I always make pumpkin pie because 1. tradition 2. most of our family/guests like it 3. I have limited culinary skills but I can make a very good piecrust from scratch. A rare occasion for me to show off 
We have pumpkin, chocolate and lemon melange pies. Used to have an apple pie as well but people didnāt eat too much and one had to go.
I thought these looked like a good alternative to pecan pie (although NOTHING wrong with pecan pie!) or a good cookie bar recipe to make at Christmas:
http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-pecan-pie-bars-thanksgiving-recipes-from-the-kitchn-212748?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=managed
We are getting a fresh turkey from a farm this year, never been frozen.
One more vote for Cornish hens.
Turkey Marbella, here, the twist on the chicken recipe. Iāll probably do a cut up breast and get extra legs for D1 and bf to take home. Then the apple roses from raclut, but all of them set in one 7" springform and with a crumb topping. I like to cook and we usually just go with a brunch at Christmas, not even fancy.
I used to make wild strawberry pie, but we are in the process of redoing our backyard, so the strawberry fields did not produce much this year. This year, I will try the apple rosette recipe posted here by @raclut - thanks!
I think I need to try out the apple roses at least once before to make sure they come out right.
I am imagining the apple slices coming out when I am rolling up the apple roses.
Tried making the roses - super easy, and they turned out looking great! Mr. already devoured one and said it was delicious. Will definitely make them for Thanksgiving. Apple slices need to be blanched just enough to make them rollable. I did not have a lemon on hand, so used a splash of apple cider in the water (acid is needed to keep the apples from turning brown, I guess). Used reduced sugar raspberry preserves from TJ.
BunsenBurner did you microwave the apples to soften them and sprinkle powdered sugar over the blossoms at the end?
I did blanch the apple slices by microwaving them in a bowl covered with water with a splash of apple cider vinegar instead of lemon juice. The whole idea is to make them soft enough for rolling. It worked great! I did not sprinkle anything on the top. My guests loved their roses and asked for the recipe! thanks again.
How long in the microwave? Weāll have it for xmas. One of our guests brings a chocolate pie that has been the pie highlight in our Thanksgiving meal. She wonāt be here for xmas.
If you brine the turkey, can you still use the drippings for gravy or does it get too salty?
Igloo, I followed the instructions in the video with the small substitutions I noted. The whole point of microwaving is to make the apple slices soft - just enough for rolling - without turning them into applesauce. I think the same effect can be achieved by lowering these apple slices into boiling water (with added lemon juice) for a few seconds - but the MW technique is much less hassle.
Iām going to make a pumpkin cake and apple tart. A variation this year from the usual pumpkin and apple pies.
First year without S1 
I cannot stand the thought looking at his empty spot at the table, so we are going to the home of my niece. It should be an exciting afternoon as she lives with several members of a traveling urban/contemporary tap dance troupe!
She asked me to bring a sweet potato dish with no eggs, dairy or nuts. I am a one trick pony and have been making and/or eating the same casserole for 57 years and it contains egg whites and pecans. Any recipe ideas? I need to be able to make it at home keep it warm in the car for a 20 minute ride.
Can they eat marshmallows? Our sweet potato for Thanksgiving is a sweetpotato casserole. Mashed sweet potatoes, mixed with butter, topped with marshmallows and baked. Keeps hot for a long time.
For sweet potato, I try to buy garnet. They are skinny and long and sweet. I bake them for about 45 min to 1 hour at 375 degrees. (Make sure you prick them with a fork before cooking and place foil or a pan underneath). I skin them and add salt, pepper, onion powder to taste. You can substitue margarine for the butter. Add a little nutmeg and maple syrup to moisten. Either use a masher or mixer to mix and soften. Put in a bowl and you can top with tiny marshmellows and put in oven to warm and brown marshmellows before driving to nieceās home.
I have made these before, from the cookbook āThe Perfect Thanksgivingā but couldnāt find it online to post a link:
Although it calls for butter, you could substitute Earthās Balance, found in many regular grocery stores. It is a dairy free butter substitute.
3 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled
3 Tbsp butter/margarine
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Preheat oven to 375 deg F. Grease (or spray) a large shallow baking dish.
Cut potatoes into 1/2 inch slices. Cook in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain and let cool.
Melt butter or margarine in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in maple syrup until well combined. Stir in ginger. Let simmer for a minute, then add lemon juice.
Arrange potato slices in one layer in the prepared baking dish, overlapping slightly. Drizzle the maple syrup mixture evenly over the potatoes. Bake until the potatoes are tender and glazed, 30-35 minutes, spooning the cooking liquid over them once or twice while baking. Serves 8.
IIRC, marshmallows contain egg whites, or at least they used to.
(Found this out the hard way when I took something containing marshmallows or marshmallow fluff to a work function, when I knew the boss was allergic to eggs and nuts.)