What's on your menu for today (Thanksgiving)?

Cafe Society
1

For me and mine, it’s

Soup
Butternut Squash

Salads etc.
Panzanella Salad
dried cherries, toasted pecans, carrots, celery, orange-sage vinaigrette

Roasted Marble Potato and French Bean Salad
fresh herbs, sherry-truffle vinaigrette, crispy fried shallots

Classic Caesar Salad
crisp romaine, garlic croutons, roasted tomatoes

Wild Arugula Salad
Persimmons, Anjou pears, candied walnuts, Dijon vinaigrette, parmesan crisps

Turkey Apple Sage Terrine

Charcuterie and Vegetable Display
garlic crostini

Crab Salad Profiteroles

Goat Cheese Stuffed Prosciutto Wrapped Dates

Wisconsin Artisan Cheeses with
red grapes, mixed nuts, lahvosh

Seafood Station
Chef Seared Scallops, Beet Cured Salmon, Hot Smoked Salmon,
Smoked Mussels, Smoked Scallops, Shrimp
traditional accompaniments

Entrées
Bacon Wrapped Pork Loin
Cognac currant Jus

Pan Seared Walleye
herb pistachio pesto

Carving Station
Oven Roasted Turkey
pan gravy, citrus cranberry relish

Salt Crusted Prime Rib
caramelized onion jus

Pasta Station
Cavatappi Pasta
peas, spinach, pancetta, chicken, Parmesan cream

Orecchiette Pasta
sautéed peppers, red onion, broccolini, tomato vodka sauce

Artisan Breads
Banana Nut Bread

Flaky Biscuits

Artisan Multi Grain Rolls

Millet Oatmeal Bread (Gluten-Free)

Artisan Farmhouse Soft White Rolls

Pain de Campagne Bread

Assorted Lahvosh

Dessert Selections

Apple Dried Cranberry Pie

Maple Roasted Pecan Pie

Pumpkin Pie
vanilla-scented whipped cream

Individual Mincemeat Tartlets

Vanilla-Pumpkin Swirled Cheesecake Squares

Dark Chocolate Almond Cake Triangles with Blackberry Chocolate Ganache

Chocolate Vanilla Punch Cake Truffles

Vanilla Éclairs with Eggnog Cream

Chocolate Dipped Three Nut Florentines

Assorted Almond Macaroons (Gluten Free)

2

That’s a ton of food, QtM! I’m (presumably) having a smaller gathering - my parents, sister, and one of my former co-workers. I normally do a very traditional menu, but had to change up a few things this year to make it gluten free friendly.

Cucumber Salad
Turkey
Gravy
Cranberry Sauce
(Gluten free) Corn Bread stuffing
Sweet potato casserole (topped with marshmallows, of course!)
Sauteed green beans

Strawberry/Raspberry/Blueberry Crumble
Maybe I should just put this stuff on the table, and then head over to your place… :slight_smile:

3

I’ve already made sweet potato casserole with nut streusel, pecan pie and apple pie. Still to go: cornbread sausage dressing and apple raisin stuffing and the ham. Haven’t decided how I’m gonna glaze it. Prolly molasses, vinager and mustard. Or maybe melted apricot jam.
The Boy has brined a turkey breasted and is on gravy patrol.

The Boy’s Girlfriend is making a pumpkin cheesecake.

Hubby’s already done the Mac and cheese and the collards are on the stove.
Off to put the ham in some water.

4

I’m working 2-11. I believe I have some Thai green curry ( pork ) at work :D.

5

Ultra, ultra traditional.

[ul]
[li]Our family’s traditional hors-doeuvre which is called Red Dip, even though it is more orange. By tradition, it must be served with the cheapest potato chips available.[/li][li]Green bean casserole with the French-fried onions on top.[/li][li]Cranberry sauce. [/li][li]Pierogie.[/li][li]My usual semi-deboned and butterflied turkey. I take out all the bones except the drumsticks and wings. It cooks in a fraction of the time, and carves effortlessly.[/li][li]My usual stuffing with pork sausage, turkey giblets, onions, celery, and sage.[/li][li]Several gallons of gravy made from stock from the turkey bones.[/li][li]Pumpkin pie.[/li][/ul]I sometimes try something different, but people prefer what they have been served every Thanksgiving for fifty years.

Both my daughter and my son are bringing their SOs for the first time. So there is a certain amount of tension. Fortunately, I have enough cheap beer available to knock out a battalion, so that won’t last.

A blessed Thanksgiving to you all, and

Regards,
Shodan

6

Roommate is roasting a turkey and bought a Honey Baked ham. He made some sort of cheese ball with green onion and chopped beef, a cranberry salad with jello and cream cheese, and broccoli casserole (possibly with cream cheese!). I made two pumpkin pies, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, green bean casserole, and a caramel apple spice cake. There are rolls bought from a store. Roommate’s family will be bringing other dishes. Some sort of stuffing for sure.

7

Appetizers were a relish tray, pistachios, and snowflake Ritz crackers with Boursin.

Dinner was glazed ham, Martha Stewart’s macaroni and cheese, and green beans.

Dessert was two pies, one gooseberry custard, the other an experimental sweet potato-coconut which turned out wonderfully.

It’s just the three of us for Thanksgiving this year, so that was plenty.

8

We always make Bobby Flay’s sweet potato gratin. It’s awesome!

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Sweet-Potato-Gratin-367470

Also check out this variation which substitutes pureed chipotle chile for the cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves:

http://bobbyflay.com/recipe.php?id=169

That one I haven’t tried, but it sounds intense.

9

I am defeated by the OP and won’t offer our meager menu.

10

Are you hosting all of Wisconsin?!

It’s just six of us: the normal four who live here, my mom and one stray friend who has nowhere else to go. I admit, I’m a little depressed about it; I miss the 20 people feasts we used to have when our small family was slightly less small.

I’m going super traditional this year. I’ve worked all week, and I’m just not feeling all that creative.

We decided to try to make just enough food for us to eat and only have a small amount of leftovers; our usual strategy of “food for all and a month” yielded far too many excess pounds that none of us need right now. So in addition to a small (12 pound) turkey a la Alton Brown’s recipe, we’ve got:

Deviled eggs with crab
Stuffed mushroom caps
Veggie tray
Cheese fondue with apples and bread
Green bean casserole - the kind with cream o’ glop soup, because I’ve been forbidden from making green bean casserole from scratch on Thanksgiving
Stuffing (actually, dressing, cooking in the slow cooker as we speak)
Mashed potatoes (with butter, sour cream, cream cheese and cream inside)
Sweet potato “casserole” with pecan streusel topping - really, it’s sweet potato pie without the crust
Collard greens
Peas and pearl onions
Canned cranberry sauce (the jelly kind)
Whole bean cranberry sauce with apricots and deliciousness - my mom’s contribution

Mom’s bringing pie (probably pumpkin, yuck) and birthday cake for dessert.

I’m holding dilled carrots and pickled red cabbage in reserve - if it seems like we need more veggies, I’ll throw them on at the last minute. But I suspect not.

11

Remember, everyone head over to Qadgop’s house tomorrow for leftovers!

Our menu is a lot simpler and includes:

Brussels sprouts/sweet red pepper/home-grown garlic, turnip and broccoli sautee
Boiled onions
Emerilmannii’s Bastardized Celery Root Remoulade
Sweet potatoes
Corn pudding
Mr. Turkey and extra stuffing balls
Pie (sweet potato pecan, apple, pumpkin)

And of course, there must be a beverage.

The remote temperature reading inside the bird is 155F. Only a matter of time now. :cool:

12

We went simple.

Ham, scalloped potatoes with more ham out of a box, green beans with potatoes out of a can, and egg nog out of a carton for dessert.

13

Being in Canada this year, and with my daughter in college, I’m holding off until the weekend to make my regular Thanksgiving dinner:

Clam chowder

Shrimp cocktail

Roast turkey, basted with sherry

Corn bread and cranberry dressing with pork sausage and sage

Wild rice and peas in creamy mushroom sauce

Squash with butter and dark brown sugar

Baked sweet potatoes with butter and maple syrup

Pumpkin pie with cinnamon–vanilla ice cream

Tonight, when she gets home from class, we’re having hot homemade lasagne. Yum-O!

14

The following are required by my daughters:

Turkey
Pepperidge Farm stuffing
Ocean Spray jellied cranberry sauce, served in the banana split dish, with the rings from the can intact
Kings Inn sweet potatoes
Homemade bread - plain and cinnamon raisin

I also made
Gravy
Scalloped potatoes
Romanesco

Pumpkin pie
Apple pie

15

Good God almighty, Qadcop, what’s the story?

It was our first time hosting Thanksgiving, so my first time making a turkey. My mom & her husband, my wife’s parents, and our daughters (nine months, four years). So, a small group.

The meal was:
-Appetizers of crackers, cheese assortments from Aldi’s, two kinds of salami, raw veggies and dip, and a fig-onion-bacon-bourbon chutney that I made.

Everything else was homemade:
-Dill rolls
-Roast turkey
-gravy (homemade chicken stock plus turkey giblets & pan drippings)
-cranberry sauce
-green beans with almonds
-Angel Charlotte (some ungodly concoction of whipped cream, gelatin, marshmallows, and maraschino cherries, simultaneously horrifying and delicious)
-Pumpkin pie
-maple walnut pie
-Lots and lots of wine

16

Mojarra frita
Arroz con coco
Patacones
Camarones
–Thanksgiving on the Caribbean, in Santa Marta, Colombia

17

That’s nobody’s business but his own. I assumed it was — in hushed voice — a case of ‘Table for One.’

18

I made:

Turkey
Ham
Dressing with white bread and cornbread
Mashed potatoes
Gravy
Warm Brussel sprout salad with cranberries and walnuts
Sweet potato/banana casserole with pecan/struesel topping
Cranberry/orange relish that my grandma used to make
Deviled eggs
Rolls
Apple-cranberry cobbler
Pecan-pumpkin pie (yes, a hybrid. So damn good, can’t believe more people don’t do that.)
I am exhausted.

19

Okay, that was tasty. And I’m still not a bit hungry, 15 hours later.

Oh, there were some lovely crabcakes, too.

20

5 people camping in the desert. We ended up with:

Pit-roasted turkey (20 min./lb. is perfect timing for this, btw)
Dressing
Mashed potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Pea salad
Gravy
Cranberry sauce
Pumpkin pie
Apple pie
Berry pie
A vertical flight of Barberas

All prepared on camp stoves and under the fire pit.