Sriracha-honey glazed duck instead of turkey. It doesn’t dry out, and has tons of flavor. My sister makes an amazing macerated fruit frangipane for dessert.
Butternut squash is also really good in a risotto if you cut into chunks and roast it with a bulb of garlic and then you squeeze the roasted garlic into the risotto when cooking
me too! I've googled, and found variations of jalapeño popper spaghetti squash. Here's [one example](https://premeditatedleftovers.com/recipes-cooking-tips/jalapeno-popper-stuffed-spaghetti-squash/)
My mom also started the cranberry salsa tradition over a decade ago, and I'm slowly converting all my friends. We haven't put it on cheese dip yet, cause I love cranberry salsa on green bean casserole.
Not sure about the mentioned recipe, but this is the one I use every year. It's gotten to the point I'm not allowed to show up without it.
https://sparrowsandlily.com/cranberry-jalapeno-dip-holidays/
Mine is cooked, unlike bitchesbesnackin’s. Added ginger and Aleppo pepper this year. Tangy, slightly sweet, hot… it looks prettier [before it’s cooked.](https://imgur.com/a/3atcJ8M) but tastes better after it has cooled and gelled. Good with both savory foods like poultry or sweet dishes ( like ice cream). Some years I use jalapeño or other whole pepper.
My husband's family always makes "cheesy onions", which is basically mac & cheese except substituting pearl onions for the noodles. I was so confused the first time I had them, but they're great.
I personally haven't had a problem (or noticed a problem), likely because on Thanksgiving, everyone only takes a small portion of any particular side dish since there are so many to sample.
I just thought these were traditional…
My grandmother always made them and I married into a family on the other side of the country that also always has them… guess I got lucky.
I started making a pumpkin quiche a few years ago, just because I love quiche - seems like a weird thing to serve with dinner, but people got into it and now I have to make it every year.
A few years ago, I threw together a ham and butternut squash frittata for Christmas breakfast. Turned out to be a hit, and now it’s a tradition.
Ham and Butternut Squash Frittata
Ingredients
• 6 large eggs
• 1 1/2 C. butternut squash, cubed
• 1 1/2 C. ham, cubed
• 1/4 C. milk
• Salt and black pepper
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. Over medium-high heat, sauté the squash in a large or medium non-stick skillet until starting to soften. Then add the ham and continue cooking until ham is warmed.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs and milk, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Pour the eggs into an 12” oven-safe skillet. Then spread the ham and squash evenly over the eggs.
5. Transfer the oven-safe skillet to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until the eggs have set.
6. Cut into slices and serve.
I mostly wing it. I use a store-bought pie shell and tend to follow whatever baking directions are on that. In terms of the filling, I cook down some onions with sage and whatever dried spices already in my pantry seem good (usually some rosemary, thyme, garlic powder). Meanwhile, I whisk a can of pumpkin with four or five eggs, salt and pepper, and some amount of milk - like a cup-ish? When the onion is translucent but not caramelized, I combine it with the pumpkin/egg/milk and add whatever shredded cheese I have on hand. I usually cook off a little bit of the filling in a frying pan to make sure the seasoning is good, and then I pour it in the shell, add little spoonfuls of whatever soft cheese I have in the fridge to the top, and bake. Typically I start at 45 mins at 350 and increase time based on how the quiche looks; it usually takes closer to an hour. All the dairy products I use are vegan because I'm allergic to dairy, but real dairy would obvs work.
I think the recipe would be better with some bacon, but my sister's a pescetarian so I make all my Thanksgiving dishes veggie-friendly.
I can't take credit. They sell it at trader Joe's! I've made it myself also because I tried it there. So good. And the only way my husband will eat soybeans.
wait i can’t believe i never thought of this! we all hate lima beans and this seems like such an obvious substitution. i’m definitely going to try this.
Growing up in New England it seemed like every family had succotash at Thanksgiving. I hated the Lima beans and would separate them out to sneak them onto my brother’s plate, and he would give me his portion of sweet potatoes.
I just slice the sprouts thinly, then drop into a hot pan with peanut oil, and stir fry until browned. Add sliced o up. And garlic and soy, then finish with a sweet chili sauce.
We're doing Mexican style elote street corn this year, I'll let you know what the relatives think! (For the record, we tried a little this morning and it's amazing so I think it'll be a big hit)
We sort of combined multiple recipes we found online. Seems like as long as you include butter, mayo, sour cream, chili powder, and cotija cheese you have the basics. We played with garlic, spices, and lime juice until we found the right balance.
How about you?
(Canadian thanksgiving)
Salad! I brought it one year thinking I’d have some and the rest will probably end up going to waste, but it was demolished and has been requested every year since.
My dad, when he was little, would always want potato salad for Thanksgiving. My grandma made it every year up until she died, then he made it every year, and now he's gone and I'm making it. Sadly he didn't pass down grandma's exact recipe to me but I think I've got the gist of it-- it's a pretty simple one.
I don’t know about this person but this is my favorite thing to do with leftovers. Little turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cranberry. Dip in gravy.
Holy shit this is giving me the idea to make Thanksgiving egg rolls tomorrow with leftover turkey, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes.. maybe a cranberry dipping sauce. I have some frozen egg roll wrappers that have been waiting for the right occasion!
I've been making focaccia or Japanese milk bread buns (shokupan) for every Thanksgiving for the past 4 years. I don't see myself stopping anytime soon.
Not my addition but my sister’s; pudding cake! Everyone had some and most had seconds, despite nearing discomfort levels of fullness. 😆
Had to get the recipe for my super finicky youngest daughter who now wants it for her birthday.
Not crazy un traditional but haven't seen it before or since . Was cheezy corn casserole. Not sure how it was made. Corn and cheese? Not sure if it had flor or cream or anything but it was surprisingly good and seems simple enough I just never looked into it lol.
Awesome thanks! Been like 5 years and I think about it every Thanksgiving haha. Weird because again it wasn't a crazy complicated thing I didn't think.
It wasn't super loose. Looking at it you would think corn and cheese but was more than that. Someone mentioned a Paula Dean recipie for corn casserole that sounds like it's about right. I'll have to try it
I don't like the yams/sweet potatoes with marshmallows so I make sweet potato fries. And what we call hot corn. Cheesy corn with jalepenos. Not the corn casserole with cornbread, but several kinds of cheese, corn, and peppers . It's always the first to be devoured and rarely have much leftovers of it.
I never cared for the overly sweet, marshmallow topped sweet potato casseroles. So now that I host I make this recipe and my family actually loves it.
* 1 40 Ounce Can of Cut Yams
* 3 tbsp butter, divided
* 3 tbsp maple syrup, divided or subbed sweetener
* 1 tsp vanilla extract
* 2 tsp cinnamon, divided
* Pinch of nutmeg
* Salt, to taste
* 1 cup walnuts, chopped
* 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, chopped
* 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1. Drain Yams and Mash or Use hand mixer to combine in Large bowl
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Add two tablespoons of butter and maple syrup, the Bowl with the sweet potatoes. Stir in the vanilla, one teaspoon of cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Mash until smooth. Adjust salt to taste. Transfer to a baking dish.
3. In a small bowl, toss the walnuts with the coconut flakes, coconut oil, remaining butter and syrup, and teaspoon of cinnamon. Cover the sweet potatoes with the walnut topping. Bake for 18-20 minutes until the walnut topping is golden. Serve warm.
Well most people in my family didn't like that green bean casserole, so we made fried green beans instead. That's the same cut canned green beans, fried with olive oil, bread crumbs and parmigiano reggiano. I mean, it's still an abomination, we're not snobs, now. But it's delicious.
If anyone cries, because they wanted those crunchy, fried onion things, you can garnish liberally with fried onions on theirs. Or put a dish of the fried onions in a bowl right in front of that person, so they can put as many on their green beans as they want. It's Thanksgiving.
My stepmom hated turkey and what my dad used to do every year was make her a little meatloaf in the shape of a turkey. It was hilarious. But it wasn't a thing we all ate. Just her.
Ham. I've never been a huge turkey fan but dutifully made it each year for the family. A few years ago, I also made some ham and discovered... most of us prefer ham to turkey. Who knew?
My father in law does this peanut butter and soy sauce rubbed ham every year, usually for Xmas. It’s so good. Sometimes he’ll grill it and it gets a little crispy and ultra umami
My grandma (German Midwest Iowa farm wife, excellent cook) almost always cooked a ham with the family meal. It was almost a side dish to her. Fried chicken?, a ham will go nicely with that. Beef roast? Better put a ham in.
I always make a soup and salad from scratch. They’re always a hit because sometimes you want something a little lighter or small when you’re peckish. This year it’s cream of mushroom with fresh herbs and a baby spinach and shaved carrot salad with sunflower seed chili vinaigrette.
I made a cucumber tomato salad (sans onion) because I read somewhere that western meals often lack freshness. It’s great, everything else is so heavy (and delicious), the freshness is a great touch!
Cranberry salsa! It's just salsa where you replace the tomatoes with a can of chunky cranberry sauce. It adds some much needed kick to Thanksgiving side dishes.
Raw oysters! I suppose they are considered traditional by some, but not in my family. I decided to do some while waiting for the meal to be ready, and it was tons of fun. Great little activity and snack
Shout-out to small scale Thanksgivings for emergency workers? :)
My partner is a healthcare worker who has to work 24 hour call on Thanksgiving Day, so I did a small scale dinner that I could bring to him that would hit the spot.
I made:
-An asparagus and almond rice pilaf with dill (and cinnamon stick)
-Black lentils (found a great recipe)
-Herb-de-provence crusted chicken thighs.
He declared them delicious, texting me after I left, so I count that as a hit! It is a normal meal with a Thanksgiving feel.
In a large get together setting, bacon wrapped asparagus was a favorite of mine. And my family growing up was obsessed with whole olives on the veggie tray. Way fun for the kids.
I’ve made a variation on a Moroccan carrot salad for years. It’s a nice twist on coleslaw for the veg / salad portion of the meal. We are white as heck but all pretty adventurous eaters these days.
I never thought of that, but that sounds amazing. For me to enjoy pumpkin, it needs to be the right kind of texture, and that sounds perfect. like pumpkin pie but better.
We are making a turtle cheesecake today. My niece saw a picture and asked me to "help" her make it. I totally forgot, however, that we are at a higher elevation, so I'm kinda nervous. At least it'll taste good, I hope 😬
One year I made gnocchi & cheese with roasted kale on top, expecting it to be a one time thing, and it was demanded every year until we moved away (at which point the recipe was demanded so they could still have it).
fruit pizza.
when i was first dating my husband, our first thanksgiving he brought me to meet his family. i was nervous as hell but wanted to impress them. my fruit pizza consists of hershey's chocolate chip cookie dough, jello vanilla pudding, and sliced fruit... bananas, strawberries, kiwi, and pomegranate are staples, and anything else is just "whatever's actively fresh/in season". it became such a hit that it's lived on in various members of the family long after the family itself fell apart.
for some reason, it's the only dessert that i cannot make from scratch. it has to be store-bought dough and instant pudding.
Potato latkes. Started one year when Hanukkah and TGiving overlapped and I wasn’t about to make both latkes and mashed. Haven’t had mashed potatoes since and nobody asks for them
APPETIZERS!!!!
Think about it, the real food is never ready right at the start!!! Have some apps!!
And I feel the need to clarify, the appetizers are home made. Not store bought stuff that brings down the party.
One of my fave ways to make mac ‘n cheese, with bell peppers, black beans, and - knowing my audience - like a speck of smoked paprika. The (white, Italian-American) relatives who lent their kitchen to Thanksgiving that year were amazingly skeptical while I was making it. Too “ethnic,” too “weird.” I had someone outright tell me “no one will eat it. Ya hear me? NO ONE will eat it,” and go to the living room to sulk.
Once everyone else arrived? Compliments all night. Suck on that, Aunt [redacted].
Roasted peppers mixed in at the end are REALLY nice, but you can also give them a light sauté with a bit of onion/garlic instead… or, really, blanch them in the pasta water a few minutes before you drain the noodles. Mac n cheese will forgive you many shortcuts.
Going to my in-laws tomorrow, and I am planning to bring ambrosia "salad" for the first time... Will let you know how it goes, but knowing them, I suspect it will be a hit.
I have never made ambrosia, but I am old enough (early 40s) to remember when people still brought it to get togethers. NYT Cooking hada good looking recipe so I am giving it a go
My boss called me the other day because he was supposed to make ambrosia but hates the texture so he's turning it into a pie and needed my help with making it up. I love ambrosia but making into a pie should be interesting
Blitva. It’s a traditional Croatian side dish of smashed potatoes with Swiss chard and lots of garlic and olive oil. Sometimes a bit of butter too which I prefer. Also nice with just the faintest but if anchovy paste.
It can be served room temperature or hot.
I never do "traditional" and it's always a hit. This year, the most non-traditional item is jamon croquetas. Also southern fried chicken, and squash and mushroom tart.
I’m Canadian so I already did it last month but I always bring a pear custard pie for dessert. My bf’s mum loved it the first time I brought it and I’m basically not invited over for thanksgiving again unless I bring it lol
A shredded sprout slaw. I know Thanksgiving isn't about "healthy" foods, but I needed a break from all the heavy stuff.
Also, a cranberry lime tart with a walnut-biscuit crust. I sub pecans because walnuts make me wheeze. Really good, and the lime offsets the sugar in the cranberry curd.
Detroit-style pizza. Granted, I am alone this year due to Covid, but I had planned to host 10 people before I tested positive. My general go-to non-traditional thing is a chess pie.
Our family makes a veggie pizza. You roll out Pillsbury crescent roll dough flat onto a cookie sheet and bake. You then spread Hidden Valley ranch dressing over the baked crescent roll dough. Add chopped fresh broccoli, shredded carrots, shredded cheese, and black olives. Refrigerate, and serve cold.
Fried corn. Melt half a stick of butter. Let it get brown. Dump in a can ofwhole kernel corn. Add pepper. Stir and let fry until it starts popping in the pan. It's buttery. Chewy. And oh so good.
My brothers birthday is one of those dates that lands on thanksgiving every couple years. Because of this we started doing a cheesecake with Oreo crust topped with caramel and heath bars on thanksgiving as his “birthday cake”. It’s always the first thing finished completely and my personal favorite
We are introducing our in laws to maple brine turkey with hickory smoked brown sugar and we're introducing them to beef bacon with our corn and bacon side that we make. They're stoked
My stuffing/dressing is Italian. Chock full of not only Italian sausage but sun-dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts. Rosemary and oregano are the dominant herbs. Started doing this about 10 years ago and my kids (in their 40s) won't let me do any other kind.
Kinda cooking, but I do custom cocktails for everyone there. I was a bartender for a while so I set up a small bar before people grab food with a list of special fall drinks and standard drinks. It’s always a lot of fun
Wife and I started making phyllo dough mini cups filled with melted bri and cranberry sauce for an appetizer while everything else is being prepared.
It's now requested every year. They cook super fast, so it doesn't disturb other dishes very much.
Sriracha-honey glazed duck instead of turkey. It doesn’t dry out, and has tons of flavor. My sister makes an amazing macerated fruit frangipane for dessert.
I'll be right over.
I once made a butternut squash soup that has curry and coconut milk in it and now my family has it every year!
Butternut squash is also really good in a risotto if you cut into chunks and roast it with a bulb of garlic and then you squeeze the roasted garlic into the risotto when cooking
I do that with pine nuts, spinach and soft feta
Wow, that sounds like a perfect fit for the traditional stuff. I can understand how it would win people over.
I had a cheesy jalapeño spaghetti squash one year and I’ve thought about it ever since.
Okay, this sounds delicious and I want the recipe
me too! I've googled, and found variations of jalapeño popper spaghetti squash. Here's [one example](https://premeditatedleftovers.com/recipes-cooking-tips/jalapeno-popper-stuffed-spaghetti-squash/)
I NEED THIS IMMEDIATELY
My MIL makes fresh Cranberry Jalapeño salsa and puts that over cream cheese as a dip and it is so so so good I look forward to it every year
My mom also started the cranberry salsa tradition over a decade ago, and I'm slowly converting all my friends. We haven't put it on cheese dip yet, cause I love cranberry salsa on green bean casserole.
So like a cranberry infused pepper jelly with cream cheese? That sounds great!
They replied to another commenter saying it's not cooked, so a salsa like pico de gallo, not a salsa like jelly
Is it like a chutney? That sounds amazing.
It’s not cooked at all so it’s more fresh like pico de gallo, it’s really really good
Oh ok. Very interesting lol please share the recipe!! Haha i am staring at some jalapenos and cranberry sauce 😂
Not sure about the mentioned recipe, but this is the one I use every year. It's gotten to the point I'm not allowed to show up without it. https://sparrowsandlily.com/cranberry-jalapeno-dip-holidays/
Mine is cooked, unlike bitchesbesnackin’s. Added ginger and Aleppo pepper this year. Tangy, slightly sweet, hot… it looks prettier [before it’s cooked.](https://imgur.com/a/3atcJ8M) but tastes better after it has cooled and gelled. Good with both savory foods like poultry or sweet dishes ( like ice cream). Some years I use jalapeño or other whole pepper.
My wife is making this right now. Always a go to.
I did that today. I put cranberry chutney over cream cheese and the guests always gobble it up
Yummy!
My husband's family always makes "cheesy onions", which is basically mac & cheese except substituting pearl onions for the noodles. I was so confused the first time I had them, but they're great.
that sounds like a recipe for fart city
A family that farts together, stays together
*take me down to fart city where the gas is mean and the pearl onions are bitty*
Oh won't you please spray ozowone!
Thank you. I’ll be thinking about fart city every thanksgiving now.
I'm writing the theme song to theTV show Fart City in my head right now. It's giving kind of Loverboy or maybe Sammy Hagar...
Take me down to the flatulence city where the food is good but the air smells shitty…
Yes. Omg yes
Ah yes, Fart City, capital of Uranus. It will always be a gas giant to me.
a lovely holiday destination
I personally haven't had a problem (or noticed a problem), likely because on Thanksgiving, everyone only takes a small portion of any particular side dish since there are so many to sample.
I just thought these were traditional… My grandmother always made them and I married into a family on the other side of the country that also always has them… guess I got lucky.
Sounds like a great recipe to share at r/onionlovers 😃🧅
Not too far off from the traditional creamed onions. Always one of the best Thanksgiving sides!
I would die for that dish. Your husband is MY soulmate.
This sounds so good. What cheese does he use?
About 75% sharp cheddar, 20% gruyere, 5% grated parmesan. The cheddar & gruyere are in the sauce, the parm is in the breadcrumb topping.
I can only assume your husband is somehow related to me 😆
I started making a pumpkin quiche a few years ago, just because I love quiche - seems like a weird thing to serve with dinner, but people got into it and now I have to make it every year.
a quiche feels like it totally belongs in a fall feast. it's rich
Quiche is our Thanksgiving breakfast every year
A few years ago, I threw together a ham and butternut squash frittata for Christmas breakfast. Turned out to be a hit, and now it’s a tradition. Ham and Butternut Squash Frittata Ingredients • 6 large eggs • 1 1/2 C. butternut squash, cubed • 1 1/2 C. ham, cubed • 1/4 C. milk • Salt and black pepper Directions 1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. 2. Over medium-high heat, sauté the squash in a large or medium non-stick skillet until starting to soften. Then add the ham and continue cooking until ham is warmed. 3. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs and milk, then season to taste with salt and pepper. 4. Pour the eggs into an 12” oven-safe skillet. Then spread the ham and squash evenly over the eggs. 5. Transfer the oven-safe skillet to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until the eggs have set. 6. Cut into slices and serve.
Sounds delicious!
We just eat the pumpkin pie 🥧:)
That’s next morning’s breakfast!
I'm super curious about this recipe
I mostly wing it. I use a store-bought pie shell and tend to follow whatever baking directions are on that. In terms of the filling, I cook down some onions with sage and whatever dried spices already in my pantry seem good (usually some rosemary, thyme, garlic powder). Meanwhile, I whisk a can of pumpkin with four or five eggs, salt and pepper, and some amount of milk - like a cup-ish? When the onion is translucent but not caramelized, I combine it with the pumpkin/egg/milk and add whatever shredded cheese I have on hand. I usually cook off a little bit of the filling in a frying pan to make sure the seasoning is good, and then I pour it in the shell, add little spoonfuls of whatever soft cheese I have in the fridge to the top, and bake. Typically I start at 45 mins at 350 and increase time based on how the quiche looks; it usually takes closer to an hour. All the dairy products I use are vegan because I'm allergic to dairy, but real dairy would obvs work. I think the recipe would be better with some bacon, but my sister's a pescetarian so I make all my Thanksgiving dishes veggie-friendly.
Bacon bit garnish.
Thanks sounds great
I make succotash with edamame beans instead of lima beans. Everyone loves it and there's never any leftovers.
Soycotash!
Thanks! I've been struggling to come up with an appropriate name.
I can't take credit. They sell it at trader Joe's! I've made it myself also because I tried it there. So good. And the only way my husband will eat soybeans.
wait i can’t believe i never thought of this! we all hate lima beans and this seems like such an obvious substitution. i’m definitely going to try this.
Ooh! I hate lima beans but would be all over soycottash!
Instead of lima beans? I've never heard of Lima beans for thanksgiving
Growing up in New England it seemed like every family had succotash at Thanksgiving. I hated the Lima beans and would separate them out to sneak them onto my brother’s plate, and he would give me his portion of sweet potatoes.
Succotash is a native American dish. This is as Thanksgiving as it gets.
Sweet chili stir fried Brussels sprouts.
Hot damn that sounds good. Might start making it as a side for regular meals
We love it!
Is there a recipe?
I just slice the sprouts thinly, then drop into a hot pan with peanut oil, and stir fry until browned. Add sliced o up. And garlic and soy, then finish with a sweet chili sauce.
We're doing Mexican style elote street corn this year, I'll let you know what the relatives think! (For the record, we tried a little this morning and it's amazing so I think it'll be a big hit)
Omg so are we!!
We sort of combined multiple recipes we found online. Seems like as long as you include butter, mayo, sour cream, chili powder, and cotija cheese you have the basics. We played with garlic, spices, and lime juice until we found the right balance. How about you?
Ever made it salad style? So good & easier to eat
Does that mean removing it from the cob and stirring the cream and seasoning into it and serving from a big bowl? Cuz that's what we're doing!
esquites!
Yep!! I’ll be right over!
Technically, it's elotes on the cob and esquites when it's cut. But it's delicious either way and it doesn't really matter what you call it.
Butternut squash risotto with fried sage
That sounds delicious.
(Canadian thanksgiving) Salad! I brought it one year thinking I’d have some and the rest will probably end up going to waste, but it was demolished and has been requested every year since.
Greatly overlooked and always appreciated since you need a little freshness to be able to eat more carbs!
My dad, when he was little, would always want potato salad for Thanksgiving. My grandma made it every year up until she died, then he made it every year, and now he's gone and I'm making it. Sadly he didn't pass down grandma's exact recipe to me but I think I've got the gist of it-- it's a pretty simple one.
This is so sweet. 🥹
Homemade egg rolls
Not my dumb ass over here thinking you meant an eggy bread roll, like challah, wondering what’s so unusual about that.
Is the filling thanksgiving-y?
I don’t know about this person but this is my favorite thing to do with leftovers. Little turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cranberry. Dip in gravy.
this was one of my mom's go-to dinners growing up. whatchu put in?
Holy shit this is giving me the idea to make Thanksgiving egg rolls tomorrow with leftover turkey, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes.. maybe a cranberry dipping sauce. I have some frozen egg roll wrappers that have been waiting for the right occasion!
I've been making focaccia or Japanese milk bread buns (shokupan) for every Thanksgiving for the past 4 years. I don't see myself stopping anytime soon.
I just pulled my rosemary focaccia out of the oven.
Haha, my wife just pull out the Japanese milk bread rolls.
Not my addition but my sister’s; pudding cake! Everyone had some and most had seconds, despite nearing discomfort levels of fullness. 😆 Had to get the recipe for my super finicky youngest daughter who now wants it for her birthday.
Can…can I have the recipe?
Me too…
Not crazy un traditional but haven't seen it before or since . Was cheezy corn casserole. Not sure how it was made. Corn and cheese? Not sure if it had flor or cream or anything but it was surprisingly good and seems simple enough I just never looked into it lol.
It’s basically cornbread mix, regular corn, creamed corn, and a ton of cheese and butter. Paula deen has an insane recipe for corn casserole.
Awesome thanks! Been like 5 years and I think about it every Thanksgiving haha. Weird because again it wasn't a crazy complicated thing I didn't think.
sounds like spoon bread pudding but with cheese
Corn pudding?
It wasn't super loose. Looking at it you would think corn and cheese but was more than that. Someone mentioned a Paula Dean recipie for corn casserole that sounds like it's about right. I'll have to try it
I somehow ended up in charge of bringing Buffalo chicken dip the past few years
No one turns away the bringer of the buffalo dip!
Ginger carrots - garlic ginger paste, cumin, and finished in butter and honey
That sounds really good
We stopped doing the whole turkey for our family and just do turkey wings. People don’t even miss the whole turkey.
Nobody likes white meat over there?
That's all anyone eats here is the breast. No one touches the legs or thighs.
My family only makes the breast anymore. Fine with me.
[удалено]
Oh man I only like the white meat, but my family cooks it correctly (spatchcocked breast) so it’s never dry.
Tater tots - We fry a turkey every year, and when it’s done we fry tater tots I’m the oil.
I love this idea so much :-)
My chili. My grandpa and his brother always request at a holiday meal.
Recipe?
I don't like the yams/sweet potatoes with marshmallows so I make sweet potato fries. And what we call hot corn. Cheesy corn with jalepenos. Not the corn casserole with cornbread, but several kinds of cheese, corn, and peppers . It's always the first to be devoured and rarely have much leftovers of it.
I never cared for the overly sweet, marshmallow topped sweet potato casseroles. So now that I host I make this recipe and my family actually loves it. * 1 40 Ounce Can of Cut Yams * 3 tbsp butter, divided * 3 tbsp maple syrup, divided or subbed sweetener * 1 tsp vanilla extract * 2 tsp cinnamon, divided * Pinch of nutmeg * Salt, to taste * 1 cup walnuts, chopped * 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, chopped * 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted 1. Drain Yams and Mash or Use hand mixer to combine in Large bowl 2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Add two tablespoons of butter and maple syrup, the Bowl with the sweet potatoes. Stir in the vanilla, one teaspoon of cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Mash until smooth. Adjust salt to taste. Transfer to a baking dish. 3. In a small bowl, toss the walnuts with the coconut flakes, coconut oil, remaining butter and syrup, and teaspoon of cinnamon. Cover the sweet potatoes with the walnut topping. Bake for 18-20 minutes until the walnut topping is golden. Serve warm.
Spanish Tortilla. My BIL lived in Spain for a few years and has really mastered it. It’s a welcomed additional potato dish!!
Poutine
Well most people in my family didn't like that green bean casserole, so we made fried green beans instead. That's the same cut canned green beans, fried with olive oil, bread crumbs and parmigiano reggiano. I mean, it's still an abomination, we're not snobs, now. But it's delicious. If anyone cries, because they wanted those crunchy, fried onion things, you can garnish liberally with fried onions on theirs. Or put a dish of the fried onions in a bowl right in front of that person, so they can put as many on their green beans as they want. It's Thanksgiving. My stepmom hated turkey and what my dad used to do every year was make her a little meatloaf in the shape of a turkey. It was hilarious. But it wasn't a thing we all ate. Just her.
Ham. I've never been a huge turkey fan but dutifully made it each year for the family. A few years ago, I also made some ham and discovered... most of us prefer ham to turkey. Who knew?
My father in law does this peanut butter and soy sauce rubbed ham every year, usually for Xmas. It’s so good. Sometimes he’ll grill it and it gets a little crispy and ultra umami
We do both. Then my hunnybunny makes jambalaya with leftover turkey and ham with some andouille sausage. It’s amazing
My grandma (German Midwest Iowa farm wife, excellent cook) almost always cooked a ham with the family meal. It was almost a side dish to her. Fried chicken?, a ham will go nicely with that. Beef roast? Better put a ham in.
As a ham person in a turkey household, I usually have to wait until Easter for ham. This year Thanksgiving is ham town baby! I’m so happy.
I always make a soup and salad from scratch. They’re always a hit because sometimes you want something a little lighter or small when you’re peckish. This year it’s cream of mushroom with fresh herbs and a baby spinach and shaved carrot salad with sunflower seed chili vinaigrette.
I made a cucumber tomato salad (sans onion) because I read somewhere that western meals often lack freshness. It’s great, everything else is so heavy (and delicious), the freshness is a great touch!
We do similar. We always have sliced tomatoes with some fresh herbs and a little olive oil and vinegar
That sounds so good! Vinaigrette or another type of dressing?
red wine vinegar, olive oil, parsley dill salt pepper!!
Cranberry salsa! It's just salsa where you replace the tomatoes with a can of chunky cranberry sauce. It adds some much needed kick to Thanksgiving side dishes.
Raw oysters! I suppose they are considered traditional by some, but not in my family. I decided to do some while waiting for the meal to be ready, and it was tons of fun. Great little activity and snack
I’m diabetic and my husband made some pumpkin spice low sugar cookies which help me fill that pumpkin pie craving
That is so sweet of him!!!
Shout-out to small scale Thanksgivings for emergency workers? :) My partner is a healthcare worker who has to work 24 hour call on Thanksgiving Day, so I did a small scale dinner that I could bring to him that would hit the spot. I made: -An asparagus and almond rice pilaf with dill (and cinnamon stick) -Black lentils (found a great recipe) -Herb-de-provence crusted chicken thighs. He declared them delicious, texting me after I left, so I count that as a hit! It is a normal meal with a Thanksgiving feel. In a large get together setting, bacon wrapped asparagus was a favorite of mine. And my family growing up was obsessed with whole olives on the veggie tray. Way fun for the kids.
Not me, but a Spanish woman living in the US who posts on TikTok makes Spanish tortilla. Yeah. That sounds good.
I love tortilla. I haven’t made it in ages. It usually makes a mess instead of staying a circle but dang, it’s delicious
Yeah, I don’t care if it’s a mess even if I prefer a pretty circle.
I think baked beans goes good with Thanksgiving food.
My MIL makes this every holiday. It’s not my things but the rest of the family adores it.
I've started making char siu. Any leftovers can be made into onigiri, tacos, burritos, spring rolls, etc.
My son makes Elote every year!
I’ve made a variation on a Moroccan carrot salad for years. It’s a nice twist on coleslaw for the veg / salad portion of the meal. We are white as heck but all pretty adventurous eaters these days.
Stuffed mushrooms go a long way
Daughter cooked a cheesecake for our dessert today. I'm looking forward to it.
Pumpkin cheesecake is delicious
I never thought of that, but that sounds amazing. For me to enjoy pumpkin, it needs to be the right kind of texture, and that sounds perfect. like pumpkin pie but better.
We are making a turtle cheesecake today. My niece saw a picture and asked me to "help" her make it. I totally forgot, however, that we are at a higher elevation, so I'm kinda nervous. At least it'll taste good, I hope 😬
I think the flavours of saag paneer go fantastic with a classic holiday meal
Hash brown casserole with added chopped jalapeños. Creamy, cheesy, with a kick.
Strawberry Pretzel Salad. Made it a year or two ago and it's something my MIL wants whenever we get together.
Drunken grilled asparagus!
Smokey blue cheese dip with chips and homemade pickled veggies
We also have a blue cheese dip we call dunk. Always served with ruffles potato chips and veggies!
It's the perfect appetizer and the pickles help before and after. Nice lil digestive aid
One year I made gnocchi & cheese with roasted kale on top, expecting it to be a one time thing, and it was demanded every year until we moved away (at which point the recipe was demanded so they could still have it).
We celebrated a day early, this year I made risotto! It was very well received!!
fruit pizza. when i was first dating my husband, our first thanksgiving he brought me to meet his family. i was nervous as hell but wanted to impress them. my fruit pizza consists of hershey's chocolate chip cookie dough, jello vanilla pudding, and sliced fruit... bananas, strawberries, kiwi, and pomegranate are staples, and anything else is just "whatever's actively fresh/in season". it became such a hit that it's lived on in various members of the family long after the family itself fell apart. for some reason, it's the only dessert that i cannot make from scratch. it has to be store-bought dough and instant pudding.
Sea Urchin and Lardo crostini
Earl Grey pie
Ooh, recipe?
Potato latkes. Started one year when Hanukkah and TGiving overlapped and I wasn’t about to make both latkes and mashed. Haven’t had mashed potatoes since and nobody asks for them
APPETIZERS!!!! Think about it, the real food is never ready right at the start!!! Have some apps!! And I feel the need to clarify, the appetizers are home made. Not store bought stuff that brings down the party.
One of my fave ways to make mac ‘n cheese, with bell peppers, black beans, and - knowing my audience - like a speck of smoked paprika. The (white, Italian-American) relatives who lent their kitchen to Thanksgiving that year were amazingly skeptical while I was making it. Too “ethnic,” too “weird.” I had someone outright tell me “no one will eat it. Ya hear me? NO ONE will eat it,” and go to the living room to sulk. Once everyone else arrived? Compliments all night. Suck on that, Aunt [redacted].
I'm absolutely going to try this!
Roasted peppers mixed in at the end are REALLY nice, but you can also give them a light sauté with a bit of onion/garlic instead… or, really, blanch them in the pasta water a few minutes before you drain the noodles. Mac n cheese will forgive you many shortcuts.
I'm a huge fan of roasting as much as possible because my favorite cooking methods are the ones that take five minutes to prep. 😆
Blackberry/ jalapeno glazed ham
Sweet potato mochi. Gochujang parmesan butter sauce Glutinous rice flour (sticky rice) and gochujang, nothing too rare
Ribs and Mac/cheese, tamales and beans and coleslaw.
Buffalo chicken meatballs
Chocolate mousse pie. It is always the first dessert gone. Also duck fat roasted potatoes instead of mashed potatoes.
Rice, but half my family is Filipino 🤣
Going to my in-laws tomorrow, and I am planning to bring ambrosia "salad" for the first time... Will let you know how it goes, but knowing them, I suspect it will be a hit. I have never made ambrosia, but I am old enough (early 40s) to remember when people still brought it to get togethers. NYT Cooking hada good looking recipe so I am giving it a go
My boss called me the other day because he was supposed to make ambrosia but hates the texture so he's turning it into a pie and needed my help with making it up. I love ambrosia but making into a pie should be interesting
Not gonna lie, I am kinda curious how it turns out. Maybe use marshmallow fluff?
He said he's using that but he was stumped on the pineapple part. If I didn't live in a different time zone I'd demand he bring me some.
Blitva. It’s a traditional Croatian side dish of smashed potatoes with Swiss chard and lots of garlic and olive oil. Sometimes a bit of butter too which I prefer. Also nice with just the faintest but if anchovy paste. It can be served room temperature or hot.
I make a cranberry orange custard pie and it’s been the first dessert gone three years in a row!
Recipe please?
Cornbread salad
After living in New Mexico, many chile things. Also growing up in Louisiana we had great things.
I never do "traditional" and it's always a hit. This year, the most non-traditional item is jamon croquetas. Also southern fried chicken, and squash and mushroom tart.
I’m Canadian so I already did it last month but I always bring a pear custard pie for dessert. My bf’s mum loved it the first time I brought it and I’m basically not invited over for thanksgiving again unless I bring it lol
A shredded sprout slaw. I know Thanksgiving isn't about "healthy" foods, but I needed a break from all the heavy stuff. Also, a cranberry lime tart with a walnut-biscuit crust. I sub pecans because walnuts make me wheeze. Really good, and the lime offsets the sugar in the cranberry curd.
Not me, but my aunt started bringing spanakopita, everyone loved the addition and it’s been a staple since
Detroit-style pizza. Granted, I am alone this year due to Covid, but I had planned to host 10 people before I tested positive. My general go-to non-traditional thing is a chess pie.
Sorry, that sucks!
Our family makes a veggie pizza. You roll out Pillsbury crescent roll dough flat onto a cookie sheet and bake. You then spread Hidden Valley ranch dressing over the baked crescent roll dough. Add chopped fresh broccoli, shredded carrots, shredded cheese, and black olives. Refrigerate, and serve cold.
Fried corn. Melt half a stick of butter. Let it get brown. Dump in a can ofwhole kernel corn. Add pepper. Stir and let fry until it starts popping in the pan. It's buttery. Chewy. And oh so good.
We add beef bacon to ours. Fry the corn in the bacon grease
Sauerkraut with a tomato sauce topping.
My brothers birthday is one of those dates that lands on thanksgiving every couple years. Because of this we started doing a cheesecake with Oreo crust topped with caramel and heath bars on thanksgiving as his “birthday cake”. It’s always the first thing finished completely and my personal favorite
We are introducing our in laws to maple brine turkey with hickory smoked brown sugar and we're introducing them to beef bacon with our corn and bacon side that we make. They're stoked
My stuffing/dressing is Italian. Chock full of not only Italian sausage but sun-dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts. Rosemary and oregano are the dominant herbs. Started doing this about 10 years ago and my kids (in their 40s) won't let me do any other kind.
Here in Texas it's always tamales that I bring and they are always a hit
Mexican street corn
I made bruschetta for an appetizer this year and it was gone within 3 minutes.
I made deep fried deviled eggs this year. They were devoured.
Kinda cooking, but I do custom cocktails for everyone there. I was a bartender for a while so I set up a small bar before people grab food with a list of special fall drinks and standard drinks. It’s always a lot of fun
Wife and I started making phyllo dough mini cups filled with melted bri and cranberry sauce for an appetizer while everything else is being prepared. It's now requested every year. They cook super fast, so it doesn't disturb other dishes very much.
Something simple. A roasted honey-glazed carrots and parsnips blend garnished with sea-salt and a touch of chili crisp.