Thanksgiving Dinner 2019

[sk8jdgca]

Looking for new ideas. My son wants to add something “fresh” “ healthy”
Our typical meal is
Turkey
Mashed potatoes
Stuffing
Gravy
Corn
Maple glazed carrots

But we are only a family of 3 (maybe 4-5 with a guest)

Any ideas?

 

[Disneylover99]

We often have these vegetables at Thanksgiving.....

Peas
Corn
Cabbage
Sweet potatoes
Squash
Spinach

I’ve tried adding some kind of green salad, but it never gets eaten. Everyone just seems to want cooked vegetables for Thanksgiving.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

Cranberry Sauce!

 

[lorimay]

My family loves this recipe for spaghetti squash, I added it to our Thanksgiving menu a couple years ago.

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/3 cup unsalted chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 6 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 1/2 cups Easy Baked Spaghetti Squash
• 1 cup baby spinach, torn
• Dash of salt
• 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

How to Make It

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high. Add onion and garlic; sauté 4 minutes. Add chickpeas, thyme, and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Add spaghetti squash, spinach, and salt; toss gently to combine. Cook 2 minutes or until spinach is just wilted. Sprinkle with cheese.

*** I cut the squash in half and put salt, pepper olive oil on it and bake it face down on a cookie sheet lined in foil for about 45 minutes on 350. Let it cool and use a fork, it comes out nice and easy.

 

[aprilgail]

We are only a family of 3 most of the time and no way am I making a turkey and big meal for just 3 of us- it would all go to waste as we really don't like leftovers, I could eat leftover stuffing but never left over turkey. We try to either go out for the holiday (this way everyone can order what they want) or just get a small roasted chicken and some vegetables on the side.

 

[ronandannette]

Looking for new ideas. My son wants to add something “fresh” “ healthy”
Our typical meal is
Turkey
Mashed potatoes
Stuffing
Gravy
Corn
Maple glazed carrots

But we are only a family of 3 (maybe 4-5 with a guest)

Any ideas?

I'm no help. The world would come to a screeching halt if anybody in our family tried to alter our traditional holiday menus.

We do include some things that your menu doesn't though, specifically more vegetable sides and salads. Maybe try something like that? A broccoli/bacon/red-grape salad always goes over well, and a Greek salad is fresh and light. Substitute sauteed green beans with garlic and almonds or roasted Brussels sprouts for your carrots or corn and maybe that will make a difference.

ETA: Better yet, ask your son to come up with ideas for what he'd like and then coach him on how to make them himself!

 

[Hikergirl]

Throw in some green vegetables like asparagus or Brussels sprouts and roast them.
Or make a nice fall salad to put on the table.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

We always have steamed green beans or broccoli, sometimes both.

drizzle the broccoli with some fresh lemon juice and minced garlic to give it some kick. You can cook slivered almonds and garlic with the green beans too.

 

[sk8jdgca]

We are only a family of 3 most of the time and no way am I making a turkey and big meal for just 3 of us- it would all go to waste as we really don't like leftovers, I could eat leftover stuffing but never left over turkey. We try to either go out for the holiday (this way everyone can order what they want) or just get a small roasted chicken and some vegetables on the side.

My son and I tried for a turkey breast but DD20 has been making the Thanksgiving turkey every year since she was 10 so she Insists. We will get the smallest turkey we can find

 

[Quartz01]

I roast a big pan of vegetables. Brussels sprouts, beets, parsnips, turnip, carrots, onions, fennel with rosemary and garlic. I like to bake the squash (with a splash of maple syrup) and sweet potatoes separately.

 

[luvsJack]

We like roasted fall vegetables too. And a huge salad.

I would prefer the salad to be healthier but my bunch likes a 7 layer salad which has lots of vegetables but has a dressing of mayo and sugar on top. May try to find a healthier version for the dressing.

 

[Wendy31]

For years & years, we've typically had the following basic sides w/ the turkey, &, if we don't have these sides, we have a riot:

Cornbread Dressing - the wonderful southern kind, but we always have a dish of Stove Top stuffing for my brother-in-law who's from Michigan who will ONLY eat Stove Top Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
Sweet Potato Casserole (the one w/ the pecan & brown sugar topping - NOT marshmallows)
Green Beans - NOT a casserole just green beans w/ a little bacon & onion
Corn Souffle
Baked Beans - not really traditional for Thanksgiving but we've just always had my mom's baked beans
Macaroni & Cheese - for the kids who don't like mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes
Homemade Cranberry Sauce AND the jellied Cranberry Sauce from the can w/ the ridges
Deviled Eggs
Orange Jello w/ Mandarin Oranges & Pineapple - my mom makes this because she thinks the kids *have* to have it

However, in the past few years, we've added these two dishes to our menu which are a little bit different & everyone likes:

Kale & Cranberry Salad w/ Orange Dressing - it's a nice & fresh alternative to the all the carbs & adds a little crunch but is still festive & "Thanksgiving-y"
Honey-Glazed Roasted Butternut Squash & Apples - this dish has now become a MUST for our older son

 

[ronandannette]

My son and I tried for a turkey breast but DD20 has been making the Thanksgiving turkey every year since she was 10 so she Insists. We will get the smallest turkey we can find

This is AWESOME!

 

[DisneyHardin]

We always have green beans. My parents grow a huge garden and can tons of green beans, so they are a staple at all family meals.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

We are only a family of 3 most of the time and no way am I making a turkey and big meal for just 3 of us- it would all go to waste as we really don't like leftovers, I could eat leftover stuffing but never left over turkey. We try to either go out for the holiday (this way everyone can order what they want) or just get a small roasted chicken and some vegetables on the side.

We've been buying a turkey breast from Honeybaked Ham, and I make a small batch of sides. Only 3 of us now, and DS doesn't really like turkey (he'll eat it under protest but only if made).

When I used to actually cook, our turkey day meal:

Cheese/crackers/sausages
veggie tray w/various dips
olive/pickle tray

Turkey (brined,oil-less fried)
cornbread stuffing
mashed potates/gravy
baked sweet potatoes (none of that marshmallow syrupy mess)
crescent rolls
salad
homemade cranberry sauce (non jellied)

pumpkin pie
pecan pie
fresh whipped cream or Tillamook vanilla bean ice cream (seriously the best I've ever had)

 

[Kitty 34]

I'm no help. The world would come to a screeching halt if anybody in our family tried to alter our traditional holiday menus.

We do include some things that your menu doesn't though, specifically more vegetable sides and salads. Maybe try something like that? A broccoli/bacon/red-grape salad always goes over well, and a Greek salad is fresh and light. Substitute sauteed green beans with garlic and almonds or roasted Brussels sprouts for your carrots or corn and maybe that will make a difference.

ETA: Better yet, ask your son to come up with ideas for what he'd like and then coach him on how to make them himself!

I was going to post the exact same thing!! Good thing I read other posts!

OP, I make what I've made for many years and yes I have done some changes especially when one of my son's wives is highly allergic to poultry......we now also serve Spiral ham plus the good ole bird. Like Ronandannette said, have your son come up with what he has in mind. And if you don't want to go healthy then let him cook it. Of course I never see good ole mashed potatoes, turkey and the fixings as unhealthy , at least for one meal of the year!

 

[Libbysmom2000]

Definitely more vegetables. Something green and roasted would be nice - asparagus, broccoli, brussel sprouts. Maybe even mashed cauliflower along with the mashed potatoes.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Looking for new ideas. My son wants to add something “fresh” “ healthy”
Our typical meal is
Turkey
Mashed potatoes
Stuffing
Gravy
Corn
Maple glazed carrots

But we are only a family of 3 (maybe 4-5 with a guest)

Any ideas?

Up to 5 people. Fresh/Healthy.

This has been a TNT for my winter holiday meals for quite a few years. Lots of veggies but still holiday rich:

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/marbleized-root-vegetable-puree-2755#reviewsI use about half the butter listed and often replace the potatoes with cauliflower, celery root or more parsnips but that's a personal choice; it works no matter how you do it. Bosc or Anjou pears are best for baking and this recipe is easy to halve and bake in a 1 qt Pyrex or souffle dish.

String beans are also a norm during the holidays for us. Just blanch in advance and freeze. On the day of eating, saute in olive oil with shallots or garlic. Finish with a little butter if you like.

One of my favorite small party turkeys is a deconstructed version by Julia Child and Jacques Pepin. Carves easily (less bones), a nice combo of dark and white meat and makes a beautiful presentation on the platter. You can find different variations of the how to-s at Cooks Illustrated and the Washington Post. I simplify my life by buying a hotel breast and whole turkey legs. Sometimes I just crack the keel bone of the turkey and stuff the deboned turkey legs before putting the breast on a bed of corn bread ( I generally use Pepperidge Farms stuffing; less sodium) w/ the foil covered legs on a sheet pan. Looks like I worked for hours but didn't.

A stuffed turkey roulade/roll also works nicely for small parties.

 

[HeatherC]

I like sautéed fresh green beans. I use a little butter, olive oil, salt and pepper and chopped garlic. Only takes five minutes.

 

[disneychrista]

A simple "fresh" "healthy" idea would be a simple green salad. Add glazed pecans, mandarin oranges & pomegranate seeds to make it more seasonal. Maybe toss it with Panera Fuji Apple dressing.