<p>We host Thanksgiving every year. No family in town but we have close friends who have joined us for years. This year we are expecting over 20 people.
H cooks the turkey, dressing and mashed potatoes. I make corn casserole and pumpkin pie. We have guests bring additional desserts , homemade rolls, sweet potatoes, appetizers, wine and beer. With this many people we will serve buffet style and will set up some card tables in addition to the dining room and kitchen tables.
It is a lot of work, but we absolutely love it !</p>
<p>I’d like your corn casserole, FallGirl. The one we tried last year was meh.</p>
<p>Here it is, arabrab.</p>
<p>Full Disclosure: I got this recipe from someone else on cc a few years ago. I don’t remember who the poster was or I would give her/him the credit.</p>
<p>Corn casserole:</p>
<p>1 15 oz can whole kernel corn, drained
1 15 oz can cream-style corn
1 8 oz pkg corn muffin mix (Jiffy)
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
Optional: 1 TBS sugar…she adds this and we love it!
Also optional: 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese…we don’t use this</p>
<p>Preheat oven to 350. Mix corn, muffin mix, sour cream and melted butter. Pour into greased casserole dish. Bake 45 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and top with cheese if desired. Return to oven for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand at least five minutes and then serve warm.</p>
<p>Thanks, FallGirl. I’m going to give that one a try. </p>
<p>No prayers. It’s not your tradition, and it would be kind of weird to announce it. The reality is, so many people, it is going to be bedlam. Unlikely everyone will be eating and in the same room at the same time, so are you going to scream, “Silence! Anybody wanna pray?” There will probably be people you don’t even meet or see. I had one of these parties at Christmas, and it was so stressful for me. Just trying to do the food thing, keep everything stocked. Didn’t even get to say hello or talk to people. I hope yours is better.</p>
<p>I lead a Troop of Boy Scouts, and we prepare a full-on Thanksgiving meal every winter in a cabin which has a stove and a sink. My greatest advantage is using large size everything, and cooking from scratch. A 27 lb turkey feeds a crowd, large potatoes are easy to peel, yams and squash require little effort, green beans can be steamed by the gallon. Also, don’t discount that people will want to help cook and clean. If you set out a 15 lb sack of potatoes, and a couple peelers, the spuds can be in boiling water in about 15 minutes. A turkey bakes in hours, but fries in minutes. I wish you were in St. Louis… I’d be happy to help cook and clean. IT sounds wonderful.</p>
<p>Oh, and our family has a tradition before starting a meal. I announce “We have a family tradition to show gratitude for what we are about to enjoy. Everyone - please grab the hand of the person next to you.” Then when people are expecting a prayer, I say “Happy Food!”, and the table replies “Happy Food!!”
This way, we show gratitude without sanctimony. </p>
<p>Sounds like fun! If I were hosting, I would provide the turkey(s), stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, some beverages and any special side dish my family loved. I wouldn’t want to chance the person bringing one of the main items to not bring enough. Guests can bring appetizers, salad, veggies, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, pies, drinks etc. I would fill in any missing items after seeing the sign up sheet. You may even want to offer suggestions to make sure all bases are covered…</p>
<p>I agree that the host at a Thanksgiving pot luck should provide the turkey. It’s a little too much to expect a guest to provide a couple of cooked turkeys. In fact, you should be prepared to provide anything you consider to be indispensable. There will be at least a couple of no-shows, people who come hours late, or people who run out of time and decide at the last minute to substitute chips and dip for the mashed potatoes (or whatever) that they agreed to provide. </p>
<p>What fun! My family Thanksgiving dinner is big and noisy. We divide and conquer- the hostess fixes the turkey and stuffing/dressing, the rest of us do make ahead mashed potatoes (reheated in those electric roaster things), side vegs, desserts, rolls, apps. My tips:</p>
<p>A second turkey can be roasted a couple of days in advance and carved & refrigerated. Or roast separate turkey breasts ahead, carve, and reheat. Throw a few extra legs in the oven while you cook a fresh one on the day of. An unstuffed turkey cooks quickly.
Time honored trick: combine homemade gravy with the Heinz in the jar. No one will know the difference.
The past few years costco has had mashed potatoes. </p>
<p>Give suggestions like Costco has mashed potatoes and pies. Grocery X has good rolls (ask for dozens). Columbia Crest is decent, inexpensive wine, etc. Sometimes young adults just don’t know and a few suggestions can mean the difference between ewww and good (but I’d never comment on what someone brings). Someone must bring ice. Butter! Have a box or two of ziplock bags for leftovers. Be clear what can and can’t be done on site - prep, reheating, actual cooking. I’d be inclined to buy some of the disposable chafing dishes and return them if they aren’t used. </p>
<p>I’d make the turkey (more fussing, and to transport) and let somebody else bring a hot ham. Also consider buying many packages of dinner rolls (from bread dept). It will be good, cheap filler food. If you have extras, send them home with the kids. </p>
<p>I hope you do get nice weather! It happens sometimes in CO. One year we had my sister in town, and we were delighted to discover it was nice enough to do appetizers outside. Believe it or not, we found the sun too intense. DH had to go fetch the table umbrella. We could also get a blizzard. Ya never know. </p>
<p>My grocery store has turkey thighs and breast sections in those cryovac packages right now. If someone is worried about having enough turkey, they are cheap and ready to roast.
We are traveling out of state and DH was most relieved to hear that I intend to roast them up after we retwun…his favorite part of Thanksgiving has always been sandwiches after.</p>
<p>Nametags. Buy Nametags and have them write First Name, maybe Hometown, or something fun or interesting that can help spark conversation. My H’s large, extended family gathers together but there is usually a co-worker, missionary family, etc. that joins in. So it is not odd to meet strangers at our family gatherings.</p>
<p>It doesn’t really matter what you serve, what mishaps occur, the joy will be in being included on what could have been a long, lonely day for these “orphans”.</p>
<p>You might think of background music, maybe have pandora on. </p>
<p>Orphans will be so willing to help out, so don’t be shy about ordering them about. Taking out the garbage, putting serving spoons with each dish, etc. Little jobs that don’t need your special touch, allow others to feel part of the family.</p>
<p>Hope it all goes well!</p>
<p>Tips on making Thanksgiving dinner for 145:
<a href=“Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes and Tips from Regina Charboneau - The New York Times”>http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/12/dining/thanksgiving-dinner-recipes-and-tips-from-regina-charboneau.html</a></p>
<p>Who cares about the Thanksgiving for 145, I want those biscuits. OMG they look good.</p>
<p>I am still awaiting final numbers, but it turns out there is a competing orphans dinner! Fine by me. Last time I heard, I only had 15, which is totally manageable. :)</p>
<p>What a lovely gesture @Youdon’tsay! Your generosity of spirit is what Thanksgiving is all about. </p>