What do you Americans eat for Thanksgiving??

Options
1356

Replies

  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited November 2015
    Options
    mrsmackieblacky wrote: »
    Is it similar to Christmas dinner??

    It's not similar to Christmas dinner at my house.

    Thanksgiving (the usual) turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes, potatoes, cranberry sauce (and cranberry orange relish too!)

    Christmas includes Scandinavian dishes (limpa, lefse, lutefisk, herring in cream sauce...forget what it's called, roasted potatoes) + ham, and sweet potatoes.
  • hamlet1222
    hamlet1222 Posts: 459 Member
    Options
    It's not fair, don't rub it in, we only get the excuse for slapup feasts and lots of goodies xmas and easter in the UK.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
    Options
    mrsmackieblacky wrote: »
    Is it similar to Christmas dinner??

    much would depend on family tradition. we traditionally do turkey, bread stuffing, sausage stuffing, roasted potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, brussels sprouts, and pumpkin pie.

    at christmas we traditionally do a beef rib roast.
  • magtart
    magtart Posts: 161 Member
    Options
    We have turkey and all the fixings for Thanksgiving. Christmas is prime rib and Yorkshire pudding.
  • runfreer
    runfreer Posts: 23 Member
    Options
    We go absolutely nuts on Thanksgiving.
    • 3 turkeys (all cooked with different flavor profiles/methods)
    • Mashed Potatoes
    • Sweet potato casserole
    • Green Bean casserole
    • 2 types of stuffing (1 vegetarian, 1 not)
    • Corn pudding
    • cranberry sauce
    • dinner rolls
    • Gravy!!

    For dessert we have pumpkin and apple pies, usually a cheesecake of some kind and maybe cookies or fudge too. We also have snacks leading up to the feast. Usually a veggie, cheese and meat tray with breadsticks.

    On Christmas, we each have our own special Christmas dinner with our own little families (we have ham at my house). Then we (extended family) get together Christmas afternoon and have nothing but finger foods and easy snacks so everyone can enjoy the day without anyone being stuck in the kitchen.
  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,140 Member
    Options
    It has been few years since I made a “traditional” Thanksgiving dinner. And that is fine with me because not only I was in charge for many years and I need a break, but I don’t like to cook either. And the traditional part was a lose term with me. Except for the turkey and the dressing, the side dishes were whatever I felt like doing, traditional or not.
    When my husband and I go to visit our son living in another state, my daughter in law prepares a more traditional and elaborated dinner, with turkey and all the trimming. She prepares lots of food so she can freeze some things for Christmas, and lots of cooking and cleaning. I don’t eat everything because I don’t like sweet potato casseroles and I skip any and all desert with cinnamon.
    When we visit our other son, his wife just makes ham (I don’t care for but I eat some anyway), corn and broccoli casserole, mashed potatoes and rolls. We take the desert. But this year, she decided not to cook and we are all going to Mimi’s Cafe. Yeah, not cooking or cleaning!!!
    Christmas is in my house this year and we are thinking in barbequing a tri-tip, with some rice or mashed potato for a starch side dish and vegetables of course.
  • MommyL2015
    MommyL2015 Posts: 1,411 Member
    Options
    We do a big meal for Thanksgiving with the turkey, stuffing, whole nine yards, but for Christmas I get a spiral ham and do some mashed potatoes and some veggies. I don't want to cook a lot on Christmas just because we get up early and the house is usually full of piles of stuff everywhere, so a spiral ham is quick and easy.

    My husband and I live far from any family, so holidays are just us in our house. :) I still go way overboard on Thanksgiving though. I may have to not make so much this year. I plan to eat Thanksgiving and maybe the day after without thought about calories, but I will have to make sure there's not a ton of leftovers after that.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    edited November 2015
    Options
    we have turkey for thanksgiving- and usually steak for christmas (unless we go to someone else's house)- or maybe beef brisket type things/roast etc. but usually cow.

    Thanksgiving is the only time I get a bird.
  • Owlfan88
    Owlfan88 Posts: 187 Member
    Options
    Thanksgiving we have most of the usual - turkey, stuffing, sweet potato casserole, some form of green beans, rolls, cranberry sauce (homemade is so much better IMO), gravy. Then usually 3 pies, even if there are only 4 of us plus my mom. Always pumpkin, Apple or cranberry Apple and mincemeat. I make my own mincemeat and yes, it actually contains meat.
    Christmas depends a lot on who we are with. We always have fish stew for dinner on Christmas Eve. As a kid, we had a big breakfast Christmas morning, then we were left to snack as we wished the rest of the day. If you were lucky, you could snag some fish stew for lunch or dinner. My in laws do a big Christmas dinner, usually some form of beef roast with mash potatoes, roasted vegetables, rolls, pies (similar to Thanksgiving). Now, if we are at home, we tend to have dinner with my mom and have ham, rolls and some sort of vegetables. And pies! Much simpler than Thanksgiving.
  • gaelicstorm26
    gaelicstorm26 Posts: 589 Member
    Options
    Thanksgiving menu: turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy, corn souffle, and green bean casserole. Desserts vary. I'm not into pumpkin pie.

    Christmas: Turkey and prime rib (this is A LOT of work), green bean casserole, sage stuffing, corn souffle, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes and then various desserts (always includes apple pie).

    Our Christmas is a little much but when hubby and I took it on we were trying to mix the traditions of both families. We generally start cooking around 5-6 am on Christmas Day.
  • dawnz75
    dawnz75 Posts: 579 Member
    Options
    Last year we stayed home for Thanksgiving and opted for stuffed pizza for dinner! We also watched the movie "Free Birds" and laughed with our mid aged kids. But we usually eat the above: turkey, potatoes with gravy, veggie, stuffing, etc.

    I actually have my first turkey in the oven this morning! I purchase abut 3-4 turkeys at this time of year and make one a month throughout the fall/winter. It is rainy here so at 50 cents a pound turkey is a great option; turkey noodle soup is on the menu for tomorrow!

    My favorite part of turkey are the leftovers: turkey noodle soup, turkey chili, just meat for sandwiches, salads, etc...

    What do you do with your turkey leftovers?
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
    Options
    dawnz75 wrote: »
    What do you do with your turkey leftovers?

    We send leftovers home with guests and most everything else gets eaten by my husband as sandwiches. I will usually have turkey and stuffing for lunch the next day or two, but I don't like to eat the same food every day so after 1-2 days I'm ready for something other than turkey.
  • conniehgtv
    conniehgtv Posts: 309 Member
    Options
    Thanksgiving is about food, Christmas is about presents!
    Thanksgiving turkey,ham,mashed potaoes,dressing,green beans,cranberry sauce and rolls. Pecan,pumpkin,cherry,aplle and chocolate pies. Mom made everyone's favorite and there were actual tears when I tried to down it to 3 kindas.LOL!
    Christmas is ham,meat balls and every one brings their favorite finger food, then piles and piles of presents!!!!
  • Meganthedogmom
    Meganthedogmom Posts: 1,639 Member
    Options
    On our menu this year:
    Turkey
    Stuffing
    Mashed potatoes & gravy
    Cranberry sauce
    Sweet potato casserole
    Green bean casserole
    Pumpkin pie

    I would make a pecan pie as well, but my trees didn't bear any nuts this year, and store-bought pecans don't even begin to compare so I'm not even wasting the time.
    We usually do a ham for Christmas, but this year I'm thinking turkey for both holidays.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
    Options
    mrsmackieblacky wrote: »
    Is it similar to Christmas dinner??

    My family has completely different food for Christmas usually. Some people do have the same food for Christmas and Thanksgiving though. Some people have a standard holiday/family get together menu that they bring out for all occasions.

    Thanksgiving at my house: Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls, asparagus, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie
    Christmas at my house: might be pizza, chili, Indian food, German food or something we have never had before... more experimentation less tradition. I think we have less food than Thanksgiving because we are busy with so many other things around Christmas.
  • treehopper1987
    treehopper1987 Posts: 505 Member
    Options
    It typically depends on family traditions. In my family, there is the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, crescent rolls, corn, green beans, and of course my mother's famous pumpkin pie.

  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    Options
    our traditional foods:
    turkey (deep fried)
    dressing (raw and baked)
    cranberry sauce
    mashed potatoes
    turkey gravy
    sweet potatoes (cooked in brown sugar)
    broccoli casserole
    macaroni and cheese (with and without stewed tomatoes)
    green bean casserole
    corn
    rolls
    deviled eggs
    spinach dip

    pie, pie, pie
    pumpkin
    sweet potato
    chocolate
    apple
    pecan
    always with both redi-whip and cool whip (cream or oil?)
  • altygirl
    altygirl Posts: 57 Member
    edited November 2015
    Options
    I'm English and have lived in the US for 20 years. In England, our Christmas dinner was/is always turkey, chipolata sausages, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, fresh veg, stuffing, bread sauce and cranberry sauce. That's what I cook for Christmas here too .... I have to have my traditional Christmas dinner. My husband's family always has turkey and various sides for Thanksgiving and some other kind of roast at Christmas.

    My Thanksgiving menu will be turkey, potatoes (probably mashed), some kind of sweet potato dish, cornbread stuffing, fresh veg and cranberry sauce. And good British gravy!

    I love turkey so twice in two months is fine by me :) The family isn't as keen as I am but they don't complain. It's the price they pay for Mum being away from England at Christmas :)

    I will say that I absolutely love Thanksgiving. It's not as frantic as Christmas and not as commercialised. And it's the start of the run-up to Christmas :)
  • altygirl
    altygirl Posts: 57 Member
    Options
    Oh and my first taste of pumpkin pie was a big disappointment! I'm not sure what I expected .... I bake one if the family want one but they're just as likely to ask for an apple pie or apple crumble.
  • altygirl
    altygirl Posts: 57 Member
    Options
    "When you say rolls do you mean like bread buns?? Thats strange to me to have a bread bun with what we call "Sunday dinner". Also do you eat pumpkin pie or is that a stereotype??"

    I remember thinking it was odd to have bread rolls with a full roast dinner. We don't usually do that - as if there aren't enough carbs on the plate! But you definitely see that here more than in England.

Categories