To those hosting this year, what dishes will you be having and what day will you grocery shop?
It will only be the 3 of us. The best day to grocery shop for me will be Tuesday morning. I'm still thinking of how to have a nice variety, yet make it as easy as possible and these are all my own recipes, but maybe...
- pasta salad using veggie pasta
- grilled veggies in oyster sauce with $h!take mushrooms, onions, spinach
- mashed potatoes (fiance' loves)
- maybe deviled eggs
- maybe ground turkey potstickers OR ground turkey tacos instead of regular turkey (which we eat pretty year-round anyway)
My mom hosts Thanksgiving, but I'm her assistant. There are about 14-16 adults, 2 kids. All of the shopping for things that are shelf-stable are already purchased, the other items are purchased by Tuesday the week of.
- Turkey
- Mashed potatoes
- From-scratch gravy
- Stuffing
- Chile rellenos
- Rolls
- Jello-salad (my aunt makes it, I never eat it so I can't give more details)
- Green salad
- Shrimp ceviche
- Goat cheese with fig jam preserves
- Pumpkin pie
- Berry pie of some variety
- Birthday cake (2 birthdays fall on/near Thanksgiving)
Sometimes my mom puts out a cranberry relish dish that I think one person eats, and a very tiny green bean casserole that only my grandmother eats.
I will probably shop for most of it on Monday. Probably order turkey(s) tomorrow.
Our dinner for 12 will be very traditional.
Turkey breast (I stopped cooking a full turkey years ago. No one ate the dark meat.)
String bean casserole
German mashed potatoes
Stuffing
Spiced mashed yams
Hopefully one green vegetable not slathered in cream of mushroom soup
Maybe a salad
Pumpkin pie
A fruit pie
Turkey- only because DH asked for it. I could care less.
Mashed potatoes
Gravy
Stuffing
Romaine salad
Cranberry Sauce
Celery, olives, scallions, pickled relish tray
Dessert TBD (but no pie)
It is rounded out by whatever anyone else brings. Typically pie, deviled eggs and a veggie or 2. Sometimes a shrimp ring shows up.
I watch carbs and can not eat wheat. It is a weird holiday. I make the expected but it isn't how we typically eat. I fear a complete revolt if I change it up however. Maybe I'll prepare a green salad
I have a lot of the shopping done. The fresh stuff will be Tuesday and a couple of Turkeys need to be purchased tomorrow so I can start the thawing process.
but using a turkey breast instead of a whole turkey. We did "best of" Thanksgiving on Monday because we'll be out of town for Thanksgiving. Best of included:
Turkey breast
mashed potatoes
gravy
pumpkin pie
cherry pie
deviled eggs
stuffed celery
rolls
jello
olives
We're still working on the leftovers.
For anyone who cooks a turkey breast (or even a whole turkey, for that matter) my life was changed by a PT post about spatchcocking the turkey.
Best thing ever!
Is my birthday so my daughter is hosting for my gift! I usually have 10-15 people so am looking forward to a nice break. I am in charge of champagne, cranberry sauce, cocktail shrimp and chocolate chip cookie pie. I will still be hosting Christmas celebration the week before the 25th so am happy to have turkey day off. We are also having smoked turkey!
We’ll be at my parents’ house but I’ll do a lot of the cooking. 14-16 of us since we decided not to go to the bigger extended family gathering. We make a ton, enough for everyone including my adult kids to have leftovers. I also have 4 stepkids who will be with their mom but we will feed later in the weekend.
Turkey plus a Trader Joe’s “turkey less” stuffed roast for the 5 vegetarians
Stuffing both vegan and not
Cranberry sauce
Sweet potatoes (purple if i can find them)
Cheesy twice baked potatoes
Broccoli of some sort
Homemade crescent rolls
Fruit salad
Cherry pecan jello salad my dad has to have
Green bean casserole (my kids are obsessed)
I'm not hosting, but I am one of the prep cooks. There are about 12 of us.
turkey
regular stuffing
oyster stuffing (Tidewater/Va Beach family)
homemade rolls
green beans
mashed potatoes
mashed sweet potatoes
strawberry pecan jello salad
mac n cheese
lots of wine
dessert/after dinner this year:
Derby pie
apple pie
cherry pie
pumpkin pie
homemade whipped cream
coffee to go with dessert
a little something to make the coffee more grown up-usually Baileys
homemade peach brandy
but my sister and I will be bringing and cooking the meal. (SIL is having surgery, but still wants everyone to come)
turkey
stuffing(vegan)
mashed potatoes (vegan)
sweet potato casserole
green beans
brussel sprouts (vegan)
relish tray with artichoke hearts, hearts of palms, olives
crappy canned cranberry sauce
real cranberry relish
Assorted pies (made by the kids)
For snacks earlier in the day: cheese tray, eggplant dip, tzatziki, hummus, pita bread, artichoke asiago dip
And mimosas with breakfast, wine and cava with snacks and dinner.
I eat Vegan + no oil,sugar or salt. But... when traveling and eating with others one has to be very flexible. If we were going to be home, our menu would be quite different!
Turkey/Stuffing
Ham
Oxtails
Rice
Gravy
Collards
String Beans
Succotash
Carrots
Broccoli
Yams
Yeast Rolls
Baked Mac n Cheese
Potato Salad
Salad
Cranberry Sauce
Drinks: Wine, water, sodas, tea, apple juice, coffee
Desserts: Apple Pie, Sweet Potato Pie, Vanilla Ice Cream
Snacks: Chips, Dip, Apples, Pretzels
Movies: Miracle on 34th Street (the 1947 version), any Jet Li/Bruce Lee movie, and any Godzilla or Mothra movies from back in the day.
Except for the ice cream, drinks, and snacks, everything is fresh and/or homemade. Nothing store-bought or out of a can. I'm already hungry just thinking about it.
Brunch:10:00
Orange rolls and caramel rolls
Cheese omlets
Grapes and apples
Orange juice
Snacks:after brunch until dinner
Chex mix
Cheese and crackers
Nuts
Veggies and dip
Fresh fruit
Dinner:served about 2:00
Turkey
Stuffing
Mashed potatoes and gravy
Sweet potatoe casserole
Peas and corn frozen from garden
Broccoli salad
Cranberries
Homemade dinner rolls
Pumpkin, pecan, and apple pies
Snacks:
Same as above
Supper:served about 7:00
Turkey sandwiches on homemade rolls
Leftover cranberries
Leftover broccoli salad
Pie, cookies, and ice cream
This is, and has been, our menu for many years without many changes. My DSs look forward to this day all year! DH already bought the Tums. I'm good about avoiding the snacks and not overdoing it. It's just not worth feeling crummy afterward. There is always an afternoon walk too.
My family has breakfast on thanksgiving day. We all meet at my parents and have traditional breakfast foods.
Egg casseroles
Hashbrowns
Bacon
Sausage
French toast
Fruit
Muffins
Juice
Milk
We meet early 8:30 or 9:00 and usually have dinner at my inlaws later in the day.
I’m not a big thanksgiving dinner eater. I only like turkey and potatoes. So this works well for me. My parents started this tradition when I was in high school.
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11-20-2019, 06:55 AM
There are about 14-16 adults, 2 kids. All of the shopping for things that are shelf-stable are already purchased, the other items are purchased by Tuesday the week of.
Gobble Gobble 
I'm good about avoiding the snacks and not overdoing it. It's just not worth feeling crummy afterward. There is always an afternoon walk too.
