<p>A little healthier version of bundled green beans that we make is to bundle the green beans in a ring of yellow squash. You cut the small squash in thick rings and hollow them out, like a napkin ring, so the green beans slide through. I place them in my steamer…but this year I may try to roast. After steamed to a crispy texture I drizzle a sauce of butter, garlic and lemon juice over them on a platter. I have also used a tiny bit of white wine some times. Then I sprinkle toasted almonds on top. The sauce could be changed for different tastes…balsamic vinegar, flavored oils, Parmesan cheese, etc.</p>
<p>It’s always been interesting to see what others put in their stuffing, or “dressing” as H calls it. I simply cannot imagine stuffing made of rice, or with sausage or with fruit. That sounds like the least appealing of all and I love fruit. My stuffing-and my SIL stopped even offering to bring her “famous dressing” after having mine, is very traditional where I am from-cornbread (can be homemade or boxed), Bell’s Seasoning (found only in New England or online), finely chopped onions and celery and chopped giblets. And some butter but not that much, I have never had greasy stuffing. Since we’ve been having smoked turkey for several years, I no longer cook it in the bird but I make nice big pan and there’s never much left.</p>
<p>We had a friend who cooked carrots, and made mashed carrots with potatoes. It was really pretty…sort of an orange swirl in the mashed potatoes. She used regular mashed potatoes ingredients but substituted half carrots for half of the potatoes.</p>
<p>I’ll join the “it’s only one day of the year” camp. I’ve been on a diet for the last 11 weeks, but plan on eating the traditional goodies, in moderate amounts, on Thanksgiving Day. From past experience I know it will take my body a few days of cravings before it will accept that I will not continue to eat the “good” food on a regular basis, but those days are worth the enjoyment of one meal.</p>
<p>Even though I am on a diet, I would be annoyed if the Thanksgiving meal were comprised of “healthy” dishes. We even decided to buy whole milk to make the mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie, even though we normally use 1% the rest of the year. It’s a special day! Enjoy it! Just go back to you healthy eating at the next meal.</p>
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<p>Okay, I know I’m out of step because I’ve never been served this green bean casserole that everyone talks about, nor the marshmallow sweet potatoes, and the only person I’ve ever known who served one of those jello-as-salad things was my late MIL, but I’ve never even HEARD of “the hot pineapple.” What is it?</p>
<p>PS: big turnip fan here, and by turnip I mean rutabaga. Great recipe called Himmel und Erde combines turnip and potato with caramelized apple and onion caramelized in butter, all combined with a little beef stock and pureed. Delicious if you leave out the potatoes for diabetics or the stock for vegetarians.</p>
<p>I guess I find any dressing cooked in the bird to be greasy. I simply don’t care for it but my mother loves it, so as long as she’s here to enjoy it, I’ll keep making it!</p>
<p>Thumper, I love the carrot idea. We eat a lot of butternut squash so that won’t make it to the Thanksgiving table. D will bring pies. So. Would anyone feel deprived eating this menu:</p>
<p>Turkey
Dressing (white bread, celery, onion, sage and butter) - baked in the bird
Rice based dressing to be finalized (this would be mostly for my benefit so I may not bother)
Roasted Brussels sprouts
Mashed potatoes ( possibly with carrot swirl) and gravy
Consolations’s sweet potatoes and a small dish with marshmallow topping
Green beans almandine
Green salad of kale, pomegranate, walnut, feta and wild rice
Mom’s famous rolls
Cranberry
Pies</p>
<p>I don’t think it sounds terrible and the only thing absent is the green bean glop. If I did the carrot swirl, I might cut the green beans as everyone loves the sprouts.</p>
<p>Sounds delicious! I only wish roasted brussel sprouts were a tradition in our family. If I were a guest at your house, you’d have to have lots of those!</p>
<p>Consolation, here’s an online recipe for the pineapple but I cut these amounts WAY down:</p>
<p>[Pineapple</a> Casserole Recipe : Paula Deen : Recipes : Food Network](<a href=“http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/pineapple-casserole-recipe/index.html]Pineapple”>http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/pineapple-casserole-recipe/index.html)</p>
<p>Here’s mine:
Place 2 cans drained unsweetened pineapple or equivelant fresh pineapple sprayed casserole dish.
Stir in:
2-3 T flour
1/3 cup sugar (I like to use a combo of white and brown)
1 cup sharp shredded cheddar cheese
Crumble 1/3 sleeve of ritz cracker and sprinkle over top
Melt 3T butter and pour over cracker</p>
<p>Bake uncovered at 375 for 30-40 mins or until lightly browned and bubbly.</p>
<p>My extended family DEMANDS this dish every T-Day!!!</p>
<p>I’d never heard of hot pineapple either, abasket. I love pineapple but…</p>
<p>I make sprouts all of the time. I love them. I even eat them cold for a snack!</p>
<p>Oh my! Don’t think I’ll be making that any time soon, although I bet it is horribly delicious. :)</p>
<p>sabaray, I can’t imagine anyone feeling deprived. There’s something for everyone, including us low carb eaters.</p>
<p>BTW, I heartily endorse the recipe for white onions braised in stock in Mastering the Art of French Cooking. A great recipe for carrots is Pennies from Heaven in The New Basics from the Silver Palate.</p>
<p>I’m telling you , the pineapple is delicious. I actually got the recipe from a very large hospital system I worked for - it was on the Thanksgiving menu for years. I think it’s more common in the south- which is where I am NOT!!</p>
<p>Sounds good to me sabaray! </p>
<p>What time should we be there?</p>
<p>I just ate half of a roasted cauliflower. Who needs to wait for Thanksgiving? I’m writing down the pineapple recipe…it is “interesting” and I think it might be a good addition to our Christmas eve dinner.</p>
<p>Our family’s favorite mashed potatoes, btw, are garlic mashed potatoes. I only use[d] Yukon Gold. I am not nice enough to make them any more, since I can’t eat them. </p>
<p>Some diabetics add one potato to the cauliflower puree, and call them Fauxtatoes. :)</p>
<p>Okay, if I weren’t constrained by this PITA disease, this is what I <em>used</em> to make on Thanksgiving:</p>
<p>Turkey, roasted upside down for the first two hours
Gravy (deglaze the pan drippings with white wine, add stock, reduce, add cream, a little brandy or Calvalos or sherry, pepper, etc)
Stuffing (made with bread, crumbled cooked sausage, dried tart cherries or apple, onion and celery cooked in butter, summer savory, sage and other herbs, sherry and nutmeg, cream and an egg, lots of pepper)
Brussels sprouts browned in butter
Sweet potatoes with orange and ginger (have to have SOMETHING without butter)
Creamed spinach
Pennies from Heaven (carrot coins with slivered dried apricots, almonds, orange, cinnamon, a tiny bit of sugar)
White onions braised in beef stock
Himmel und Erde
Cranberry sauce, the jellied stuff from Ocean Spray
Homemade apple pear chutney
Pies: pumpkin, mince, cherry, blueberry, and apple</p>
<p>At least I’ve gotten it off my chest. :D</p>
<p>We are having</p>
<p>Citrus turkey, glazed spiral ham, baked ziti, meatbAlls, vegetable fried rice, twice baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, potato/turnip croquets, roasted asparagus, steamed carrot ribbons, corn, green beans saut</p>
<p>I’m hoping we can keep this thread going through the holidays- lots more eating to get through - not just Thanksgiving, although it is the first at hand! </p>
<p>Consolation, I love the Silver Palate cookbooks. I think my New Basics is held together with duct tape. </p>
<p>Zoosermom, what makes your turkey citrus? Did I miss that earlier? I once thought of making an “armadillo turkey” - it was marinated with juices that included pineapple but then was wrapped with the spiny pineapple skin. I was vetoed - probably for the best. :D</p>
<p>I rub the turkey with butter that has been mixed with lemon and orange juice and zest, then put orange and lemon halves in the cavity. Not overpowering but a hint of citrus.</p>
<p>I am off to look for the silver palate cookbooks</p>
<p>What time should we plan to arrive Zoosermom? It all sounds good to me!!</p>
<p>We celebrate at our friend’s house which is a new tradition for the past 5 years or so. Her son-in-law was a chef before he went to medical school and so he handles most of the main dishes. We miss our house smelling like Thanksgiving though and so I will also make a small turkey and my mom’s stuffing recipe for Friday. My mom’s stuffing recipe is similar to those above… I toast cubed white bread with Bell’s and herbs, mix with onion, carrot, celery that has been sauteed in butter and chicken broth, cook outside the bird.
I also used to always do an orange glazed sweet potato dish (not big on marshmellows) and since older d’s boyfriend is vegan, I now do a very nice squash/cranberry/pecan dish that I got from the NY TIMES a few years ago from the restaurant Balaboosta. They will be bringing tofu pot pies. This year of course we will be bringing traditional potato latkes and applesauce to celebrate the big day. Someone will be bringing apple pie and I can also make a pecan pie if needed. Since it is also oldest d and dh’s birthday, I might have to bring her favorite Carvel Cake for dessert… an oldie but a goodie.</p>
<p>Shellz - Bacon-wrapped green beans might work, but knowing my younger son he’d probably just pick off the bacon and leave the green beans.</p>
<p>Bookmom, I would love to have you!</p>
<p>Are leftovers off topic? There was a recipe for butternut squash burritos in the food network magazine that looked wonderful.</p>