Do you cook for

Boys r us wrote: Thanksgiving?


I'm not cooking for actual thanksgiving this year, but the saturday before thanksgiving, I'm cooking for all of my friends. We're having a "Friend's Thanksgiving" at my house. I want to cook the normal turkey day stuff, but maybe with a different spin off of the traditional. Any ideas to help with the menu?

jdkjd replied: You could do a cranberry relish instead of the canned stuff.

Maybe do roasted garlic mashed potatoes OR do mashed potatoes with cheese and sour cream topped with bacon and chopped green onions (a loaded baked potato but mashed)

I have great Squash Casserole and Oyster Dressing recipes if you are interested...

Did you have any ideas on some things you wanted to prepare?

amynicole21 replied: How about instead of a roasted turkey you do something like a turkey casserole? We always have Thanksgiving lunch at work and DH's company sometimes has a party. People aresick of roasted turkey by the time Thanksgiving actually rolls around

coasterqueen replied: Hmmm, I'm clueless, of course. I know Dh's family a lot of times being that they are italian always has some type of italian dish at Thanksgiving as well as all the traditional stuff.

Boys r us replied: Yeah Amy I know...that's why I wanted to do some sort of spin off of the traditional b/c I know how people are always sick of turkey and the normal fixings..I thought about doing filet mignon. but I'm so torn b/c I want to keep a turkey day feel to it.

My2Beauties replied: Man I need to take some cooking lessons from you guys I'm lucky to not burn Sloppy Joe's I always have someone else cook Thanksgiving Dinner for us!! Sort of pathetic huh

Kaitlin'smom replied: I have before but we usually go to one of our families home for it.

I get to cook christmas eve dinner this year for DH's family so one HUGE celebration meal a year is my limit.....just not a big cook

redchief replied: I'm never tired of turkey

jdkjd replied: I never tire of turkey either but...

one holiday my Dad did a Beef Roast (basically the cut that prime rib steaks come from) just roast until a thermometer reads rare and take it out (the meat continues to cook after taking it out of the oven so it will end up being medium rare). Also you can give the first cuts to people who like it more done and reserve the inner pieces for people who like it more rare.

Yummy. And you can call around and see who has the cheapest price.

due_any_day replied:
"when i worked at fridays i was a pro at those after a week. and having them mashed? thats even better but only because i dont like the skins.

what about asking your friends to bring one thing thats "traditional" at their thanksgiving table but be sure to ask what it is so that you dont have like 1,000 deserts or several of the same thing?


it can also help you out when it comes to cooking. you wont have as much to do.

jolene555 replied: once a year we do an all appetizer meal. granted it's not a thanksgiving type thing, but it's great if you want to get a bunch of friends together and just have fun. we do the dill dip, bruschetta bread, cheese balls, fondu, pigs in a blanket, little wienies, and too much more. my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

it might be nice before thanksgiving - like the big appetizer before the big meal.

Maddie&EthansMom replied: Scotty doesn't like turkey so I always do a spiral sliced ham.

I like Jenn's idea on the mashed potatoes with sour cream, cheddar, bacon toppings. I was at a wedding this weekend and they did that, but put them in martini glasses. It was a great touch and a big hit. "Martini Potato Bar"

You could also do mashed sweet potatoes instead of regular mashed potatoes. I collect the Southern living cookbooks and they always have traditional favorites with a spin. Check out some cookbooks from your local library. That should help.

My mother always cooks the big Thanksgiving dinner, but I usually have friends and some family over for a small Thanksgiving dinner of our own.

kit_kats_mom replied: We had duck one year, and fried turkey one year. Both were yummy!
I've never had to cook thanksgiving dinner since we've always been near my mom or grandma who both do big thanksgivings.

Josie83 replied: Obviously this doesn't apply to us!! xx

3xsthefun replied: I cooked Thanksgiving dinner here about 5 years ago. I baked a ham instead of a turkey that year.

We are going to my hubby's sisters for Thanksgiving this year. She said she is going try and make a smoked turkey.

3_call_me_mama replied: We do a traditional thanksgiving dinner, but with soem sifferent twists that my grandma has always done.. but i've never heard of any one else around us having them.. so maybe we are just wierd?! We have masked potatoes but we mix ground beef, onions adn sage into them. (VERY YUMMY) Sweet potato casserole, (basically whipped sweet potatoes, with butter and cream in them, then topped with a mixture of pecans, buter, brown sugar adn a few other things to make a crumb topping) We also have homemade bread stuffing, just toast a bunch of bread, and add bells seasoning and water..... it is MUCH better than stove top. oh yeah and meat pies. I don't like them but everyone else at dinner does... basically ground pork with some spices baked into a pie . I can get the actual recipes fo rany of them if anyone wants them.

I don't actually have to cook the dinner, my mom does, but I make all the desserts, pies etc for the meal. I usually cook easter dinner so she does T-giving adn Xmas, cause she invites like evryone that has no where else ot go so there are like 25-35 people for dinner! Dh parents usually join us for holiday since he's an only and I have sibs.