My first suggestion is to decide what your main protein will be for the meal. Turkey is the most popular choice however, there are people who (gasp!!!) don't like turkey! Some people have turkey and ham, some only ham, some a standing rib roast and even some have one type of seafood on the table, oysters, clams, or salmon for instance. Everything that you will serve will stem from this choice. Today we are going to go with the Turkey and Ham combo. That is what we love to have in our house. Now we can work on building the rest of the meal.
While your turkey or ham may be the star of the meal, the side dishes are certainly playing star supporting roles! Here is a list of some of our favorite side dishes that we will often enjoy for Thanksgiving. We would not have all of these, but maybe perhaps three or four. The truth is, it can be hard to whittle the choices down to just a few but then there are the lovely leftovers now aren't there?! Favorite Side Dishes Include:
Mashed Potatoes
Duchess Potatoes
AuGratin Potatoes
Scalloped Potatoes
Roasted Squash
Stuffing/Dressing
Candied Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
Streusel Sweet Potato Casserole
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Green Bean Casserole
Green Beans Almondine
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Shredded Brussels sprout Salad
Beet Salad
Corn Pudding
Scalloped Corn
Broccoli Souffle
Cranberry sauce or jelly
That is a lot of sides to choose from and we really haven't even scratched the surface! If you host a number of guests and you ask them to bring a favorite dish, then you may end up with a lot of one thing or a selection of dishes that will make your head swim! Inevitably, you will have some sort of Jell-o mold and something you have to ask "Oh, my! What is this?" Then you will have to smile and say thank you and take another sip of wine or two!
As if all of that deliciousness wasn't enough, now it's time to consider dessert! Since my mom and I share a birthday on the 26th of the month and my daughter Molly celebrates hers on the 28th and since this year, Thanksgiving will actually fall on her birthday, there will most definitely be birthday cake on our table. Then there will be pumpkin pie, pecan pie and I will most likely make chess pie for later in the weekend. Thanksgiving is not Thanksgiving to me without chess pie! Dessert is always a personal choice for this celebration meal. Here are some favorites that we have had on our table in the past:
Birthday cake
Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
Pecan Pie
Chocolate Pecan Pie
Chess Pie
Lemon Meringue Pie
Chocolate Mousse Pie
Cheesecake Pie
Apple Cake
Chocolate Ganache Cake
Mom's Crustless Cheesecake
New York Cheesecake
Mom's Strawberry Pretzel Jell-O (amazing!)
Again, just a few things that can be chosen from. What is your favorite? Always make what people love because you love them.
In the end Thanksgiving is, indeed a time to give thanks for what we have, which is each other. Not a time to give thanks for the "stuff" that we have that can sometimes pollute our lives and make us forget what is truly important. Being together and eating this meal is all that is needed to celebrate Thanksgiving. Bowing our head in thanks is the order of the day. No matter if you present chicken chow mein, lasagna, pizza or a stack of hot pockets, be sure to take a look around at those you surround yourself with and give thanks for them being in your life.
You can get wrapped up in the importance of making a meal for Thanksgiving and in the end there will still be a mess to clean up and dishes to load into the dishwasher. No matter what you cook, people are going to love it. You are going to make mistakes and that is no reason to not even try. If this is your first year preparing the big meal, don't worry! It will all be alright! Even if it isn't, you learn from your mistakes and you move on. I promise you won't ever make those mistakes again! Enjoy yourself, enjoy the process of making the meal and serving and eating the meal. Enjoy the people you surround yourself with on that day. You won't get these moments back. You get them once so make them last and make them memorable!
In closing I will give you a look at my holiday menu for this year. One of my favorites and it proves to be tried and true!
Maple & Cider Glazed Turkey with Sage
Cranberry, Apple Stuffing made with homemade stuffing bread
Cider Gravy
Broccoli Souffle
Steamed Green Beans
Buttered Corn
Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Candied Sweet Potatoes
Maple Cranberry Relish
Yeast Dinner Rolls
Birthday Cake
Pumpkin Pie
Pecan Pie
I hope this is helpful to you in planning your Thanksgiving meal. I hope you learned something and I hope you never lose sight of what is really important on Thanksgiving. surrounding yourself with the people you care most about in the world!
Until Next time, I'll See Ya!
You can find several of these helpful recipes on my website: www.noreenskitchen.com
Noreen, I just stumbled across your site recently when I was looking for a white hot cocoa mix. Well, was I amazed & bowled over! I absolutely love to watch you on YouTube & I didn't realize you had this website too until today (about a week later). I am addicted to your YouTube site. I love watching you make your various recipes & I get the biggest kick out of your husband's comments in the background. It sounds like you two have been married quite awhile & have a great relationship. The main thing I like so much about your recipes is that they are basic, home- style recipes without a lot of fancy ingredients. They are items that if you didn't have them on hand at home, you could easily find at your local grocery store. Your show would be a great one for any cook, beginner or old hand. Anyway keep cooking & until tomorrow, I will see you in your kitchen again!
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