Thanksgiving Dinner

[Gryffindorian]

My family tradition of Thanksgiving has changed over the years. One of my older sisters used to host the dinner at her house until she and her family moved to a new city. Nowadays one or two of us just order a pre-cooked turkey and side dishes at the supermarket (like Nob Hill Foods), and we have our Thanksgiving dinner at our house.

We're doing something different this year. My siblings and I are each assigned to bring a dish or an item (for example, desserts, drinks, turkey, appetizers, etc.). And I'm looking for ideas on what to make for dessert or a side dish. I don't want a whole lot of preparation and cooking time, and I certainly don't want to get a store-bought item (unless it's a dessert from the Cheesecake Factory). I'm open to suggestions.

What say you? What do you usually prepare, cook, or bring to a Thanksgiving dinner party? Any recipes you'd like to share?

 

[JanewayRulz!]

A desert OR a side dish?

Have you been assigned one of each?

Are there any dietary restrictions like nut allergies, chocolate induced migraines?

How much preparation is "too much" in your book, since you prefer to avoid "store bought"?

Do you have access to an oven?

How many are you feeding?

 

[DonIago]

Having my first Thanksgiving this year where I'm bringing something. I decided to mildly challenge myself and am making a sweet potato casserole for the first time in my life. The recipe I found is basically "put everything together in a skillet" so I'm pretty confident it's within my abilities.

 

[Melakon]

Hash brownies will mellow everyone out.

 

[auntiehill]

We always have turkey, bread-crumb stuffing, green beans almondine, and pie of some sort.

I'm going to Mom's this Thanksgiving, as she has invited us all. But she's 80 now, so she's having it fully catered! She even forbid us from bringing anything. This should be fun. Well, not that much fun; my in-laws are coming. *shudder*

 

[Gryffindorian]

A desert OR a side dish?

Either one. I'm actally in charge of the drinks and maybe a dessert item.

Have you been assigned one of each?

Nope. Sister 1 is in charge of the turkey. Sister 2 will bring salad/veggies and fruit, etc.

Are there any dietary restrictions like nut allergies, chocolate induced migraines?

We're all diabetic but will eat just about anything.

How much preparation is "too much" in your book, since you prefer to avoid "store bought"?

Every recipe I read from the Food Network Magazine appears to be "too much" work. I'd like to keep it down to an hour of cooking time.

Do you have access to an oven?

Yup.

How many are you feeding?

There are 12 of us.

 

[Peach Wookiee]

Okay, for drinks, do cranberry juice. For a dessert, make a pumpkin pie. You can find very simple recipes and whatever you do, do what the pros do: buy pureed pumpkin.

 

[auntiehill]

Green beans, with almonds---great veggie dish. Boil water, buy some sliced almonds, easy peasy.

Crescent rolls or biscuits make a great side, as well.

Stuffing is good, too. Pepperidge Farm Stuffing is savory, yummy and takes less than an hour. Even an idiot like me can do it. You also easily add stuff for your own personal taste.

 

[mari]

^ We do the Pepperidge Farm stuffing too. The one with the blue label.

Mom and I are the Thanksgiving cooks in our family. I live next door to my parents and have the larger dining room, so we're eating at my house this year. 12 of us including my husband's family. Turkey, mashed potatoes, turnip, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, asparagus sautéed in garlic, green beans, cranberry sauce (both homemade and canned) and rolls. For dessert, apple pie, squash pie (from a can, better than pumpkin) and possibly pecan pie if I feel ambitious. We have one vegetarian, and two picky eaters (ages 2 and 28). Fun times!

 

[nureintier]

For the past few years, I've been going to my cousin's and having dinner with him and his wife. Our uncle Bill and my mom usually come along, too. Used to go to my grandparents' but they don't usually make huge dinners anymore, and they eat with a different uncle.

Pretty much every year I end up bringing along white chocolate raspberry cheesecake, because they ask me to (I mean, they prefer that I make that every year instead of other things, which is fine with me).

Either one. I'm actally in charge of the drinks and maybe a dessert item.

Pie is good, and a lot of pies aren't that hard to make. I usually go lemon meringue or pumpkin, even though I hate making the meringue, or cheesecake if I feel like spending more time. Not all cheesecakes take a lot of time, either, and people usually appreciate them. The white choc one I make is a pain in the butt because you have to make the batter, then melt 2 cups of white choc chips in a double boiler and add that in, then make raspberry sauce, etc., but people seem to like it and have offered me money to make it for their dinners/parties. I haven't actually accepted money for it, since I'm usually eating their food, though.

 

[RoJoHen]

Psssh. Real Thanksgiving stuffing is made right inside the turkey's ass!

 

[Gryffindorian]

Great suggestions. I'm thinking about making a special mac & cheese in lieu of a dessert item. There are some pretty simple (and mouth-watering) recipes I've found on-line. Thanks.

 

[Kirby]

We alternate every year hosting with my Mom. Whoever is visiting brings pies, and wine. The host provides the turkey, cranberries, dressing, salad, veggies, etc. This year we are visiting and bringing the a pumpkin pie and a 'fudge pie' (a tradition from my Southern Grandmother). I make them from scratch, although in a pinch Marie Calendar's frozen pie crust is pretty good.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

We always used to eat out on Thanksgiving. My stepmother's health is failing and it has been quite a long time since she has been able to cook, well, anything at all. Although my sister-in-law is a fanatic about cooking - I think she wants to handle things this year.

I remember awhile back my dad had one of those turkey fryers. Oh my God, the turkeys that come out of those things are the height of deliciousness. I was disappointed when we had to get rid of ours. Yeah, yeah, there was that MINOR garage fire, but still.

 

[JanewayRulz!]

Great suggestions. I'm thinking about making a special mac & cheese in lieu of a dessert item. There are some pretty simple (and mouth-watering) recipes I've found on-line. Thanks.

Sounds good.

Another side dish that's pretty simple with fewer simple carbohydrates would be a little dish we call...

KAHLUA BAKED BEANS

serves 8-10.

It's best if started the night before the dinner.

4--1 lb cans of baked beans
(we actually use 2 cans of BB and 2 cans of pork and beans)
1 cup KAHLUA
1/4 cup Chili Sauce
1 tablespoon Yellow Mustard
1 tablespoon Molasses

Mix all the ingredients in a casserole dish or a 9X13 baking pan.

Allow it to stand 4 hours OR overnight in the refrigerator.

Bake for 50-60 minutes and serve.

 

[SmoothieX]

I never got the idea of national holiday a nation of obese people finding an excuse to pig out all that appealing.

 

[Gryffindorian]

I don't either, but that's not really what Thanksgiving is all about. I'm sure everyone has his or her own notion of what Thanksgiving is. To me, it's a special time of the year to celebrate with family and friends and be thankful for what I have in life. The food is secondary to company.

 

[Captain Kathryn]

My family and extended family used to go to my aunt's house. She had a family issue regarding her one daughter a few years ago and stopped having it. So now she just has it with her own immediate family (which is actually pretty big now). Also as our entire family grew, her house is kind of too small to have it anyway. We do go to her house on St. Patrick's Day though.

The other half of my extended family and my own family (just me and my dad) now go to my cousin's house for a big dinner. I'm a vegetarian so I don't eat turkey but it's fun anyway. We do a Secret Santa/Grab Bag thing where we each get a name of another family member to buy a Christmas gift for. Then we all get together on Christmas Eve at the same cousin's house to give gifts. It's a nice tradition. Although I kind of feel bad that my one aunt's family (who we used to go to on Thanksgiving) is left out of all of that now.

 

[nureintier]

I don't either, but that's not really what Thanksgiving is all about. I'm sure everyone has his or her own notion of what Thanksgiving is. To me, it's a special time of the year to celebrate with family and friends and be thankful for what I have in life. The food is secondary to company.

This. I don't really pig out, but it is one of the few times of the year I see some of my relatives.

 

[RoJoHen]

I never got the idea of national holiday a nation of obese people finding an excuse to pig out all that appealing.

While I do definitely pig out, that's not why I love Thanksgiving, though it is literally the only day of the year that I ever eat turkey. I should really learn how to cook a turkey for myself...I'd eat it all the time.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year, and really the only holiday that I have any kind of traditions for. I always go back home Wed-Fri. Wednesday night I go out to the bars. I just go out by myself, but I always end up running into dozens of old friends from high school. It's basically a mini-reunion every year, and it's always so much fun. Thursday is my at home, stuff my face with turkey and pie day, and then Friday morning I always go out to brunch with two more friends from high school. It is literally the only time all year that I get to see them. We go to a local diner and spend hours catching up. It's my absolute favorite activity.