Since it's coming up...what's the one Thanksgiving dish you MUST have?

What dish in it's absence would just ruin your Thanksgiving? Mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, turkey, pumpkin pie, cranberries, candies yams, pecan pie?

They all rank up there for me but I guess the most important would have to be the turkey...then the pies

open bar...must have.

the only MUST have i really need for thanksgiving is family and friends! Having lived all over the country i have had every thanksgiving meal variation imaginable -vegetarian,turkeys-roasted, fried ,split grilled and bonless,venison,lobster,---and they were ALL good! I LOVE Thanksgiving!! An anthropologist friend of mine describes it as a "magical ceremony designed to bond family and friends together" All in all a wonderful holiday !

Give me the bird! ( hmmm... maybe I ought to rephrase that. )  

We will be having Thanksgiving at our house this year and most likely will have in excess of a dozen family members. Our record number is 18 plus extras showing up after dinner. When I was a kid my parents once had 29 family members for Thanksgiving. The turkey is the must have for us.

As the senior family member now I kind of think it is my role to host Thanksgiving. However, the next generation is starting to take over. It felt strange going to a niece's house last year. After this year my wife and I might not mind going out instead of hosting. But we should use our completely remodeled kitchen at least once for Thanksgiving.

We took our whole family (8 of us) to Washington DC 6 years ago and ate in at the Sequoia restaurant in Georgetown overlooking the Potomac. That's when we learned we were going to be grandparents for the first time. That was the first time I ever had Thanksgiving outside of a home.

Now that we have grandkids we are traveling more for Christmas. This year we will be going to Washington DC again.

For a traditional Thanksgiving meal, the one culinary must-have for me is chestnut or oyster dressing with gravy. That's the organizing principle of the whole meal.

Coming in a close second is some kind of pie, but nothing specific. Mashed spuds or celeriac or yams or such is next. Turkey is much loved, but I can do just as well with duck or goose or even a nice chicken.

It rarely happens that my Thanksgiving meal isn't traditional, but when it does happen, tamales are involved. That's good comfort food, too.

Cat friends by the bay are a must. They get the dreaded leftover turkey.

Well, that's a tough one. I'm not sure whether it would be the patty melt or the chili.

Michael Hoffman


Well, that's a tough one. I'm not sure whether it would be the patty melt or the chili.

what about the salami sandwich with the dog on your pheasant hunt!!!???

Thanksgiving is not complete without Bobbi's & Rachel's dinner rolls.



Three Four dozen may just be enough ... for the five of us.

tiki

Michael Hoffman


Well, that's a tough one. I'm not sure whether it would be the patty melt or the chili.

what about the salami sandwich with the dog on your pheasant hunt!!!???

That's a take-along. The patty melt and bowl of chili is Waffle house fare for me on Thanksgiving, after a morning hunt. Tomorrow, by the way, is opening day for pheasants here. I've already made the sandwiches. Unfortunately, I'll be hunting tomorrow without my dog. She's not up to it any longer. But I did make her a sandwich, and I'll feed it to her when I get back.

Packer/Lion football, a few beers, family/friends.......ALL GOOD!!!!!!!!

my favorite holiday! what's not to like? food and the ones you love (not always the same as family ;-)) paring it down to the bare minimum would be sage dressing with butter, celery, onions, chopped tart apples and blueberries, gravy and cranberry sauce. the last can be made from cranberries, fresh lemon and sugar or the jellied canned stuff. due to cosmic convergence either is acceptable.

further question: midday meal or after 5:00?

Michael Hoffman

tiki

Michael Hoffman


Well, that's a tough one. I'm not sure whether it would be the patty melt or the chili.

what about the salami sandwich with the dog on your pheasant hunt!!!???

That's a take-along. The patty melt and bowl of chili is Waffle house fare for me on Thanksgiving, after a morning hunt. Tomorrow, by the way, is opening day for pheasants here. I've already made the sandwiches. Unfortunately, I'll be hunting tomorrow without my dog. She's not up to it any longer. But I did make her a sandwich, and I'll feed it to her when I get back.

sprry to hear your hunting companion wont make this year--but have great day oif anyway!

The stuffing, INSIDE THE BIRD, not dried out from having been cooked in a baking dish.

appycamper

further question: midday meal or after 5:00?

You know, that's something I always ask people. My family usually starts at 2pm-3pm and I get a lot of weird looks. It makes it easier for everyone's "other" families that they have to visit with too. Plus you don't have to starve yourself for so long before

Further question: What's your favorite leftover and do you cook more of it just to have it for the week following Thanksgiving?

After all the other usual items (I usually do the turkey, gravy, and mashed potatoes... in fact, noone else is allowed to do the potatoes), I have to have spinach with a liberal dousing of cider vinegar. The vinegar runs over to the stuffing, potatoes, and gravy, and I love the way the flavors work together.

I also just started to enjoy cranberry sauce with Thanksgiving dinner over the past 2 holidays. After trying a few kinds, I've settled on the jellied sauce in the can, still in it's canned shape in the dish. Fantastic.

turkey gravy - over rice topped with green peas, and a little gravy drizzled over the dressing.  

JR - those dinner rolls look wonderful.  Can you post the recipe?

BelleReve

JR - those dinner rolls look wonderful.  Can you post the recipe?

Or better yet...put a batch in the post to me

appycamper

further question: midday meal or after 5:00?

Eating the main meal late doesn't allow enough time to build an appetite for the late evening turkey-stuffing-cranberry sandwich, so I always lobby for the earlier sitting.

cavandre, I knew I liked you...now I know why

Funny about the open bar. Thanksgiving is one of the few holidays I seldom imbibe.

Since your asking what I want, The TURKEY of course!!! Washed and rinsed in Cognac.  Then these sides for sure, besides others!!!

Mamma Stamberg's Pink Cranberry Sauce.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4176014

I also make the Jack Daniels Cranberry Sauce recipe I posted on another topic.
 
Polish Cooked Vegetable Salad
http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/Salatka-Jarzynowa-Polish-Vegetable-Salad-m485747.aspx

White Castle Stuffing
http://www.whitecastle.com/_pages/recipe_list.asp?section=recipes&type=DINNER&recipe=9

And the Ol no. 7 yams recipe by Paula Deen I posed on another topic.




 

1. The oyster from the turkey (both if I get lucky)

2. Stuffing (made with giblets and ground pork)

3. Creamed onions

4. Cranberry orange relish with walnuts

I'm a big fan of really good stuffing but 98% of the time it lets me down. Does anyone have a truly fantastic recipe?

fabulousoyster

White Castle Stuffing
http://www.whitecastle.com/_pages/recipe_list.asp?section=recipes&type=DINNER&recipe=9 

I wonder how that would taste using Jimmy Dean sausge & biscuits instead of the White Castles?

 
 
Do you want to keep stuffing separate or in the bird.
Either way, this is a great basic stuffing and if you want, you can leave
out the cranberries.  I would not leave out the apples.
 
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/sausage-and-herb-stuffing-recipe/index.html
 
 
You can add a tsp or two of Bell's Poultry Seasoning to it if you want, but I find the sausage has
enough seasoning.  There is a nice stuffing recipe on that box too.
There is also a great Premium Cracker Stuffing recipe on the box of those crackers.
 

 Well, then, it would not be a White Castle Stuffing.
Jimmy Dean and biscuits would be fine.
 
I think celery or fennel make a stuffing delicious.
If you don't like celery, use fennel, the white part only.

BelleReve


turkey gravy - over rice topped with green peas, and a little gravy drizzled over the dressing.  

JR - those dinner rolls look wonderful.  Can you post the recipe?

BelleReve,

My wife's dinner rolls are from Fannie Farmer's Baking Book.  They are a bit sweet and have a very soft texture.

1-1/4 cups milk, warmed
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
4 TBSP butter, softened
1 package dry yeast
1 egg, slightly beaten
3-1/2 to 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 400F.

Stir the warm milk, sugar, salt, and butter together in a large mixing bowl.  Sprinkle on the yeast, stir, and let stand to dissolve.  Add the egg and 2 cups of the flour, and beat vigorously for a minute or two.  The add enough remaining flour to make a manageable dough.  Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 6 to 8 minutes, until smooth and elastic.  Place in a large greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until double in bulk.  Punch down and form into rolls, let rolls rise and then bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Makes 24 dinner rolls.

For the rolls, my wife and/or daughter cut the dough into 24 equal pieces.  They take each piece and rolls it with their hand into a long sausage shape, then wrap the dough around itself into a knot.  Voila!

tiki

Michael Hoffman

tiki

Michael Hoffman


Well, that's a tough one. I'm not sure whether it would be the patty melt or the chili.

what about the salami sandwich with the dog on your pheasant hunt!!!???

That's a take-along. The patty melt and bowl of chili is Waffle house fare for me on Thanksgiving, after a morning hunt. Tomorrow, by the way, is opening day for pheasants here. I've already made the sandwiches. Unfortunately, I'll be hunting tomorrow without my dog. She's not up to it any longer. But I did make her a sandwich, and I'll feed it to her when I get back.

sprry to hear your hunting companion wont make this year--but have great day oif anyway!

The day was pleasant; bright, cool, not too breezy. But It wasn't much fun. Yesterday was the first time in many years that I went bird hunting without a dog. I really missed Ruby.
 
But, when I got home I gave her her salami and cheese sandwich out in back, and I think she forgave me for going pheasant hunting without her.

douginvirginia


The stuffing, INSIDE THE BIRD, not dried out from having been cooked in a baking dish.

Amen to that, especially sage & onion stuffing.  Although if I make the dressing it'll contain more than enough butter to keep it from drying out!

Also on my must-have list are mashed potatoes and gravy, and green bean casserole with lots of Durkee fried onions on top.

Brad

I do not put the dressing inside the turkey. It would be stuffing at that point.
 
A layer of cheesecloth  that has been soaked in butter wine broth & magic spices in advance placed on top pf the dressing as it is going in the oven  means no dry dressing. Keep it moist or call the Fire Dept.

Michael Hoffman

tiki

Michael Hoffman

tiki

Michael Hoffman


Well, that's a tough one. I'm not sure whether it would be the patty melt or the chili.

what about the salami sandwich with the dog on your pheasant hunt!!!???

That's a take-along. The patty melt and bowl of chili is Waffle house fare for me on Thanksgiving, after a morning hunt. Tomorrow, by the way, is opening day for pheasants here. I've already made the sandwiches. Unfortunately, I'll be hunting tomorrow without my dog. She's not up to it any longer. But I did make her a sandwich, and I'll feed it to her when I get back.

sprry to hear your hunting companion wont make this year--but have great day oif anyway!

The day was pleasant; bright, cool, not too breezy. But It wasn't much fun. Yesterday was the first time in many years that I went bird hunting without a dog. I really missed Ruby.
 
But, when I got home I gave her her salami and cheese sandwich out in back, and I think she forgave me for going pheasant hunting without her.

Nothing like watching a good bird work a field on cool crisp day--but i am glad you both had a good day--i still miss my setter and she's been gone 30 yrs!

JRPfeff - thanks so much for taking the time to post your dinner roll recipe, they look fantastic and I will be making them, maybe a trial run before the holidays.

Yikes. The birthday cake for my son. He was born on Thanksgiving day and while his birthday does not fall on Thanksgiving every year...his birthday is included in the festivities of being thankful. Then we also sing for my other child so he does not feel like we are less than thankful for him... just because he was born in March.

Ravoli(Meat & Cheese)

Oyster dressing, sage & onion dressing baked outside the turkey so the top of the dressing is crispy.
Fresh cranberry & orange relish.
Creamed corn.
Broccoli casserole.
Ribbon jello salad(a red layer, lemon-cream cheese layer, green layer).
The regulars-real mashed Yukon gold potatoes( I peel 10-15lbs for our family of 16), gravy, green beasn(southern style), sweet potato casserole(for my son-in-law), hot rolls.
 
I will make 3 turkeys- a deep fried one for my husband, one turkey roasted the day before, meat taken off the bone, using the drippings & carcass for broth for the dressing, another turkey roasted on Thanksgiving morning so everyone wakes up to the wonderful roast turkey smell.

A whole roasted turkey.

I could be happy without any of the other traditional accompaniments.  My wife would miss the canned, jellied, cranberry sauce.  Complete with the marks from the can (and yes, I can make a more-than-satisfactory sauce from scratch).

My favorite turkey day meal would consist of turkey, dressing in the bird, mashed potatoes and giblet gravy, whole cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie.  We will be at my son's and daughter-in-law's and she's a great cook, but her traditions are different from mine.  We will have turkey, dressing different from mine, almost certainly sweet potatoes of some sort.  Not my menu, but we are grateful to be able to share the day with them.  I'd also like my mom's orange jello, grated carrot and pineapple molded salad with a dollop of Duke's on the top, but everyone hates it but me, so that hasn't appeared in a LONG time!

joerogo


Ravoli(Meat & Cheese)

Lasagna was always a part of my growing-up Thanksgivings.

Michael Hoffman

joerogo


Ravoli(Meat & Cheese)

Lasagna was always a part of my growing-up Thanksgivings.

Lasagna when my Mother was alive.  Now I take the easy way out and buy the rav's from a lady down the street.

How could I forget... baked onions in cheddar cheese sauce.

Apple/sausage stuffing and green bean cassarole.  But the green bean cassarole's been going on so long in my family, it's evolved into an art.  No cambells soup, sauce is made from scratch, and the beans are canned from our garden.  The whole thing is pretty much from scratch, no cans allowed.

WarToad


Apple/sausage stuffing and green bean cassarole.  But the green bean cassarole's been going on so long in my family, it's evolved into an art.  No cambells soup, sauce is made from scratch, and the beans are canned from our garden.  The whole thing is pretty much from scratch, no cans allowed.

Now THAT I would be willing to try a scoop or two of.

SeamusD


How could I forget... baked onions in cheddar cheese sauce.

What is that?!? Do you have a picture and recipe. Does it accompany another dish or is it a side?

WarToad


Apple/sausage stuffing and green bean cassarole.  But the green bean cassarole's been going on so long in my family, it's evolved into an art.  No cambells soup, sauce is made from scratch, and the beans are canned from our garden.  The whole thing is pretty much from scratch, no cans allowed.

I swear....I'm driving out to ND for the 26th!

SeamusD


How could I forget... baked onions in cheddar cheese sauce.

Here it is pearl onions in cream sauce...for my parents.

EatingTheRoad

SeamusD


How could I forget... baked onions in cheddar cheese sauce.

What is that?!? Do you have a picture and recipe. Does it accompany another dish or is it a side?

It's a side dish. Goes great anytime with mashed potatoes. This is basically the recipe I use, it's written down at home so I grabbed this off the net and edited it a little as I'm at work:
 
2 jars of small white onions (you can use fresh, boil them in salted water until soft, this recipe calls for around 30 of them)
1/4 cup butter 
1/4 cup flour 
1 teaspoon salt 
2 cups milk 
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mild Cheddar cheese - I use the 4 ounces of mild, and add another couple ounces of extra sharp.
1/2 cup bread crumbs tossed with 1 tablespoon melted butter
Drain the onions well then transfer to a buttered baking dish, about 1 1/2 quart size. Melt the 1/4 cup butter in saucepan; stir in flour and salt until smooth. Add milk, stirring constantly, and continue cooking until smooth and thickened. Add cheese and continue cooking and stirring over low heat until cheese is melted and blended. Pour sauce over the onions then top with the buttered bread crumbs. Bake at 350° for about 25 minutes, or until thoroughly heated and lightly browned.
 
I usually omit the bread crumbs, and take it out when it starts to brown nicely on top. It's always a hit.

CCinNJ

SeamusD


How could I forget... baked onions in cheddar cheese sauce.

Here it is pearl onions in cream sauce...for my parents.

They're probably very close in composition, and probably just as good!

EatingTheRoad

SeamusD


How could I forget... baked onions in cheddar cheese sauce.

What is that?!? Do you have a picture and recipe. Does it accompany another dish or is it a side?

WarToad


Apple/sausage stuffing and green bean cassarole.  But the green bean cassarole's been going on so long in my family, it's evolved into an art.  No cambells soup, sauce is made from scratch, and the beans are canned from our garden.  The whole thing is pretty much from scratch, no cans allowed.

I swear....I'm driving out to ND for the 26th!

It would take a lot more than that to get me to drive out to Minot.

SeamusD

WarToad


Apple/sausage stuffing and green bean cassarole.  But the green bean cassarole's been going on so long in my family, it's evolved into an art.  No cambells soup, sauce is made from scratch, and the beans are canned from our garden.  The whole thing is pretty much from scratch, no cans allowed.

Now THAT I would be willing to try a scoop or two of.

and i'll try a serving of those!

Davydd
It would take a lot more than that to get me to drive out to Minot.

Awwww, C'mon, Davydd, it's a Magic City!!! 

stricken_detective

Davydd
It would take a lot more than that to get me to drive out to Minot.

Awwww, C'mon, Davydd, it's a Magic City!!! 

I would just like to state for the record, it was a woman who got me to move here.  Logic and majestic landscapes had clearly nothing to do with it.

WarToad


But the green bean cassarole's been going on so long in my family, it's evolved into an art.  No cambells soup, sauce is made from scratch, and the beans are canned from our garden.  The whole thing is pretty much from scratch, no cans allowed.

Some might refer to this as trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.  Or putting lipstick on a pig.
 
Brad

Brad_Olson

WarToad


But the green bean cassarole's been going on so long in my family, it's evolved into an art.  No cambells soup, sauce is made from scratch, and the beans are canned from our garden.  The whole thing is pretty much from scratch, no cans allowed.

Some might refer to this as trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.  Or putting lipstick on a pig.
 
Brad

 
I would then argue, is there a difference between a discount dirt cheap hotdog, boiled, stuck into a cold bun...  and a classic old school butcher made hotdog, steamed or toasted bun, with the trimmings?
 
Same thing - night and day.

Brad_Olson

WarToad


But the green bean cassarole's been going on so long in my family, it's evolved into an art.  No cambells soup, sauce is made from scratch, and the beans are canned from our garden.  The whole thing is pretty much from scratch, no cans allowed.

Some might refer to this as trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.  Or putting lipstick on a pig.
 
Brad

Hey---I have put lipstick on that particular pig myself!! HATED green bean cassarole!!!--BUT ---HAD to cook it for a large family holiday---so i did what these good folks did---however i did not use put up beans--i had fresh---and added some very good mushrooms And it was GOOD "pig in lipstick" too!

My must have is my cornbread dressing, I would have it before the turkey, in fact, I eat it while I am preparing it. I like my dressing moist on the inside and crispy on top.

i love the list, diverse and tasty. how many of us ever retire a dish from rotation? do you add new favorites until you find yourself serving all over the house, switch to a buffet so the dining room doesn't fall into the basement under the weight? do you add back dishes to the roster if it's a fave of someone who's attending? 

This is the first year in the last 3 that I will host turkey day at my house.  My usual number of guests is down this year, I normally have 16-20 this year there will only be 7 of us at dinner time and another 6-8 later in the day for leftovers.

My top 3 favorite things:

Grandpa's Recipe Sausage Dressing
Chocolate Chess Pie
Cranberry Relish (my own creation)

Davydd

EatingTheRoad

SeamusD


How could I forget... baked onions in cheddar cheese sauce.

What is that?!? Do you have a picture and recipe. Does it accompany another dish or is it a side?

WarToad


Apple/sausage stuffing and green bean cassarole.  But the green bean cassarole's been going on so long in my family, it's evolved into an art.  No cambells soup, sauce is made from scratch, and the beans are canned from our garden.  The whole thing is pretty much from scratch, no cans allowed.

I swear....I'm driving out to ND for the 26th!

It would take a lot more than that to get me to drive out to Minot.

You must have missed this
http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/fb.ashx?m=552087

Pilgrims who cooked the first Thanksgiving day dinner probably got no bigger thrill from the experience than these Lincoln school children who dressed in Pilgrim costume and prepared a feast of their own this week. The cooks, left to right, are Janny Glassman, fourth grade; Andrea Boehmer fourth grade, and Kristin Thorstensen, third grade. Iowa City Press-Citizen - Thursday, November 22, 1951

Thanksgiving Plans

Mr. and Mrs. Madison Putnam and daughters, Karen, Pamela and Alicia, have gone to Webster to spend Thanksgiving with Mrs. Putnam's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Denham. Mrs. Putnam and the children will remain to visit over the week-end.  
Electing to "eat out" this Thanksgiving were Mr. and Mrs. Robert G. Gibbs, Davey and Robbie, who, accompanied by Mrs. Gibb's sister, Miss Margaret Anderson, went to Marshalltown to meet the women's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Anderson, and their brother-in-law and sister, Mr. and Mrs. Russell Petersen, all of Gowrie, and also their brother, Mr. John Anderson of Eagle Grove. Iowa City Press-Citizen - Thursday, November 22, 1951