mnhtnbb
(31,382 posts)to my oldest son's and partner's new house. First time they will be hosting Thanksgiving. They already said they won't be cooking turkey, but I don't know what they are planning. I offered to bring pie and they requested the sweet potato pie. My youngest son and his partner will be traveling to Denmark and Sweden over Thanksgiving, so it will just be the three of us.
True Blue American
(17,982 posts)Sweet potato pie. Never made it until I went to Tennessee.
mnhtnbb
(31,382 posts)I've never even eaten sweet potato pie. I gave them a list of options from a pie company that makes pies to order and that's what they chose!
I'm moving the Monday before Thanksgiving and told them I wouldn't be cooking.
True Blue American
(17,982 posts)Intense.
Truthfully the younger ones make a delicious Sweet potato casserole. That may be why I take peanut butter. My son sweet talked the owner of a Hungarian restaurant to tell him.
True Blue American
(17,982 posts)Companies make better than scratch.
Arazi
(6,829 posts)You're an Amazon. I'm impressed. You've been thru a lot of changes in the last 5 years ...
mnhtnbb
(31,382 posts)I'm going to schlep dishes, glassware, fragile stuff myself on a cart. Take stuff out of a cabinet and put it back in a cabinet so no packing or unpacking of boxes. Movers will handle furniture and anything I don't get done the weekend before they come.
I'm moving to the same floor plan 12 floors higher. Fabulous view. Everything goes back in the same place.
No more moves after this! Famous last words, right? Actually this represents a decision that I'd been thinking about for some time. I'd considered moving abroad, returning to Chapel Hill, buying a condo, relocating to another state and decided that I really like this building and downtown Raleigh but the one thing that could be better would be to be on a higher floor for the better view. They've had a lot of turnover in the 2 bedroom apartments from tenants buying houses so they dramatically dropped the price and I decided to take advantage of it.
So I'm basically going through the hassle of moving for the view, but I'll be getting what I wanted originally that wasn't available when I settled last year for this apartment so I wouldn't have to put stuff in storage after the house sold.
Ohiogal
(31,969 posts)Were pretty traditional here.
This year the menu will be:
Roast turkey
Stuffing
Gravy
Real sweet potatoes, mashed with butter and brown sugar
Yeast rolls
all made by me from scratch.
Green beans - probably almandine- that I froze from my summer garden. I detest green bean casserole and will not allow it in my house!
Mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce made by my sister
Pumpkin and apple pies made by my son
And my sister is bringing brownies because she doesnt like pie
Im sure the wine will be flowing, as well ....depends on what my hubby brings home from the store .... most likely a Chardonnay or a Pinot Noir.
True Blue American
(17,982 posts)Canned or frozen green beans.
Ohiogal
(31,969 posts)Some years we have asparagus instead of green beans. Or broccoli. I just happen to have green beans available this year. 🙂
True Blue American
(17,982 posts)Your own. I was referring to store bought. I love fresh green beans. That was not meant for you.
Ohiogal
(31,969 posts)I think they come out fresher tasting that way.
Yes, I get that wasn't meant for me now that I re-read it. Not enough coffee I guess!
True Blue American
(17,982 posts)Arkansas Granny
(31,514 posts)we started having it at my daughters house. She wanted her kids to have memories of waking up to the smells of the meal being prepared like she had as a child. Now her children are all grown and she has passed the torch to her brother who still has 3 children at home. Thanksgiving is our big family dinner of the year.
True Blue American
(17,982 posts)I was not happy at first, but our dinners have gone from Grandpa and Grandpa, mom and Dad, then us, now on to the next.
sarge43
(28,941 posts)Turkey
Mash potatoes
Stuffing
Gravy
Cranberry sauce
Succotash
Tomato, green pepper, onion salad
Pie, apple or pumpkin
rsdsharp
(9,163 posts)Me:
Turkey (done Alton Brown's way)
Ham
Dressing
Mashed potatoes
Gravy (out of a jar)
Butternut squash, bacon, apple bake
Brussel sprouts with bacon and maple syrup
Emma's corn (sort of a cross between regular and creamed corn)
Wife:
Cranberry, pear and apple chutney
Pecan pie
Chocolate dream pie
Pumpkin bars
Friends:
Homemade rolls
Brie Bites
Poppy seed noodles.
Daughter:
Probably Chex Mix and maybe another appetizer.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,669 posts)I'm not going anywhere.
Tree-Hugger
(3,370 posts)My mom typically makes Thanksgiving dinner, but her health has been scary in the recent month so we are figuring things out. I can easily make a full dinner, but my dad just told me he will be cooking it this year. It'll be interesting. lol
Turkey
Gravy (most from scratch, but mom always has an emergency jar)
Homemade mashed potatoes
Stuffing balls (we don't stuff the turkey)
Mashed sweet potatoes
Candied sweet potato slices
Green beans
Corn
Cranberry sauce - which is the only thing from the can.
I think I will be handling the pies this year. I HATE all pie and have never made one, but I feel confident in my ability. Our traditional Thanksgiving pies are:
Pumpkin Pie
Pudding Pie
Sometimes, there is cheesecake.
Coffee
Tea
Runningdawg
(4,516 posts)Tabbouleh
Cabbage rolls
Olives
Turkey w/gravy
Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole
Broccoli Rice Casserole
Asparagus
Brussel Sprouts
Cranberry sauce
Hot rolls
Something Chocolate
A Cheesecake
Pecan Pie
Gradma's stuffing (bread, Bell's seasoning, wilted onions)
Home-grown mashed potatoes
Home-grown squash
Home grown broccoli and onion casserole
Mom's corn pudding
Home-grown peas
Homemade (homegrown) apple pie
Homemade Maine wild blueberry pie
Homemade pecan pie
Homemade orange-wild Maine cranberry relish
Home-grown hand-pressed home-brewed sparkling hard cider
(and beer and wine and spirits).
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)from NY. My brothers will be having Thanksgiving with their inlaws. I am kind of a purist and like the basics - Turkey, basic mashed potatoes, stuffing baked in the oven, mashed butternut squash, gravy and a few assorted vegetable dishes, at least one green. However, my mother will always dominate and likes to try new recipes.
She always likes to doctor up the mashed potatoes w/ sour cream/cream cheese, etc. - they aren't bad, but they are very rich. She likes stuffing in the bird, and I don't. I like a homemade cranberry orange sauce and she likes to make a cranberry ice/sorbet type of thing, which is good, but I still miss the traditional cranberry sauce.
She will always come up with a few other "surprises", whereas I would rather have something like sauteed greens, green beans almondine or a broccoli/cauliflower gratin. There is always a little bit of a struggle and we manage to come up w/ a compromise or making a little bit of everything. I like interesting dishes, but on Thanksgiving, there are certain classics I like to stick to.
As for dessert, I really don't care, because I rarely eat it. We eat on the later side and I am usually full until I go to bed, so they can have whatever they like. If I was to make a dessert choice, I suppose I would like a chocolate, bourbon pecan pie or a pumpkin cheesecake (both of which I have made before) with homemade whipped cream.
I am sure I will be happy with whatever we have. I just wish I had a larger place so that I could host every once in a while instead of always having to visit family.
Skittles
(153,142 posts)maybe I will make it turkey
Generic Brad
(14,274 posts)Our daughter lives states away and can't visit. We don't have any friends or relatives here. I avoid sodium, calories and fat so there's not even a good meal to look forward to.
As I age, holidays have become just long, boring days I have to live through until I can go back to doing something useful at work.
Harker
(14,012 posts)Stuffing with celery and carmelized onions
A simple vegan gravy with mushrooms
Roasted sweet potatoes
Fresh cranberry sauce
Corn or peas
A peppery tofu cutlet
Wine
Love
Thankfulness