What are you planning on your Thanksgiving Menu?

cramernh
cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
edited October 2024 in Food and Nutrition
We are a party of two: just my husband and I... but Ill be cooking for four plates where I know my husband will want seconds, and I can have the extra for the next day...

~Stuffed Turkey Breasts - pounded thin, stuffing will be broccoli, boursin/mozzarella cheese mix, broccoli, red onion, fresh garlic and herbs - will be rolled in a lightly seasoned panko-crumb.

~Fresh made gravy that will use fresh turkey stock, garlic, kosher salt, pepper, EVOO and cornstarch (I dont digest flour well)

~Deconstructed Spanakopita for an appetizer using artichoke bottoms that are filled with baby spinach, feta, lemon juice, garlic and herbs and a thinly sliced tomato on top - light Panko coating, then roasted in the oven.... very yummy

~Hubby will have his traditional garlic-butter mashed potatoes, homemade stuffing (pumperknickel/oatmeal bread with mirepoix, garlic and herbs) available to him.

~Vegetables are always fresh steamed carrots and green beans 'as-is' for me, steamed corn for him - I guess Ill share my green beans with him, lol!.

~Will make old fashioned biscuits for him because I know he loves to sop up the gravy with it....


~Dessert for him will be an Apple-Fig Tart-Fine (pronounced FEEN) because he gave me a blow-torch as a gift!!! I plan to use this for when Im cooking, and I definitely need it to make this dessert. Will have Vanilla Bean ice-cream available to go on top for him!

~Dessert for me will be 'pumpkin ice cream' made with my Designer Whey-100 Cal French Vanilla protein powder... Ill make up this smoothie ahead of time and freeze it...



What are you planning for your Thanksgiving menu?

Replies

  • nakabi
    nakabi Posts: 589 Member
    mmmmmmm it all sounds yummy! especially the stuffed turkey and the artichoke spanakopita...

    care to email me your recipe for both? I'm always on the lookout for good healthy foods!

    As for us, I'm not sure yet what is on the menu. We generally have about 20 people over (we host a lot of people who are from other countries and who don't know what Thanksgiving is) and they all bring a food that is native to their country. I will cook a turkey (requested by my husband), mashed potatoes (requested again by the hubby), green bean casserole, sweet potatoe pie, homemade stuffing, broccoli-cheese casserole, homemade rolls, and some other things that are traditional Thanksgiving foods..lol..I'm not from the US, but I have learned to cook like someone who is! haha
    I'll definitely make something traditional to Uganda though in keeping with my heritage though :)
  • Tori_356
    Tori_356 Posts: 510 Member
    going to in-laws so probably crap

    edit: i think im gonna make a dinner on friday after thanksgiving just for the two of us, not a whole turkey, did that last year, had too much leftover...
  • Helenatrandom
    Helenatrandom Posts: 1,166 Member
    My uncle will be over for Thanksgiving. I'll be cooking for him, my husband, and myself. I intend to make a small turkey (uncle prefers dark meat to white meat), homemade turkey broth for the homemade stuffing (Switching from white bread to multigrain and whole eggs to egg whites), stir fried vegetables, and homemade cranberry sauce. My uncle will be lost without gravy, which my husband and I don't eat, so I'll buy canned gravy. Sorry, but I'm not willing to put in the extra work for it. I have to think about sweet potatoes. I like them with marshmallows and butter, and don't like them by itself. I have to look for some sort of happy medium. If I can't find it, then no sweet potatoes.
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
    mmmmmmm it all sounds yummy! especially the stuffed turkey and the artichoke spanakopita...

    care to email me your recipe for both? I'm always on the lookout for good healthy foods!

    As for us, I'm not sure yet what is on the menu. We generally have about 20 people over (we host a lot of people who are from other countries and who don't know what Thanksgiving is) and they all bring a food that is native to their country. I will cook a turkey (requested by my husband), mashed potatoes (requested again by the hubby), green bean casserole, sweet potatoe pie, homemade stuffing, broccoli-cheese casserole, homemade rolls, and some other things that are traditional Thanksgiving foods..lol..I'm not from the US, but I have learned to cook like someone who is! haha
    I'll definitely make something traditional to Uganda though in keeping with my heritage though :)

    Now THAT is awesome - in essence you are actually still holding a very traditional Thanksgiving... that day was foods presented by both pilgrims and indians which were a huge variety of things.... so, it sounds like you are an expert without even knowing it!

    I grew up in a family that was multicultural: french canadian (me, mom, sister) italian (stepfather), their daughter together (french and italian, UGH! LOL), and my stepfather had two Korean children that he had adopted... Can you imagine a Whole Turkey, Lasagna, Tortierre and Kimchi all on one table??? LOL
  • Nic620
    Nic620 Posts: 553 Member
    Well nothing as fancy as you chef lol!

    I do basics I think. Roasted turkey. I stuff it with oranges, lemons, onions & fresh herbs.

    Roasted garlic mashed potatoes

    Green beans with bacon & onions sautéed

    Corn on the Cobb

    Homemade corn bread

    Regular dinner rolls ( few wheat for me)

    Gravy

    For dessert for everyone else since I don't like pumpkin pie I'll make my eggnog pumpkin pie.

    We're not having a huge crowd this year just total of 6 so it'll be pretty simple!

    Enjoy your holiday!
  • Sherie13
    Sherie13 Posts: 250 Member
    My BF is mad that I've put him on a "diet" with me, which just means I won't let him fry food and eat pizza, so we are going all out traditional this year.

    Goat cheese and marinara dip with fresh french bread
    Stuffed mushrooms

    Whole turkey roasted with fresh herbs, onions and garlic stuffed inside
    Garlic mashed potatoes
    Italian sausage "stuffing"
    Homemade Mac and Cheese
    Broccoli with toasted almonds and a little olive oil
    roasted edamame salad
    cranberry sauce
    Kings Hawaiian rolls

    Sweet potato pie with maple whipped cream

    Of course I'll mostly have turkey, broccoli and the edamame salad, but I may have a bite or two from the rest. :) And yes, there are two of us! We always open our home to any friends without family around, so I'm sure someone else will be there too. I've talked him out of his traditional Cuban thanksgiving dishes (rice and beans, fried plantains, etc) so at least It's a "cut down" menu! Ha ha ha!
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
    going to in-laws so probably crap

    edit: i think im gonna make a dinner on friday after thanksgiving just for the two of us, not a whole turkey, did that last year, had too much leftover...

    do we have the same mother-in-law?
    ROFLMAO!!!!
  • kmbrooks15
    kmbrooks15 Posts: 941 Member
    I'll be at my mom's, and we'll have our standard fare. I am planning on enjoying the day and skipping the calorie counting, but I will do some things to keep my food in check. We won't eat until about 7:00 that night (my sister has to work the ER that day, so we'll wait until she gets off), so I'll snack on healthy things throughout the day so I'm not ravenous at dinnertime. I'll limit dessert (that's my biggest issue). The turkey is pretty healthy, I don't really eat dressing. The green beans are a little less healthy (they have bacon and tomatoes in them), but not too bad. The sweet potatoes are pretty sugary because of the topping, but I only get to have them at Thanksgiving and Christmas, so I plan to savor every bite. I will just take less bites than I used to.

    I've decided that one day won't kill me, and so I will enjoy it but be reasonable. I won't have another day like that until Christmas day. Two days over two months shouldn't derail my weight loss!
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
    My BF is mad that I've put him on a "diet" with me, which just means I won't let him fry food and eat pizza, so we are going all out traditional this year.

    Goat cheese and marinara dip with fresh french bread
    Stuffed mushrooms

    Whole turkey roasted with fresh herbs, onions and garlic stuffed inside
    Garlic mashed potatoes
    Italian sausage "stuffing"
    Homemade Mac and Cheese
    Broccoli with toasted almonds and a little olive oil
    roasted edamame salad
    cranberry sauce
    Kings Hawaiian rolls

    Sweet potato pie with maple whipped cream

    Of course I'll mostly have turkey, broccoli and the edamame salad, but I may have a bite or two from the rest. :) And yes, there are two of us! We always open our home to any friends without family around, so I'm sure someone else will be there too. I've talked him out of his traditional Cuban thanksgiving dishes (rice and beans, fried plantains, etc) so at least It's a "cut down" menu! Ha ha ha!

    ***waterfall
    Goat-cheese-Marinara dip? OH MY GAWD...
  • coyoteo
    coyoteo Posts: 532 Member
    Growing up Thanksgiving was always about spending the entire day with family and eating ALL DAY. I do mean ALL DAY. I don't want my holidays to be about food, so my husband and I, and sometimes his daughter and her husband have a very non-traditional Thanksgiving. The day before I make all the standard Thanksgiving food. Turkey, sometimes ham too, mashed potatoes or twice baked, stuffing, gravy, salads, pie, the works. Then I pack it picknik style and we all go hunting. It makes for some fun and memorable celebrations. And I burn enough calories hunting and hiking that it all evens out. :)
  • mtbke5
    mtbke5 Posts: 96 Member
    We are going to have a variety of items also:

    Pheasant cacciatore (pheasant with tomatoes, mushrooms, onions and peppers)
    turkey breast (for my sister)
    Wild rice with mushrooms and cranberries
    Cranberry fluff
    mashed potatoes & gravy
    green bean casserole
    Homemade bread/buns
    Tiramisu
    Pumpkin pie

    There will be about 12 of us as both of our families are getting together so we only have to eat one meal instead of several :happy:
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
    My uncle will be over for Thanksgiving. I'll be cooking for him, my husband, and myself. I intend to make a small turkey (uncle prefers dark meat to white meat), homemade turkey broth for the homemade stuffing (Switching from white bread to multigrain and whole eggs to egg whites), stir fried vegetables, and homemade cranberry sauce. My uncle will be lost without gravy, which my husband and I don't eat, so I'll buy canned gravy. Sorry, but I'm not willing to put in the extra work for it. I have to think about sweet potatoes. I like them with marshmallows and butter, and don't like them by itself. I have to look for some sort of happy medium. If I can't find it, then no sweet potatoes.

    I LOVE multigrain bread - all of our grocery stores offer a "Light Multigrain" and a "Light Pumperknickel" bread variety and thats what I like to use for making stuffing... throw in carrots, onions, celery (mirepoix), gahhhhhlic, finely diced apples, a little dried cranberry and fresh turkey stock... my husband becomes a very happy boy! LOL
  • Nic620
    Nic620 Posts: 553 Member
    Omg and i hope i dont forget like i did now...my husbands favorite homemade cranberry sauce!
  • angievaughn
    angievaughn Posts: 655 Member
    Traditional Thanksgiving food here.....Turkey and dressing, gravy, mashed potatoes, potato salad, sweet potatoes, greenbeans, fruit salad, rolls, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, coconut cream pies...and what ever everyone else is going to bring....I make the main course and the rest of the family birngs things they like or their family likes.......It's a big deal around my house...and the first thing my 15 year asked is...you are not skipping anything for Thanksgiving are you?? She was worried I might not make my regular meal since I have cut back on so much.....Of course not!!! Thanksgiving only comes once a year........!!!! (Thank goodness)

    Of course I will eat...just not as much as I would have in years past!!!

    :)....can't wait now!!!
  • Nic620
    Nic620 Posts: 553 Member
    We are going to have a variety of items also:

    Pheasant cacciatore (pheasant with tomatoes, mushrooms, onions and peppers)
    turkey breast (for my sister)
    Wild rice with mushrooms and cranberries
    Cranberry fluff
    mashed potatoes & gravy
    green bean casserole
    Homemade bread/buns
    Tiramisu
    Pumpkin pie

    There will be about 12 of us as both of our families are getting together so we only have to eat one meal instead of several :happy:

    What is cranberry fluff?? Sounds yummy!!
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
    Omg and i hope i dont forget like i did now...my husbands favorite homemade cranberry sauce!

    ***looks around innocently, not knowing anything.... whistles

    lol!
  • mtbke5
    mtbke5 Posts: 96 Member
    We are going to have a variety of items also:

    Pheasant cacciatore (pheasant with tomatoes, mushrooms, onions and peppers)
    turkey breast (for my sister)
    Wild rice with mushrooms and cranberries
    Cranberry fluff
    mashed potatoes & gravy
    green bean casserole
    Homemade bread/buns
    Tiramisu
    Pumpkin pie

    There will be about 12 of us as both of our families are getting together so we only have to eat one meal instead of several :happy:

    What is cranberry fluff?? Sounds yummy!!

    Cranberry Fluff is fresh cranberries (cooked), grapes, whipped topping, marshmallows (pineapple if my mom makes it versus my mother-in-law as my dad wants it this way) and walnuts
  • Pollywog39
    Pollywog39 Posts: 1,730 Member
    It's been nice the last year or two, as my daughters put the meal together, and all I have to bring is pumpkin pie and whatever else I think of :)

    We do a very traditional turkey dinner - mashed potatoes (none of that garlic mashed, either), gravy, green bean casserole, sweet taters with marshmallows, broccoli (with cheese sauce - maybe ;), dinner rolls, etc. Have to have pumpkin pie, and maybe cheesecake for dessert.

    This is one meal I will not compromise on! Once a year will be fine - and since I'm more aware of what I'm eating and doing these days, it'll come off :bigsmile: :bigsmile:
  • ltlemermaid
    ltlemermaid Posts: 637 Member
    We usually feed about 5 people, we may have more this year though (maybe around 10)

    I plan on making:

    Roasted Turkey
    Homemade stuffing-apple/sausage
    Butternut squash soup-made from scratch
    Homemade dinner rolls
    Sweet corn bread
    mashed potatos from scratch
    Gravy
    Green bean casserole
    corn-kernal or on the cob
    grilled sweet potatos
    fresh cranberry sauce
    homemade pumkin pie
    and minced meat pie-if DH is back from the hospital by then, its his favorite
    I want to make another veggie dish but not sure what yet.
  • mndamon
    mndamon Posts: 549 Member
    I've already started game planning for this day. I'll be at the tail end of my 3rd week of P90X so I may just save up a couple cheat days and store it up for Thanksgiving. I wanna be healthy, but I want to enjoy the holidays too. Sometimes you can have both.
  • empc
    empc Posts: 88 Member
    Your menu's sound amazing. I generally go the traditional route but think I might change it up after looking at your menu's. If you are sharing recipes...please send me the stuffed turkey and spanakopita also. Thanks so much! i am going back right now to see what else I can 'borrow" from any of you. Thanks again!
  • summer827
    summer827 Posts: 516 Member
    I'm probably just bringing a dish or two--will wait to see what I'm assigned. I'll be travelling out of town and eating with family. Not sure yet what the menu will be. I won't be restricting for lunch that day, though. I will probably eat a lighter breakfast and evening meal that day to compensate a bit.
  • Mrsfreedom41
    Mrsfreedom41 Posts: 330 Member
    Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner for my husband and me. I will roast l/2 of a turkey, make stove top dressing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, dinner rolls, turkey gravy and cranberry sauce. Dessert will be sweet potato pie with whipped cream. I plan on having just a very small serving of each as my tummy has shrunk and I can't eat that much anymore. I will be lucky if I can eat a tablespoon of each thing. Left overs are good for a day or two. Good luck to everyone during the holiday seasons.
  • kmbrooks15
    kmbrooks15 Posts: 941 Member
    I've already started game planning for this day. I'll be at the tail end of my 3rd week of P90X so I may just save up a couple cheat days and store it up for Thanksgiving. I wanna be healthy, but I want to enjoy the holidays too. Sometimes you can have both.

    This is my thinking. I don't want to not enjoy the foods I've always enjoyed at Thanksgiving. I will be more aware of what's going in my mouth, though, since I've been doing MFP. My kids and I will take our bikes to my parents' house and go out and ride that day in their neighborhood, so I will get some exercise in that day, too (as long as it's not raining, in which case I might sneak out to the gym since it's open 24/7!).
This discussion has been closed.

Categories