Thanksgiving Dinner Traditions

[Steel_Magnolia]

Thanksgiving Day is almost here. And I'm wondering what dinner traditions you have that might be different than the generic Thanksgiving dinner.

For example, my mother's sage dressing is delicious. But she cooks it outside the bird in a 9x13 pan and it would be heresy to her to suggest stuffing her wonderful dressing inside the turkey to cook it.

Then when I got married I found out that my husband didn't consider it Thanksgiving dinner unless there was a green jello salad with pineapple and cottage cheese in it. :blink: I'd never heard of that before! But whether we have the holiday dinner at home or travel to extended family, I make sure I have the ingredients for green jello salad on hand!

The first Thanksgiving holiday after my Daughter-in-law joined the family, she said it's not Thanksgiving dinner unless there are homemade noodles on the table. Well, I'd never made pasta in my life and I still don't have a pasta maker. But I know how to make homemade noodles now!

So there are three examples from my family. What atypical dish do you have to have on your holiday table to make it Thanksgiving for you?

 

[Nate]

Being that Im on my 2nd year of marriage.....with the wife and the Army, Ive been working out the old traditions. My only personal spin to things is that all meat is grilled. I love the flavor charcoal adds to anything, veggies or meat. My own recipe, Ham in a disposable aluminum pan, call it a 10x14 or so. Meat injected with maple syrup, honey drizzle, caked with brown sugar. Covered with tin foil and light amounts of hickory smoke.
Possibly doing up a turkey, (undecided) if so, it will be in a similar pan, grill, covered & light smoke.
Other than this, I like to do butternut sqash on the grill (wrapped in tin foil, butter+brown sugar) but trading it up for yams this year.
The green bean cassarole is showing its ugly face again. Additing chopped portabello and using fresh green beans to change it up.

 

[Buster]

I'm going to my GF's family this time..

Her dad is a real outdoorsman..So as far as I've been told..We're having..

Rattlesnake, Venison, Wild hog ribs (smoked for 8 hours on pecan), KFC (for the squeamish), Polk salad, sourdough biscuits and to wash it all down, dandelion wine...I'll be sipping A&W Root beer instead.:cheesy:

 

[Buster]

green jello salad with pineapple and cottage cheese in it.

That instantly triggered my gag reflex and I think I threw up a little in my mouth..

 

[Aviator_Guy]

My wife and I are trying something new this Turkey day. We are going to fry our turkey in Peanut Oil in an electric fryer. It’s supposed to handle up to a 20 lb bird and it has some good reviews, so this will be our first. About the only unusual thing I can think of is my homemade cream pie. The filling uses cake mix and lots of egg yoke, very VERY rich but das gud. I prefer it to the traditional pumpkin and It’s requested specifically each year. Oh yeah, I make the crust homemade too LOL…

When you mentioned Jell-O / pineapple / cottage cheese, it brought back old memories of being on the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. One of my favorites was cottage cheese and pineapples mixed. They seemed to have a ton of it on the salad bar. I guess it sounds strange, but I liked it… LOL:blink::blink:

 

[Buster]

When you mentioned Jell-O / pineapple / cottage cheese, it brought back old memories of being on the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise.:blink::blink:

And not to mention the "Bug juice"

(USS America CVA-66)

 

[James48843]

My wife and I are trying something new this Turkey day. We are going to fry our turkey in Peanut Oil in an electric fryer. It’s supposed to handle up to a 20 lb bird and it has some good reviews, so this will be our first. ...… LOL:blink::blink:

Be careful with that.

There are a lot of fires started that way- especially by people trying it for the first time....

 

[Aviator_Guy]

And not to mention the "Bug juice"

(USS America CVA-66)

Mmmmm Bug Juice… Actually with a little ice it’s really good on a hot day when deployed. You were on the USS America?? I flew out to the USS America back in the late 1980’s. At that time, I was working as a civilian tech rep. I had to fly out to the ship via Gitmo Cuba and jumped off at a port visit in Mayport Florida. I was an E5 enlisted guy then came back as a GS11 F14 radar navy rep (NAESU).

 

[Aviator_Guy]

Be careful with that.

There are a lot of fires started that way- especially by people trying it for the first time....

LOL… Yeah, I’ve seen those videos. During Navy Fire Fighting School they use to demo grease fires and why you don’t dump water on them… LOL… I do think that our new electric fryer will be a lot safer than the propane ones. Boiling Oil + Frozen Turkey + Fire = “Fire, Fire,,,, Fire on the Flight Deck”:blink::blink:

 

[Buster]

“Fire, Fire,,,, Fire on the Flight Deck”:blink::blink:

Prepare to gooseneck..Gooseneck!!!

Ah, the days at Norfolk FF school

I was attached to VA-176 A6E Intruder squadron out of Oceana, my rate was an AO..But while onboard ship I was attached to EOD and the nuke loading team...That was fun..mmmuuuuaaahhhhhaaaa!!


(sorry for the trip down memory lane on your thread Ann)...back to the topic...We are also having broccoli casserole with oyesters.

 

[nnuut]

Tip:
Follow directions to make sure you use the correct amount of oil. Dry off the bird with a towel, It can't be still frozen inside! When the oil is up to temperature, just before lowering the bird into the oil, turn off the gas fire, wait a minute then slowly lower the bird there probably won't be a fire if the oil splashes out of the cooker, reignite the cooker.

 

[Buster]

Tip:
Follow directions to make sure you use the correct amount of oil. Dry off the bird with a towel, It can't be still frozen inside! When the oil is up to temperature, just before lowering the bird into the oil, turn off the gas fire, wait a minute then slowly lower the bird there probably won't be a fire if the oil splashes out of the cooker, reignite the cooker.

How do you relight this one?

We are going to fry our turkey in Peanut Oil in an electric fryer

 

[nnuut]

Different Ball Game there is no exposed flame right under the cooker so the Hot Oil can be ignited rather easily if there is a SPILL! :toung: Good Morning Buster!