What's on your Thanksgiving Dinner Menu?

It's the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and I am composing my shopping list. I'm feeling good. Not too rushed. Almost relaxed even. Classes were canceled for the entire week, giving me this fleeting sensation of freedom to plan for Thursday's feast and the three days of vacation following for recovery. We host a multi-family Thanksgiving potluck, which shares the work and the fun. I always make the turkey and the turkey gravy (I make fantastic gravy, if I say so myself) and garlic mashed potatoes. Our family and friends bring the cornbread dressing and vegetable dishes, like sweet potatoes baked in improbable quantities of butter and brown sugar, and greens, and butternut squash soup. We cap the evening off with an assortment of desserts, like this pecan pie...

and my absolute favorite, this wonderful sweet-tart cranberry pie...

This year I'm also thinking of trying out this sweet potato pie from The Expatriate's Kitchen.

So — US readers, at least — what's on your Thanksgiving Dinner Menu for this year?

Comments

[sherri]

butternut squash soup as a small starter...and the usuals: mashed potatoes, corn, green bean casserole (my mother's contribution), but the main veg dish is a pan of roasted root vegetables, such as beets, parsnips, carrots and yams. the colors look beautiful on the table, and the tastes......mmmmm!!!

[TeacherPatti]

I tried to get all of my ingredients from this area, or at least Michigan. I have the usual turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy...homemade stuffing with dried Michigan cherries, maple glazed carrots (syrup from the sap that I tapped and boiled, carrots from the farmers' market), pumpkin muffins, homemade applesauce, and pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. I just hope I can pull it all off...and that the Lions win :)

[Bruce Howard]

Hey, turkey day is an international holiday, at least in my neck of the woods. Weʻve made our mission over the years to introduce as many of our friends and neighbors as possible into the culinary glories of this fine holiday.

Being a huge gravy fan, Iʻm curious how you make yours. The results of my own efforts have been erratic at best.

[Kitchen Chick]

http://www.flylady.net/pages/Thmm2.asp
http://www.flylady.net/pages/Thmm3.asp

Try the instructions on these pages. Instructions start at the bottom of the Thmm2.asp page. Wondra flour is a low-protein instant flour formulated to dissolve quickly, which makes it ideal for gravy. If you can't get "instant flour" in Japan, then you can use all-purpose flour but you will have to whisk harder to avoid lumps.

I've had excellent luck with the flylady instructions. I don't stuff my bird (though I do put a halved onion, carrot, celery, apple and tyme in the cavity), and I cook on a rack so that all juices are caught below the bird. The "gravy extension" trick works like a charm, especially if you have a flavorful gravy to start with. I'm considering adding a bit of dry white wine to the roasting pan while cooking my turkey, and I'm curious to see how that will affect the gravy flavor.