Thanksgiving

Hi! I’m braving a second attempt to get my husband’s family to enjoy Thanksgiving (they love the concept but couldn’t get their heads around the idea of sweet potato casserole or green bean casserole 🙈)

Does anyone have any ideas for sides I can make that would be more American than British but not too overwhelming for them? 😊

Creamed pearl onions
Stuffing
Creamed corn/cornbread casserole

Not particularly American but will work great:
Brussels sprouts
Butternut squash mash

I've never liked either of those sides so I can't blame the inlaws!

We'd do mashed potatoes, gravy, butternut or acorn squash mash, assorted steamed veg, apple pie, chocolate pudding pie (family holiday thing vs thanksgiving), and pumpkin pie for dessert. I hope you find some options enjoyed by all

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I've been trying to get in the mood for Thanksgiving this year - not sparked as yet.

The husband unit has always loved Thanksgiving (and all food holidays!).

Almost 20 years together and he loves sweet potato pie, cranberries and he's FINALLY warmed to the IDEA of leftovers.

For the first ten years he was so leftover "averse".  Sigh..........  (at least he's pretty)

Yeah I have learnt to skip multiple unusual dishes and stick to one uniquely American side. A jello salad does the trick. Watergate salad gives them something to talk about but is actually yummi enough that it goes quick whilst they mock! (Order pistachio pud from amazon)  I do make stuffing from scratch, easy and moist unlike the Brit variety and is a big hit. Other then classic pumpkin and (no karoo syrup)  pecan pie the rest is standard...turkey, white flour gravy, mash and loads of plain veggies.
I also found over the years it's a lot to take on single handed and in true american style I assign each person a recipe. It gets them involved and they really enjoy it. Although I do the watergate salad as it's never come out right, usually not set. Who knew jello packets could be soo confusing! Lol.

Leftovers are the best! Hubby luckily loves them too. 

I will be in Switzerland on Thanksgiving this year, (One year I was in Vienna and had turkey schnitzel and it was so good!), so will try and see if I can find turkey when I'm out and about.   Otherwise, might make a roast turkey dinner on Sunday and call it good. 
I like getting a 'Christmas sandwich' from the shops this time of year and calling it a Thanksgiving leftover sandwich instead. 

I do make stuffing from scratch, easy and moist unlike the Brit variety and is a big hit.

That sounds especially nice, can you tell us how you make it?

One year I was in Vienna and had turkey schnitzel and it was so good!

 
I love that fried meat / schnitzel stuff!  The Czechs love to make it and I miss it so much. 

Oh man my British colleagues love the green bean casserole lol. Maybe sweet potatoe pie? Not so sweet as marshmallow sweet potatoes

My favorite Thanksgiving memory in the UK was when I went to a Simple Minds gig in Manchester in 2008. It was the first time I was back for a visit after returning to the USA in 2004 and during that time fostered a friendship with fans from all over the world online. We finally met at that gig in Manchester. It was Thanksgiving night and the other three Americans and I celebrated with a Spaniard, some Scots, and a Swedish fan by raiding the Tesco Metro after the gig. We ate turkey, stuffing and Brussels sprout sandwiches with a touch of gravy, a bag of crisps, a Strongbow cider and a cherry Kiplings pie. Sure, it wasn’t a proper sit-down meal (we were eating outside the Tesco Metro) and there wasn’t pumpkin pie but that was such a great time


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Stuffing muffins. In the States we'd get a box of Mrs. Cubbinson's Stuffing Mix and mix it up, then smash it into muffin tins. You do have to really squash it in there. Then pour a small amount of melted butter on each one and bake in the oven. When they are toasty brown, you pop them out and serve them as a muffin instead of serving, say, crescent rolls. Which is the other bread we always had at Thanksgiving. 

I haven't done much for Thanksgiving since 2011. But this year, as I am on 'maternity leave', I'm not working and my mum came over to see me!! So I'm going all out for the three of us (my mum, husband, myself and 8 month old, does she count as a half?). My menu is:
Turkey (to be fair probably just a crown not the whole thing)
gravy
homemade butternut squash, gorgonzola, spinach and pancetta stuffing
green bean casserole
crumbed cabbage
parmesan sweet potatoes
mash
cornbread
homemade cranberry sauce
pumpkin pie
(and pigs in blankets by my husband's request)

I start all the prep and some cooking tomorrow!!! I can't wait!!!

We are going to see High Contrast in London on thanksgiving this year, but I plan to do a little roast chicken dinner  with mashed potatoes and gravy, and make some pie this weekend. Low key is good!

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You could try roasted root vegetables? Or just steam any veggies that you know they like.

This is my first Thanksgiving here. My husband will be working that day but I do want to make a Thanksgiving dinner. I'm making a turkey crown, mash, gravy (Bisto), stuffing (pre-made from Tesco), green bean casserole, candied yams, and cranberry sauce (jarred). Pumpkin pie and cheesecake for dessert. It's a lot of food for just the two of us, but I like leftovers.

Next Thanksgiving, when our house is in order, I might like to have my brother in law and sister in law over.

We are going to the pub!  Their Christmas menu is out so we will have the turkey for the main course.  Hubby is making pumpkin pie .  My 89 year old sister is joining us with my nephew (Brits).  We will give my sister a pumpkin pie to take home.

Hubby is just happy to do anything and us Brits have no expectations or family traditions surrounding Thanksgiving.

No prep, no clean up - that sounds like the perfect meal.