It's crunch time!

[conuly]

What's everybody making for Thanksgiving? Any new and exciting recipes? Or, alternatively, tried and true faves?

I'm gonna do a duck again. Jenn pointed out that the kids don't like duck, which is fair, but they also don't really like turkey and one way or another I'm cooking a bird. I might do a chicken too.

Comments

[movingfinger]

Going to a friend's house: I am responsible for appetizers and bread(s). They do a fantastic slow-cooked-on-wood-grill turkey every year, delicious!

I think I'll make stuffed mushrooms and some kind of dip, and the perennially popular gravy-sponge dinner rolls.

[alexcat]

Sine there are just two of us, we're doing chicken with traditional sides.

[miladygrey]

Doing the traditional turkey and trimmings for the big all-family meal, plus the family recipe Irish soda bread. For just us, some weekend between Thanksgiving and Christmas, we're going to roast a duck, with sausage dressing, brussels sprouts sauteed in the duck fat, and a brandied pumpkin and chestnut pie for dessert.

[larryhammer]

This year it's just us at home plus two or three guests, and we're doing two old standbys:

kosher turkey with Joy-of-Cooking stuffing, roasted in an oven bag
Janni's veggie matzoh ball soup

With diabetic guests bringing diabetic-friendly sides and desert -- from conversation, probably including mashed acorn squash and something broccoli.

[cactuswatcher]

Cornish Game Hen. I think I'll skip stuffing this year, but will have wild rice.

Alternabirds

[polydad]

I've got a Vegan friend who cooks a stuffed pumpkin and dresses it up like a turkey. The head and neck are paper and reusable, the "drumsticks" are usually roast zucchini, and the "wings" are croissants. One can use any recipe for the stuffing; James's usually involves lots of mushrooms and walnuts.

[gatheringrivers]

This year's challenge: Cooking (at least some things) for no-sugar-please, no-wheat-flour-please, and lactose allergies. In addition to my own.

That said, a few things will still have sugar, but I've got a flour alternative - and a NON-hybridized flour - that will HOPEFULLY work for pie crust - going to test both of those tonight on a scaled down pie crust recipe. I'm hoping either the alternative WORKS, or that at least the non-hybridized doesn't give me inflammation later.

Organic, no-soy-fed turkey of course, because that's literally the ONLY way I've found turkey skin becomes edible. (and the ENTIRE reason I put on a thanksgiving shindig, because I'm NOT missing out on that turkey for me!)

I'll probably crib a couple ideas from other comments - mashed acorn squash and brussels sprouts in fat - to have extra non-sugary things. :)

[readerjane]

My daughter is hosting for the first time this year! I will bring homemade pumpernickel rolls, plus whatever else she asks me to bring. Maybe pie.

[readerjane]

Brandied pumpkin and Chestnut pie sounds wonderful. I just looked up the recipe. Maybe I'll take that to Daughter's house.

[redbird]

We will almost certainly make what we have for the last couple of years--roast turkey with a rice-based stuffing; roast vegetables; cranberry-orange relish; and an apple crisp.

Depending on energy levels and inspiration, or lack thereof, there's likely to be a green vegetable. (The pan of roast roots also gets some Brussels sprouts for cattitude and adrian_turtle, but I don't like those.) Salad? Green beans?

The menu is short because "we" is three people; every so often we consider inviting friends, but haven't in ages (since roadnotes was living in New York).

[greghousesgf]

I wish I knew what I was even doing for Thanksgiving. This year all I've had are a couple of "maybe-invitations" if you know what I mean by that. :(

[jessie_c]

Thanksgiving was over 5 weeks ago. Even the turkey soup is long gone. :P

[affreca]

I'm going to my sister's new place. I'll probably bring mashed potatoes and something else to snack on. She likes to cook all the rest.

[mtbc]

A couple of turkey crowns. I think the plan is bacon on the skin, butter with herbs under the skin and extra stuffing under the turkey to catch what drips. There'll be some pumpkin pie (premade crust, canned pumpkin but still good) and suchlike, the main question is earlier in the day things. There are ideas, the main ones catching my attention are varieties of stuffed mushrooms, one kind with sausage stuffing and another with crab.

Main question is how to watch the parade as expats given that this year USTVNow seem to have some issue with NBC who now seem to require using some app, it doesn't seem as if we can just cast from a browser to our Roku this time.

Re: Alternabirds

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

That sounds cute. Are the croissants via coconut oil just cold enough to act 'butter'? (Most of the year here at room temp)

Re: Alternabirds

[polydad]

I'm more on the eating than the making end of that one; IIRC the croissants go on about 5 or 10 minutes before it comes out of the oven -- just long enough to warm 'em up.  Last time I got half of one; tasted fine to me.

[hafnia]

The usual stuff — I'm spatchcocking a dry-brined turkey, and there will be dressing (wild rice for the gluten-free people; bread for the rest of us), some kind of a green salad, green beans, and mashed potatoes/gravy.

We're having ten people this year, tho, possibly eleven, up from our usual six, so I'm also going to make a pan of macaroni for the first time because why not.

Pies — gluten-free pumpkin pie for my mom, apple for me and my dad, chocolate pie for Max, and lemon meringue for one of our friends. There'll be stuff to nibble before the main meal (we usually eat at 3, so I make a big breakfast and put out cheese/crackers), and, yeah. :)

My mom won't eat the macaroni (I know THAT already), and everything else is either gluten-free by default or I can make a gluten-free version for her, so.

(She doesn't have celiac; this is a new thing she's doing because she Read Something On the Internet that says wheat is bad for you, and...well. I'm not judging.)

[dark_phoenix54]

I want to do a large chicken, since there will only be three of us, but the husband can't get over his 'must do something huge' mindset. I'd love to have a duck or goose, but they cost too much. So he's proposing a giant ham, or a bunch of ribs, or something like that. *sigh*

[conuly]

At least you don't have to worry about cross-contamination too much.

[hafnia]

Yup, definitely thought about that! We could manage, but it would be tricky...

[conuly]

Mushrooms. You can have my share.

[conuly]

Yum!

[conuly]

That sounds delish.

Re: Alternabirds

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

Wondering minds may never know ;) But, you won part of a wing!

[archersangel]

we're having ham because my brother hates turkey, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, chicken-flavored stuffing & canned jelled cranberry sauce. desserts have yet to be determined.