@ChoatieMom --I disagree that no one can be vegetarian, etc., and I don’t pander, but my extraordinarily polite vegetarian son quietly eats all the mashed potatoes and his grandmother’s broccoli casserole with no complaint. he’s been doing this for years and wouldn’t dream of anyone changing things for him.
Other than that, your post about the broccoli casserole (NOT what his grandmother makes) was a work of art and should win a writing award! 
Oh, they can be whatever they want to be, @garland, but they have to forage for themselves, and I don’t want to hear about it. And I’m one of them.
(I’m also a ballerina in my head.)
@doschicos - Exactly! It is really simple, but he simmers and stirs. I think he is the slowest (and messiest) cook in the state.
Lol, some men seem to find the time they take as important as the product they create. DH drove me nuts on the turkey or chicken.
I love braised red cabbage- even better with bacon. I could eat a giant bowl right now!
I took the cranberry orange relish to my in-laws during my early years in the family. No one even put a spoonful on their plate and pushed it around a little bit o be polite
I’d be gobbling it up, @MaterS, then putting some of the leftovers on my turkey sandwich.
The only real tradition we have is to use some of the leftover turkey to make tetrazzini. Many years ago, I clipped the recipe from a package of Reames frozen egg noodles. My kids ask for it every year. It’s not very healthy, but who cares, it’s Thanksgiving! I’ll post it if anyone is interested.
Please share, @chercheur.
@wis75 I’m not a big fan of pumpkin pie and neither of my boys will eat it at all. I make apple for the boys and pecan for me. DH is happy with both, as am I. If SIL is with us (as she usually is) she generally brings pumpkin as dh, her son and DH will all eat some. She makes a really good cornbread casserole. I should get her recipe.
When we lived in Munich I used to do Thanksgiving for friends. It was always a bit of a challenge since it was a work day. We had flexible hours so I could leave a bit early, but not before three. Our local grocery did not have turkey, but there was one place in the city farmer’s market that sold turkeys. The big challenge was pie - I had not yet realized apple was fine. Pecans did not exist. Pumpkins did not exist. I did sweet potatoes from Brazil one year, but they were not like a southern sweet potato (yam). But the meal was always fun, and half the fun was trying to make do with local ingredients.
After years of making soup with the turkey frame–you know noodles, carrots, the usual – I have started making pho with the frame instead
It’s delicious and easier than the soup. You make basic stock from the frame (boil it covered iwth water for a long time). Strain that.
Then in a big pot you put lots of pho spices (anise and/ fennel; whole pepper corns; coriander whole, and some cloves, cinnamon, and fish sauce) and sauteed onions. Simmer a long time. To serve, the BROTH from that (not spices or onions) goes into big bowls with noodles and turkey. You top it with fresh basil and squeezes of lime (you can put the basil and lime on the table for others to add as they like).
Mot a big fan of pumpkin pie, but I love our old family recipe for pumpkin bread. To be fair, the recipe calls for a full cup of sugar in each smallish loaf so it’s really cake in disguise.
ETA: I can’t read the word “tetrazzini” without experiencing gastronomic PTSD from my mother’s post-Thanksgiving cooking!
I think they have more turkey available now in Germany. But one year, lacking it, we made tacos. They had the box of shells. Go figure.
I tried my red cabbage whatever recipe last nght and deelish. Bear in mind this was ad hoc. Cooked in leftover cranberry juice, threw in some red wine, red wine venegar, and a squeeze of agave. Came out almost candied.
I once made an entire Thanksgiving dinner in Mexico. All the ingredients we could get were just enough off that everything came out a bit different. I had to use canned squash because they couldn’t find canned pumpkin, no cranberry available, different potatoes, etc… My Mexican family and friends liked it but I don’t think they really got the full concept of spending three days cooking, two hours eating, then sitting around with your belts loosened watching TV.
Here’s the turkey tetrazzini recipe which my kids love. It’s a great way to use leftover turkey. As I mentioned upthread, I clipped it from the back of the package many years ago.
Reames Turkey Tetrazzini
1-12 oz. pkg. Reames frozen egg noodles
1 - 10 3/4 oz. cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 ½ cup turkey cooked and cubed
1 ½ cup frozen peas and carrots
¼ to ½ cup seasoned bread crumbs (or enough to lightly cover)
2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley (optional)
Cook noodles, uncovered, in boiling water for 20 minutes in a 6 qt. pan. Add frozen peas and carrots to noodles during the last 5 minutes. Drain in colander and set aside.
While noodles are cooking, combine soup, milk, water and cheddar cheese in a saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until cheese melts and sauce is warm.
Return drained noodles, peas, carrots to the pan. Mix in the warm cheese sauce and turkey. Pour mixture into a greased (with butter) 7x11 baking dish. Combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over top.
Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 30 minutes (or until the top browns and the mixture bubbles).
NOTE: I buy the 24 oz. package of noodles to double the recipe and bake in a 9x13 baking dish. I also place the baking dish on a foil-covered baking sheet to catch any sauce that may bubble over. Two stores that still carry a package of frozen peas and carrots are Walmart and Sprouts. The diced carrots work best.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Reames-Homestyle-Egg-Noodles-24-oz-Bag/10804944
The broccoli cheese casserole someone posted upthread was a staple at holiday dinners when I was growing up. I made it 1 time for my own kids and they LOVED it! They were not used to any veggies that were not steamed, roasted or grilled.
I cook a little healthier than my mom did !
My friend lived in Germany for several years. She had PX privileges while most of her friends did not. She was always asked to bring a jello mold to pot lucks. She said they’d practically swoon if she brought one with mini marshmallows mixed in.
I could live the rest of my life without every eating jello again and still die happy.
When you live in Minnesota, you have several choices of jello and deviled eggs at any pot luck. It is almost a competition to see who will bring the best.
One dish that everyone loves to hate: Brussels sprouts.
I love them and shred them and stir fry them lightly – and then I toss them with onions that I prepared ahead of time. They are caramelized with sugar and vinegar.
Even people who don’t like Brussels sprouts ask for more. I think that they don’t know what they’re eating because they’re shredded!
Yes to the frozen Butterball turkey, green bean/fried onion casserole, Jiffy mix corn casserole, canned cranberries, stove top stuffing, microwaved sweet potatoes with marshmallows, canned gravy (with drippings added), and whipped mashed potatoes. I do make my own pumpkin pies (with frozen crusts and canned pumpkin --topped with non-dairy whipped topping.) My Thanksgiving is about 85% fake. Every year I suggest we dine at Burger King instead.