Turkey goes into the oven tomorrow. Sides and dessert have been bought, except for stuffing and cranberry sauce, which I make, using super simple preparations.

You'll love the Yukon gold mashed potatoes, I bet.

I made the mashed potatoes today. I use Yukon Gold plus a couple of russets and a sweet potato! DH got Klondike which are similar to Yukon but smaller, which makes for a lot of peeling! I make Pioneer Woman's recipe the last few years. Seeing all that butter, half n half, and cream cheese on the counter freaks DH out, but they sure taste good.

I also blanched the green beans to be sauteed with nutmeg tomorrow.

DH will cook the turkey breasts tomorrow. He's making apple pie tonight (I think). DS and I will make cranberries and dip and, don't judge me, Stove Top Stuffing tonight. Or maybe I'll do the stuffing in the morning, it only takes a few minutes.

I did but not for Thanksgiving. I made some rice and extra sour cream/chicken/mushroom sauce for the chicken dish I made yesterday. My daughter brought me a big tub of sour cream yesterday with a few other things. I used some Hidden Valley seasoning I forgot I had in the cabinet to flavor it with. It's so good. That's what I'm going to eat tomorrow for my Thanksgiving dinner. I may bake one of my tiny butternut squash from my garden too.

This thread made me realize I should at least make the cranberry sauce today and chop the vegetables for the stuffing.

Thanks! I have been distracted with a work project.

DD and her BF are here from Dallas for 2 weeks. I’ve just made a double batch of my Lemon Scones (24 scones total) and am halfway through making a double batch of my Maple-Walnut Scones. Earlier this afternoon I made a double batch of my Cranberry-Orange Relish. Double, because I use about half of the relish as topping for my Cranberry-Orange Almond Meal Coffeecakes. BTW, we don’t eat all of these over the Thanksgiving holiday. I freeze at least half, and they’re ready for when the “kids” come back for Christmas, as well. The Thanksgiving pies (an apple and a pumpkin) and rolls are all ready and out in the garage fridge. My DH will make the turkey and (some very involved with about a dozen ingredients) green beans tomorrow. I’ll make the turkey gravy and a wild rice pilaf, as we don’t eat potatoes much. DD and BF will be making a special sweet potato dish. I’ll pop the appetizers into the oven mid-afternoon. Our Thanksgiving dinner for us is at 7pm, as the kids will be at his family’s home for their New Mexican-style Thanksgiving luncheon earlier.

I made the mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and cornbread dressing is ready to bake tomorrow.

We are going to Roy's nieces house tomorrow.

I just finished baking an Apple cider cake and will get some rutabegas to cook in the morning.

And maybe a favorite of Roy's pork dressing. It was a tradition in his family for over 90 years.

I feel like a slacker. The only prep I did so far is to wash the mushrooms.

And yet people say you don't have to wash mushrooms.

PS I always wash them too.

I would typically be doing as much as possible, from dressing (both the bird's and the salad's), desserts, salmon spread and other appetizers, rolls if my sister not making them....but we're not really having Thanksgiving this year, or at least not our usual. Family is being pulled in other directions with none of the reasons having anything to do with family fighting ;)

DH and I are driving to Mother's care facility to spend the afternoon with her. I haven't taken her out any place other than medical in 18 months, even though she is vaccinated and boostered. They still have restrictions in place regarding where in her building we can be (masked and after being screened), and those include any of their restaurants/dining rooms. Will try to arrive shortly after her 11:30 AM lunch, maybe leave immediately before her dinner.

I may bake a pie yet this afternoon so we have something here when we get back. I'm not sure what will be open that we could possibly grab a sandwich to eat on our way home (2 hours) but surely there will be something.

Turkey, or at least the leftovers, are not DH's favorite meal so I'm not cooking one this year for two. I have a little prime rib he seems to be looking forward to that I think we'll celebrate with on Friday.

Baked a pumpkin pie and it sure smells good. Im doing a turkey breast with homemade stuffing right now and will reheat tomorrow. I bought a precooked, and carved half turkey and gravy from Wegmans. I decided to roast a small turkey breast so we are sure to have plenty of leftovers.

I made some cranberry and fruit sauce on Monday. New recipe and wow is it tart. I have a good old can of cranberry sauce, too.

Son is making the brussels sprouts and his gf is bringing sweet potatoes. We’ll be eating Thanksgiving for a month.

I think this is just the second pie I’ve baked in my life. I could be wrong, there might have been another one somewhere along the line. Anyway, I’m very proud of the crust. Haven’t tasted it yet of course but I like how it looks. 😉

Also baked some pumpkin cookies which I have tasted and they’re good.

I'm not cooking today. I need to clear away all the carp in the kitchen related to packages I've been receiving, but my only prep will be to cut up all of the ingredients for the fresh cranberry salad because it tastes better if the ingredients meld overnight.

I stopped in at the store for some sort cream, bought a cute flower arrangement for the table, and something for supper tonight. No one wants to cook! In the way home I was going over the menu and realized I have only one vegetable and should have gotten some carrots for a colorful side! Well, I'll see how I feel about it in the morning.

Our kitchen is not designed to have two people cooking at the same time. So anything I'm going to make really needs to be done before DH gets started.

Went to my sisters house and made some stuff for her feast tommorow. Mac and cheese, 2 pans of chicken dressing, olive bread bites and hot spinach artichoke dip.

Then I came home and made my very first attempt at a pecan pie. I have no clue what I am doing. It said bake it for 60 to 70 minutes but i took it out at 55 because it looked toasty and I did not want it to burn. This is for SO. I am making a pumpkin pie for myself later.

Amy, nobody in our family had ever been pecan pie eaters, but one year my nephew's wife (from Texas) told me it felt like home to her and asked if she could have one (since I usually try to include one of everyone's favorite). Had never made one. I found Dear Abby's Pecan Pie recipe in a vintage recipe book and made that, seems to work out well.

9" 45-50 minutes at 350F. You may have done well to take it out of the oven.

Apple pie is done. Stuffing prepped and ready for oven tomorrow. Candied sweets prepped and ready for oven. Stock is made to make gravy tomorrow. Turkey is spatchcocked and dry brined and ready for pellet grill tomorrow.

I just used the recipe on the karo syrup bottle. I am not a pecan pie eater either but SO is not a pumpkin pie eater and I want us to both have what we want. I hope it tastes good. I chopped the pecans up very fine because I knew he prefers it thay way. I wonder if the heart shape threw it off any?

I made pecan shortbread cookies today. Bringing those and a chocolate carrot cake (sounds weird, but it‘s yummy-purchased from a local restaurant) to my sister’s house tomorrow. I certainly got off easy this year. Thanksgiving is my least favorite meal to prepare.

I hear so much about Mac n Cheese. I'm a Great Lakes gal, DH is Canadian, and we've never had MnC for Thanksgiving, except I lived in Texas for a while and saw it there. Is it a southern thing? And if you do MnC, I gather it's not Kraft Dinner, but an actual recipe?

I've been shopping, cooking and chopping and making lists for 5 days - not to mention cleaning - and I'm totally exhausted. Because of the virus, this is the second year we do not feel safe going to our favorite inn for Thanksgiving dinner, even though we're vaxxed and had boosters. Last year, we had our dinner delivered from an inn. This year, we invited a friend to join us in our home. I haven't cooked Thanksgiving dinner for 5 or 6 years, and now I remember why...

Saturday made bread for stuffing, Sunday I cut it up and put in the dehydrator. Made brown and serve rolls. Monday was 2 pumpkin pies and 2 pumpkin rolls while watching a sick grand. Yesterday was cleaning for Thanksgiving while still watching the sick grand. Today I prepped the turkey, made GF and reg bread stuffing, GF rolls, spinach dip, cheese ball and cream cheese celery. Days and days of prep for 1/2 hour of eating. Lol

My hubby is a huge help. His big contribution was holding two zip lock bags open for me. Wow , I hope he can function tomorrow with all that work he did today. Lol

Just took the cornbread for my own dressing out of the oven. Here is a free tip: it tastes better if you cook it in PINK cast iron.

My recipe said ten minutes at 425 then turn down to 325 for 40 min. My sister said she always gets paranoid that it’s undercooked and leaves it in an extra ten or so. I checked at 40, then 50, was also paranoid about the liquid center, left it in another five then took it out. Total 65 min. Set up pretty quick after that; I hope I didn’t overbake it.

Bpath, I do think that mac and cheese as a side is for sure a southern thing. Kraft is ok for everyday, but for Thanksgiving, you need to make the real deal baked mac and cheese. It's pretty easy and a must around here.

I live in Texas....never had mac n cheese growing up...never was a fan of it. Still not. I don't remember my mother ever cooking any dish with pasta in it. My sister brought mac n cheese to some of the family dinners though. My dad was strictly a meat and potatoes sort of person. My mother cooked a lot of vegetables too, but except when pinto beans were on the menu, meat was at every meal.

I bought a turkey to cook "eventually". I really wanted some dressing though. So I went to town today to buy horse feed, and went to the store and bought a chicken and plan to make chicken and dressing tomorrow.

I should have thought about that instead of turkey, to begin with. I am going to mix up the dressing tonight and put it in the fridge to cook tomorrow. I am going to be alone tomorrow, which is okay. I was invited to a couple of places for dinner, but I really hate going to someone's family holiday dinner. People think I don't want to be alone, but I do.

I have company coming after Thanksgiving, and not looking forward to that. A long time friend of Jody and I, but he sort of rambles around and I think he is looking for a place to roost, and I am not able to tolerate long visits. Plus, he was in a bad car wreck a few years ago, and is crippled now. I have taken care of so many people, and if someone is going to be here, they need to help me....I don't want to have to end up taking care of anyone else, plus everything else I have to do.

If that sounds mean....I'm not. There are just limitations on what I can do now.

Amylou, your pecan pie looks great!! I made one once off the Karo syrup label and it came out great. I love pecan pie.

My table is set. I made the dressing today. I'm making the apple pie first thing in the morning so it can sit out all day without needing refrigerating. I have everything else timed out and ready to start. I decided dinner would be at 4:00 so that I have all day to get things done. I'm having two neighbors over. One has no family at all and the other isn't seeing her family until Satuday. Perfect for me!! I even bought Gladware so that they can take home leftovers. A friend gave me a pumpkin pie yesterday, so we will have plenty. I'm doing both sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes and having green beans too. And the cranberry sauce is from my friend at the farmers market. Oh and dinner rolls too. It's been ages since I "dressed" the table for Thanksgiving. Usually my friend comes in and we are super casual about the table. It's more about the cooking and eating. :) I was supposed to go to a niece's house but two of her children and one of their spouses came down with Covid so I told her I wouldn't come. Actually I will be happier with my neighbors as they are good friends too. One of them gave me the centerpiece this afternoon!!!

Bpath , I was born and raised in Michigan as well, and like you had never seen or heard of anyone serving mac & cheese as any holiday side. I’m not against it at all, as I love it myself, but to this day I’ve still never been to family or friends’ homes in Michigan or here in New Mexico where it was a holiday side dish. Now that you all are talking about it here, though, I’m becoming very hungry for some (LOL)!

Being born and raised in PA I too never heard of mac and cheese being served at Thanksgiving. But grandson said he wants to make it for tomorrow. Well, he DID graduate from a southern college(William and Mary) so I guess that's where that came from. And the only chicken and waffles he ever ate was fried chicken on top of waffles. I had never heard of that. I wish he could have tasted my mother's chicken and waffles. She served hot homemade waffles she kept making thru dinner and topped with roasted chicken pieces with delicious chicken gravy.

Since I am going to my daughter's I have done nothing today except go to the insane grocery store . I will be bringing my usual...roasted veggies...carrots, little purple potatoes, onions, turnips, beets, sweet potatoes tossed in olive oil and balsamic vinegar and roasted in the oven.

Baked 3 pies: pumpkin, apple/pear/raisin, and macadamia nut - plus a pan of rolls today - whew!

I made cranberry/orange sauce days ago.

All veggies cut up for prep. Made pies, prepped for salad and stuffing.

Pumpkin chiffon pie is in the fridge....

Made my dressing and put it in the fridge before going to bed last night. I got woken up at 2 this morning by the sound of a coyote in some sort of spat, and SO and I jumped up to make sure he wasn't tangling with anything of ours. SO went back to bed, I made a pumpkin pie.

You betcha! Yesterday I baked. Apple/pear Praline pie/pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting, monkey bread and then threw together eggs benedict egg bake. Of course I made a large pot of 15 bean soup so as the travelers straggled in they had a warm something something to greet them. DH and son got the turkey in the brine and called it a day.

Oh my, what a lot of work! I’ve enjoyed reading.

Marilyn, sometimes just being invited is enough. As for your visitor, I know you’ll stand firm on becoming a caregiver for him. You have enough with the animals

I’ve been hearing so many references to mac and cheese this year but don’t recall ever hearing about it aa a Thanksgiving side. Would work for me!

My Thanksgiving cooking started on Monday when I made the cranberry sauce. On Tuesday I mixed up and baked the stuffing in a casserole. Yesterday I cooked the sweet potatoes. Today I will reheat and candy them as the 4 big bone in chicken breasts roast and brussels sprouts cook in the air fryer. There is just DH and I, but this is all a huge undertaking for me doing most of the work seated on my walker as I cannot stand unsupported. The big feast will be at about 5, I think.

Marie Callendar has a sweet potato pie in the freezer that I will bake early this afternoon. Was going to bake it this morning, but then I know that we would be too temped to eat it for lunch.

I would never consider Mac & cheese as a holiday dish - it was (and is) an everyday sort of dish in my household.

I am not cooking until Saturday (pies, and prep for the stuffing), since DD's s.o. has to work today and tomorrow. We will have dinner on Sunday.

I shopped yesterday for the vegetables for roasting, and went to 3 different stores in search of molasses , which is essential for my pumpkin pie (then got smart and checked their apps to see if any in stock). Aldi, Marc's, Meijer, Kroger all out of stock near me - it seemed like perhaps Aldi wasn't carrying it at all this year.

I also would never consider mac & cheese as a holiday dish - at least not one that I would ever eat.

I made turkey meatloaf on Wednesday, which my brother claims is our TG turkey. We making pizzas today.

I just tried to order some cranberry sauce from Wal-mart and they are out of stock for delivery. It's for Christmas dinner so I guess I'll wait.

Mac & cheese can be helpful when there are kids involved because most kids will eat it and might be picky about some of the other usual items.

Picky kids want only "the blue box" (Kraft brand) mac & cheese. (Thankfully she outgrew that phase.)

I spatchcocked the turkey this year. It took the better part of an hour to cut the backbone out, turkeys are built so much sturdier than chickens! I saved its backbone, neck and tail to roast later, then will add them to the soup pot.

Little Sally Lunns are just out of the oven -- easy and always turns out well.

I made lemon bars yesterday for a pre-Thanksgiving birthday dinner last night. Today I made mashed roasted yams with goat cheese and mushroom turnovers for my contribution to the family T'day potluck.

Too busy to eat any breakfast so looking forward to dinner....leaving within the hour!!

No mac and cheese here either. Not part of our holiday tradition and IMO, adds far too many fats and carbs unnecessarily to an already carb/fat heavy menu. I have never been a big fan.

I made the fresh cranberry salad last night. I just had to add the whipped cream today. I also made a vegetable mix (actually Trader Joe's did all the chopping...I just had to cook it) and roasted a 1/2 bone-in turkey b r e a s t. Food has been eaten, extra food stored and dishes are washed. Now is the time to visit The Kitchen Table! Hope everyone had a special day.

I saw spatchcocked turkeys at Costco.

not today.

My daughter spatchcocked her turkey. She got one the day before her dinner on Tuesday at Cosco. After bringing a few things to me and picking up her chairs among other things she had to do the day of her dinner, she decided to go that route so it would cook faster. Before she put it in the oven she video called me because she couldn't find the giblet bag. She found the neck and I had to tell her to turn the turkey over and find it's other orifice.