I am curious as to what are the essential foods that make a perfect Thanksgiving Dinner.

I would love to make one but would like to know how its done and whats in it.

I know its a little like our Roast dinners but with Mash Potatoes .

Thanking you in advance

Tanya ;)

Well, for me, the main staples of our Thanksgiving dinner have to include:

Turkey
Stuffing
Potatoes (mashed)
Gravy
Green Bean casserole
Corn
Cranberry sauce
Pumpkin pie
Sweet Potato pie
Dinner rolls

Mel's about right on the money.

The key is to start eating the moment you get out of bed and then keep eating throughout the day.  Appetizers, schnibbles of turkey, cheese and sausage (if you're in Wisconsin), and just keep packing it in. . . .  ;)

Ditto to Melissa almost exactly the same only we have:

Turkey
Stuffing
Potatoes (mashed)
Gravy
Green Bean casserole
broccoli cheese casserole
Cranberry sauce
Pumpkin pie
Fruit salad
Deviled Eggs---my favorite!!!! ;)
Dinner rolls
veggie tray

Gina

Oh! Oh! and COOLWHIP!!!  Gotta have Coolwhip for the pies. [smiley=grin2.gif]

and LOL Pat! :D

Here in the South its

Turkey or Ham
Giblet gravy
Corn bread dressing
Mustard and Turnip greens mixed
Black eyes
Yams
corn on the cob
potato salad
cheese mash potato's
Squash casserole
sliced onions and hot sauce for the greens and black eyes
Cranberry Sauce
Banana Pudding
Lemon pie

Speaking of that I best get off here and get to cooking !

Turkey (12 - 14 pound)
Corn Bread dressing
Glazed Ham (8 - 10 pounds)
Green bean casserole (no idea what Pam really adds other than fried onion, mushroom and bacon -- but DAMN!!)
Mashed potatoes
Turkey Gravy -- (Pam's is in its own food group)
Candied Yams (my way)
Candied Carrots (my way)
Cranberry sauce
Deviled Eggs
Dinner rolls
Pumpkin Pie

Wine
Sparkling Juice for the kids

Nap

Prayer.

All of above.........including ......this year I am making
"Baked Macaroni & Cheese", instead of white potatoes!
 Fresh brussel sprouts
 Homemade stuffing with sausage, mushrooms, etc
 Lots of appetizers before .... cheese, olives, stuffed mushrooms, etc
 LOTS of WINE
 Homemade apple, pumpkin, and coconut custard pie
 Fruit
 Prayer before probably by my Dad, (usually I do a whole big thing, but too emotional this year, don't think could pull it off!)

Looks like we all build around a common base.

After a couple hours of snacks and football its:

Turkey
Cornbread stuffing
Giblet gravy w/boiled egg chopped on top for the kids to fuss over
Mashed potatoes
Candied sweet potatoes
Green beans with sauted onion and bacon
Cranberry sauce
Fruit salad
Hot bread
Pumpkin pie
Pecan pie

My oldest grandson (5 yo) says the prayer now that my Dad is gone....(Yes, it makes me cry every time)

Let's eat!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Any one else starving now?  :D

Family!

Turkey
Stuffing (I prefer my moms ritz cracker stuffing)
Potatoes (this year I am making a garlic mashed with bacon)
Cranberyy sauce
Green beans (I think a casserole)
Corn (we will go with off the cob for ease of easting for kids)
Rolls (hot buttered rolls)
A second meat (ours will most likely be venison thanks to deer season but I prefer a brisket)
Gravy
Pumkin Pie cake
Pies (made by grandma)
Cobbler (most likely blackberry and/or peach)
Cider and Soda

Ok, I just gained 2 lbs writing this.

Thanksgiving dinners are somewhat regional.  Like if you live in Washington or Oregon you might put oysters in your stuffing, in the south everything has pecans.  Living in Maryland with families routing from New Jersey and Virginia, I've had a taste of "northern" and "southern" Thanksgivings.  When we do Thanksgiving at home, we have....
Turkey (my dad's is the best!)
Stuffing with cranberry, pecan, apples, or other things. We get creative :)
Sweet potato casserole
Mashed potatoes
Green beans (with a big debate on how they should be cooked, me and my dad like them limp, my mom likes them crunchy!)
Baked apples if we don't make apple pie
Cranberry (with pecans if we make it)
Pecan pie
Pumpkin or apple if there is a second

At my mom's parents house, dinner also included creamed onions (I called them "eyes") and mashed turnips, and no pecans.  :-(

At my dad's parents house, dinner included a second meat sometimes, whole potatoes rather than mashed, stuffed celery, rolls, more eating during the day.

yummmmm   ;D

Lisa (and Charlotte)

Oh yeah, I almost forgot.

A Bloody Mary with everything but the kitchen sink in it! ;)

Jimmers

In the majestic surroundings of the Swiss Alps, we will have for Thanksgiving Dinner, about 12-15 persons:
Turkey stuffed with Puzta (shredded pasta and herbs, a Hungarian Stuffing)
Stuffing (never figured it out why its called stuffing)
Potatoes (mashed)
Sweet Potato (I don’t know how)
Gravy
Green Peas
Glaced Carrots
Cranberry sauce
Brussels sprouts
Salad (green with some colour, carrots, bell peppers red) Italian / French sauce
Brownies + Ice Cream + whipped cream
Pecan pie (only for me!)
Fresh baguette and biscuits
White wine, Fendant
Red Wine, Aigle Rouge
Beer (we have some friends from London at the dinner)
and soft drinks………

I don’t know if I like so much food….. and all has to be maid from scratch, Marta has a hand full of work, I only to pay for it….. and will be at home only just before dinner…..
Michael

Turkey with all the side dishes.
Pumpkin Pie

Then you change into the sweat pants with the elastic waistband, nap, have a turkey sandwich later in the evening, change into the pajamas with the elastic waistband, get horizontal and snooze for the night.

Repeat as necessary thru the weekend....or as long as the food lasts.

LOL>>OMG! I just had a wonderful conversation with E...our Lady E, that is, and in the course of the conversation, I realized I forgot one very important Thanksgiving ingredient.........LEFTOVERS!
Turkey sammich.with some pickles.......and olives!!!!
Pumpkin cheesecake.....and E and I will BOTH be enjoying a slice of the very traditional Lemon Meringue pie! ;)

The other ingredient I forgot for this feast was loving friends and family, all around the table. I do hope yours is wonderful !

Let the food frenzy begin!

:DCathi

cynjeep89 wrote on Nov 26^th, 2008 at 1:48pm:

Turkey with all the side dishes. Pumpkin Pie Then you change into the sweat pants with the elastic waistband, nap, have a turkey sandwich later in the evening, change into the pajamas with the elastic waistband, get horizontal and snooze for the night. Repeat as necessary thru the weekend....or as long as the food lasts.

I LOVE you!

great minds, ya know!!!

Forgot to mention that it's common here in SE Wisconsin for people of Polish descent to serve sausage as their second meat.  We don't do it (not Polish), but friends serve 10 pounds of Kielbasa right next to a 20 pound turkey!!!

Gag . . . .

all i need is pumpkin pie

Charlotte

chips & salsa
mixed nuts
case of Miller Lite
big screen TV

and then, after football,  turkey and all that other stuff.

All of the above. Starving. Throw in enough eggnog to make caring for which football team on tv to root for unimportant and the day is complete.

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Charlie

I always have to make both pumpkin pie and apple crisp with freshly-whipped cream.  Ellen won't let me get away with just one of them.   ;)

We have two kinds of dressng as well--the bread-and-sausage based dressing that's a tradition from Liz's family (made in a communal effort by family and in-laws, amid much martini drinking a couple days ahead) and an herb/rice dressing with sliced almonds and dried cranberries.

Brined and roasted turkey.

Baked squash.  Green bean casserole.  Mashed potatoes and gravy.

Cranberry sauce made from fresh cranberries (nothing easier in the world to make, and it's a whole lot zippier than the canned kind.)

Plus a lot of nuts, crackers, cheese, salami, smoked salmon, vegetables, and other stuff around for people to nosh on.

Sometimes I wish that I could do a few different things for Thanksgiving dinner.  Roast duck.  Prime rib.  Goose, maybe.  A great big ham...

Nobody will let me do it, though.   ;)

Enjoy the day, folks.

Best wishes,

George      

I cannot belive the amount and selection of different foods that go into this meal , or should I say day, I hope you all had a good time and thanks for sharing

This year at least, after 32 years of having Kids in the house it's going to be a check or bill at the end of the meal,

Yes we are eating out and will not have to deal with Left overs and the huge mess from cooking all the traditional dishes!

Don't watch football ever so it will be back to the house for an evening of Soft Jazz , Josh Groban and Andrea Bocelli,  a few drinks then a romantic exidous to the bedroom, followed by some heavy breathing and sleep!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!!     JOHN

We are having:

Turkey Breast
Stuffing
Sweet Potatoes (haven't decided how to cook them yet)
Mashed potatoes and gravy
Sweet Corn
Cranberry Sauce
Squash
Pumpkin Pie
Cranberry Apple Pie
Peach Pie with no sugar
Cool whip and Ice cream for the pies
Coffee
Hot Chocolate

Well, being from Canada we have already had our Thanksgiving on Oct.13th, so it will be the big "M" for lunch then Angie's "chicken Caesar salad" for tonight's dinner.

I am so hungry after reading all your dinner preparations, enjoy your meals that all of you who worked so hard to make perfect!

Happy Thanksgiving! :)

Sounds like you all are going to have fantastic dinners at some point today.

The only thing I don't get - green bean casserole.  Why on earth would anyone think those things are edible! ;)  I'm pretty sure if God had intended man to eat green beans - he would have made them taste a whole heck of a lot better.

Enjoy your day.
Carol  

Mine is close to Mel's:

Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Turkey
Cranberry Sauce (w/the whole berries inside)
Stuffing
Sweet Potatoes with melted marshmallows on top
Pumpkin Pie and Apple Pie

Have a wonderflul and safe holiday everybody.

Hugs,
Langa

Grandma_Sweet_Boy wrote on Nov 27^th, 2008 at 7:27am:

The only thing I don't get - green bean casserole.  Why on earth would anyone think those things are edible! ;)  I'm pretty sure if God had intended man to eat green beans - he would have made them taste a whole heck of a lot better.

LOL Carol.  If you put mushroom soup and Durkee's fried onions on rolled up newspaper, it will taste great, too!

(I LOVE green beans, so this is no hardship for me!)

Sweet Potatoes with melted marshmallows on top


This is something I just can't get - can't understand as to me it sounds dire! I'm going to have to try it one day, just a teaspoon - to see what the fuss is about!

I hope you all have a wonderful day today - I wish I was with you but I'm just thankful I have you in my life

lots of love
Helen

George wrote on Nov 27^th, 2008 at 12:49am:

Brined and roasted turkey. Baked squash.  Green bean casserole.  Mashed potatoes and gravy. Cranberry sauce made from fresh cranberries (nothing easier in the world to make, and it's a whole lot zippier than the canned kind.) Plus a lot of nuts, crackers, cheese, salami, smoked salmon, vegetables, and other stuff around for people to nosh on. Sometimes I wish that I could do a few different things for Thanksgiving dinner.  Roast duck.  Prime rib.  Goose, maybe.  A great big ham... Nobody will let me do it, though.   ;) Enjoy the day, folks. Best wishes, George

George - explain this brining thing for me please! I like the sound of that. I also have to get you to try Goose one of these days, it's so good but surprisingly little meat to the bird so that's something to bear in mind.

I adore duck too and you have to go a long way to improve on Duck a l'orange or duck with morello cherry sauce in my opinion.

I love talking food with you!


(Pssst - what's apple crisp?)

Helen,

My husband really doesn't like the sweet potaotoes but my family and I LOVE them so we do them every year. My recipe is mashed sweet potaotoe with spices like cinamon and nutmeg, orange peel, brown sugar, and a little butter and orange juice as well as a can of crushed pineapple. Put it in a casserole and top with marshmellows. That was always the kids job every year and they are usually covered. When they bake the marshmellows get all brown and toasty. Everyones recipe is different but that's mine.

Apple crisp is just sliced apples with a crunchy topping like oatmeal, butter, brown sugar,spices, flour and pecans. it is delicious out of the oven with vanilla icecream.

Charlotte

Helen, there are lots and lots of brining recipes for turkey, but there's one thing that most of them have in common:  1 cup of kosher salt, and one cup of sugar to each gallon of water.

This year, I added a great bunch of crushed, fresh rosemary (I have a lot of it around right now), crushed fresh sage, fresh thyme, peppercorns, juniper berries, and 4 cloves of crushed garlic.

Get a clean, food-grade 5 gallon bucket with lid, put in 2 (or more) gallons of brine, add the turkey, and let it brine in a cold place (I put it out in the garage this time of year) for 10-12 hours.

After you take the turkey out, rinse it thoroughly, inside and out, in cold water.  Pat dry, and prep and roast as usual.    

Makes for a very flavorful and moist bird.  After the first time I tried it, I won't do it any other way.

Best,

George

All of these foods sound wonderful, some a little strange and some I will come back for the recipe for

have a super well fed day everyone

Ah..... Let me see........About 3000 calories and a tummy ache so don't forget the Malox! ;D

Add:

Roast turkey
Baked ham
Mashed potatoes
Real home made gravy (thick gravy!)
Candied yams (YUM)
Cranberries (gel & whole)
Green bean casserole
Broccoli casserole
Fresh veggie platter
Salad (garden & Caesar)
Bread (white & wheat rolls)
Butter (and a shit load of it in everything!)
Pies (peach, cherry, pumpkin, and Dutch apple!)
What ever my mother in law brings (best dam confection and goodie baker!)

And last of all (MALOX) :)

My Angus burger and medium fries from Mcdonald's was everything I expected it to be and more. ::)

I sure wish we were having turkey today instead but tonight's dinner (chicken Caesar salad) will be very good. 8-)

Here's a little something for leftovers.  I put this on turkey sandwiches and it's OUTSTANDING!

Cranberry Pecan Mayonnaise

Mayo, a spoon of dijon mustard, a little honey, handful of pecans and a spoon or two of leftover cranberry sauce (even gelled is ok).  Salt and pepper to taste.  Mix it all together and spread on bread.  Add turkey and whatever else you like on your turkey sammy and enjoy.

The nice thing about this is you can alter the recipe to please yourself.  Don't like mustard?  Only add a little.  Not much cran sauce leftover?  Use whatever you like.  It's really easy and so very tasty.

Pies are done, turkey is in the oven, all that is left is the corn and I'll heat it up in the crockpot about an hour before we leave for Jesse's dads house.

Bon appetit all!

The convicts (famiy  :D ) are destroying it right now! ;D 8-)

I must be a good cook cause they keep comming back. ;)

Everything is either cooking or chilling or done and waiting . . . .

I'm so thankful for an oven and fine food!

Mosaicwench wrote on Nov 27^th, 2008 at 3:29pm:

I'm so thankful for an oven and fine food!

I'm thankful we own a up dn duplex and I have two ovens!!!!! 8-)

Kirk wrote on Nov 27^th, 2008 at 5:24am:

We are having: Turkey Breast Stuffing Sweet Potatoes (haven't decided how to cook them yet) Mashed potatoes and gravy Sweet Corn Cranberry Sauce Squash Pumpkin Pie Cranberry Apple Pie Peach Pie with no sugar Cool whip and Ice cream for the pies Coffee Hot Chocolate

Slight change, having buttered carrots instead of corn, Kirk is making the gravy, then it's time to eat.. This is the easiest Thanksgiving meal I've cooked... don't know why.
Usually seems like there is more to it. Oh, I forgot the italian rolls, just came out of the oven. :)

Hope you all enjoy your day.  :)

purpleydog wrote on Nov 27^th, 2008 at 4:06pm:

This is the easiest Thanksgiving meal I've cooked... don't know why.

Sounds like you have the magic ingredient this year that makes cooking and indeed everything so much easier Chris - love  :)

Love to you both
Helen

wrote on Nov 27^th, 2008 at 5:05pm:

purpleydog wrote on Nov 27th, 2008 at 4:06pm: This is the easiest Thanksgiving meal I've cooked... don't know why. Sounds like you have the magic ingredient this year that makes cooking and indeed everything so much easier Chris - love  :) Love to you both Helen

I agree with that Helen.  100%.  Couldn't have said it better myself.

Well ours is mostly gone, but there are some left overs

Fried turkey (Helen, this is something you need to try)
Baked ham
Cornbread dressing
Giblet gravy
Chicken and dumplings
Corn casserole
Peas
Mustard greens
Candied yams
Candied Carrots
Deviled eggs
Potato Salad
Cranberry Sauce
Lemon icebox pie
Pecan pie
Chocolate caramel brownies
Cheesecake
Pineapple upside down cake
Chocolate pecan pie

I'm sure I missed something.

deltadarlin wrote on Nov 27^th, 2008 at 7:49pm:

Well ours is mostly gone, but there are some left overs Fried turkey (Helen) :D

OMG, I laughed so hard I spit on the monitor!!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

deltadarlin wrote on Nov 27^th, 2008 at 7:49pm:

Well ours is mostly gone, but there are some left overs Fried turkey (Helen, this is something you need to try) Baked ham Cornbread dressing (this is also something I need to try!!) Giblet gravy Chicken and dumplings Corn casserole Peas Mustard greens (and these) Candied yams (and these) Candied Carrots (and these) Deviled eggs (I LOVE these!!) Potato Salad Cranberry Sauce Lemon icebox pie (deffo this!) Pecan pie (yup - never had it!) Chocolate caramel brownies Cheesecake (love it so need to test it!) Pineapple upside down cake (mmm.. one of my favourites!) Chocolate pecan pie I'm sure I missed something.

There you go Carolyn - I've added to it!

I do not mean to scare anyone, our friends Deep Fry turkey twice a year, but they do it safely.

Who in their right mind would do this on a wooden deck which is close to and also attached to the house. ::)?????

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I counted three propane tanks in total. Darwin Award candidate's for sure. :D

They got lucky  ;)

I made...

Roast turkey
Long Grain and Wild Rice peloff with apples and walnuts(It wasn't as good as the recipe made it sound.  Rather bland actually)
Mashed taters
Turkey gravy
Candied carrrots
Crusty french bread
Pumpkin cake loaf for dessert.

Now I have the carcas and wings and the left over leg and thigh in a soup pot simmering to make a nice rich broth to make a batrch of turkey wild rice soup this wekend and put in up in the freezer for a later date.

Melissa wrote on Nov 26^th, 2008 at 11:15am:

Oh! Oh! and COOLWHIP!!!  Gotta have Coolwhip for the pies. [smiley=grin2.gif] and LOL Pat! :D

OMG, have you ever read the nutritional panel on cool whip.  I have banned that stuff from my house.  It's heavy cream all the way here 8-)

We had burger tonight.  I had to work so we are having our dinner Saturday:)

Ya gotta keep that evil Cool Whip off them harmless candied everythings and all those calorie-free pies! :D

Thanks for the giggle.   ;D