What's on the menu for Thanksgiving this year?

[student]

Pretty straight forward question, just curious to hear what people are making this year. Are you trying anything new?

[pikestabber]

So far it isn't venison back straps

[Leaky]

So far it isn't venison back straps

The key words in that statement is "So far....."

I'm not cooking this year, so I'll just enjoy whatever the host provides. If I was, I've been on a butternut squash kick lately (bonus - my 8 year old loves it!). Made an awesome pot of soup last week. Would probably find some kick a** recipe to do something with squash to go along with all the other goodies.

[eyeguy 54]

turkey and ribs... :>)

[picksbigwagon]

Okay, gonna vent here: we are heading to my in laws, my mother in law makes the turkey and all the trimmings, BUT, she makes it the day before because she doesn't like to get up early thanksgiving morning to put the bird in the oven. I have offered for years to put in the turkey but she feels that her way is "just as good". She doesn't carve the bird either. Basically just pulls and lumps everyting off the bird.

We have hosted and I have gotten up " very early" (8:00 am) to put the bird in, and she has the gall to sit there and say her day old, reheated dried out turkey is just as good as mine, and she getd to sleep in til noon......

At least there is beer at my in laws

[bak2MN]

Grillin a turkey!!!

[Leaky]

Okay, gonna vent here: we are heading to my in laws, my mother in law makes the turkey and all the trimmings, BUT, she makes it the day before because she doesn't like to get up early thanksgiving morning to put the bird in the oven. I have offered for years to put in the turkey but she feels that her way is "just as good". She doesn't carve the bird either. Basically just pulls and lumps everyting off the bird.

We have hosted and I have gotten up " very early" (8:00 am) to put the bird in, and she has the gall to sit there and say her day old, reheated dried out turkey is just as good as mine, and she getd to sleep in til noon......

At least there is beer at my in laws

All I can say is good thing for the beer. Hope there is a TV for football, too. Nice rant.

[Jim Almquist]

Pretty funny Picks

I have a MIL who ruin my drippings for gravy 2 years in a row. I would get to here house(45 minute drive) to set up the Weber and the rotisserie and cook up a 20 pound bird. After the second time I pretty much do nothing but carve the bird up when she gets done cooking. I think the problem was everyone loved the taste of my bird so she had to wreck something. Funny part is I have never messed up a gravy in my life

That is the way I will cook our bird this year on Thursday for me and the wife and Saturday she (MIL) will cook a bird in the oven. Two turkey days for me

[Eric Wettschreck]

Nuff said.

[Jim Almquist]

Yowser!!!!

That is one good looking bird!

Something just tells me I would be full before the bird gets carved

[OnAFly]

Picksbig - I feel your pain. My parents believe that buying the biggest bird possible then cooking to the texture of jerky is the best method.

I saw pics on here of a grilled bird that looked awesome. I would try it if I had a better grill. Mine has too much temp variation for really big stuff.

[DonBo]

Wow Erik, you better expect lots of company.

[DonBo]

For the first time ever, we're doing Thanksgiving at our house. I'll be roasting a turkey with a method found right here at HSO:

http://www.simplebites.net/how-to-roast-a-turkey/

I've done a few this way now and it's quick and EASY and is easily the best roasted turkey I've ever had.

Oh yeah, I'll also be doing some of my bacon wrapped, marinaded wild turkey bites too.

[Moose]

DonBo that is by far the best roasted turkey rscipe I have used. The bird is nice and juicy and no "jerky" unless it's venison

[hockeybc69]

Gonna have the wife toss this together. Saw it on TV the other day and just made my mouth water.

Cornbread Dressing with Chorizo

Ingredients

Serves: 8

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

8 oz. bulk chorizo sausage

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. coarse ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning

1/2 tsp. rubbed sage

11 oz. Cornbread, crumbled, dried out overnight or toasted in a warm oven

2/3 cup chicken broth

1 egg, beaten

Instructions

Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add sausage; crumble and cook 5 min. Add onion, celery and seasonings through sage; cook 5 min. more. Remove from heat; cool mixture to room temperature. Add cornbread, broth and egg to meat mixture; mix well. Pour into an 8x8" baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Bake in a preheated 350° oven until top is crisp (about 45 min.).

[Mnfisher]

Gonna try grilled turkey and a smoked brisket. I'll smoke the brisket the day before, then slice and heat on the grill day of! Turned out very well for Christmas last year.

[delcecchi]

Picksbig - I feel your pain. My parents believe that buying the biggest bird possible then cooking to the texture of jerky is the best method.

I saw pics on here of a grilled bird that looked awesome. I would try it if I had a better grill. Mine has too much temp variation for really big stuff.

I cook turkey sometimes on a Weber Kettle. I first had it when a guy from work invited a bunch of guys over to try to catch all the bullheads out of his dad's ponds. Bullheads were small, but the turkey was terrific. I thought it was one of the best things I ever ate.

Turkey on a Weber is easy, really easy.

Put some lit charcoal on each side of an aluminum drip pan. Put on grill rack. Put thawed, unwrapped turkey on grill. You can season with salt and pepper or whatever you like. It doesn't need much salt since turkeys typically are injected.

Put cover on grill. After like 90 minutes, check turkey, maybe add some briquettes to fire. Cook until breast meat is about 155 on instant thermometer.

Take off, tent with foil for a while. Ymmmm

You can throw a couple of chunks or sticks of a smoking wood on if you want to. Apple and Maple are what I sometimes use because that is what is growing in the yard.

[bak2MN]

I grill mine on the weber pretty much the same but i soak them in a brine for a couple of days then melt a stick of butter and season it then inject it into the bird. IS it THURSDAY YET!!!

[delcecchi]

I don't brine the frozen turkeys that come "injected" because they already have enough salt for my taste. If you buy a turkey this is straight or naturals or something and not injected then brining is a good idea.

[Dark Cloud]

Yesterday evening I made my "everything but the kitchen sink cranberry sauce"...

In a good sized pot I throw...

1 bag fresh cranberrys

1 can mandrin oranges, plus the juice

3 apples diced up

1 med can of pineapple

1 med can of diced peaches

a few cups of orange juice

a few big splashes of red wine vinegar

a few healthy pinches of salt

Get this cooking to a slow boil. The cranberries will begin to pop. After most have busted I take an old school tater masher and bust things up a bit...

Now the fun part - adding sweet and heat while keeping that tartness of the cranberries.

I chopped up about 2 dozen of those pickled nacho jalapenos and also added about a cup of sugar. You could use fresh jalapenos from the start but it is easier to controll the heat with these...

slowly reduce and cook this down while tasting and adjusting things.

At the end I like to add a small bag of dried cranberries and one or two of those small boxes of snack raisins. I do this to add some texture and chunkiness to the sauce...

I take this to my aunts every year and it is one of those things people either love or hate, kind of like that jellied canned sauce stuff

It goes great on leftover turkey sammiches!

[lispeej]

I'm gonna smoke 4 racks of ribs.

[birdswacker]

Picks, if you put that with my mother inlaws potato clumps and dry turkey and dressing you'd be eating what I will be tomorrow. I can't wait.

[Slabasaurus]

Nuff said.

Ok. You win.

I'm bringing some killer pie.

That I buy on the way to the cabin... to be fair it's really, really good pie.

but dude. Wow.

[PEATMOSS]

As long as we're ranting....

My maternal grandmother was an Iowa farmwife that cooked everyday for my grandfather and several farmhands. Every single noon, Grandma would prepare a meal of meat, potatoes, veggies, salads and desert. My mother learned to cook from her and every holiday meal was cooked to near perfection, from scratch ingredients, seasoned nicely and served on Moms' best china.

My first Thanksgiving at my inlaws, I was served some dry overcooked bird that could not possibly have been a turkey. The potatoes were from a box, the gravy came out of a jar and some doughy substance that came out of another box was called stuffing. The "cranberry sauce" was that gelatonous gew that comes in a can. This culinary masterpiece was served on chinette paper plates. Iwas so disgusted that I put my plate out on the deck for the dog. Poor dog walked around in circles for three hours licking his own butt to try to get the taste out of his mouth.

[deerminator]

I just get so disgusted watching people pile, literally, huge mounds of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy and stuffing on their plates. I love food and eating but that's just gross. We are hosting Christmas this year and I'm told by the MIL to make ham because its cheap, traditional, and what people like. Yuck. Not to be a downer, but I'd to have some lasagna instead like some of my Italian colleagues!