Thanksgiving menus

[vremya]

Aldi had turkeys on sale last year so we got a way-too-big for two people turkey. We're definitely not dong that again this year. Maybe a turkey breast? Maybe sidesgiving? Maybe going to the bar down the street again?

What are you all doing? Cooking anything special?

[LarsMac]

The elder Son just got moved into their new house, and they are putting on the Dog for Turkey Day.

We just have to show up.

[JoeP]

Originally Posted by LarsMac

The elder Son just got moved into their new house, and they are putting on the Dog for Turkey Day.

American culinary traditions are clearly even weirder than I thought.

[viscousmemories]

Not my region of America.

It's a good question though. My sister who lives with me is a pescatarian and the one across the lake is a vegan, but the one who lives next door (and her husband) are meat eaters, so we'll probably do a collective thing with an assortment of meaty and non-meaty things.

[JoeP]

[LarsMac]

Originally Posted by JoeP

American culinary traditions are clearly even weirder than I thought.

It's kinda the same as puttin' on the Ritz, but they're not that Ritzy.

[Ensign Steve]

We're going away for Thanksgiving, but for Christmas we're planning on doing a goose. It will be a first for us, so wish us luck. We're going to roast a goose on top of a bed of new potatoes. Lots of butter and rosemary on the skin. Oranges inside the bird. I'm not the biggest fan of dark meat, but I have heard that the potatoes come out divine, so I am 1000 percent on board for this.

[vremya]

We're going to stay home and roast some carrots, parsnips, bake some yams, cook some stuffing, and maybe have a turkey breast. My favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner is the sides, so we may skip the bird and just do those.

[Miisa]

Can an American please tell me is it so that at Christmas you don't then again have a big family feast as it was all done a month earlier and Christmas isn't about eating well and inviting the family over there? Or do you go all-out yet again?

[JoeP]

Americans all love their extended families and get together at least once a month without any regrets.

[JoeP]

Originally Posted by vremya

so we may skip the bird

Lots of people are doing that.

[Ensign Steve]

Originally Posted by Miisa

Can an American please tell me is it so that at Christmas you don't then again have a big family feast as it was all done a month earlier and Christmas isn't about eating well and inviting the family over there? Or do you go all-out yet again?

Speaking on behalf of a lot of Americans, yes, we* usually do an all-out big family meal on Thanksgiving (traditionally a turkey and a bunch of sides), and then do it all over again less than a month later on Christmas. The most basic of families will just do the same meal again, turkey with mostly the same sides, or at Christmas a ham is also traditional. We** try to mix up the protein at Christmas. Last year we did a beef tenderloin, this year we're going to roast a goose.

* Americans
** my family specifically

[LarsMac]

Originally Posted by Ensign Steve

Speaking on behalf of a lot of Americans, yes, we* usually do an all-out big family meal on Thanksgiving (traditionally a turkey and a bunch of sides), and then do it all over again less than a month later on Christmas. The most basic of families will just do the same meal again, turkey with mostly the same sides, or at Christmas a ham is also traditional. We** try to mix up the protein at Christmas. Last year we did a beef tenderloin, this year we're going to roast a goose.

* Americans
** my family specifically

We used to do that. But now, we are scattered about the country, and don't get so many folks all in one place so easily.

Most families have that one person that takes on the role of "We're having "Thanksgiving/Christmas/Easter/etc" at my place. Bring something to eat, and don't be late."
When I was a kid it was Aunt Lucille. Later on, Mom and here sister were those people. Then Mrs's Sister. Now the Kids' generation is doing the big dinners. Me, I just get older and fatter, and have fun entertaining the grandkids and the new little ones coming up.

[vremya]

When I was little my family and my grandparents alternated Thanksgiving and Christmas - they did one, we did the other, etc. We always did the traditional Turkey dinner, but my grandparents went with Italian extravagance - turkey, roast beef and lasagna. And tons of Italian pastries.

[LarsMac]

I've dug out my big turkey pot, and acquired 5 gallons of pure Peanut oil. We're gonna deep-fry the Turkey this year.

With Oyster Stuffing, and Sweet Potato Pie. and Niece is coming up from Mississippi to bake her wonderful Pecan Pie.

[SharonDee]

In my family, Thanksgiving is Christmas without the prezzies. Lots of food, much post-meal napping, and trips around the yard to walk it off.

Because all of us can buy whatever we need, Christmas is a holiday I wish we could skip. But we gather at the folks' house because my mom will get butt hurt if we don't let her cook for us.

[Sock Puppet]

Originally Posted by SharonDee

But we gather at the folks' house because my mom will get butt hurt if we don't let her cook for us.

Yep, mine too.

If only she were good at it.

[viscousmemories]

I suppose there was a time when my family treated Thanksgiving like Christmas without the rituals and decorations, but I would have been a young child then. I don't remember my family getting together for Thanksgiving since I was pretty young. By the time I was 12 most of my siblings had moved out and because they were all part of covenant community households we spent Thanksgiving disbursed. Now they mostly have their own families, so maybe there will be a meal among the empty nesters and spinsters among us?

[vremya]

My friend's parents often host a Thanksgiving dinner for the orphans, as they call them, people who don't have a family dinner to go to. Those were fun.

[Basset Hound]

Is anybody having roast eagle with all the trimmings?

[lisarea]

I am not doing big or fancy Thanksgivings anymore, and this year, I'm feeling a little extra crummy, so I'm just doing turkey, stuffing, gravy, cranberry relish, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, and probably apple pie in the PRE-MADE pie crusts that I hope don't suck, but I really don't want to make pie crusts right now. Matlock is making mashed potatoes, and he always helps with the other stuff too.

[Ari]

We do the traditional thanksgiving dinner, with a bunch of family seated around multiple pushed together tables, hitting your knees into table legs, with tons of food and the football games on in the other room. Christmas is more of a month long festival, lots of decorations and christmas style cookies/snacks, but Christmas dinner is basically ‘not leftovers’ but otherwise not anything special.

[BrotherMan]

I waited until today to reveal my Thanksgiving Nugget recipe that I totally made up and is 100% my idea and I didn't want anyone to beat me to it.

1 pound (ish) of ground turkey. My usual selection is the leanest cut but today I splurged and went with the middle fatty one 93/7.

1 sweet potate. Steamed or boiled until it's ready to be mashed.

1/2 red onion diced as fine as you can get it.

2 eggs. Honestly? Now that I look at it, one more might not be amiss.

1 box of stuffing. Or, since I'm not the boss of you, do your own. I took the easy way so I could have the cheap herbs/spices mix with the bread.

I cubed up the potate and microwaved it before I needed it. So it would be cool to the touch.

Mash that sucker into its best potaty paste self and combine with the egg(s) and stuffing stuff.

Then combine that with the turkey you got. (Hey. Since we're pretending I'm not the boss of you, a good idea would be to use some leftover turkey all shredded to heck and back too, you know.) Salt and pepper that sucker before you do it though. (That's something I saw once. s&p as some stuff as you go to keep the flavor ratios up to standard.)

To nuggetate the mixture: I use a 1.5 size scoop. You can obviously eyeball it or make these suckers as big or small as you like. I'M DONE BEING THE BOSS OF YOU OKAY.

Here's the next fun part:

Idea the Onste: Bake at 350 for a total of 20-25 minutes - turning once during the process.

Idea un Nexte: Pan/Shallow fry

Idea un Tres: Deep fry. I don't have the equipment for this nonsense so don't ask me how.

There you go. Thanksgiving in truly Americanized Bite Size form.

Oh wait. Before I go!


Cranberry dipping sauce.

Buy a bag of cramberries. Follow them directions.


Also: Gravy dipping sauce.

Make gravy.

WHAT. YOU THINK I'MMA TELL YOU THIS ONE? Look. I've never made a gravy before so I wouldn't trust my method - certainly not the one I used today.

[LarsMac]

Hmmm, you may have something, there.

Though, I would bail on the point of using leftover roast/baked/or otherwise cooked before the fact Turkey parts. That changes the texture of the whole thing (and probably the taste, as well.)

[vremya]

We ended up having a pork tenderloin, fancy pants potatoes (Cheesy Hasselback Potato Gratin), green beans and stuffing and cheesecake.

It was my second or third time making cheesecake and the other times had flopped dismally, but it came out fine.