Thanksgiving specialties

[Mr Janny]

What is your best contribution to your Thanksgiving celebration?

Is it a particular dish that you make very well?
Is it a specific drink?
Do you set the table better than anyone else?
Or do you best contribute by staying out of the way, eating too much, and passing out watching football?

In our house, I do most of the cooking. And on Thanksgiving one of the dishes I like to make is mashed potatoes. I don't have a standard recipe, and instead will try different things. I've done mashed, skin on, red potatoes with boursin. I've done traditional russets with butter and cream. This year, l'm trying a method suggested by a friend of mine who went to culinary school, using Yukon Gold potatoes, putting them through a ricer and whisking in what seems to be an insane amount of cold butter, while over a double boiler. The end result is supposed to be spectacular, but we'll see.

 

[exCyDing]

Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie! Heading out to gather the ingredients in a little bit.

Since we don't live by family, we've done small gatherings with friends in similar situations the past three years running. I'm tasked with cooking since I refuse to leave Thanksgiving in the hands of a vegan (my otherwise wonderful wife).

 

[MeanDean]

I used to host Christmas so never had to do too much for Thanksgiving. Usually a simple thing like the green bean casserole or parsleyed potatoes.

Now I only open the jar of pickled beets because someone usually 'forgets' to serve them. And that's one of those old family things I kind of need for it to feel Thanksgiving-y.

 

[Gonzo]

We host wife's side of the fam every year, total of 16. I do the turkey and a green been casserole salad, wife does her magical potato salad, cranberries, butter garlic mushrooms for an app. Others bring stuffing, mashed potatoes, rolls, etc. I also make a hot apple cider recipe in the slow cooker spiked with Crown Royal Apple that's a crowd pleaser. Love Thanksgiving.

 

[Isualum13]

What is your best contribution to your Thanksgiving celebration?

Is it a particular dish that you make very well?
Is it a specific drink?
Do you set the table better than anyone else?
Or do you best contribute by staying out of the way, eating too much, and passing out watching football?

In our house, I do most of the cooking. And on Thanksgiving one of the dishes I like to make is mashed potatoes. I don't have a standard recipe, and instead will try different things. I've done mashed, skin on, red potatoes with boursin. I've done traditional russets with butter and cream. This year, l'm trying a method suggested by a friend of mine who went to culinary school, using Yukon Gold potatoes, putting them through a ricer and whisking in what seems to be an insane amount of cold butter, while over a double boiler. The end result is supposed to be spectacular, but we'll see.

Those will be spectacular. A ricer is the key to fluffy potatoes

 

[Isualum13]

The first time my father smoked the turkey my life changed forever.

 

[ISpyCy]

My mouth, to consume the prepared contents. My stomach, to store the prepared contents.

 

[BCClone]

I’m good at avoiding in-laws. They sometimes question if I’m even there.

 

[Lexclone]

We have our Thanksgiving meal in the evening so during the day we have snacks and appetizers. My contribution is smoked salmon. I use the technique and recipe of Alton Brown. It is very much worth the work and time if you like that sort of thing.

 

[cyfanatic13]

The first time my father smoked the turkey my life changed forever.

I’m not a big turkey guy but the local restaurant my friend runs had a Thanksgiving bowl as their special today. Mashed potatoes, corn, stuffing, and smoked turkey that was ******* incredible. If all turkey tasted like that I would change my tune entirely

 

[cytor]

I make killer pumpkin bars with home made cream cheese frosting.

 

[cyclones500]

Typically, I do the turkey, but I don't think anything about my technique is innovative. A few details might elevate it a little, but not noticeably.

Another family member is doing the turkey this year, due to some of my work schedule uncertainty this week. I'm thankful for that.

I also have done a from-scratch slow-cooker stuffing that seemed to get good reviews. But in recent years, I realized boxed works well enough, so I got lazy/lazier.

 

[Sousaclone]

It's just been me the past 6 or so thanksgivings so if I do something, it's all on me.

Prior to that when at my parents, me and my brothers min contribution to thanksgiving was simply being sous chefs for my mom. It was not uncommon for us to be sitting at the kitchen counter and just being given prep tasks while we were sitting there. We'd also handle all the setup and tear down.

Other Thanksgiving weekend responsibilities included getting stupidly heavy christmas tree stand out of attic, and manhandling the tree around (way easier for the 6'0 and 6'2 20 somethings to handle an 11' tree)

 

[cyadict]

The wife’s family always has kringla and lutefisk.

 

[Tailg8er]

I’m not a big turkey guy but the local restaurant my friend runs had a Thanksgiving bowl as their special today. Mashed potatoes, corn, stuffing, and smoked turkey that was ******* incredible. If all turkey tasted like that I would change my tune entirely

The first time my father smoked the turkey my life changed forever.

This will be my 3rd year smoking one - highly recommend spatch-cocking the bird first. Cooks very evenly and doesn't take as long. Turkey has turned out amazing each time, probably hard to mess up too bad.

 

[Drew0311]

I go eat at a restaurant. Much easier for me

 

[Isualum13]

This will be my 3rd year smoking one - highly recommend spatch-cocking the bird first. Cooks very evenly and doesn't take as long. Turkey has turned out amazing each time, probably hard to mess up too bad.

Honestly, I don't think it's terribly difficult to make a decent turkey. Just too many people buy a bird and throw it in in the oven without any thought and proceed to over cook it.

 

[Gonzo]

Honestly, I don't think it's terribly difficult to make a decent turkey. Just too many people buy a bird and throw it in in the oven without any thought and proceed to over cook it.

Agree. I oven roast mine. Brine for two days, lots of compound butter under the skin, higher heat/shorter time, loosely foil after the skin has browned, check temp early and often, let rest minimum 20 mins. It was intimidating the first few years but I've been doing it over a decade now so it's just routine.

 

[BryceC]

My wife and I don’t really like turkey so we’re just making steak and I couldn’t be happier

 

[BCClone]

The wife’s family always has kringla and lutefisk.

MIL used to have this, effing lutefisk. Growing up With mostly german heritage, lefse is like a potato pancake so we would butter it and warm it up and eat it. First time I had my MILs, my teeth hurt because I found out that they use it as a sugar transporting mechanism. Like 4 tablespoons of sugar on it or something.

We brought some lutefisk home one day and I just tossed it out for the dog to eat. Saw her eating a little, about an hour later it was licking its butthole to try to get the taste out of its mouth.