Favorite Thanksgiving food

[LennG]

OK guys and gals, in a few days it will be maybe our favorite holiday, especially for food. We just had a wonderful thread on our favorite pasta meals, so what food really makes your juices flow for Thanksgiving?

Do we all eat that Turkey, do we have some famous family thing that it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without?

In our house, since my kids were knee-high, it was a tradition to start the day off with Dad's homemade pancakes. I always tried to find different pancakes each year, but chocolate chip always seem to be the favorite. My son still continues this tradition in his house now.

As for the 'main' meal, we have always had Turkey. Nowadays, we don't make Thanksgiving anymore as we usually travel to our in-laws as that is sort of the midpoint for most who attend. When we did make Thanksgiving, as I said, we always did the turkey thing, with my 'famous' apple and onion stuffing. We usually had roasted potatoes and again, my 'famous' (in my family, at least) sweet potato pie with those melted marshmallows on top.
Since I deplore string beans, we have NEVER had them in our house. My in-laws are on the German side and always made this red cabbage that many seem to love, just not me.
We have always been traditionalists and usually opt for the basics for Thanksgiving meals. Since I LOVE soup and could have soup with any meal, when we did make Thanksgiving, I always made some sort of hearty soup, either as a sort of appetizer, or part of the main meal.

So what do you all eat?

[MightyGiants]

After Thanksgiving sandwiches.  On a wheat roll, turkey, stuffing, homemade cranberry sauce, and mayo.

[DaveBrown74]

After Thanksgiving sandwiches.  On a wheat roll, turkey, stuffing, homemade cranberry sauce, and mayo.

Rich,

This was going to be my answer too. This is BY FAR my favorite part of Thanksgiving. My wife does them more the way you do them, with all the trimmings. I actually generally just go with rye bread, bibb lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo and a couple pinches of salt. I have those daily from Friday through Sunday. Easily my favorite part of Thanksgiving food.

The actual meal itself the day of is fine, but I wouldn't call that my absolute favorite kind of food. All the tradition that the meal evokes makes it great, but in isolation (ie without all the meaning) I don't think it's anything spectacular. I enjoy it but I don't necessarily relish it. I do relish the holiday though and all that it involves.

The sandwiches for the rest of the weekend I truly do love though. Not even close for me.

[Jolly Blue Giant]

Personally, mashed potatoes and gravy...or homemade dressing and gravy. Everyone loves my rutabaga, so that's the star for my mother and one of my sisters. I've been making it for family gatherings for 50 years and would get yelled at if I didn't bring it.

The recipe, should anyone want to try it

1) Get 2 or 3 medium-sized rutabagas (the really large ones can be stringy and tough)
2) Peel with a sharp knife
3) Cut into small chunks (smaller than ice cube size) [note: this is the dangerous part, they are so hard that they are difficult to split - I use a sharp cleaver to at least cut it in half, and hack it in half like I was splitting wood with an axe - it's easier to cut up, once the pieces get smaller]
4) Throw pieces in a very large (16 qt or bigger) stock pot. Add water that covers the pile of rutabaga pieces and a couple inches higher than the rutabaga (Do NOT add salt). Boil for a couple of hours (keep an eye on it and continually add water so it doesn't burn your dry)
5) When the color is yellow, that means it is not done. Once it turns orange, then it has caramelized and soft enough to mash
6) Mash like you would mashed potatoes, including a full stick of butter (salt sparingly...can add more at the table if desired)
7) Make a pouch-style dip in the center and add a small chunk of butter and garnish with fresh parsley sprigs

[LennG]

Personally, mashed potatoes and gravy...or homemade dressing and gravy. Everyone loves my rutabaga, so that's the star for my mother and one of my sisters. I've been making it for family gatherings for 50 years and would get yelled at if I didn't bring it.

The recipe, should anyone want to try it

1) Get 2 or 3 medium-sized rutabagas (the really large ones can be stringy and tough)
2) Peel with a sharp knife
3) Cut into small chunks (smaller than ice cube size) [note: this is the dangerous part, they are so hard that they are difficult to split - I use a sharp cleaver to at least cut it in half, and hack it in half like I was splitting wood with an axe - it's easier to cut up, once the pieces get smaller]
4) Throw pieces in a very large (16 qt or bigger) stock pot. Add water that covers the pile of rutabaga pieces and a couple inches higher than the rutabaga (Do NOT add salt). Boil for a couple of hours (keep an eye on it and continually add water so it doesn't burn your dry)
5) When the color is yellow, that means it is not done. Once it turns orange, then it has caramelized and soft enough to mash
6) Mash like you would mashed potatoes, including a full stick of butter (salt sparingly...can add more at the table if desired)
7) Make a pouch-style dip in the center and add a small chunk of butter and garnish with fresh parsley sprigs

I don't even know what a rutabaga is.        

[Sem]

My mom always cooked Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixins.' Mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, my grandmothers cabbage salad recipe, creamed cauliflower/cheese sauce, green bean casserole, cranberry something-or-other, and pies. But once she was diagnosed with dementia it wasn't long before she stopped cooking altogether. She passed a couple years ago, and we stopped going home for Thanksgiving. So we started a new tradition, I make a huge pan of multi-layered lasagna. We have a big salad, a bottle of wine, and a couple different pies for after dinner. Our daughter, SiL, and grandkids drive up, (they live a couple hours south of us). But this year they're spending Thanksgiving at our son's home in Minnesota. My wife and I are invited to her brother's in Santa Barbara for dinner. I heard we're having spatchcocked chickens, but not sure what else. I'm sure it'll be delicious.
Next year we should revert back to lasagna.

[Jolly Blue Giant]

I don't even know what a rutabaga is.       

I can pay back the favor for telling me about the coin holder

Mmmmm good! 

[Ed Vette]

The family recipe for stuffing. I eat Turkey all year round so its not special for me. This year, we will cater individual portions and I'll be having a nice cut of prime rib. Since my brother moved away, it's just Linda, her mom and me. Not enough to cook a full bird for.

[Jolly Blue Giant]

The family recipe for stuffing. I eat Turkey all year round so its not special for me. This year, we will cater individual portions and I'll be having a nice cut of prime rib. Since my brother moved away, it's just Linda, her mom and me. Not enough to cook a full bird for.

I'd take prime rib over turkey every day of the week..

[squibber]

We are doing something new this Thanksgiving. We are going to an all you can eat buffet at a nice restaurant. We'll have a choice of turkey, ham and roast beef. Can't wait to try the corn bread pudding. There will be four types of pies too.

When my mother was alive and well, she made the best "turkey stuffing" with rice, ground beef and chicken stock. I liked it more than the turkey. I love cranberry sauce too. I would often eat the whole can.

[LennG]

I can pay back the favor for telling me about the coin holder

Mmmmm good! 

 I was trying to be funny, but seriously, I have seen these 'things' in the stores, so what really are they akin to?
You would make t hem instead of  say potatoes? Enlighten me.

[Sem]

I was trying to be funny, but seriously, I have seen these 'things' in the stores, so what really are they akin to?
You would make t hem instead of  say potatoes? Enlighten me.

My mom would occasionally make them for Thanksgiving too. They're really not at all a substitute for potatoes, either from a taste or a consistency perspective. I always felt they taste more like cauliflower, or at least that's closest vegetable flavor I can think of.

[Jolly Blue Giant]

I was trying to be funny, but seriously, I have seen these 'things' in the stores, so what really are they akin to?
You would make t hem instead of  say potatoes? Enlighten me.

Well, it's in the turnip family, but tastes nothing like a turnip. Its consistency is more chunky and fresh tasting than mashed potatoes. I can't think of anything that tastes like it, but Steve pointing out it's a little like cauliflower is close, but it's a stronger taste and more fruity in flavor than squash. It needs butter and salt to get the best flavor...sorta like Brussel sprouts. I've never had Jerusalem artichokes, but it might be similar to them

[LennG]

Well, it's in the turnip family, but tastes nothing like a turnip. Its consistency is more chunky and fresh tasting than mashed potatoes. I can't think of anything that tastes like it, but Steve pointing out it's a little like cauliflower is close, but it's a stronger taste and more fruity in flavor than squash. It needs butter and salt to get the best flavor...sorta like Brussel sprouts. I've never had Jerusalem artichokes, but it might be similar to them

 Please don't start me again, WTH are Jerusalem Artichokes.