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Thanksgiving dinner specialties

LMLarsenLMLarsen Posts: 8,337 Senior Member
What are your special dishes for Thanksgiving dinner? Wife makes her aunt's butternut squash casserole, which is amazing enough, but then her mother makes a pork pie that I could easily live on for the rest of my life.

These, of course, are in addition to the traditional turkey, taters, and trimmings. This is why I usually gain ten pounds by Turkey Sammich Saturday...
“A gun is a tool, no better or no worse than any other tool: an axe, a shovel or anything. A gun is as good or as bad as the man using it. Remember that.”

NRA Endowment Member
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Replies

  • TeachTeach Posts: 18,428 Senior Member
    This one has been a family tradition at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and just about any other big meal for over 50 years. Back before the days of frozen dessert toppings like Cool Whip, we made it with the real thing, whipped cream, and I still prefer it that way.

    http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Ambrosia-Fruit-Salad/

    Jerry
  • SirGeorgeKillianSirGeorgeKillian Posts: 5,463 Senior Member
    Well, we are going big at work this year including a jump castle. I'm throwing a turkey and a few shoulders in the smoker, nothing says Thanksgiving like that!
    Unless life also hands you water and sugar, your lemonade is gonna suck!
    Wambli Ska wrote: »
    I'm in love with a Glock
  • NNNN Posts: 25,235 Senior Member
  • JayhawkerJayhawker Posts: 18,356 Senior Member
    Roast turkey with apple and sausage stuffing, giblet gravy and scratch made cranberry relish. Also do a sweet potato bake with pineapple and orange juice....probably my favorite meal of the year....
    Sharps Model 1874 - "The rifle that made the west safe for Winchester"
  • 5280 shooter II5280 shooter II Posts: 3,923 Senior Member
    I wanna try something different..........fry it, and baste 30 min in the oven covered in pineapple slices like you'd do with a ham.
    God show's mercy on drunks and dumb animals.........two outa three ain't a bad score!
  • LMLarsenLMLarsen Posts: 8,337 Senior Member
    Interesting. Speaking of stuffing and gravy, Mom was an artist with both. She used to make traditional bread stuffing, but she'd roast some in the bird and bake some in the oven. But her gravy was its own food group. Just ladle it over everything on the plate and dig in!
    “A gun is a tool, no better or no worse than any other tool: an axe, a shovel or anything. A gun is as good or as bad as the man using it. Remember that.”

    NRA Endowment Member
  • JayhawkerJayhawker Posts: 18,356 Senior Member
    LMLarsen wrote: »
    Just ladle it over everything on the plate and dig in!

    Yep!....I use my Mom's gravy recipe...I departed a little in that I don't slice up a boiled egg in the gravy before serving....always thought it superfluous as the gravy was great on it's own.

    I've been contemplating tossing a few dried cranberries in the apple and sausage stuffing (This stuffing was originally used fir waterfowl but is out of this world for turkey)...but it stands on it's own as is...I just don't know....
    Sharps Model 1874 - "The rifle that made the west safe for Winchester"
  • jaywaptijaywapti Posts: 5,114 Senior Member
    Turkey, jens gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, fresh green beans, mashed taters, and Sweet Tater Pie.

    wishing all a happy Thanksgiving.

    JAY
    THE DEFINITION OF GUN CONTROL IS HITTING THE TARGET WITH YOUR FIRST SHOT
  • TeachTeach Posts: 18,428 Senior Member
    Hmmmm- - - - -anybody else heard the rumor that the original Thanksgiving dinner featured bobcat, not turkey? Can't say what that implies on the open forum!
    :devil:
    Jerry
  • Miss MaryMiss Mary Posts: 743 Senior Member
    My Aunt Lydia's overnight fruit salad is a tradition in our family and Jerry's mom's squash casserole, all the usual goodies and of course country ham too. Pecan pie, chess pie, and pumpkin pies, usually a red velvet cake too. I wish I could make dumplings like my grandma did from the broth of the parboiled turkey, but I am NOT parboiling a turkey and of course not cooking it with a wood cook stove like she did.
  • SirGeorgeKillianSirGeorgeKillian Posts: 5,463 Senior Member
    Wambli Ska wrote: »
    A moister turkey can't be had and the stuffing is to die for!!!!!

    Challenge accepted. I'll take video when I take the temp on my next bird after I pull it out if the smoker. Needless to say, you learn quick to stand to the side!
    Unless life also hands you water and sugar, your lemonade is gonna suck!
    Wambli Ska wrote: »
    I'm in love with a Glock
  • TeachTeach Posts: 18,428 Senior Member
    What design of smoker do you use? I've got a barrel-type smoker with a side firebox- - - -haven't tried a turkey yet, but it's a possibility. Got any suggestions?
    Jerry
  • LinefinderLinefinder Posts: 7,856 Senior Member
    Smoking two ducks and a turkey. Nobody's going to eat the turkey, so we'll just boil it down into broth and whatever falls off the bones might become catfood. Except even our cat doesn't like turkey. So, we'll have a lot of turkey broth.

    The ducks will be mighty fine, though.

    Mike
    "Walking away seems to be a lost art form."
    N454casull
  • JermanatorJermanator Posts: 16,244 Senior Member
    Jayhawker wrote: »
    apple and sausage stuffing
    My wife made some of that to go with pork chops one time. Wow was that good!
    cpj wrote:
    Oyster dressing. My grandmother made it. Other folks in the family attempt to make it, but I make it best.
    I have yet to try a decent oyster stuffing. Recipe?

    My mom is one heck of a cook and does it all. I am no slouch in the kitchen either, but she won't let me make anything. The one thing I do get to make every Thanksgiving and Christmas is pecan rolls. You basically pour some pecans in a cake pan, bring brown sugar, butter, and real maple syrup to a boil, then pour it over the pecans. From there, you take those frozen yeast rolls, set them on top, and let them rise. When they rise enough, put them in the oven and bake until the rolls are done. Before the Syrup/sugar/pecans cool, you have to flip them over into another pan so the pecans are on top.

    The syrup stuff soaks in the rolls and they are sweet, sticky, and gooey. Absolutely delicious!
    Reason obeys itself; and ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it.
    -Thomas Paine
  • JermanatorJermanator Posts: 16,244 Senior Member
    Tagged.
    Reason obeys itself; and ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it.
    -Thomas Paine
  • bellcatbellcat Posts: 2,040 Senior Member
    This year, we're going to do a turdukhen. Never had one, but seriously looking forward to it.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turducken

    Will let you know!

    Happy Holidays All!
    "Kindness is the language the deaf can hear and the blind can see." Mark Twain
  • terminator012terminator012 Posts: 3,930 Senior Member
    What size are those oyster cans or is there only one size. I like oysters just always got them fresh. Never tried ones in the cans.
  • samzheresamzhere Posts: 10,923 Senior Member
    No real specialties here, just traditional, turkey can be roasted or smoked or deep fried and it's always good.

    Myself, I've never much liked squash dishes or similar and that includes pumpkin pie. It's okay but nothing to compare w. pecan pie (my fave) or good old apple or berry pie.

    LM is correct about some giblet gravy being its own food group. My mom's was that way (she was a deep south farm-girl cook) and it's the type I enjoy. Strangely, decent gravy isn't hard to make at all. Yum.

    I've also enjoyed country ham or wild game or other meats but a really good turkey is hard to beat. I love roasted fowl anyway.
  • samzheresamzhere Posts: 10,923 Senior Member
    bellcat wrote: »
    This year, we're going to do a turdukhen. Never had one, but seriously looking forward to it.

    I've had them, with mixed reviews. When they were a fad, everyone had to fix one and so it was overdone, the whole thing jumbled together and not very tasty. If done with some care, it could be tasty but nothing special. My point is, spending time getting the turkey or duck to cook just right on its own is usually better than mixing them and not having either come out good.
  • samzheresamzhere Posts: 10,923 Senior Member
    cpj is very correct about the oyster dressing and his recipe is a good one.

    A general caution about "stuffing" vs "dressing"... Most turkey people will stuff the bird (if they stuff it at all) with a generalized, medium seasoned sage-type dressing. They will totally avoid actually stuffing the bird w. oyster or other more "exotic" types of dressing.

    This is I think the correct way to go... stuffing can easily over-flavor the entire bird if the ingredients are exotic, like oysters. This specialty type dressing should be baked separately, as cpj says. Only "standard" sage-type dressing, not too over-seasoned either, should go inside the bird itself.
  • bisleybisley Posts: 10,815 Senior Member
    Mrs. Bisley is a Thanksgiving wizard. She brines the turkey and makes cornbread dressing and giblet gravy that could be served to royalty. This year, she's going to brine the turkey and make me cook it in the smoker - lot's of pressure, since the oven-baked ones are always perfect. Still, it's easier than frying four birds, which is what I used to do, till, thank goodness my electric fryer finally crapped out.

    With me smoking the brined turkey, she can concentrate on the home made cranberry sauce, both kinds - jelly and sauce, cocoanut pie with flaky home made crust and 2" of meringue, sweet potato pie, and pumpkin pie. Our guests (family, friends, and any stragglers that any of them pick up) bring casseroles, pinto beans, spiral cut hams, three layer salad, and a variety of pies and cakes. It is a major indoor/outdoor event that starts early and runs late, and we never run out of food and BS.

    Clean-up sucks...then, Saturday, we drive 50 miles for the other side of the family's Thanksgiving, and do it all, again.
  • LMLarsenLMLarsen Posts: 8,337 Senior Member
    samzhere wrote: »
    LM is correct about some giblet gravy being its own food group.

    I never said anything about giblet gravy.
    “A gun is a tool, no better or no worse than any other tool: an axe, a shovel or anything. A gun is as good or as bad as the man using it. Remember that.”

    NRA Endowment Member
  • bruchibruchi Posts: 2,581 Senior Member
    Family friend has a catering business, makes oodles of turkeys for the holiday, since mom passed away she brings over a nice bird and trimmings for us.

    If I was making a thanksgiving meal I would most probably go with a nice pernil, arroz con gandules and potato salad which is the traditional xmas fare here in Puerto Rico.

    I HATE pumpkin pie so I always make a lemon meringue pie, if I was to make a bird I would stuff it with mofongo and carne frita but that is way too much trouble for just my brother and I and way too many leftovers.

    Sent from my SGH-T999L using Tapatalk
    If this post is non welcomed, I can always give you a recipe for making "tostones".
  • samzheresamzhere Posts: 10,923 Senior Member
    LMLarsen wrote: »
    I never said anything about giblet gravy.

    My bad, you were speaking in general of gravy made by moms. Somehow always the best.
  • TugarTugar Posts: 2,478 Senior Member
    I've mentioned it before, and like the last 9 years, I will be brining a large bird. Much easier than deep-fried and less dangerous to the house. Will make giblet gravy after it comes out. Standard sides. Not sure if I want to the the yeast rolls or the Agave Corn muffins.

    Like my wife said last time. "You know, I wait all year for this and it never disappoints."

    http://low-cholesterol.food.com/recipe/mean-chefs-apple-brine-23687



    http://www.food.com/recipe/quincys-yeast-rolls-97023
    Not too hard. You make them, let them rise, and coat with honey butter before baking. These rock.
    Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.
    Winston Churchill
  • jbp-ohiojbp-ohio Posts: 10,932 Senior Member
    Nope. Very traditional meal here.

    10# turkey with stuffing in roaster oven, mashed taters, yams, noodles, green beans (mom canned), and dinner rolls. Cherry cheese cake, apple and punkin pie for dessert.

    I don't care much for turkey unless it's in a sandwich, and I'll have plenty left over.

    :topic: sort of.... Was at a smaller local grocery store saturday and they had fresh turkeys in the case. One looked a little different than the others......... because it was a 38#er!
    "The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." Thomas Jefferson
  • snake284snake284 Posts: 22,429 Senior Member
    When I was a kid I couldn't wait for turkey day and my mother's roasted turkey and corn bread dressing. But nowadays I don't care much for traditional oven roasted Turkey. But I really enjoy them fried. Yeah I know it's not healthy, but I figure something I'm going to eat once a year, isn't going to kill me too quick. I still like Corn Bread Dressing though, because some things never change.
    Daddy, what's an enabler?
    Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.
  • JermanatorJermanator Posts: 16,244 Senior Member
    cpj wrote: »
    Oyster dressing
    I picked up the ingredients. We will be doing our normal thing at my mom's, but there is never enough turkey for everyone to take a bunch home so I always make us our own to keep well supplied in leftover turkey. In addition, I will be making that oyster stuffing along with green bean casserole (my mom always makes green beans with bacon, which we love, but we like green bean casserole too). Plus whatever my mom sends us home with.
    Reason obeys itself; and ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it.
    -Thomas Paine
  • JermanatorJermanator Posts: 16,244 Senior Member
    cpj wrote: »
    And prime freaking rib, baby! Screw turkey and ham.
    Don't get me wrong, I love prime rib! I just feel that it isn't a Thanksgiving without leftover turkey to munch on for a few days. Leftover beef actually kind of sucks. It has an off flavor when you reheat it and I will end out using it in soups, chili, and stew. Turkey? I think I like it better leftover than fresh from the oven.
    Reason obeys itself; and ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it.
    -Thomas Paine
  • timctimc Posts: 6,684 Senior Member
    Teach wrote: »
    Hmmmm- - - - -anybody else heard the rumor that the original Thanksgiving dinner featured bobcat, not turkey? Can't say what that implies on the open forum!
    :devil:
    Jerry

    Don't laugh, that is a delicacy for some of the old Hispanic folk here in south Texas.
    timc - formerly known as timc on the last G&A forum and timc on the G&A forum before that and the G&A forum before that.....
    AKA: Former Founding Member
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