If I were you I'd buy a breast and cook it just to have some turkey leftovers.

Just the two of us this year.

--Pre-salted breast roasted with herb butter

--Cranberry Jezebel

--Scalloped Chipotle Sweet Potatoes

--Spinach Madeleine

--Dessert will either be gingerbread with satsuma mascarpone cream or satsuma sorbet

Thanks for the tip - I may do that after the holiday & maybe get a deal. There a number of 'iffy' guests, so it may not be as big a crowd as we anticipate.

& your menu looks fascinating - what are cranberry jezebel & spinach madeleine? I LOVE gingerbread & would choose the sorbet to go with - like cake & ice cream = )

Dear DIL took on the Thanksgiving feast a few years back - (YAY!) but I still do the two sides that most everyone here on the forum dislikes, green bean casserole and sweet potato casserole. (There would be much gnashing of teeth and rending of garments if it wasn't on the table, all I can say.)

I was sent an emailed request today for corned beef dip in the round rye, so that will be added with what I bring.

DIL makes and excellent turkey, dressing and gravy every year along with mashed potatoes, and her mom brings the pies.

We have friendsgiving. Always something different (cooks choice - never turkey). My year to host so I'm doing a small plates/appetizer meal. It will be a lot of work but I'm taking Wednesday off and will be able to do quite a bit of prep ahead of T'day.

Tortellini with porcini

Caponata and crostini

Green beans with caramelized pecans

Chicken marbella

Cucumber salad

Artichoke nibbles

Shrimp cocktail

Pickled carrots

Figuring out serving dishes for all that will be my biggest challenge.

Traffic - hopefully not too much - are on our menu as we do our annual "split time between families." I'm not expected to bring anything but beer, but one year I brought cranberry Jezebel (it adds horseradish and maybe one or two other things to normal cranberry sauce, I used Lindac's recipe) spread over cream cheese in a pie plate and it was a surprise huge hit. Toying with making it again, it's certainly easy enough.

I'm not hosting this year so I am trying to decide what to bring that will compliment the host's menu (she is the catering manager at a prestigious venue).

I'm trying to put together a list of relatively easy dishes to consider then cut it down to two items.

• Raspberry Schnapps Cranberry Sauce

• Orange Honey Rainbow Fruit Salad

• Sherry's Macaroni Salad

• Bourbon Sausages

• Mojo Mushrooms

• Cauliflower with Rosemary au Gratin

No final plans,

There will be a turkey.

Here is the turkey today, tunnel boned.

All bones were removed without opening up the turkey.

Rubbed thoroughly inside and outside.

I think Low and slow will be what I do to the turkey. First 170F, then 500F.

dcarch

Our Thanksgiving won't be until Saturday. Every year the girls have to go to the in-laws, and their Dad fusses that they "never" come to his house and they end up running to three or four places. Amanda has to work, Dave's mother decided to have a Thanksgiving breakfast, Ashley's FIL believes in being "spontanteous" so they never know what they'll do until Thursday morning. It just got to be such a mess with everyone running in all directions. So, I'll be thankful on Saturday instead of Thursday and no one will rush, or have to eat three big meals or worry about schedules. Unlilke some other family members, THE DAY means little to me, only my blessings matter and those will all be here on Saturday.

So, we'll be having turkey, of course. Locally grown heritage type, variety unknown, LOL. I'm not sure about stuffing yet. Amanda is celiac and I have some gluten free stuffing planned for her. Elery likes cornbread stuffing but no one else does, so maybe I'll combine the gluten free and the cornbread type, then make my old standby for everyone else.

Appetizers: Cheese ball, spinach dip in rye bread bowl, olives, crackers, pickles, etc. Others still in the planning stage...

Turkey

At least two types of stuffing

Cranberry Jezebel (Elery and I love it, but my girls want the stuff in the can)

Possibly a "healthified" green bean casserole, I'm working on it. Otherwise, green beans in some other form, it's the only vegetable all the kids will eat.

Sweet potatoes. The marshmallow topped casserole for some, plain for Elery and I.

Mashed potatoes and gravy (made with cornstarch for the celiac among us)

Butternut Squash Whole Wheat dinner rolls

Sweet Potato Pie with Cream Cheese Swirl and gluten free crust.

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cream Pie

Pumpkin Roll

Whipped Cream

*All items subject to change without notice, LOL.

Annie

It took some searching because in a lot of threads everybody assumes it's a known recipe, but I found a repost of Linda C's Cranberry Jezebel. And lots of raves all around.

I can assume that we'll be choosing from Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, some kind of sweet potatoes, green beans, green salad, cranberry relish, cranberry sauce, and Parker House rolls, because those are standards, but there are always other things as well.

For before, there will be crudites and guacamole (my contribution), chips, and whatever else gets brought. I'm also making a warm pumpkin dip, but if I don't like it, I think I'll make FOAS's Jezebel over cream cheese. That sounds awesome.

Almost the same as yours, except replace the corn and greens beans with bourbon glazed carrots and marinated/roasted asparagus. I'm putting my foot down over desserts, so only apple pie and fudge, but I bet others bring more anyhow.

We will all go to our granddaughter and daughter's this year and so far this is what I know we plan to have.

Turkey

Mashed potatoes and gravy

Candied Sweet Potatoes (no marshmallows)

Corn

Peas and Carrots

Home canned green beans with onion and bacon

Cheese Potatoes

Dressing

Cranberry Relish

Pistachio Dessert

Pumpkin Pie

Black Raspberry Pie'

Persimmon Pudding

Rolls

Cheese Ball

A Birthday Cake

We all pitch in and take food to go with what they have prepared, so there will be other things I am sure.

Sue in Central Indiana

At my oldest daughter's house this year. We're expecting at least 32, although there's always some give and take with the guest list as with the menu.

Starters: spinach dip with crackers and crudites, cheese wafers with pecans, a big antipasto tray (all of which I'm making) and whatever everyone else makes.

Turkey and cornbread dressing--both in the bird and separately

Mashed potatoes, gravy, at least two kids of home made rolls

Home made and canned cranberry sauce

Sweet potato casserole (no marshmallows)

Broccoli and cauliflower casserole

The dreaded GBC brought by an in-law

Brussels sprouts sauteed with bacon

Again, whatever others bring

Desserts:

Apple cake

Pumpkin pie

Coconut cream pie

Pecan pie

Chocolate pie

Banana pudding

Fruitcake (packaged for each family to take home and eat over the holiday season)

1) Customary bird w/ stuffing

2) Mashed potatoes & gravy; Cuban Congri; Yuca con Mojo

3) Lemon garlic green beans

4) Butternut squash gratin

5) Honey Butter Rolls

6) Pumpkin Cheesecake w/ Bourbon Pecan Glaze

7) Cranberry/ Apple Crisp

8) Baklava

9) Capuchinos (Not the drink)

10) Plenty of alcohol. For me, not the guests.

Sol

It's just Dad and me this year and he is not fond of turkey, so I have butterflied a pork roast and will stuff it with a tradition bread stuffing with extra on the side.

So far the menu is:

Pork roast

mashed potatoes with gravy (May add parsnips to the potatoes and the gravy is an apple onion gravy)

Sausage bread stuffing

apple sauce

Veg to be determined (creamed spinach sounds good)

Drunken cranberries for me

Pumpkin bread pudding for dessert

Making the stuffing and rolling up the roast and potatoes tomorrow. Apple sauce and gravy are already done as I made a ton with the last pork roast, and will do the berries on Thursday.

Wednesday is the traditional day that Mom and I always went shopping and out for lunch. When I was little, we went to Marshall Fields to see Santa and have lunch under the big tree. Since she passed 7 years ago, I go by myself or Dad may tag along. More than the holiday, this is a hard day for me.

Wishing everyone a joyous Thanksgiving full of family, friends and wonderful foods to be thankful for.

Pep, I can't believe it's been 7 years. I'm sorry that Thanksgiving has sad memories for you. I'd take you to see Santa if I was up your way.

Peppi, I'm also sorry that the holiday is hard for you. At least Dad passed away on a day that is not close to any holiday, birthday, any day of any significance to anyone except me.

Your dinner sounds delicious to me, and I'm betting Emma will appreciate it too!

Annie

The usual again this year. We have the turkey breast, as well as the Turk'y roast, for my vegetarian SIL.

The big change will the the "pies". We are going to bake the fillings in small ramekins, no crust. We make pumpkin and pecan pie fillings, they should do fine. Small servings with lots of whipping cream.

Happy Thanksgiving

I may have to simplify as I have been battling a cold and my 2 best helpers (14 and 17) look like they may be coming down with colds as well. Thankfully we were only planning on keeping it our immediate family for Thanksgiving. This is our menu:

Pimiento Cheese with Wheat Thins (I was going to make crackers but am now simplifying)

Cornbread dressing

Mashed potatoes

Soft dinner rolls (homemade, if I feel up to it, otherwise, no rolls)

Cranberry Rum sauce (canned last weekend so good to go)

Kale salad with cranberries and goat cheese

Roast Turkey

Brussel Sprouts

Pies, which are the most important to the family:

Pumpkin

Pumpkin Cream cheese (one of my favorites)

Custard

Amish Apple

Chocolate

Maybe pecan

Thanks to all who've chimed in here. Here's hoping everyone has a lovely holiday

Ours is the Thanksgiving Dinner of my childhood:

Turkey

Dressing

Mashed Potatoes

Gravy

Green Beans (although this year I'm going to serve Brussels sprouts EGAD,

the heresy)

Fresh cranberry sauce

hot rolls

pumpkin pie with whipped cream

This year it will just be the two of us and even when we have more around the table, the menu stays the same only more of it!

And we never do "apps" -- eating between 12 and 1 so people don't need a "snack" before!

And dinner is that turkey sandwich, best eaten out of hand in the kitchen with a glass of cold milk!

Chiming in here mostly to help organize my thoughts.

Turkey

Mushroom Gravy

Sausage Stuffing

Mixed Mashed Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes

Broccoli-Cauliflower Casserole

Curried Squash Soup

Cranberry Sauce

Dinner Rolls

Salad w/ Balsamic Vinaigrette

Various Unspecified Appetizers

Pumpkin Pie

Unspecified Pie

Dcarch's turkey picture looks like the results of a magic trick. A particularly gruesome magic trick.

Also while reading Rosesstink's list I laughed because of the rhyme scheme of the frist two lines:

• Tortellini with porcini
• Caponata and crostini

It reminded me of when I was in an elementary school production of Snow White, playing one of the seven dwarves. We were sending the not-too-bright dwarf to the store to buy groceries, and to help him remember the list we made the list rhyme, and danced in a circle singling it to him:

Hams and clams and candied yams

Steaks and cakes and apples baked

A quart of spumoni, a pound of boloney

Snails, quails and ginger ales

Peas, cheese and honey from bees

and don't forget the ketchup, please.

In the end he forgot the entire list, and bought 7 pounds of raisins and a jellybean.

I am heading over to my daughter's home to help her cook for Tday as she had my second grandson in September and with the 3 year old has her hands pretty full. Also, I gave my son my HUGE table (sat 16) as it was way too large for my small dining room.

We are only having 6 around the table this year as many of the extended family are traveling to their respective in-laws or just getting away.

As always I was invited to dinner at my fiance's ex wife's home . . . but I have declined because my daughter really needs the help. He declined but his wonderful children have planned to spend some of the morning with him so he will be able to spend some time with that portion of his family (love that!).

Since we have such a small gathering we are being a bit conservative with the food. As I am Celiac I have to duplicate several things to be safe for my consumption . . . so I am doing a turkey (will take some to eat and then divvy up the rest to be leftovers for sandwiches) my GF stuffing and gravy

I am making Sour Cream Apple pie, pecan tassies and grilled asparagus

Daughter (with help) is making main Turkey, dressing, potatoes and gravy and pumpkin pie and the "famous" green bean casserole"

Ex SIL is bringing "watergate salad (a fav of my Son In Law), rolls and the sweet potato souffle.

I brought fresh cranberries to try my hand at making orange cranberry relish as it is my fiance's favorite type of cranberry and I wanted him to have a favorite dish from his traditional dinners, that is also why I am grilling asparagus as it is his favorite veg.

Shrimp, we live at the beach.