Turkey sandwiches and other leftovers are what I typically think of, but will you have that type of food on hand? You could always roast a turkey breast, but maybe do something completely different and lighter. If it were me, I'd probably do soup or chili, with some nice rolls or cornbread and a salad.

I love the soup/salad/bread idea. I will steal that idea!

Something light for sure, they will be stuffed LOL. How about Hawaiian ham and cheese crack buns? Easy and delicious! Serve with veggies and dip and or fruit and dip.

If they've had turkey everywhere else, I would not do turkey. I like the soup or chili idea. If you serve soup, serve a salad to go along with it. Whatever you do, choose something easy for you to make.

If you know they will probably be full from everywhere else why not do a desert bar? :)

terilyn - "I would think they might be tired of turkey."

My brain can't even process that sentence. Bite your tongue! lol :D I love turkey. :)

I have done the soup or chili too. I also like egg salad and chicken salad for sandwiches. A lighter meal after the heavy meal they had earlier. I did the taco soup one year, lots of people like that taco soup. With a hunk of crusty bread for dunking.

Homemade tamales is another option around here.

Yes tamales! :)

I like the soup idea too.

You might also consider serving finger foods. Chips and dip/salsa, deviled eggs, finger sandwiches with crusts cut off, smoked salmon and crackers, a fruit plate with yogurt dipping sauce, veggie tray, cold cuts, shrimp cocktail, cookies or brownies, etc. With something like this your guests could nibble rather than sit down for another meal.

Just make sure they all know you're not doing a big turkey dinner so that they don't save room for it.

I could easily do two turkey dinners in one day. I love turkey and all its trimmings.

I second the soup idea with buns, cold cuts, cheeses.

When our children were little we always went to two big meals each holiday and thought nothing of it. I too love turkey.

Sue

If you do decide on just nibbles, please make sure you have stuff on hand for basic sandwiches or something that would constitute enough food for a meal. I married into a family that likes to do nibbles sometimes or declare they don't need anymore food after one big meal. We don't all eat the same. The kids and I need protein and tend to need food throughout the day instead of one meal. My kids and I will get cranky if we don't get fed. I've gorged on tortilla chips because I've been so hungry at someones house. We're often discouraged from bringing a dish or something so we can end up the rude guests in the family's eyes regardless of what we do.

Definitely light is the way to go. Fruit and cheese, beer and wine, maybe some sandwich stuff, nuts and olives, stuff to nibble on.

I like the dessert idea as well.

Home made turkey pizza, and a dessert bar.

I can't imagine eating a second meal after a full-blown turkey and all the trimmings Thanksgiving Day dinner!! It boggles the mind :-) I have a hard time with even a dessert after a meal like that!

If anything, I would opt for very light finger foods - fruits, cheese plate and crackers, Jordan almonds, chocolates, etc. Dessert wines or liqueurs, coffee and tea. Done and done!

I immediately thought of quiche and salads, maybe a green and a fruit salad. You could have one quiche with ham or bacon and one veggie.

Or maybe a taco bar with all the fixings?

Im with the soup and salad group. Maybe Rita's potato soup she posted with crusty rolls and butter and salad. I'd do a lighter dessert as most are going to be full of pie. Maybe a hollowed out orange half with a scoop of sherbet topped with a few berries.

I have to do this every other year when family goes to their spouses family for main meal. I make chili, cinnamon rolls and relishes. My family loves it because no one wants another heavy meal.

Another vote for sandwiches & light snaky stuff. Like a cheeseball, crackers & beef stick. I am another one that loves turkey & all the leftovers.

Another vote for tamales! Guacamole, queso dip and tortilla chips.

We always do lots of appetizers. Dips,finger foods,sandwich tray with small rolls, nacho bar, etc. People can eat as much or as little as they want. And graze.

I'd cook up a ham and put the fixings out for ham sandwiches and soup. You could make the soup or soups now freeze them and put in crockpot. Maybe borrow a crockpot or two and put out two different soups...everyone serve themselves.

I'd probably gear it more toward appetizers or "party food". My first thought was ham, that could be ham & cheese sandwiches or the like or scalloped potatoes and ham or in a pasta salad. I also thought of chicken salad but might be too close to turkey if people tire of it (which I don't). But 'twer it me in this situation I'd probably opt for pulled pork, sandwiches. Small rolls and can have whatever other side dishes, depending on how heavy you want the meal. A good cold salad, broccoli slaw or something crisp with it. Maybe some deviled eggs. Easy to prep ahead of time and easy to keep until they get there and if some arrive at different times there's no problem.

Some thoughts, will it be cold? Will they be getting some physical activity in after the big meal? Will they be traveling a long distance? That could help with the planning.

cynic said what I was thinking: appetizers!

But here's what I was thinking. I would want to stay within Thanksgiving flavors because it is Thanksgiving. I typically don't get my fill and don't want the day to end, so more please! Something along the lines of Giada's Holiday handbook, Thanksgiving brunch menu. It uses leftovers for a lighter fare and one bite sorts of things. Crispy turkey bites: "Arancini" made with smoke mozzarella, finely diced turkey, and stuffing (no rice, hence the ""s). Sweet potato puffs: puff pastry with a bit of sweet potatoes and spices. You get the picture.

No matter what you make, I think a large crisp salad would be most welcome after a Thanksgiving meal.

I make this Romaine Wedge Salad often and it is a hit.

It looks better if you lay out the wedges on a large platter alternating the direction of the wedges and drizzle the dressing over each layer- or just serve the dressing in a sauce boat or small pitcher on the side.

For two medium heads of Romaine lettuce:

The zest of one lemon

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 Cup mayonnaise

1/4 Cup olive oil

1 small clove of garlic minced

Whist together lemon zest and juice, garlic and mayonnaise in a small bowl. Gradually add the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. I use much moe lemon juice and zest than what is called for.

If you think a lemony dressing is not the best choice for an autumnal meal, you can make a German salad dressing I like a lot, though I do not have exact quantities:

In a medium sized bowl with 8 ounces of sour cream, whisk red wine vinegar until the sour cream is loosened into a liquid-isa dressing, like a ranch dressing, not a vinaigrette. Add three minced shallots and black pepper.

I could not find a picture of this very old fashioned dressing. It is absolutely to die for though.

Hot brown turkey sandwich is wonderful, but heavy after a Thanksgiving meal.

After talking to who is coming, they all agreed they want " leftover turkey" and pumpkin pie again. SO , I think I will do a turkey breast, sandwich condiments, the salad that Rita posted, chips, a family recipe of fresh cranberry salad and pie. It will be 6-7 hours between meals and we will do it buffet style and they can pick and choose.

Thank you for all your ideas. I personally liked the chili or mexican ideas, but they all said they never get leftovers when traveling and wanted turkey a second time.

Thankful I have family to feed. : )

ladypat1, I am delighted you liked the sound of the Romaine wedge salad. I just adjusted my German dressing to read whisk the sour cream and vinegar to become liquid-ish, like a ranch dressing, not a vinaigrette. Also if your Romaine heads are large, you can cut them into six.

I've found for left-overs it's simple to use the turkey parts, they're packaged as breast or leg/thigh packages. It's quicker to prepare & cook and I don't have to wash that giant enameled pan.

Seems like it was just summer and now it's time to practice "We Gather Together" for church, how time flies!

I know people in my town who have so many relatives and all consider an invitation to be a "command", that I have known of many who eat 2 - even 3 full Thanksgiving dinners each year. I think they're quite silly to go along with this, but it's their business not mine. We always have Thanksgiving dinner in the evening as when it's earlier (my mother felt 2PM was the sacred time for it!), everyone is back in the kitchen at 7-8PM looking for food. When I used to have a crowd, I put out various lunch fixings on the kitchen counter, told them to fix something for themselves, and not to make a mess in my kitchen if they wanted Thanksgiving dinner. The threat worked...

Most of the time our holiday meals are around 1 in the afternoon. We divide up the leftovers and we go home or they go home. Some have to go to work the next day.

Sue

Sue - I worked in a hospital-based out patient clinic for many years. We put in our time-off requests at the beginning of the year. Thanksgiving was sacred for me. I never worked the Friday after. But since we didn't have any children, working the Christmas shift was no big deal and usually very much fun - and I was able to avoid going to my wicked MIL's