Last year:

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/34...012-a-1266938/

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/34...hread-1280161/

I figure one thread is sufficient for our remaining 2013 gluttony. So what does everyone have planned?

I'm doing Thanksgiving at my place this year and am planning to mix it up with some twists on things instead of going traditional style. Here's what I have so far.

Pumpkin is super-Thanksgivingy, so I'm doing PUMPKIN LASAGNA: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/pumpkin-lasagne

Honey glazed ham is always good, but I'm gonna take it up a notch with HONEY GLAZED LAMB: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/h...es-de-provence

And instead of roasted turkey, I'm going with ROASTED CRAB.

Working on the rest of the menu, but it'll prob be salad, rolls, green beans, and a couple of pies.

Going to family to eat some probably dry turkey, but at least I don't have to worry about cooking anything!

Love the enthusiasm! However, I think you should consider doing at least one "traditional" protein just to satisfy those who are not as culinarily adventurous as you are. Holidays are about tradition and sometimes that means doing something boring. You could always spice up a turkey by frying it or doing it in an unusual way.

Just a thought. (Although I would be psyched for the honey glazed lamb)

Best,
zero

Try this:

Cranberry Walnut Relish


2 bags fresh cranberries
1 1/2 Cup water
2 cups sugar
1 cup crushed walnuts or walnut pieces
1 20 oz can pineapple tidbits or chunks, with juice
2 sm box sugar free raspberry Jell-O


Boil cranberries until they pop in water and pineapple juice. Add sugar and Jell-O, and stir well until dissolved. Remove from heat. Add pineapples and walnuts. Stir well. Refrigerate (covered) overnight.


You will NEVER eat canned cranberries again.


Ohhhh Yeahhh!

I think I will.

Trying roasted sweet potatoes with pecans and spiced maple sauce this year. Anyone ever had it? Can't wait.

El D- All those dishes sound amazing. Is your family adventurous? If so, they should love it.

Rich: Yeah, it's gonna be people who are super psyched about not having turkey and cranberry sauce. I'm gonna try and figure out some type of stuffing to work into this, because I really ****ing love stuffing. That sweet potatoes dish sounds awesome. I have had something similar that was really delicious. I ****ing love sweet potatoes.

zero: Def hear you, but no issue here. I actually am the only one attending who was really pro turkey and stuffing (I make an awesome brined turkey). I'm still gonna prob make some stuffing, though! And will def have traditional desserts.

was waiting for this thread to get started!

I just picked up two 3 lb fresh half turkey breasts.

plan on sticking in a brine overnight, getting some rub on the outside of the skin and under the skin and then smoking at approx 300 degrees with cherry wood until internal temp of approx 160...

pull, rest, slice, profit

forgot to mention my parents are cooking a full turkey so i am just bringing some extra meat to the party...no pun intended

My sister is doing thanksgiving this year, she plans a pretty elaborate menu, ill try and post it. But i always request one new desert, last year i had her make 7 layer cake ( a New York Jewish Bakery favorite ) this year i wanted Slated Caramel something or other, so shes taking my Grandmothers recipe for Pineapple upside down cake and combining the two. My fat ass has rejoiced

Pretty much everything winter squash. Made a squash porter and I'll be cooking a lot of the rest of these.

http://www.nerdist.com/2013/11/the-a...-but-the-bird/

The first of a 3 part series of podcasts by Alton Brown covering the bird, sides, desserts, history of Thanksgiving, etc. Very good first episode.

I ****ing love stuffing and sweet potatoes too, man. Mmmmmmmmmmmmnomnomnom. Thanksgiving rules.

My favorite thanksgiving style stuffing involves corn bread, sage sausage and oysters.

Some kind of savory bread pudding sounds good w/ crabs.

Starting to look for a new menu this year for Christmas dinner. Got the Alton Brown turkey idea from last years TGD thread in OOT, plus an awesome sausage stuffing. I recommend the butternut squash ravioli in brown butter in sage. They didn't make Christmas dinner last year but have made them since and would seem perfect for TGD.

Excited this year as it will be a dinner of either 10-12 of good friends and no family drama. Splitting up duties, sounds like I will be in charge of turkey (planning on doing the brine again since it was awesome) and pies and maybe a cheesecake since that is popular now in this house.

Friend is taking on a sweet potato leek custard that intrigues me.

Other friend is making crab cakes so yay crab!

here is the recipe for the stuffing if anyone wants it. (eazy peazy n deelish)

Loaf of french bread, cubed and left out over night
1lb spicy pork sausage
~2cups of celery
~1cup onion
couple cloves of garlic
some flat leaf parsley
dried sage
few handfuls of cranberries
2 apples cut into chunks
1 quart carton of beef or chicken stock. I used beef as thats all i had left

Brown the sausage in a pan and remove, leaving about 2 tbls of the fat in the pan. Sautee the onions garlic and celery in the pan until cooked (~10mins), add the fresh parsley and sage and season with salt and pepper.

Put the bread in a large mixing bowl (or the pan if its big enough). Add sausage, the onion and celery mixture, the cranberries and the stock. Mix through, if it looks a little dry add some more stock or some melted butter to the mixture, (you dont want it to be super wet tho unless you like the soggy version of stuffing, i like a little crunch in mine) Put in a prepared casserole dish and bake for 40-50 mins at 350.

ordered a turducken from cajungrocer.com last week, looks pretty awesome.

My dad will be smoking a turkey. He already did it for Canadian Thanksgiving to rave reviews, so I'm stoked. I'll probably whip up a batch of my mashed potatoes and do whatever all else to help.

Nootka,

If there's one thing I love as much as stuffing, it's bread pudding! Investigating savory bread pudding options, thanks.

I made an apple fritter bread pudding for Canadian Thanksgiving and this is one of the blogs I read for some insight.

They speak on savoury bread pudding at the end so you may want to have a browse here El D

http://oneblockwest.blogspot.ca/2008...ng-basics.html

I've used this recipe before, served with venison. Turned out great. It'd be pretty easy to adapt it to crabby flavors (old bay!).

http://m.foodnetwork.com/recipes/4955

God I really want to do the Achatz sous vide turkey and stuffing. And potatoes, cause why not. One pot Thanksgiving.

But it's at MIL's house, so she's da boss. One of these years...

+1 to Oyster dressing