Thanksgiving food plans?

[spotty_dog]

Finalized the menu last night. My theory about Thanksgiving is that it's a harvest celebration, so I try to make sure that the major ingredients on the table are local or at least in season. I'll have mashed potatoes from my own garden, cranberry sauce with orange zest and Grand Marnier, my mom is bringing fresh green bean casserole, a friend is bringing a quinoa side, I'll do a boring bread stuffing since my bacon and apple one last year didn't get much love, we'll do squash (Delicata or Hubbard) with a cider-rosemary glaze, creamed spinach (the roux discussion makes me consider using a bechamel instead of cream for a slightly lighter calorie count), I'll bake rolls, and of course the turkey and gravy. I'll make a pumpkin pie (I am NOT making the crust this year, let alone rendering the lard to make the crust, LOL!) and my MIL will make a tart and my friend will bring an apple cheesecake. I think we'll have enough food for 7-9 adults and two small kids. >.<

[HouseofWool]

Can I come to your house Alison? That all sounds fabu! I'll make the homemade pie crust for you - use butter for the fat in it.

[TulipsAndSunscreen]

Started on the pies this weekend. I'm doing a buttermilk sweet potato and a chocolate pecan, I think. Got both crusts made and the sweet potato one finished over the weekend. I'll do the pecan one tonight.

I freeze it once it's baked, letting them thaw overnight in the refrig so they can be heated via the microwave no problem. We tend to eat desserts at all different times so reheating is normal around here - DH's family like to eat dessert immediately following dinner whereas I like to wait until I"m a little hungry again so it seems more satisfying.

Oh and re: pies, I'm partial to shortening in the pie crusts vs. butter, I've never had good luck with butter. Butter flavored Crisco imparts the butter flavor but still gives the flaky crust of shortening. Delish!!

[spotty_dog]

I've had good luck with a butter crust...once, but I've had some chewy ones too so I don't feel confident with it. I'd love to take you up on the offer, HoW, pie crust for a seat at the table?! The more the merrier! But in lieu of that, it's Pillsbury's turn.

The lard crust was actually pretty yummy. I got the leaf lard from our local happy-pig people on a whim. I slightly over-rendered it by accident, but that gave it a really nutty flavor that was an interesting underpinning to the sweet custardy pumpkin pie. And talk about flaky. I think I used the other half of the dough in a savory pie -- a quiche or something. It was a fun stunt but I'm not ready to render lard again any time soon, LOL.

[moonlight]

I finally said screw it and ordered a complete meal from a local grocery. I hope it doesn't suck but if I hear even one complaint ...

Smart girl!!

[Liisi]

This thread is making me hungry!!
I'm all about cheesy vegetable anything... yum. That goat cheese/squash/potato thing sounds wonderful. So does the rosemary-cider glazed squash!

My mom and stepdad are hosting Thanksgiving as usual, and there's always turkey, gravy, and mashed potatoes... but the veggie sides change year to year and I'm not sure what they're making this year. SO and I are bringing roasted brussels sprouts with bacon. I just cooked that for the first time a couple weeks ago and it was so good - onions and halved brussels sprouts sauteed in oil for a few minutes then sauteed in chicken broth until tender, tossed with 3 crumbled strips of bacon.

[L.Jane]

Were going to a friend's for Tday. I am to bring beer and Salad. They are Glatt Kosher, which means I am bringing all the salad stuff fresh from the grocery store and preparing it there. I want to have left overs so I also bought a 5lbs turkey breast, cranberry sauce, green beans, and stuff to maked mashed potatoes. We will cook our turkey breast Thurs morning so we have left overs for the weekend.

[Auspicious]

I'm cooking for just the four of us again. Previously my theory was that I could still make all the traditional dishes and then only have a little of each one and of course it all makes good leftovers. In reality that didn't work very well. Not enough room on the plate, not enough room in the oven, overkill for one meal, fewer people = fewer dishes. Which raises the question, what's the first thing you cut from the lineup? Answer:

No white potato of any kind
No gravy
No bread or rolls


We are having

Turkey breast
Cranberry sauce
Oyster stuffing
Mashed sweet potato casserole
Balsamic roasted brussels sprouts
Dessert: gingerbread with a side of pumpkin ice cream

This will be my first year making the stuffing "from scratch."

This thread is making me hungry, too! When we have the iMSN commune we will have iMSN potlucks on a regular basis! I want to taste all this!

[GreyhoundsRUs]

If I were cooking, we would do a turkey, stuffing, mashed taters, cranberry sauce, gravy, and green beans. I probably would do a whole turkey regardless of # of people because I really prefer dark meat.

We are going to a friend's and bringing homemade mac and cheese, cranberry sauce, and vanilla ice cream They're making the turkey "Puerto Rican" style - so I have high hopes for a savory, possibly spicy bird!

[Deebs]

Something happened to me at the grocery store. I got caught up in some kind of holiday fever, I guess. I am cooking for seven people (three of the seven are my children who will probably want a roll with butter and nothing else). I somehow bought food to have:
Turkey breast
Mashed potatoes
Stuffing
Brussel sprouts
Green beans
Roasted winter vegetables
roasted apples
rolls
pecan pie
pumpkin pie
What on earth was I doing? I meant to chose a vegetable, but seriously just started loading my cart.

[GreyhoundsRUs]

I do the same thing! Sounds delish, though!

[ladymoreta]

Oh heck yeah! I'm bringing DD a juice box or something. I don't want her to drink sweet tea. Yuck!

Don't hate on the sweet tea!

We're going to DH's parents', so I will just be helping them. They usually do a turkey, ham, potatoes, peas, salad, rolls, sweet potatoes, and several desserts. It's always way too much food, but they send us leftovers. Yum!

[moonlight]

Something happened to me at the grocery store. I got caught up in some kind of holiday fever, I guess. I am cooking for seven people (three of the seven are my children who will probably want a roll with butter and nothing else). I somehow bought food to have:
Turkey breast
Mashed potatoes
Stuffing
Brussel sprouts
Green beans
Roasted winter vegetables
roasted apples
rolls
pecan pie
pumpkin pie
What on earth was I doing? I meant to chose a vegetable, but seriously just started loading my cart.

I heart you! That made me lol! I know the feeling. You start out planning nothing and it grows to this deal. Have fun! All of that sounds yummy!

[moonlight]

Don't hate on the sweet tea!

We're going to DH's parents', so I will just be helping them. They usually do a turkey, ham, potatoes, peas, salad, rolls, sweet potatoes, and several desserts. It's always way too much food, but they send us leftovers. Yum!

In case anyone had any doubt the kids went badshit crazy after all the sweet tea today at lunch! Annnnnnnnd no one wanted to eat my pies.

[HouseofWool]

I love sweet tea, I just can't imagine feeding to a room full of pre-schoolers at lunch time and then asking them to take a nap.