What's Your Thanksgiving Menu This Year?

[IFindZeroBadCooks]

A mix of typical stuff and new things, I think for us.

• Small 10-14 pd Turkey (Bell & Evans at $2.99/pd) likely separated and sous vide with Simon & Garfunkel rub, then roasted.
• Boxed stuffing (SWMBO's preference)
• Yorkshire pudding/popovers ( I am determined to meet and exceed my mom's excellence here)
• Hasselback potatoes with garlic and rosemary (probably smoked same time as turkey)
• Costco spaetzle (was going to make fancy mac & cheese then remembered I had this already)
• Homemade cranberry sauce (SWMBO has claimed this task)
• Homemade pumpkin pie and death by chocolate cake ( https://www.delish.com/cooking/recip...e-cake-recipe/ ) (SWMBO has claimed this as well)
• Gravy

[MBMorgan]

This year, we're guests ... so with the exception of contributing freshly baked apple pie, pumpkin pie, and dinner rolls, we just don't know for sure. I assume that there will be turkey ... and if I pick up even a hint that it was left on the countertop (it's been done that way before by a BIL who "hasn't killed anybody yet. Ha. Ha.") to "come up to temperature" from frozen, then I'll be eating vegetarian this year and preparing to take SWMBO to the ER sometime in the subsequent 24-72 hours.

Happy Thanksgiving ... and wish us luck ...

[IFindZeroBadCooks]

Sounds like a great time to eat dessert for dinner and be a kid again!

[DavidNorcross]

Very traditional.

Turkey - big bird this year 23lbs
Mashed Potatoes
Homemade bread
Green Beans
Dressing
Gravy
Cranberry Salad
Sweet Potato Casserole
Pumpkin Pie
Cheesecake

[smokin fool]

Last two combined, Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake.
My SIL made a PP CC two years ago and hit it outta the park, city and province
It was fantastic.

[SierraBBQGuy]

A mix of typical stuff and new things, I think for us.

• Small 10-14 pd Turkey (Bell & Evans at $2.99/pd) likely separated and sous vide with Simon & Garfunkel rub, then roasted.
• Boxed stuffing (SWMBO's preference)
• Yorkshire pudding/popovers ( I am determined to meet and exceed my mom's excellence here)
• Hasselback potatoes with garlic and rosemary (probably smoked same time as turkey)
• Costco spaetzle (was going to make fancy mac & cheese then remembered I had this already)
• Homemade cranberry sauce (SWMBO has claimed this task)
• Homemade pumpkin pie and death by chocolate cake ( https://www.delish.com/cooking/recip...e-cake-recipe/ ) (SWMBO has claimed this as well)
• Gravy

I there a good technique here somewhere for the SV Turkey?

[IFindZeroBadCooks]

I haven’t completed my research yet as it will probably be a combination of various approaches.

MH’s approach is probably closest.

Here is where I am starting though.

https://recipes.anovaculinary.com/recipe/sous-vide-turkey

https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-roast-a-turkey-in-parts

https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/turkey-recipes/sous-vide-que-turkey-recipe

[Potkettleblack]

Might be 2 might be 5 for Thanksgiving. Motivation will determine menu and effort.

Likely will either use the Grilla for a turkey breast, or maybe hang a small bird on the OJB.
Last year, did Samin Nosrat's buttermilk brined Turkey Breast and it was fantastic with low effort. The Grilla does make a great turkey on the vertical roaster, so might do that, as I like some dark meat.

Depending on motivation, might make the Cherry, Chorizo, Cornbread stuffing that my wife likes, or bake a sourdough and make a stuffing out of that. If I bake a loaf for stuffing, I will likely have one for tableside as well.

Probably do a green bean dish... maybe a deconstructed GB Casserole. Or the Alton Brown one. I did the Kenji GB Casserole one year, and, aside from being a mountain of work, I think the AB one comes out better.

Will make a riff on cranberry sauce, or maybe make a cranberry relish. I think the cranberry makes the whole dinner palatable, as the main acid.

I think that's actually enough food for a two-five person T-day. One of the five is a gluten intolerant person, but he's likely not coming, as I think he and his partner are going to the partner's parents place. If he does, the cornbread stuffing. Then, maybe I bake a bread, maybe not.

Wife may assemble a salad.

Wife may make a pie. We may buy a pie. I may make individual cheesecakes in the sous vide. My dad was the only one who liked pumpkin pie, and he's gone now, so I'm not compelled to make pumpkin spice anything.

I will pick out a lambrusco for T-day. I also have a winter spiced mead, but that will only come out if the Gluten Guy and his partner come. Lambrusco is, imho, super underrated as a T-day wine. It's made to go with rich foods.

Or who knows, with mom maybe coming, maybe I don't bother with a Turkey at all, and make a wellington or something.

[IFindZeroBadCooks]

I was shot down on sous vide cheesecake this year. Oh well.

[Potkettleblack]

Wife may nix the cheesecakes. We will see.

[JoeSousa]

My mom insisted on hosting this year so we are getting some roasted turkey (most likely a bit dry). Generally there is mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing (yeah, she still stuffs her bird but I say I want some with no onions so she can cook mine separate), cranberries, and sweet potatoes. Who knows what else. I would guess some sort of salad but I never really pay attention to that.

She asked me to bring another meat so I am trying to decide on what I want to do. A ham would be easy but I might smoke up a pork butt instead. And I will bring a cherry pie or two.

I have a nice pasture raised turkey coming in a couple weeks so I might smoke that up for a pre-thanksgiving with my brother in law and his family.

[Troutman]

I'm coming to your house Zero, so whatever you're making

[Jerod Broussard]

No clue. Headed home. Plan on bummin' the whole time there.

[shify]

Think we are going to have around 10-11 adults - so a bit smaller than pre-COVID years. I cook everything myself so thinking of taking it slightly easier this year.

My current menu thought are as follows:

Hors D'Oeuvres

• Spicy candied pecans
• Pepperoni Bread (like a stromboli)
• Franks in blankets (only store bought item)

Dinner

• Spatchcocked turkey - probably will get around a 12lb turkey and will dry-brine for 2-3 days and likely rub with an herb butter. This will be roasted
• Sous vide turkey thighs/wings confit - I SV'ed these a few weeks ago and they are in the freezer - Still not sure i'm going to take them out as I like to have them around to make turkey pot pie but we'll see - I typically like serving two kinds of turkey but with the smaller group, not sure if its needed/worth it to make a 2nd type of turkey
• Sage sausage stuffing - This is the Kenji recipe from Serious Eats and is my favorite. I will likely make a double batch (or at least 1 1/2 batch) to have extras for a few days of leftover stuffing waffles which is the highlight of Thanksgiving weekend in my mind
• Sous vide glazed carrots
• Mashed potatoes
• Cranberry sauce - both canned and homemade per my wife

Possible I may do one more veggie/side - maybe a sauteed shaved brussel sprout but TBD - if I do something, it will be easy and cooked on the stovetop

Dessert
- Don't care - not my job and not something i really eat!

I'll also make a few pre-batched cocktails - mostly for me. Leaning towards making Black Walnut Old Fashioneds and a smoky Martinis.

In the morning I also make turkey shaped pancakes for my kids - so clearly that is going to be on the list this year too.

[klflowers]

What time should I show up? I’ll help you out with the cocktails.

[shify]

klflowers - 4pm. See you then!

[tamidw]

shify How do you make your black walnut old fashioneds? Those sound good.

[radiodome21]

Going to make 2 birds. My wife will do one on the oven and I am going to smoke the other. Not sure if I’ll do it on the Grilla or the WSM. My extended family will take care of the sides or so I’m told. I have home brew in the garage so between that and the turkey 🦃 those are my plans.

[klflowers]

I will do a turkey on the wsm, going to my mom’s so I am not sure what the sides will be. I know there will be apple and sweet potato pie though and turnip or collard greens.

[58limited]

Going to a friend's ranch but will be cooking a 20 lb turkey to take and probably my Hopalong Hominy. My friend's in-laws are coming in from Seattle for a Texas Thanksgiving which is basically a traditional Thanksgiving but I thought the hominy would be a nice Southwestern touch.

Also, thinking of smoking the turkey in the KBQ, never done one before.

[Spinaker]

Um. you will not regret that.

[Attjack]

Laying low this year. For the 2 of us I'll probably do a rotisserie chicken, some form of sweet potatoes, green beans, and maybe a loaf of bread. I'll probably see if our elderly neighbor would like a plate too.

---

Edit: A ham has been purchased to replace the chicken.

[mrteddyprincess]

I specialize in smoking spatchcocked turkey breast to 155 F, pulling off the breasts and slicing them across the grain. Taking that to my step-sister's house on Thanksgiving for our main Thanksgiving meal.

We're hosting a Thanksgiving brunch too, and I'm grinding breakfast sausage with herbs from the garden, making biscuits, and making sausage gravy with whole milk/cream from a local dairy. Oh, and Bloody Marys.

Probably ought to take a walk that day...

Also making persimmon pudding. I grew up with persimmon pudding at the holidays with whipped cream on top. I think it's a fairly local thing. Anyone else from the Midwest eat persimmon pudding on the holidays?

[Rob whatever]

For the second year in a row, I will do a turkey roulade which require me to debone the whole turkey, dry brine for two days, then role the thing up in plastic wrap for day three. I’ll make turkey stock from the carcass. From the stock I will make a gravy and use it to moisten my stuffing. Add some yams with fresh squeezed oj and marscapone and the Brussels w/ pancetta.

I will smoke the turkey on the grill. My now much more valuable M36 grill.

rob

[mrteddyprincess]

That sounds amazing!

[CaptainMike]

This I gotta see!

[Rob whatever]

I'll take pics.