@Midwest67 - I just use Ocean Spray Whole Berry Sauce and smoosh it a bit. I put the rest of the can out in a bowl and it usually gets eaten, although I admit we traditionally serve the jelled sauce also. I’m sure any kind of homemade cranberry sauce would work beautifully.
I bought lots of pomegranates. Don’t know what I’m going to do with them but I got them for 69 cents each and couldn’t resist. I may freeze some of them.
I prefer jellied cranberry sauce. Sad, I know. 
I have a big crowd this year and last year it took forever to get the potatoes peeled and cooked for mashing. Has anyone made the mashed potatoes the night before and re-heated? I tried reheating in microwave 1 year but it took too long to get hot and came out gluey. Would a slow cooker work to reheat? Any tips would be appreciated. I use Ina Garten’s buttermilk mashed potato recipe - I’ve tried many versions and this is a favorite.
Peel your potatoes the night before and cover completely in cold water until ready to cook. Or, if you have a big crowd, buy extra potato peelers!
I don’t care what we’re having or who cooks it, ChoatieSergeant is coming home for T-Day after all!!! I am so thankful, I could cry. Most likely will.
Usually, Thanksgiving is a big to-do at our house, but because he told us a month ago he couldn’t come home, we agreed to have dinner at my mom’s. I hated giving that up because it’s my favorite cooking holiday, but I don’t care now. Just having him home will make everything perfect for us. I get to bring a side dish and our son. Life is good.
^ So happy your S will be home @ChoatieMom !
@Marilyn - that Cranberry Brie sounds awesome. My friends bring the appetizers on Thanksgiving, but I saved that recipe anyway.
I turn 50 on thanksgiving day. Last year i hosted 14 people. Not this year!
we are hosting 16 relatives from both sides at a very elegant, quiet steak house. Pies in the evening at our house.
It’s pricey! But I do not care. I just didnt want to spend the time it takes to prep for thanksgiving, and my mom cant host all in her house (and husbands parent’s wouldnt come to that either). I’m looking forward to it all! might even wear a skirt.
(would it be rude to tell guests they are on their own for wine? We are not asking for $ for the event - just telling everyone it’s covered; but if anyone offers to chip in $ for their dinner we wont turn it down.)
I think it’s fine to say you aren’t hosting any alcoholic beverages. It’s very nice of you to treat everyone to a meal as it is!
@bgbg4us The steak house might not welcome a “cash bar” or “separate checks for alcohol by individual” at your dinner. Or, they might do it, but with attitude & that might dampen your evening. Plus the awkwardness of people trying to settle up their own bills. Put this person, that person, and that person on my check…
You might want to ask the manager at the steakhouse if they will put together a menu for your party. That way, no one is ordering the $65 steak on the menu, or the $195 Cab. Your menu could limit the selections of food, and alcohol, while still appearing very generous. Or, family style is sometimes an option, even at high end places.
Where H works, this is common for larger parties who do not want the bill to get out of control. Menus often include appetizers to pass, then choice from a selection of salads, and then choice of several entrees. Servers get the heads up on how to handle the alcohol. For example, offer everyone a cocktail, whatever they want, and we want a bottle of this (reasonably priced, good) white wine and a bottle of this red wine on the table, pour as much as they want.
Or, just arrange limits on the alcohol/wine ahead of time. Pre-order the wine, and the bottles can be placed on the table and everyone knows that is what we’re drinking with dinner. Surely, a good manager will have good ideas for you.
Guests seem relieved to know the rules ahead of time, so there is no awkwardness.
Unless someone in your group pipes up ahead of time and says “Put all the booze on my check!”
Happy Birthday!
bgbg4us: If you are the host and invited 16 relatives to Thanksgiving dinner at a steak house then I think you shouldn’t take money for the meal from anyone, unless they give you $$ ahead of time. If they give you $$ when the bill arrives, the other guests would be confused or, at the least, embarrassed into giving $$. If you aren’t going to pay for wine, then tell folks ahead of time that wine is on them so that they’ll bring cash or have a credit card.
Adding…where H works, when they put together a menu for a party of 12 or more, they print out special menus with the choices and there are no prices. Again, this can ease awkwardness for the guests who are being treated to dinner.
Yes, when I’ve hosted meals with big groups, they can often provide a special menu that can be printed without prices and limited beverage options, which makes it less awkward. Often there is special pricing for the group and you can tell the restaurant the price point, eg $50/person meal including tax and tip and one glass of beer or wine and a hot or iced tea or coffee.
Often if the party is 10 or larger, the restaurant wants enteres pre-ordered and gives you a smaller selection, eg fish, chicken or beef.
Yes to the above. We did it for company holiday dinners. We prepaid with a credit card based on the number of RSVPs. Also, we included a few bottles of wine and beer; when that was gone, folks were on their own - there was a bar that was happy to take their $$. Any unopened beer and wine was credited back to us.
Sometimes restaurants offer ‘corkage fees’ - a set price for glasses, ice buckets, etc. - for wine brought in by guests for special occasions. If your steak house will do this, you can ask your guests to bring a wine contribution.
@Momma2018 we cook 10 lbs of potatoes for Thanksgiving. We have help to peel them in the morning but after they are prepared I put keep them warm in a slow cooker. They can sit for hours and be fine.
@Midwest67 -thanks for your thoughts. OK; the whole tab/money thing might be uncomfortable with drinks. I want it to be relaxed. For drinks - i think i’ll just say wine is on your own; you can pay me back later and we’ll cover it all now.
For dinner, the restaurant offers a traditional thanksgiving meal; sides served family style. I’m assuming most will get that; it’s still quite pricey but thanksgiving food is the point! It’ll all be good.
I’d planned to make the corn casserole for our early Thanksgiving dinner next weekend, but just learned that two guests have problems with dairy, one is vegetarian and one won’t eat onions (I usually add bacon and scallions, plus a dash of Tony Chachere’s seasoning to ours.) Guess we’ll just have plain sweet corn, and will put out an extra butter dish since I can’t use butter in cooking anything. I may make a small corn casserole just for myself on Thanksgiving.
Nearly all of my recipes have to be modified now. My usual side dishes have bacon or butter and/or nuts, each of which is off limits for at least two of the eight people. I think we’ll have a salad buffet on the kitchen table, then serve the rest of the meal family style in the dining room with lots of 4 - 6 serving size side dishes. The warming drawer will come in handy this year.
I have a mashed potato recipe that can be made in advance and frozen. We have done this every year and they have always reheated beautifully. You could also refrigerate it for a couple of days if you don’t want to freeze; let me know if you would like it.
I know I’m in the minority but why does every dish need to be modified so that every person there can eat every dish.
Why can’t there be a corn casserole for some and plain vegetables for those who have dietary restrictions?
My sil has kids who are vegetarians, that’s cool. But then she asks to modify certain dishes that her kids don’t touch and the original dish doesn’t taste right. Seems that it isn’t serving anyone. I mean that quinoa vegetable thing isn’t modified with meat for the non vegetarians. I know I’m being silly but you know what I mean. There are so many side dishes at thanksgiving that there is something for every diet.
My H doesn’t eat onions. He either picks them out or makes another choice. No one ever changes what they serve including his mother or me.
Ok I have to say that the dairy allergy one is tough. Lots of dishes have butter in them.
And I’m mostly talking about my own thanksgiving because it seems we cater to the vegetarians who make their own food.