Thanksgiving, 2022

[kayb]

Anyone thinking about Thanksgiving yet?

 

My menu doesn’t allow for much n the way of substitution. Some old standards — turkey, dressing, cranberry salad, sweet potato casserole, mac and cheese, corn casserole — must be included, else the fam will foment insurrection (and not wash the dishes). But, perusing NYT Cooking’s Thanksgiving recipes, I found a recipe for shredded and quick-fried Brussels sprouts with lemon and black mustard seeds that sounded promising for the obligatory green thing, and a couple of desserts — cranberry curd tart and brandied pumpkin pie. 
 

Anybody got any better suggestions for a knockout holiday version of a green thing?

[Darienne]

OK.  What I don't understand is when and how mac and cheese became a Thanksgiving tradition.  

[blue_dolphin]

13 minutes ago, Darienne said:

OK.  What I don't understand is when and how mac and cheese became a Thanksgiving tradition.  

In the US, it's a southern thing.  Perhaps they didn't have enough root vegetables to go around down there? 

 

Edited to add that I have never seen it served at Thanksgiving.

Edited November 5, 2022 by blue_dolphin
to add link (log)

[BeeZee]

For the first time, my sister is hosting Thanksgiving at her (tiny) home-but actually this year several family members are going elsewhere, so I think we will all have someplace to sit. She's making bone-in turkey breast, Mom is making twice baked potatoes. I think I'm being tasked with the vegetable side, and like @kayb, am contemplating brussel sprouts. We all like a simple prep where you roast halved sprouts in a mixture of oil, salt, and a lot of pepper (I think a little garlic powder, too) and shredded parm (which works since we don't have mac+cheese) until browned - but it's good without the parm, too. Or I might roast green beans and just toss with some grated lemon zest. I need something I can make ahead and not worry too much about reheating. Sis doesn't have a microwave, so oven space will be at a premium.

[Smithy]

Regarding green vegetables: one of my favorite green bean treatments is Lynne Rosetto Kasper's Green Beans with Lemon, Garlic and Parmigiano Gremolata.

[gfweb]

8 hours ago, Darienne said:

OK.  What I don't understand is when and how mac and cheese became a Thanksgiving tradition.  

 

Completely agree.

 

I blame the food mags who are always looking for some crap to promote

 

 

[gfweb]

Stewed greens (with  the right recipe) is a good counterpoint to all the rich stuff.

 

I serve that (usually chard or kale) or sprouts

[FauxPas]

Are kalettes showing up much in the US for a Thanksgiving choice for greens? The local farms here are growing them and I keep meaning to try them. They've been around for several years, but I didn't hear about them until a few years ago and then I keep forgetting to pick some up. For anyone who doesn't know, they are a cross between kale and Brussels sprouts, developed by Tozer Seeds. 

 

https://www.tozerseeds.com/product-category/brassicas/kalettes/

[kayb]

11 hours ago, Darienne said:

OK.  What I don't understand is when and how mac and cheese became a Thanksgiving tradition.  

Because my sons in law would raise unsuited hell if I didn't make it. It has been traditional since I acquired them. Before that. It was mashed potatoes.

[Katie Meadow]

 

3 hours ago, kayb said:

Because my sons in law would raise unsuited hell if I didn't make it. It has been traditional since I acquired them. Before that. It was mashed potatoes.

I never had mac n cheese at Thanksgiving until a few years ago, when some fresh recruits  came to dinner and brought a delicious one. I can't tell you how happy it made me. I'm so bored of the usual suspects  my husband's family insist on.  And that includes turkey, which my husband and I have made every year for the last thirty years. 

[Maison Rustique]

Thanks for starting this discussion. My sis is hosting this year, but since she is working/traveling, asked if I'd work on a menu and suggestions of things I will bring. Trying hard to get my head wrapped around it, but difficult when we are still having occasional 70+ degree weather. Not that I'm complaining, mind you.

[gfweb]

Probable menu

 

SV turkey breast (do it once and you'll never roast again) and roasted dark meat

Au gratin potatoes

Greens

Smoked yam puree (daughter would squawk if missing)

Cornbread madelaines

Cranberry stuff

Bready sage-y stuffing thing

 

 

[Maison Rustique]

I made this panade one year in addition to traditional stuffing. It was a hit and was requested for a couple of years after that. I have not made it for the past couple of years, so may need to revive it this year.

[gulfporter]

23 hours ago, Darienne said:

OK.  What I don't understand is when and how mac and cheese became a Thanksgiving tradition.  

 

15 hours ago, gfweb said:

 

Completely agree.

 

I blame the food mags who are always looking for some crap to promote

 

 

Very big with African American families at any holiday meal, TDay and Christmas especially.  This based on living in DC-Metro as well as a few years in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia.  When we had holiday parties at work the discussions/debates of mac and cheese were enlightening!  

Edited November 6, 2022 by gulfporter (log)

[Smithy]

Thanksgiving Dinner is a long and provoking subject! It's well worth revisiting each year to see what people's plans are, and to report back afterward on successes and failures.

 

The many Thanksgiving topics we've had over the years may also provide some inspiration and reminders. Feel free to search for yourself on "Thanksgiving" in topic titles to see what I mean. These two are particularly relevant right now:

 

Green Vegetable Side Dish for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Side Dishes

 

Those who wish to kvetch about the rigidity of Thanksgiving menus, or insist on the rigidity of Thanksgiving menus may wish to laugh, cry or participate in these topics:

 

What Absolutely Positively Has To Be On Your Thanksgiving Table?

Thanksgiving's Day Traditions

 

Finally, here's an oldie from 2005:

 

The Funniest Thing About Your Thanksgiving

[Smithy]

Incidentally, here's another of my favorite green bean recipes:

 

Green Bean Salad with Toasted Almonds & Feta is about as far from the old bacon-and-green-beans recipe, or the cream-of-mushroom-soup-and-green-beans recipe as you can get.

[gulfporter]

Mi esposo hates the traditional carb-laden Thanksgiving dinner (and dislikes turkey), so I've ordered rabbit that we will braise with prunes/white wine.  The public market stalls here sell rabbits with the heads on, so you know it's not a cat (I swear this is true!).  Years ago mi esposo had the unenviable task of head removal.  This farmer will break the rabbit down into parts for us, sans cabeza.  

 

[chromedome]

2 hours ago, gulfporter said:

Mi esposo hates the traditional carb-laden Thanksgiving dinner (and dislikes turkey), so I've ordered rabbit that we will braise with prunes/white wine.  The public market stalls here sell rabbits with the heads on, so you know it's not a cat (I swear this is true!).  Years ago mi esposo had the unenviable task of head removal.  This farmer will break the rabbit down into parts for us, sans cabeza.  

 

My father used to roast them head-on occasionally and then eat the head, though I suspect that was more for the amusement of watching my mom react than for its gustatory pleasure.

 

[Kim Shook]

23 hours ago, gulfporter said:

 

Very big with African American families at any holiday meal, TDay and Christmas especially.  This based on living in DC-Metro as well as a few years in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia.  When we had holiday parties at work the discussions/debates of mac and cheese were enlightening!  

Yes.  Southern US food has always be heavily influenced by African-American cooks.  It is sometimes an unacknowledged debt, of course.  I'm betting that it is a tradition rooted in economic need.  I know with my white, southern family macaroni was always used to make things go further.  They started out as poor Italian immigrants in the early 1900s in Mississippi and even when the financial need was no longer a factor, they still added macaroni to chili and served macaroni and cheese as a main course.  

 

And, of course, it's delicious.  

[chileheadmike]

We are headed to Kansas City again this year. My daughter, her husband and two kids will drive down from Minneapolis. 

 

Last year was a bit of a fiasco. My brother met me at the door, said he was sick and didn't want to spread it and would spend the day in his room. Told me that his electric smoker was not working so I had to do the 22 lb turkey in the oven. He told me the rest of the food was in the fridge, good luck.  The dishwasher had quit working, we had to kill the power and reset it for the entire house to bring it back online.  We did manage to eat. 

[BeeZee]

After talking to my sister and helping her think about oven logistics, I’ve decided to make sauteed greens with apples (kale or something similar). Can be eaten room temp if reheating on stovetop becomes problematic. She’s making lasagne as another side instead of stuffing 🙁 since her Sicilian husband won’t eat turkey or most of the other traditional items (except the twice baked potatoes). I was also drafted to make gravy, since I can make it ahead by roasting turkey wings.

[heidih]

On the side green dish:  I usually did buffet for large gatherings with guests arriving at different times so everything had to hold up well. 

3 guest favorites -

- due to staggered arrivals I did a large pot of a green soup for them to enjoy pre-meal. Simply spinach, some allium, chicken powder (yes!), and maybe potato for creaminess. Served themselves in small cups. Gets the green in. Years later one guest and his elderly mom mentioned it and how they enjoyed it

- steamed baby boy choy with Chinese sorta sweet sausage but another dry type would work. My 1/2 Viet god-daughter hugged me. 

- more recently bagged (yes) Sweet Kale salad like this. Fresh but holds up for hours. https://www.taylorfarms.com/products/sweet-kale-chopped-kit/

ETA for OP - the soup in a crockpot for warming, and the salad both fit into the limited cooking heat situation

 

Edited November 13, 2022 by heidih (log)

[blue_dolphin]

I’ll be getting together with my local cousins. There will be 30 for dinner. 
I volunteered to bring a green salad and homemade cranberry sauce. 
The salad will be the Brussels Sprouts, Apples and Pomegranate with Blue Cheese Honey Vinaigrette from Deep Run Roots. 
Not sure what I’ll put in the cranberries. Most likely orange and a dash of Grand Marnier but maybe something different. 
 

[heidih]

7 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

Not sure what I’ll put in the cranberries. Most likely orange and a dash of Grand Marnier but maybe something different. 
 

I did ginger (grated) and orange once. Well received

[Okanagancook]

My last sauce was from The Food Lab.  Made with less sugar than called for, orange juice and zest as well as ginger.  Very good and was liked by all.  Sorry but I kinda made it by taste so no measurements.