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Original poster

I quite fancy making Thanksgiving dinner this year

62 replies

canihaveacoffeeplease · 03/10/2021 01:58

Just for a bit of fun I thought it would be nice to have a family thanksgiving dinner on the weekend closest to Thanksgiving. We won't do the full on celebration, presents etc but just wanted to make a bit of effort and have a lovely meal. So, any suggestions of what we should/shouldn't have? Also, I know it's traditional but just can't bring myself to make sweet potato topped with marshmallow, fairly sure 90% of it would end up in the bin!

So far I've got:

Roast turkey (obvs)
Cornbread
Mash
Stuffing/dressing- as traditional a recipe as I can find
Creamed spinach
Green bean casserole
Some more veg...again want trad recipes not just steamed veg

Pecan pie
Another pud, maybe traditional apple pie?

I'd love suggestions!

OP posts:
AlfonsoTheDinosaur · 03/10/2021 15:03

OP, I've got nothing in my diary that day. I could bring pumpkin and pecan AND apple pies.

No obligation, you understand. Grin

HeronLanyon · 03/10/2021 20:03

daisy I do indeed - I was careful to call it ‘American Halloween’ which is rather different frim the older All Hallows’ Eve etc

DaisyWaldron · 03/10/2021 20:24

What's different about American Halloween? I'd happily take pumpkins over turnips for carving, and apart from that it seems to be mostly just that the American costumes are less spooky and some of the foods are different, but people still eat the traditional local foods here. Ireland's never had a bonfire night tradition, and we do all the special foods and sparklers and stuff on Halloween.

HeronLanyon · 03/10/2021 20:53

Well I spent my childhood here in uk in 70s and the differences are fewer now as more and more of the US traditions have come here over the years - south east England here
Trick or treating unknown when I moved here.
Carved pumpkins on step likewise. And other us decorations I’d known as smaller child.
Pumpkin anything (food/drink) pretty much unknown.
Costumes and parties - not really.
There was flouring (not experienced in the us) and general mayhem caused by some out and about in the dark.
So for me an American kid coming here in the 70s bonfire night was the huge thing and Halloween not at all.
Obviously over the years the uk Halloween has changed a lot and more of what I knew in the us is now also here.

ducksalive · 03/10/2021 20:54

I can't compare American v Irish, only Scots v American.
They both have things going for them, I enjoy both.
The USA
A key difference is the level of decoration in the gardens, huge amounts of inflatables, dry ice smoke, sound effects etc.
A strong community in the streets feel.

The Scots
Has everyone doing a turn to get something so a little more interactive between sweet givers and receivers.

I don't think that Americans have ruined Halloween at all. I don't actually even think that they have changed it that much either. I enjoyed it as a dc in Scotland and my dc enjoy something very similar in the USA.

HeronLanyon · 03/10/2021 20:55

This could all be regional also here in uk - maybe other areas have always had trick or treat etc - just remember when we tried to do it we very quickly realised no one really knew what we were doing. We threw ourselves into bonfire night here - guys and penny for the guy and pretty lethal fireworks etc.

ducksalive · 03/10/2021 21:05

I don't think the English, particularly the southern English had much of a Halloween tradition according to DH who is from there.

DaisyWaldron · 03/10/2021 22:19

No, the English don't, but the Irish, including NI really do, and it's very annoying where our longstanding cultural traditions are described every year as newfangled American imports. As a child in the 1970s, I would dress up as a witch, ghost or vampire and go trick or treating, all around my local streets, go to Halloween parties where we we would tell ghost stories, play fortune telling game, go bobbing for apples and light sparklers.We would carve turnip lanterns and eat toffee apples, barmbrack, and apple pie. It wasn't the same as an American Halloween, but had far more in common with that than the English bonfire night. There wasn't really a tradition of big outdoor decorations beyond the turnip lanterns, and the food was based around apples rather than pumpkins, but they are clearly different versions of the same thing.

ducksalive · 03/10/2021 23:23

@DaisyWaldron as a Scot I 💯 % agree with you.
In fact even English DH knows that every year we have the Halloween argument on Mumsnet and he has never actually been on Mumsnet himself.

American Halloween is plainly descended from and closely related to Celtic ( Irish/Scots) Halloween and both cultures are richer for having it.
I'm glad England is finally catching up.

Sorry OP for derailing, I hope you thoroughly enjoy thanksgiving, it is a lovely non commercial day in my experience.

JingsMahBucket · 04/10/2021 08:05

@PaolaDiLorenzo

I've done this before and we actually liked the sweet potato with marshmallows. I've also served an American lunch on Christmas Day for a change.
@PaolaDiLorenzo what do you qualify as an American? That’s a genuine question, I’m American as well.

@canihaveacoffeeplease actually thanks for starting this thread. It reminded me that I wanted to make Thanksgiving dinner this year. I love it. :)

DeadButDelicious · 04/10/2021 08:58

I've always liked the sound of thanksgiving dinner. Cornbread looks delicious!

galacticpixels · 04/10/2021 12:56

We did this last year to cheer ourselves up during lockdown. My family doesn't do turkey for Christmas so it was a bit of a novelty.

I think we had turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole (I liked it, DP LOVED it and still talks about it), mashed potato, and then apple pie. Leftover sandwiches for days was the best part.

We're going to do it again this year, except we'll attempt pumpkin pie too.

DriftingBlue · 04/10/2021 13:25

The one “tradition” you might want to add is going around the table and everyone says something they are thankful for that year.

AlfonsoTheDinosaur · 04/10/2021 13:54

That's lovely, @DriftingBlue.

AlfonsoTheDinosaur · 04/10/2021 13:55

What a terrific thread. I love the sound of everyone's Thanksgiving meals.

Words · 04/10/2021 14:48

Sweet potatoes with .... marshmallows on top?! ShockShockShockShock Is that really a thing?

True I haven't tried it, so shouldn't judge- but then neither have I tried fried okra topped, let's say, with grilled after eight mints either.

kittenkipping · 04/10/2021 18:29

I think it's a great idea op! Any reason to enjoy a family feast and be mindful of our blessings is surely a good one? Hardly a negative import is it?

I've tried the sweet potato marshmallow as put forward by Nigella in her 2004 book feast (so brits picking up an excuse to feast is at the very least 15 years old) I hate it, but it was fun to try. Her gleaming maple cheesecake is first on my list for Canadian thanksgiving this weekend
www.nigella.com/recipes/gleaming-maple-cheesecake

NeverDropYourMooncup · 04/10/2021 18:31

@Words

Sweet potatoes with .... marshmallows on top?! ShockShockShockShock Is that really a thing?

True I haven't tried it, so shouldn't judge- but then neither have I tried fried okra topped, let's say, with grilled after eight mints either.

I have tried it. Fried Okra and Grilled After Eight Mints would be a light palate cleanser in comparison.
PaolaDiLorenzo · 04/10/2021 19:28

@JingsMahBucket
It was fairly similar to Thanksgiving but I changed some sides. I made roasted sprouts with squash, I still make this every year now, it's delicious, sweet potato and creamed potato swirled together and a pecan pie for dessert.

LoveFall · 04/10/2021 19:48

I grew up with my Mom making sweet potatoes with the mini marshmallows on top, turned all brown and crispy under the broiler, for both Canadian Thanksgiving and Christmas. I will reluctantly admit it is a bit off. I really wonder where that originated.

I make a sweet potato or yam dish now with a bit of maple syrup in it, also baked and puffed up in the oven.

The cranberries are very important. I use fresh ones and a recipe that uses orange juice and black current liquor, with a vanilla bean also. I keep it quite tart.

I use many of the recipes from this Fine Cooking article from a few years back. They are all good. The cranberry one is there.

www.finecooking.com/menu/plan-ahead-for-a-delicious-thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! I can't wait for turkey dinner next weekend. It is probably my favourite family holiday.

LoveFall · 04/10/2021 19:50

The green bean casserole is, in my very respectful view, an American abomination. I have never seen it on a Canadian Thanksgiving table.

MummyJ12 · 04/10/2021 20:11

@DaisyWaldron

No, the English don't, but the Irish, including NI really do, and it's very annoying where our longstanding cultural traditions are described every year as newfangled American imports. As a child in the 1970s, I would dress up as a witch, ghost or vampire and go trick or treating, all around my local streets, go to Halloween parties where we we would tell ghost stories, play fortune telling game, go bobbing for apples and light sparklers.We would carve turnip lanterns and eat toffee apples, barmbrack, and apple pie. It wasn't the same as an American Halloween, but had far more in common with that than the English bonfire night. There wasn't really a tradition of big outdoor decorations beyond the turnip lanterns, and the food was based around apples rather than pumpkins, but they are clearly different versions of the same thing.
I agree with you a lot on what you’ve posted Daisy. I was born in 1978, Northern England and trick or treating was always a tradition. Dressing up and carving out a turnip. School always had Halloween discos. My dad was Northern Irish, maybe I enjoyed it because of his influence but that had nothing to do with our little mining village in the North of England going all out, including homemade decorations. Everyone was ready with bowls of sweets or jars of coppers for me and my friends trick or treating! I have pinched Thanksgiving dinner though. I always make my Christmas gravy with the turkey from the thanksgiving dinner and freeze it for a stress free Christmas lunch!
GrouchyKiwi · 04/10/2021 20:22

We did it last year as our US meal (we're doing a world tour of food). The green bean casserole was so weird but really delicious (most of the children liked it).

My only advice for you is to find UK recipes for things. I followed an American recipe for pecan pie, not realising that our butter behaves differently, and though it tasted good the pastry had no integrity. Mary Berry has a good recipe, I believe.

Hydrate · 04/10/2021 21:54

@LoveFall

The green bean casserole is, in my very respectful view, an American abomination. I have never seen it on a Canadian Thanksgiving table.
Same here. Fresh green beans topped with a dab of butter.
Hydrate · 05/10/2021 00:53

This looks like the recipe I made, I often added grated orange peel and or Grand Marnier to kick it up a notch. www.allrecipes.com/recipe/267849/roasted-sweet-potato-casserole-with-pecan-crumble/