For me it's cranberry sauce. I'm wondering why we even bother anymore. We just open a can of the stuff, plop it out on a serving plate, and everyone takes a little and then leaves it.
Also, I prefer dark meat and I'm wondering why we can't breed turkeys to have more dark meat.
I guess I'm just feeling philosophical this morning.
MrFixit aka Denny
All the new fangled ways we serve green beans these days. Back to the traditional cream of mushroom casserole! grumblegrumble...
Dressing - was always told my Mom made the best but I could never stand it.
Green Bean Cassorole with french fried onions.
Turkey. Not worth the trouble.
I can buy gravy better than my own and also broth for the dressing I make on the side anyway.
Turkey. It's really not tasty. The dark meat is tastier making it just tolerable. It's way past time to give the bird it's freedom permanently.
Pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice, and pumpkin anything. In over 60 years, I've never developed a taste for it.
It would have to be cranberry for me. Never touch the stuff. I usually just eat 3 things, turkey (dark meet), stuffing, and mashed potatoes. Then smother EVERYTHING with gravy. Pecan pie would be the finishing touch.
I love baked sweet potatoes, baked until they're oozing sweetness, but sweet potatoes with marshmallows are a disappointment.
For those who aren't fond of turkey...............try to avail yourself of the sous vide method. It's a bit of trouble, and best to get a 'set-up' for it, but the results are killer. Might need to break the bird up into pieces, depending on how big it is, how many people, etc.
Define Traditional. (Turkey, sage and onion stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce are a given.)
My family also does mashed potatoes, mashed turnip, baked sweet potatoes, acorn squash, boiled peas, steamed Brussels sprouts. The Turkey has pure pork sausage stuffed in the neck end and the whole thing is wrapped in bacon. We tend to stay away from Butterball, (what they imply is butter, isn't), hence the sausage and bacon to provide a base for the gravy. The turkey giblets are boiled forever and the water also used in the gravy. The giblets were given to the cat, when we had a cat, that is.
Desserts tend toward pumpkin pie, apple crumble or apple pie, all with whipped cream or ice cream, of course.
I like most things, but I don't know what others would consider traditional. I'd have to say that I wouldn't like eyeball soup (à la Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom). 😊
Plumb-Bob:
I don't like marshmallows on sweet potatoes either. Try chopped pecans and brown sugar on top. Mmmmm.
KoC - I had to look up "sous vide". So you cut the turkey up into chunks that will fit in bags? Wow, sounds like way too much trouble.
If I'm going to invest a lot of time I'll probably do the turkey long and slow on my smoker. But why do a turkey when you can do something tasty like a brisket? Walmart has been having tomahawk steaks and those are fun to grill. I don't do those on the smoker though, just the regular grill. Takes about 45 minutes which is pretty much my usual limit wrt attention span when hungry. What were we talking about?
Sweet potato casserole is not my favorite. For the anti-cranberry sauce crowd, try this instead:
12 Ounces cranberries
1 whole orange including the rind
1 cup granulated sugar
Slice very edge roots off the orange
Put everything in a food processor
Refrigerate for at least an hour
This is delicious!
I went into a diabetic coma just reading that. Anytime sugar is the main ingredient it's probably going to taste OK.
Pumpkin pie. I make a pumpkin pie every year with a fresh pumpkin. Everyone loves it. I eat the apple pie.
I’m a vegetarian but even when I used to eat meat I never saw the appeal of ham, esp when people go ham crazy and put in in everything. Or bacon. Cured meats don’t make every dish more appetizing. That’s prob just personal taste, but it seems kind of tacky to put a ton of ham or bacon in otherwise tasty dishes. Also loathe when people put maple glazes over everything, especially meats. Blech.
But rlly I don’t like maple glaze on anything. My mom got a cake for my sisters bday a few years ago that had maple frosting all over it and it was like eating raw sugar. And I love sugar! idk how many dr peppers I drink a day, but gross. Even my sister couldn’t eat a slice. Maple syrup on waffles is all I can take. Also never care for deviled eggs or any type of bready desserts.
I love me some smoked turkey - but turkey sous vide is the best I've ever had. But wouldn't be easy for a 15+lb. bird. The "chunks" can easily be 4-5 lbs., tho. 2-3 smaller breasts are more manageable.
The worst? Giblet gravy! Mincemeat pie runs a close second!
Deviled eggs with potato salad a close second, Eggs and potatoes are served COLD which
is an affront to nature. When the Neanderthals learned to use fire to cook things they quit eating potatoes raw and uncooked eggs. Then came French fries and egg omelets.
Sauerkraut, which is apparently regional (Mid Atlantic area including Pennsylvania and Maryland). I find it loathsome.
Yeah, cranberry. Actually, I've never eaten them. I was probably in kindergarten when there was a cranberry scare. Carcinagens? I don't know, and it's long over, but I've never indulged.
Hmmm I think we're down to mashed potatoes is the only thing we'll all eat.
Some interesting entries. I would gladly eat most of the stuff listed above with the exception of creamed onions. Does someone consider that to be food? I can think of things that might be equally disgusting (beet stuffing for the turkey, squirrel head soup), but nothing worse.
As for sauerkraut, a properly prepared sauerkraut is a wonderful dish. Shredded cabbage cured in vinegar and shoved in a can ain't it.
Canned cranberry sauce. Never had the green bean casserole so many hate. The NYT had a recipe for those who had never liked it. Instead of canned mushroom soup, make a roux. Use 2 packages of cut green beans, simmer one pound in 2 cups of chicken broth, 1tsp celery salt, 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg. While that’s cooking, make the roux (cream sauce). Third cup whole milk, 3 tbsp flour. Add a cup of the bean broth, stirring. When thickened, drain cooked beans and add second bag. Dump it into a casserole dish and cover with the dreaded fried onions. Bake at 350° fir 20-30 minutes. Was quite good. Next time I make this, will fry the onions. Only reason I never made or ate this were the artificial ingredients and preservatives in the soup and onions.
I never understood mincemeat pie. Doesn't seem to belong on the Thanksgiving menu which is mostly about comfort food. Mashed potatoes and gravy are the high points for me. I find it hard to gag down turkey white meat. Kind of tasteless. Love turkey skin though it is probably contraindicated for cardiovascular health.
If you want more dark meat buy drum sticks. They can be roasted atop a bed of stuffing. It is win win. More dark meath more delicious moist stuffing
Not a fan of nutmeg. Nope on marshmallows on top of pureed sweet potatoes. Pecan pie is too sticky sweet for me. No to those junk turkeys which stores give away with a minimum purchase- they are injected with water and way too much salt. I always cook whole turkey via the high heat method, 500 degrees F. A large turkey is ready in an hour and a half and the white meat stays moist. I throw small potatoes and carrots in the bottom of the pan with 20 minutes to go.
I don't dislike any of the Thanksgiving elements provided they are done well. Cranberries can be great, but not out of a can. An ice cold dish of ground cranberry with chunks of apple and orange, done citrus peel, maybe some liquor, sweetened appropriately is great. It cuts through the richness. Long live chocolate bourbon pecan pie.
This year we sampled the makings from Whole Paycheck. We need to let them know they are excessively lining the coffers of the salt barrons. Yikes. Thirsty for days.
Date :00/27/23
User: Sept2143
Message: Anything containing cooked celery. Anything with pumpkin.
Dressing. Good taste but don't need the calories.
Reading the posts above I find there really isn't anything I won't eat and enjoy. Wait, Anchovies and Salt Cod are on the list of things I won't eat. But, they really aren't Thanksgiving fare are they? This is why I avoid buffets of any type.
Really don't care for mincemeat or the old timey fruit cake. Cranberry sauce must be made fresh, not canned!
Denny, are you making a late TG meal for someone? If so, some folks least faves will be others fave, so I wouldn’t worry too much. Sure it’ll be great. Also, re: what you said abt brisket..
Nearly 10 yrs ago I started hosting a “Friendsgiving” party. For 3 yrs in a row, I’d put an open invite on fb for pals, their pals and just anyone else in the town who wanted to come. Im guessing the first year it was about 80 or 90 ppl?..give or take.
I didn’t make a thing, btw, just provided a ton of booze. A pal bartended. But some rlly took the chance to shine. I’ve never seen such a pretty table..& food was everywhere, every table & counter, (wish I could link the pics). But yea, while the turkey was beautiful centerpiece, hands down the faves for nearly all were the brisket & a pork sirloin.
The fave dessert was this Brie, Apple, &almond tart thing, tho didn’t serve many.
Oh, + a tip I learned, one pal came early to make mulled wine which was so yum but also made the space smell delicious the whole time & gave it a warm, inviting vibe that felt magical. If I ever host again it’s first thing I’d do.
I'll say, just too much. Pick 4 items and enjoy them. I agree with earlier comment - too much pumpkin stuff. I go for good old apple or cherry pies!
Roast tortoise chipolata starters never did if for me. The shell always gets stuck in my teeth and ruins the main.
Turkey. I haven't eaten meat since 2015.
The worst? Stuffing aka dressing. Especially with a nasty little pieces of chopped giblets.