I am looking for some innovative yet traditional dishes to serve for Thanksgiving?

Question

Our Thanksgiving here in canada is in 3 weeks, and although I could scour the recipes I have, I thought you would have some ideas that are just as good! I am having 14 people for dinner, and want to have a Turkey along with another meat, like a stuffed pork - no ham please.

Everything from appetizers and stuffings through to desserts - all from scratch. What do you think the perfect fancy meal would be?

What can you guys come up with?

Thanks!

Thanks, Mole - but Ham is Pork, yet Pork is not always Ham - Ham is more a style of cooked pork.

Anyway, your recipes sound really interesting, and I think I'll email you!

Answer 1

Some new items might give an updated twist to Thanksgiving. A few years back I had made the below Pumpkin Cheesecake for Thanksgiving and it was a smash hit instead of the old pumpkin pie.

An appetizer I like to make is a triangle of cream and feta cheeses with chicken or asparagus in puff pastry dough.

Alicia’s Chicken & Aspargus Cheese Puffs


Ingredients

2 packages Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets ( in freezer section) or make your own puff pastry
2 packages (6 oz. Each package) Anthenos Garlic & Herb crumbled feta cheese
1 package (8 oz.) Philadelphia light cream cheese – Roasted Garlic flavor
1 package (8 oz.) Philadelphia cream cheese – chive and onion flavor
2 large chicken breasts
2 bunches of asparagus

First steps

Chicken

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then either grill or saute until they are thoroughly cooked. I use a George Foreman grill for a quick grilling.
Let cool, then cut or shred chicken into small bite-size chunks
Set aside

Asparagus

Wash asparagus
Cut off ends
Chop into small bite-size chunks, about ¼ inch thick
Place in boiling water for 8-10 minutes, until bright green
Rinse in cold water to blanch them – seals in color and flavor
Place in bowl and set aside

Cheeses

Let soften at room temperature while preparing chicken and asparagus
Mix all cheeses together in bowl and set aside

Puff Pastry

Let thaw for about a half an hour (about as long as preparing the above), take out of box to thaw
Once thawed, sheets are folded in thirds, cut along fold, making three sheets out of one
Roll out on a floured board, make sure to flour the rolling pin and the pastry sheet, too.
Roll to lengthen and widen the sheet, but do not make it too thin, it should end up a little smaller then the size of a sheet of notebook paper
Cut into 6 strips ( 1 to 2 inches wide, 3-6 inches long) – cut six at a time then form into squares

Making the squares

Preheat oven to 400
Cooking time - 13 minutes on one side, 2 minutes on the other

On each strip
Place a small spoonful ( between teaspoon and tablespoon) of cheese mix
Spread down half of strip, leaving a small margin of dough around the outside
A few pieces of asparagus placed on top of cheese
A few pieces of chicken placed on top of cheese
Wrap up the strip, making sure all stuffing is inside with enough dough left over to pinch together
With a fork, press down the edges making a seal around the stuffing
Press fork around all sides, on both sides of square

Place squares on ungreased cookie sheet, spaced about ¼ to ½ inch apart
Cook 13 minutes on one side in 400, until slightly brown on the bottom
Turn over and cook another 2-3 minutes to let the other side brown slightly

This recipe makes about – 72 squares (36 per each pastry package)

Variations
Can use spinach or artichoke hearts instead of asparagus
Can use bacon or sausage instead of chicken
Cheese can be mixed and matched with different flavors of cream cheese, feta cheese or bleu cheese.

Answer 2

Last year, we had a BBQ themed Thanksgiving. We BBQ the turkey (stuffed it with tomatoes, onions, and oranges to bring out the flavor and basted it with beer...yes, beer - it kept the turkey nice and moist). We also served BBQ baby back ribs along side the turkey.

For the veggies and side dishes, we grilled zucchini, yellow squash, asparagus, sweet peppers, and portabello mushrooms. Just baste the veggies with a little olive oil and garlic salt. We also wrapped baked potatoes in foil and threw it on the grill, too.

For the salad, we grilled shrimp and tossed it into a bowl of mixed greens, olive oil, and balsamic vinegarette.

Instead of a pumpkin pie, we made a Fresh Banana Pudding Cake and some of our guest brought other types of desserts, so we had ample choices.

Not so fancy food, but remember fancy is all your presentation. Hope this helps...

Answer 3

I also enjoy cooking for a crowd. When I am at a loss or need to add something new to the menu I check with Martha Stewart almost all of her recipes taste great. I say almost because there are a few seasoning that I just can't seem to like, no matter how hard I try. Check out her web site and you will get some great ideas if you don't like the ingredients use the ones that you're comfortable with. I hope I was some help.

Answer 4

A Stress Free Thanksgiving
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Keys :
Ingredients :


Method :

* Thanksgiving dinner is the biggest meal of the year, and if you start getting ready early, your feast can be as perfect, and you can be as relaxed, as the Thanks-giving scenes you've been covetously gazing at in glossy magazines and television commercials. While there are some things, like roasting the turkey, that just can't be done until the last minute, many things can be done days or even weeks in advance. With complete shopping and prep lists, and a freezer full of side dishes and pies, the big feast will come off without a hitch!
* Lists, lists, lists! Start making lists early, and you will save yourself a panic attack down the road. First, plan the menu. Next, make a list of all the kitchen equipment, serving dishes and utensils you'll need for each thing. If you don't have the pans, bowls and platters you need, buy or borrow them now. If you notice that most of your menu needs to be prepared in the oven, consider choosing different recipes that can be prepared on the stovetop, in your slow cooker, that don't need cooking at all, that can be prepared ahead of time, or that you can ask one of your guests to bring. Next comes the shopping list. Keep this one with you at all times for the next several days so every time you remember an additional item you can scribble it down. After the shopping list comes the kitchen timeline and preparation schedule. Work backwards from the time you would like to serve dinner.
* Get Everyone Involved! Let each member of the family in on planning the menu.
* Everyone has favorite dishes they look forward to; you may even be surprised to realize there are some dishes that nobody likes. If people participate in the decisions, they'll be more excited about helping, too. Make lists of what each person can do to prepare. If your invited relatives and friends offer to bring something for the dinner, let them. If they don't offer, ask them. Appetizers, bread, salads, dessert and beverages all make good bring-along dishes.
* Freeze! You can start your cooking now! Here are some things that will freeze beautifully: Bread or bread dough, piecrust dough, unbaked fruit pies, baked pumpkin pies, cooked sweet potato or squash casseroles, cheesecakes, soup, cranberry sauce and turkey stock (made with separately purchased legs and wings). Most frozen items will need a day to thaw in the refrigerator, then all you need to do is heat and serve them as usual.




A Great Thanksgiving Turkey!!

Ingredients :

18lbTurkey, (18 to 20)
Salt & pepper, to taste
2tblGarlic powder
4xYellow onions, diced
2canWhole berry cranberry sauce
1cupOrange marmalade
1x12 oz. bottl teriyaki sauce
1cupHoney
1/4cupSoy sauce
Two oranges, juice of
1cupWater

Method :

* 1 Handful mixed fresh herbs (sage, rosemary, parsley etc.) Clean the turkey well and dry completely. Season the entire bird with salt, pepper and the garlic powder. Spray a large roasting pan (preferably one with a lid...or you can use aluminum foil) and the inside of the lid with non-stick cooking spray. Place the onions on the bottom of the roasting pan. Set the seasoned turkey on top of the onions.
* In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cranberry sauce, marmalade, teriyaki sauce, honey, soy sauce, the juice from the oranges and the water until well blended. (Stuff the juiced orange rinds inside the cavity of the turkey for moisture!) Pour the mixture over the turkey.
* Place the fresh herbs on top of the turkey. Tightly secure the lid or cover the pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Be sure to cover tightly to keep any steam from escaping the pan.
* Roast the turkey at 425 for 3 hours. Do not open the lid during cooking! After 3 hours of cooking, reduce the oven temperature to 350 and remove the lid or foil from the pan. Also, remove the herbs from the top of the turkey and discard. Continue roasting the turkey, uncovered, for about 30 minutes more or until the turkey is golden and cooked through completely. (To test doneness: the meat between the leg and thigh, when pierced with a fork shows clear juices escaping.)
* Allow the turkey to rest 20 minutes before carving.



Apple Pie - a Great Canadian Thanksgiving
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Keys : Canadian Canada North American
Ingredients :

2 1/2cupflour
1cuplard
water
Filling
sliced apples
1cupsugar
1tspcinnamon

Method :

* Mix together until it forms a fine grain mixture.
* Add enough water so it will stick together and roll away from the side of the bowl.
* Roll out one piecrust.
* Filling:
Put piecrust into pie plate.
* Slice apples into pie shell.
* Fill pie pan to top with apples.
* Mix together 1 cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkled over top the apples.
* Roll out top piecrust.
* Place on top of apples.
* Flute edges.
* Bake for 1 hour in oven.

Answer 5

This isn't healthy in the least, but it is delicious and looks just as fancy as a regular turkey. Ready?

Deep-fried turkey! I've had it at my last few Thanksgivings and it's oh-so succulent, flavorful and tender. A real family favorite.

Below is a great site to check out if you're interested in the how-to. It includes recipes for marinades to inject into your bird.

Answer 6

wow hats off to you! i would cook the turkey on a grill outdoors to free up your oven for the other meat. pork is ham by the way. most common second meat served would be salmon.

appetizers would be king crab legs (if you can afford it), sliced veggies with a choice of dill dip, spinache dip, ranch dip etc., oyster stew would be a good opener, cooked shrimp, sliced dill pickles, sliced meat with cheese and crackers, olives,

desserts, molten volcano cakes, pumpkin pie, apple crisp, peach cobbler, berry mix cobbler, pecan pie, ginger cookies, red velvet bars, peanut butter cheese fudge,

fruit salad bowl of diced fruit, cornbread stuffing with raisins. green bean casserole all sorts. if you need recipes just email me, i have a bunch plus the ones i found on the website below

Answer 7

mmmmmmmmmm
Fresh cream of mushroom soup made with crimini mushrooms and a significant splash of Marsala wine
Yams , peeled and the cut into medallions then steamed or poached and served with an orange ginger butter sauce
Pork loin stuffed with a bread, apple & fresh sage stuffing
Hand made stuffed mini-breads 2" in diameter filled with
sun dried tomatoes
pesto
dill caraway
olive tapanade
use them as the base for complimentary toppings
The old tried and true gravlax-still good

Freshly made struedels using phyllo dough
Apple Tatin
fresh made madelines and biscotti-perfect with coffee
The list goes on

Answer 8

As a soup course, try a butternut squash soup. It is creamy and delicious and perfectly thanksgiving. It gets a dollop of savory whipped cream on top and looks beautiful on the plate.

Answer 9

You cook vegetable soup. It's easy..... 3 cubed carrots, pinely cut celery, stripped cabbage, 2 chicken cubes, 5 cups of water,... boil them and add 3 beaten eggs. Stir and serve!

Answer 10

Both are good for you, each fruit/vegetable has different vitamins. Thus as more variety, as better. Vegetables have generally less sugar than fruits.