Jessica, my budding chef, is cooking ALL of our Thanksgiving dinner. I will be by her side but used only for cutting and "helping". She has taken on so many meals. We are very proud of her!
Anyway...So far her menu is:
Cajun turkey breast
sweet potato souffle
green bean casserole--updated with garlic soup
spinach stuffing balls
stuffed cranberry sauce cut into fall leaves
garlic smashed potatoes
turkey gravy
dinner rolls--will be bought not made
She is still figuring out what she wants to make for dessert
What is on YOUR menu?

By Kernkate on Wednesday, November 9, 2005 - 02:29 pm:

Yummy Yvonne
I wish someone would cook my Thanksgiving Dinner.
Ours will be:
Turkey
Stuffing
Gravy
Green Beans
Corn
Sweet Potatoes
Rutabaga
Mashed Potatoes
Cole slaw
Cranberry Sauce
Dinner Rolls also bought

Homemade Pumpkin and Chocolate Pie for Dessert

By Eve on Wednesday, November 9, 2005 - 02:50 pm:

I wish I really knew! I'm still deciding...

Herbed Butter Turkey
Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes (With cream cheese)
Gravy

Green Bean Casserole
Sweet Potatoes with marshmallows!
I need to think of what other veggies....

Spinach Salad (With dried cranberries & almonds)
Cranberry/orange chutney

Melanie's sweet potato crescents

Pumpkin Pie & hopefully I can find a Sara Lee Fruit of the Forest pie! (They are darn good!) And whatever anyone else wants to make. My family is not picky.

Ok, that's all I have so far. I want it to be really low key, so I'll have my Mom and my sister make some of this. Then, I'll make what I can ahead of time.

By Yjja123 on Wednesday, November 9, 2005 - 03:45 pm:

Eve

Can we have your make ahead potato recipe?
What are sweet potato crescents?

By Yjja123 on Wednesday, November 9, 2005 - 03:58 pm:

Eve--- I just looked on recipe board and found your recipe for "party potatoes" is this the one you are referring to?

By Emily7 on Wednesday, November 9, 2005 - 04:26 pm:

Spinach stuffing balls, those sound really good.
I don't even know what we are doing for Thanksgiving, it depends on if dh is home or not.

By Children03 on Wednesday, November 9, 2005 - 04:31 pm:

Turkey
Stuffing
Green Bean Casserole
Mashed Potatoes
Cranberry Sauce
Some other kind of veggie, maybe squash caserole.

By Dawnk777 on Wednesday, November 9, 2005 - 04:34 pm:

I have no idea what our Thanksgiving plans even are! We are probably going to my inlaws. I don't know if my family is doing anything. We haven't discussed it yet.

By Juli4 on Wednesday, November 9, 2005 - 04:36 pm:

We are having the best steaks, baked potatoes, salad and desert.
My dad is buying those steaks that you cut yourself however thick and we are grilling them

By Yjja123 on Wednesday, November 9, 2005 - 05:05 pm:

Yum Juli4!
That is what we have on Christmas day. Shrimp cocktail, filet minon, salad, potatoes, garlic bread. Yum! Christmas is just us though--our extended family likes "traditional fare" so that is why we will have Turkey on Thanksgiving.

By Eve on Wednesday, November 9, 2005 - 05:15 pm:

Yeap, that's the potato recipe I was going to use. My Grandmother used to make one like it, but she lost the recipe. You can't really mess up potatoes, so I'm not worried.

The sweet potato crescents are rolls that Melanie makes from scratch. I made them last year for the first time and they were really yummy. Here they are:

Does anyone have a good stuffing recipe? I'm thinking I'd like to make cornbread stuffing, but I'll go along with anything my Mom wants to make. ;)

By Eve on Wednesday, November 9, 2005 - 05:17 pm:

Also, does anyone have a killer sweet potato casserole recipe? Mine always comes out dry. I love my Aunt's recipe and I realized finally that she uses the canned yams! She just sort of mixes everything in and doesn't measure! It's always so good.

By Conni on Wednesday, November 9, 2005 - 05:28 pm:

For the first time in my life we will not be home/or at relatives for Thanksgiving dinner!!

We are spending the day at Animal Kingdom then eating at a rest. at Disney World called 'Artist Point'... Should be an interesting Thanksgiving. lol

All of your menus sound wonderful!!

By Melanie on Wednesday, November 9, 2005 - 06:13 pm:

LOL, Eve. In all the years I have made those rolls, I don't think I have ever once snapped a picture of them!

By Eve on Wednesday, November 9, 2005 - 06:23 pm:

If you recall, Melanie, I am baking challenged. I can't make a pie to save my life! LOL I was so proud of myself. What's sad is my Mom used to make all of our bread and everything from scratch growing up. I don't have the Pillsbury gene, I guess.

By Monicamomof3 on Wednesday, November 9, 2005 - 07:00 pm:

turkey
dressing
candied sweet potatoes (w/ red hots) -my aunt
baked potato casserole
green been wraps (those are sooooo yummy)
green salad (unsure yet)
broccoli rice casserole
rolls (store)

dessert:

pumpkin cheese cake
pecan pie
layered triffle cake

By Wandilu on Wednesday, November 9, 2005 - 07:23 pm:

Here's how I make my cornbread stuffing.I start out by making my cornbread in a cast iron skillet.You don't have to,it just gives it that special taste.Also,I make it with buttermilk.Again,you don't have to,but us southerners have a long standing love affair of buttermilk bread! Then I add celery,onions,boiled eggs,green peppers,salt,pepper and sage.LOTS of sage.Sometimes I add some carrots(finely chopped)and rice.After I mix all of this together,I stuff my turkey with it,and the juice from the turkey makes the dressing moist.But if you don't stuff your turkey,then add a can or two of chicken broth in with the other ingredients.My family loves it.

By Melanie on Wednesday, November 9, 2005 - 07:25 pm:

Eve, I'd say you are just in denile about your Pillsbury gene. Those rolls turned out beautifully! BTW, I always complain to my mother that I just can't pass Pie Crust 101. LOL.

Back to the original question...
My MIL is hosting Thanksgiving this year. I will bring the rolls that Eve posted above and a dessert. I haven't decided what yet, but it has to travel well since they live 4 hours away. Perhaps a pumpkin roll...those are soooooo yummy!

By Hlgmom on Wednesday, November 9, 2005 - 08:36 pm:

Butternut, Goat cheese and Walnut Spread

Basil Garlic Turkey
Kahlua and citrus mashed sweet potatoes
Cranberry, shallot, and dried cherry compote
Sausage Pine Nut and Oyster Stuffing
Honey Roasted Root Vegetables
Maple glazed ham with sweet potato biscuits
Pumpkin chestnut stuffing

Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake
Maple bourbon pecan pie
Pumpkin gingerbread trifle

We will be at my moms house but I always have to cook

By Bellajoe on Wednesday, November 9, 2005 - 09:08 pm:

I will be having 22 people over for Thanksgiving! Both my sister are coming in from out of town and both have a family of 5 plus my family, mom, inlaws, brother and his wife and her parents! AAAAAHHHHHHHH!

O.k. sorry, had to get that out!

I am just going to have the usual T-day dinner

Turkey
Mashed potatoes
green bean casserole
stuffing stuffing stuffing (my favorite, can you tell?)
gravy of course
rolls
apple and pumpkin pies
if someone wants sweet potatoes they they will have to make them because... YUCK! ( IMO)
everyone will bring something so i am not stuck making everything.

oh and plenty of wine!

My one sister will be staying with us, so she will help me out a lot. I will need it.

I don't hate Thanksgiving, i'm just a bit stressed about the whole thing and all those people.

By Cocoabutter on Wednesday, November 9, 2005 - 09:23 pm:

We will be at my mom's house this year. It would have been at my aunt's house but she is separated from her dh.

We always have a traditional dinner. Turkey, dressing, candied yams, green bean casserole, baked sweet corn, oyster dressing, my aunt's homemade flour biscuits, my grandma's homemade cole slaw, pumpkin and apple pies. Oh, and the canned cranberry sauce. *sigh*

If it weren't for seeing the family, it would be just another dinner.

By Melanie on Wednesday, November 9, 2005 - 09:58 pm:

Patti, you almost lost me with the no sweet potatoes, but you saved it with lots of wine. LOL.

By Amecmom on Wednesday, November 9, 2005 - 09:59 pm:

Turkey Day in Williamsburg VA this year - a stone's throw from Jamestown - the site of the real "First Thanksgiving". Won't be cooking all week! Turkey Day will be up to my parents and my sister.
Ame

By Colette on Thursday, November 10, 2005 - 07:00 am:

I am looking forward to it. We are having some irish friends of my mother's come over because they've never been to America for Thanksgiving and I am serving..
turkey
chestnut stuffing
homemade spiced cranberry sauce
mashed potatoes
sweet potatoes w/maple syrup and pecans (you mash them and bake them with it)
squash
green beans w/almonds
carrots w/orange juice and cinnamon
turnips
some kind of rolls, I am still looking at recipes.
apple pie
maple pumpkin cheesecake
some other desserts also still looking at recipes.
mulled cider
wine


I can't wait!

By Breann on Thursday, November 10, 2005 - 10:16 am:

Eve, I have a TDF sweet potatoe casserole recipe. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it. Let me go find it!

By Breann on Thursday, November 10, 2005 - 10:19 am:

OK, easier said than done, lol. I will look for it though and will post it. It is so yummy.

By Colette on Thursday, November 10, 2005 - 11:02 am:

Eve, we boil the sweet potatoes in orange juice and mash them with pure maple syrup, cinnamon, and whatever other spices look good, mix in pecans, and then bake it to heat the whole thing through.

my sister also sometimes instead will bring a curried sweet potato dish that's really good too.

By Eve on Thursday, November 10, 2005 - 11:15 am:

Sounds yummy, Colette! I LOVE Sweet Potatoes. I grill them, bake them, you name it--love them!

Breann, I'd love the recipe!

By Colette on Thursday, November 10, 2005 - 03:28 pm:

I love them too. I've never grilled them though, that sounds good. They are great for you too.

By Eve on Friday, November 11, 2005 - 10:05 am:

Oh, Colette! They are sooo good that way. I slice them and put them in the microwave for 20 seconds, then I spray them with olive oil and sprinkle a little cinnamon on them and grill. They get those beautiful grill marks. Sometimes my DH will melt butter and brown sugar and brush them with that too.