Thanksgiving Menus - what are you serving?

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! All of the feasts sound so yummy, especially all of the Food52 dishes. I am living vicariously through all of you today since Thanksgiving here in Canada took place last month! Somehow, I don't think that I will ever adjust to celebrating Thanksgiving BEFORE Halloween. For Canadian Thanksgiving, we celebrated with my in-laws at their house, so I was not responsible for the cooking or the menu. But we all helped out and everything was pretty scrumptious. Our menu was:

Homemade Pork Pot Stickers (made by my brother-in-law's mother)
Peking Turkey with Mandarin and Cranberry Stuffing and Hoisin Roasting Sauce http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/entertaining/tips-and-trends/peking-turkey-anyone-7-modern-recipes-for-thanksgiving/article2186834/
Peas in Whie Wine and Butter (mostly for the kids -- see above link)
Sauteed Carrots with Honey and Sage (my mother-in-law's recipe)
I contributed dessert and I made drbab's delicious Ginger Apple Torte w/ Whipped Cream http://food52.com/recipes/7569_ginger_apple_torte

We usually mark American Thanksgiving here in Canada, but we will not do our Thanksgiving dinner until the weekend since today is a normal school/work day. Our American Thanksgiving dinner is not too lavish and over the top -- I have to keep things simple since there will be only three of us (my husband, daughter and myself) and I am the only cook! It's already been decided that turkey will have a starring role at Christmas dinner -- we will do the Judy Bird then. So here is what I have decided for our homage to American Thanksgiving. I am making an all-food52 dinner (thank you for the inspiration hardlikearmour and antoniajames!).

Monkeymom's Wishbone Roast Chicken with Herb Butter: http://www.food52.com/recipes/3324_wishbone_roast_chicken_with_herb_butter
Hardlikearmour's Sara's Sweet Potato Casserole: http://www.food52.com/recipes/14630_saras_sweet_potato_casserole
Betteirene's Braised Green Beans and Roasted Red Peppers: http://www.food52.com/recipes/4724_braised_green_beans_and_roasted_red_peppers
Amanda's Kale Salad with Apples and Hazelnuts: http://www.food52.com/recipes/9114_kale_salad_with_apples_and_hazelnuts
Meta Given's Pumpkin Pie for Dessert: http://www.food52.com/recipes/15143_meta_givens_pumpkin_pie

I made Meta Givens pie and it looks great, I am also doing Sara's sweet potato casserole with a simple pecan topping. I think its hilarious that your husband wants canned peas. Well of the canned variety Le Sueur is the best I think. I agree with AJ, with a lot of help from everyone over the last week or more things going well, I am a little behind. I just found out 4 more are coming to dinner, I didn't make adjustments since I always cook enough so everyone has leftovers to take.

And I've modified mine--I'm also doing the dry-brined turkey and Meta Given's pumpkin pie intead of my version of Bert Greene's. I also am making Sara's sweet potatoes with a simple pecan topping. And here's what I do for love--no hating please--my husband requested... canned peas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So, what the hell, I can open a can, right? Le Sueur Baby Peas it is.

So, I'm going to amend the menu previously posted, as I decided to do the Russ Parsons Judy Bird (with sage and thyme salt), and since I made ricotta over the weekend, created a new dinner roll, with 1/3 barley flour and ricotta whey instead of milk or water. And a discussion on the Hotline about roasting sweet potatoes, and the realization that I could make it all in advance, has me making Sara's Sweet Potato Casserole (with just a scattering of buttered, salted pecan pieces, instead of the streusel) instead of the Butternut Squash Wedges with Hazelnut Pesto. Things are well on track, thanks to the many helpful things I've learned from this community, especially in the past ten days or so. ;o)

Almost forgot - finished making HLA's prunes - from what I hear, they may be the star of the show.

I'm giving the crack pie a whirl. Doing the dry Brine for the first time and if all fails, booking last minute flights to Austin, Boston, NYC, Hawaii, SF Bay area and Montana. If time permits, BC.

You are all an inspiration! I'll be serving a Heritage Bronze turkey, fennel-apple-pecan salad, chestnut and prune stuffing (oh yeah!), brussels sprouts in mustard cream sauce (will make a convert out of the most resistant sprouts-haters), potatoes (sweet and mashed russets), pumpkin pecan pie.. and a l-o-n-g walk after dinner. Some old movies and nice glass of port will finish the day (and me).

After much deliberation, we've finally finalized our Thanksgiving menu! This year, it's dinner for five...my folks are celebrating with my husband, son, and me. I love cooking with my mom, and we've incorporated our tried-and-true recipes with new ones from Food52!

Dry-Brined Turkey (used a kosher salt-rosemary-orange zest rub)
Mom's dressing (it's simple...sauteed onion, celery, herbs, toasted bread, homemade chicken stock and drippings from the bird)
Crispy cream-braised potatoes and fennel
Caramelized butternut squash wedges with a Sage-Hazelnut Pesto
Brussels sprouts salad a la M. Wells
Umamilicious Green Bean Casserole (from Michelle Bernstein)
Mom's homemade dinner rolls
Mom's cranberry sauce (it's a combination of cooked + finely shredded cranberries, with orange juice, orange zest, and a touch of spice)

Dessert: pumpkin pie with freshly whipped cream (I'm combining my favorite elements from this week's Genius pumpkin pie recipe with my go-to from King Arthur)

On Friday morning, a few close friends are dropping by mid-morning to visit. We're making HLA's pear rosemary danish -- I've been waiting for an excuse to make it again; it's delicious.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

OK, here's my Thanksgiving Menu:
Appetizers: Pinzimonio: Italian style raw vegetables dipped in olive oil
Brie en croute
Gorgonzola Torte with Roasted Hazelnuts and Cranberries
Assorted olives with Rosemary Olive oil

Main: Dry Brined Turkey served Judy Rodger's (Zuni Cafe, SF) style {http://articles.latimes.com/2011/nov/17/food/la-fo-dry-brined-turkey-20111117} I'll add sage leaves in a translucent pattern beneath the breast skin.
Shitake Mushroom stuffing with bacon and oyster sauce
Mashed Potato Casserole with Sour Cream and chives http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/usa/life/2011-11/16/content_14106741.htmz)
Candied yams with pecans
Manderin organges and cranberries with elderflower liqueur (http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2011/11/candied-mandarin-oranges-with-cranberries)
Peas and Pearl onions with herbs and assorted vegetables

Desserts:Bourbon Pecan Butterscotch Bread Pudding (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pecan-Bourbon-and-Butterscotch-Bread-Pudding-368300)
Two store bought Marie Calendar Holiday Pies. Vanilla Ice Cream

I'm inspired! After being in Japan for two years, we are back and anxious to cook. Here's our menu:

Washington Apple cocktail (Crown Royal, cranberry juice, DeKuyer's Apple Pucker)
Some seltzer concoction for the kids using our new SodaStream (I remember Amanda suggested some)

Judy Bird Dry Brine Turkey - this site
Chestnut and Sausage stuffing - Gourmet
Cranberry'-cherry chutney
Spiced pears
Mashed potatoes- with goat cheese and crispy shallots
Do ahead gravy - this site
Vegetarian mushroom gravy (this site's gravy winner)
Dorrie Greenspan's "Pumpkin stuffed with everything good" for the vegetarians
Paul Prudhomme's candied yams
Celery root salad - my sister-in law
some green vegetable
Palate cleanser: David Leibovitz' bombe: cranberry sorbet, white chocolate ginger ice cream, and apricot sorbet - this site
Then we will take a walk or watch football

Chocolate-pecan pie
Traditional pumpkin
Fruit galette (my daughter)
Pumpkin bread pudding with whiskey cream
Crack pie (thanks guys!)
coffee

pumpkin caramels (this site) - if i have the energy!

Sleep!

Add your answer here

OK, I think I have everything all set.
M.Wells Brussels Sprouts Salad http://food52.com/recipes/8647_brussels_sprouts_salad_a_la_m_wells
My husband's turkey and gravy http://food52.com/recipes/7493_barbara_harrys_excellent_roast_turkey_with_gravy and bread stuffing
Cooks' Illustrated Candied Sweet Potato Casserole ; Braised Carrots (I won't have oven space once the turkey goes in so I have to do stovetop stuff) http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/16/dining/braised-carrots-with-cumin-and-red-pepper-recipe.html?_r=1
Spicy cranberry-clementine sauce (will try to post the recipe); my version of Bert Greene's pumpkin pie http://food52.com/recipes/15103_variations_on_bert_greenes_pumpkin_pie; my apple pie (also haven't posted recipe)

My nephew is bringing bread pudding and my niece is bringing cranberry relish.

Do you think we have enough food?

Well I'm a chef in south florida and just happen to have the holliday off. I will be helping my sisters boyfriend's family since dinner is at there house. My dishes that I will be making is a green bean casserole. I will not be buying a can of mushroom soup. I will be making my own for the dish. My sister will be making mom's baked mac n cheese. In there house there is a compition for who can make the best desert that year so I'm also making a chocolate espresso bread pudding with a dark chocolate rum sauce. This will be the first dinner with my sisters boyfriends family so I'm not sure what else will be brought to the feast. My sister and I chose the two dishes we did because there staple dishes to our family dinner.

The feeling is mutual. I forgot the honey and butter caramelized onions from the old Gourmet cookbook. I also thought it would be nice to make a punch - but there are quite a few that look wonderful...I think we will ask the twenty-somethings which one they would like to make!

2 Turkeys - The Bon Appetit Cider Brined and Russ Parsons Dry Rub, both on Weber Grills; the famous mashed potatoes by Syronai, Boulangere's Sour Mash Mash, AJ's Smoking Bishop Cran Relish, my rosemary and pear brandy cran relish, my cranberry pico de gallo (both on the site), Susan Stamberg's Shocking Pink Relish (See Sam1148) Canned cranberry sauce "sandwiches" with a cream cheese and walnut pesto, AJ's red cabbage, beet, and carrot dish, my root gratin (on the site), fried oyster and cornbread stuffing, Mrs. Wheelbarrow's Challah stuffing, green beans almondine, applesauce from our apple tree, cider-sage gravy, AJ's prune clafouti, food52 prize winning baked apples served with cognac ice cream, cranberry-grapefruit sorbet, and parsnip and carrot dice a la Vichy. My god daughter is baking all the pump pies, my daughter will bake some kind of lovely seasonal cake, my other god daughter is making Martha's butternut squash salad, there will be other mashed spuds, a sweet potato dish, and assorted other dishes made by young and ambitious cooks. The point is we need to have enough leftovers to feed everyone for 2 days after the big event. Oh - brussels sprouts will make an appearance somewhere. I make pie crusts in advance for the pie makers. I will start my cran relishes on Sunday, I have just soaked my prunes, and will make another batch of applesauce to freeze for travel.

Our Thanksgiving Day crowd will consist of myself, my husband (adashofbitters), and our new baby Julian, so we're scaling way back in terms of how much food we make and how involved the prep is. We decided to roast a whole duck, and we were going to go with Ina Garten's boil-then-roast method, but then I spotted this: http://www.food52.com/recipes/9115_slow_roast_duck.

We'll keep accompaniments simple - some sort of potatoes, braised leeks, a shaved root vegetable salad, and a really nice bottle of wine (I'm making up for lost time there ;) ). I was never a big dessert person until I got pregnant and my sweet tooth emerged, so we'll probably bake a pie or tart as well. The local apples have been particularly good this year, so I've got my eye on Midge's Brown Butter and Cheddar Apple Pie. http://www.food52.com/recipes/6715_brown_butter_and_cheddar_apple_pie. Tom's Madeira Tart is another dessert contender. http://www.food52.com/recipes/10110_madeira_tart

* Orange - Sage Brined Roasted Turkey
* Sourdough/Cherry Pecan Sausage/Sherry Dressing
* Vegetarian Sourdough/Sage/Mushroom/Walnut Dressing
* Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
* Garlic Mashed Potatoes
* Turkey Gravy
* Green Bean Casserole w/Homemade Cream of Mushroom & Crispy Fried Shallots
* Organic Cranberry Jelly (Courtesy of the Grocery Store)
* Brioche Rolls (Courtesy of a Guest)
* Green Salad (Courtesy of a Guest)
* Savory Sweet Potatoes (Courtesy of a Guest)
* Whipped Chipotle Sweet Potatoes
* Pies: Pecan/Chocolate Pecan/Cherry & Pumpkin (Courtesy of a Guest)

Lunch appetizers:
Artichoke crepes with goat cheese: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/000168.html
Shrimp with cocktail sauce (easy family tradition...)
poached salmon mousse with dill with crackers or cucumber spears
herb jam http://www.food52.com/recipes/14866_paula_wolferts_herb_jam_with_olives_and_lemon

Dinner:
arugala from our garden with shaved persimmon and toasted pumpkin seeds with a pomegranate and herb vinaigrette

Dry brined turkey cooked on the smoker....maybe with some of this great 5 spice mixture I brought back from Vietnam mixed with honey and lemongrass
caramelized turnips with capers, lemon, and parsley http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/16/dining/caramelized-turnips-with-capers-lemon-and-parsley-recipe.html
mashed sweet potatoes with vanilla and spices http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/000589.html
caramilized brussel sprouts with garlic
green beans with tarragon butter and toasted almond slivers
Mushroom and thyme gravy http://www.food52.com/recipes/7483_vegetarian_mushroom_thyme_gravy
Onion confit http://www.food52.com/recipes/2558_tuscan_onion_confit
NPR cranberry relish http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4176014

traditional apple pie the way Grandma did it
Spice kissed pumpkin pie http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/spicekissed-pumpkin-pie-recipe.html

Then I collapse and let other people do the dishes

Bacon-Wrapped Dates Drizzled w/ Honey

Herb-Butter Roasted Turkey (recipe from Gourmet-- FAILSAFE)
Carmelized Onion Gravy (also from Gourmet and also exquisite)
Roasted Brussels Sprouts w/ Bacon
Alton Brown's Green Bean Casserole (never made it before, but the rest of my family has forbid the fakey one)
StoveTop Stuffing (just for me)
Some kind of cornbread stuffing my Mom is concocting
Cauliflower Gratin
Mashed Potatoes
Yorkshire Puddings or Parker House Rolls (Mom still deciding)

Pumpkin Pie
Black Velvet Layer Cake w/ Marshmallow Frosting

Pecan pie with Pumpkin Ice Cream! Thank you Summer of Eggplant!

I need to amend my answer -- I'm going to do the Russ Parsons dry brined bird just posted. Plus, I'll be making some of hardlikearmour's pickled prunes, in which I'll probably use half prunes, half dried black mission figs. ;o)

For an appetizer we will start with POKE. My turkey will be waiting for me at Whole Foods in Kahalui. I will roast that bird with SPINACH, KALE STUFFING. For a vegetable I'll be serving my CRISP AND LIGHT BRUSSEL SPROUTS, mashed potatoes, and probably a MELANGE OF GREEN BEANS. I will be making MOM'S TURKEY GIBLET GRAVY. For dessert I will decide between ALMOND TART and COFFEE-NOCHELLA BREAD PUDDING. Our friends from Avery Island, LA will be joining us on Maui for the week so I'm sure there will be lots of Tabasco sauce! (All recipes that you can find at FOOD52 are in CAPS)

To my table I having a number of international students who can't get home for the holiday. So I am planning a fusion dinner with Asian and American dishes. I am having Asian pear slaw, 8 treasure rice, a number of dishes with cranberries...and looking for more noodle ideas.

I don't host Thanksgiving, and as no one in my family cares too much for turkey, it works out pretty well. I'll be bringing these sides to our Thanksgiving dinner:
http://www.food52.com/recipes/1628_olive_oil_caramelized_onion_and_sage_mashed_sweet_potatoes

http://www.food52.com/recipes/1452_what_we_call_stuffing_challah_mushroom_and_celery (to which I add chanterelles!)

I haven't made Food Blogga's sweet potatoes before, but have made mrs.wheelbarrow's challah stuffing the last two years and it is a big hit.

I will also be making AntoniaJames' butternut and parsnip puree (http://www.food52.com/recipes/3803_pureed_roasted_parsnips_and_butternut_squash_with_creme_fraiche ) for a dinner on Sat. night of Thanksgiving weekend, along with TasteFood's http://www.food52.com/recipes/2262_smoked_ham_with_pomegranate_molasses_black_pepper_and_mustard_glaze

I also love Merrills' Tuscan onions: http://www.food52.com/recipes/2558_tuscan_onion_confit which is particularly great on a turkey sandwich later on.

After making several different cranberry sauces and chutneys, my favorite is from La Tartine Gourmande - simple and easy and the cardamom shines: http://www.latartinegourmande.com/2009/10/12/cranberry-harvest-in-new-england/

I love this time of year! We have so much to be thankful for. My son and I will have a grand time in the
kitchen cooking up the Cider brined roast turkey (Bon Apetit), cornbread and bread dressing, sweet
potato apple casserole (Time Life Series), mashed sour cream potatoes, make ahead gravy, cranberry orange relish and canned cranberry sauce, AJ's roasted beet & carrot salad, and after a respite, pumpkin pie. Midges cheddar apple pie, and salted carmel ice cream.

Traditional Turkey & Gravy, Sherried Potatoes Au Gratin, Butternut Squash Apple Cranberry Bake, Sausage Stuffing, Cranberry Sauce, Wild Rice & Onion Rolls, and Cranberry Layered Cheesecake. It's just the two of us this year, so it's a small spread (comparatively). We do love leftovers!

We go to my partner's sisters. She makes a very nice traditional spread. With a couple of turkeys.
And by our request Green bean Casserole and Cranberry sauce in the can with ridges. (A must IMHO).
It's about an 8 hour drive...so we make NPR's "Mama Stamburg's Cranberry relish.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4176014
Raw cranberry's, sour cream, onion---ground together with horseraddish.
It's frozen overnight as part of process---and can defrost during the car trip in a cooler.
It's amazing stuff---looks very very pepto-bismol pink, tastes great.
Try it out, you'll love it.

I'll be part of a team cooking for about 40 people. I'll be doing one turkey filled with guanciale (if it arrives), carrots, celery etc. Probably an internal brine. But in tribute to Calvin Trillin I'll also be preparing spaghetti carbonara. I have to triple the recipe because last year we sold out in about 5 minutes. According to Trillin this is what the Indians brought to the first Thanksgiving. And the whole turkey thing is based on a misconception; apparently the Indians walked away from the Pilgrims' table saying "what a bunch of turkeys."

Wow, I'm blown away by all your menus (and totally honored that my pie is on yours, aargersi!). I'm headed to friends and am in charge of desserts. Still mulling what I'll bring but Melissa Clark's pecan pie sure is intriguing.

Everyone's menu sounds delicious. This is what I'm serving: Turkey with Bourbon Glaze, Lemony Sourdough Stuffing Muffins, Wild Mushroom Collard Bundles, Roasted Acorn Squash with Chile lime vinaigrette, Cranberry Linzer Torte, Apple Cider Cream Pie, Pumpkin Roll Cake w/ ginger buttercream filling and Espresso Chocolate Shortbread Cookies, and Gingerbread Cookies.

We divide and conquer around here. Jim (my spouse) is making tried and true - Colicchio's bird, gravy, mashed potatoes and the cranberry zinfandel sauce from epicurious, which is just awesome, after Thanksgiving I put it on vanilla ice cream. I will be making green beans and chestnuts sauteed with duck fat, oyster dressing (although sometimes it's mushroom bread pudding) and new this year Melissa Clark's pecan pie Merrill just posted and the pumpkin ice cream listed on David Leibowitz's blog. I made that this AM and I suspect another batch or two will need to be made before we get to T-day.

Pretty amazing stuff here--I'm thinking we need a "your best FOOD52 menu" contest!

As I did last Thanksgiving, last Christmas and the Christmas before last, I’m going all out with FOOD52, using recipes found here for nearly everything that will be served. (Some are my own old favorites, which I posted here.)

The turkey has no posted recipe, but is entirely based on information I received on foodpickle last year. It will be spatchcocked, then brined (in a solution recommended by Amanda on foodpickle), then roasted.

On the side:

Ciabatta Stuffing with Chorizo, Sweet Potato, and Mushrooms : http://www.food52.com/recipes/1516_ciabatta_stuffing_with_chorizo_sweet_potato_and_mushrooms

Mr. L’s Mashed Potatoes: http://www.food52.com/recipes/2947_mr_ls_mashed_potatoes

Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy (using the not-brined, roasted neck of the bird) : http://www.food52.com/recipes/7530_makeahead_turkey_gravy

Caramelized Butternut Squash Wedges with a Sage Hazelnut Pesto:
http://www.food52.com/recipes/7374_caramelized_butternut_squash_wedges_with_a_sage_hazelnut_pesto

Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Shallot: http://www.food52.com/recipes/1387_pan_roasted_brussel_sprouts_with_bacon_shallot

Florentine Fennel Gratin: http://www.food52.com/recipes/15067_florentine_fennel_gratin

Sour Cream Dinner Rolls: http://www.food52.com/recipes/8307_sour_cream_dinner_rolls

Cranberry and Fig Compote: http://www.food52.com/recipes/15054_smoking_bishop_cranberry_and_fig_compote

And for Dessert:
Mr. T’s Pecan Pie: http://www.food52.com/recipes/2330_mr_ts_pecan_pie
Rustic Pear Tart with Walnut Streusel Topping : http://www.food52.com/recipes/14452_rustic_pear_tart_with_walnut_streusel_topping

All the shopping, advance prep/make-aheads are on the calendar, with much of the work spread out between Saturday and Wednesday. We’re hiking Mt. Tam that morning, as usual, so there will only be about three hours of actual cooking on The Big Day. ;o)

Oh, this is so funny! I just logged on to ask exactly the same question here! When I get a break late this evening, I'll respond in more detail. Ours will be All-FOOD52 again. I need to re-post a recipe that I posted shortly after joining (2 years ago exactly, today!!), but which I had to ask the editors to take down, because back then you could not edit, ever, after submitting a recipe to a contest, and this recipe was missing a few ingredients and an instruction. Stay tuned . . . . . ;o)

I'm not hosting this year, so am just bring a few sides and apps -- a blue cheese stuffed date wrapped in proscuitto with a brown butter sauce, crispy polenta squares with agave, green beans or maybe absurdly addictive asperagus from F52, and my cinnamon and crystalized ginger cranberry sauce.

I'm also trying to decide if I'm going to try AGAIN to make a recipe I have for apple cranberry pie with blue cheese on the top. A friend made it once and it was the best pie I'd ever had. I tried it a few years later and the blue cheese I used was too strong and not that creamy... and it just looked like something died on my pie and smelled like feet. It was quite the joke. We'll see; I am determined to master that pie.

After reading this I am inspired!
Roast turkey and spiral sliced ham
my mother-in-laws yeast rolls (no pressure there...)
http://www.food52.com/recipes/1299_grilled_brussels_sprouts
http://www.food52.com/recipes/1467_pear_brandy_and_walnut_cranberry_sauce
regular ol' mashed potatoes
yucky ol' green bean casserole (my husband's requirement)
Marley16's spicy cornbread dressing
I haven't decided on desserts yet!

Jiminy crickets hardlikearmour - I just read your recipe for special occasion turkey and I'm hooked (reading step 2 makes me glad the poor bird has "crossed over"!). I love the confit idea and I think I am definitely going to borrow that this year. I'm also going to make fiveandspice's pear soup with pancetta and blue cheese http://www.food52.com/recipes/14443_pear_soup_with_pancetta_and_blue_cheese
as a starter, and I'm browsing around F52 for some veggie ideas – I'm really looking forward to trying more delicious recipes from F52. I'm also trying an oldie from Martha Stewart: Eggnog Custard Cups: http://www.marthastewart.com:80/318308/eggnog-cups (hope it tastes as good as it sounds!).

My roast turkey with good things like garlic and shallot stuck under the (salted) skin; my mother's traditional dressing (bread cubes, fresh sage, walnuts, celery--may add chorizo if I'm in the mood & I have it in the freezer), pumpkin pie. Mushroom soup based on one at the William's Sonoma website with way more mushrooms and no cream (and using a veal stock base). My mother's sweet potatoes baked in orange juice, brown sugar, topped with orange slices and pecans or else my Golden Carrot Souffle (no advert, but it's easy, sweet, can be prepped ahead, and it's orange : ) Sweet-hot cranberry chutney from Laxmi Hiremath crunchy with onions or shallots & walnuts. so good.

I wish I had as much control over the menu as you guys do. Even though I'm hosting, I generally have to give over full control to my mom on the menu and that means we have a very traditional family Thanksgiving - in other words, all the same dishes I've eaten every Thanksving my entire life! Maybe she'll let me do something wild and make one of the awesome autumn salads from here.
That said, the food is always delicious and tastes exactly like home.

Would love to go to everyone's house sounds delicious!! I am making butter and herb roast turkey with gravy, corn bread dressing, Bevi's cranberry sauce, AJ's haricot vert a la dijonaise, mashed potatoes, still trying to decide on which vegetable sides to make, pumpkin and pecan pies, my potato dinner rolls, hla's Sarah's Sweet Potato Casserole (I agree you can never have too many potatoes) I am still looking through our punch recipes trying to decide which one or two I will make maybe the pomelder punch by hla and apple pie punch by mrslarkin, still making a decision on that.

I'm trying for an essentially all food52 TG dinner, though will be doing some CI dinner rolls (otherwise will be risking mutiny from my siblings - all 3 have requested them!!) It'll be a vegetarian-leaning meal, with the turkey being the only non-veg friendly dish. I haven't completely nailed it down, but so far I'm planning on: http://www.food52.com/recipes/14737_special_occasion_turkey , http://www.food52.com/recipes/1666_arugula_pear_and_goat_cheese_salad_with_pomegranate_vinaigrette , http://www.food52.com/recipes/1452_what_we_call_stuffing_challah_mushroom_and_celery , http://www.food52.com/recipes/14606_crispy_creambraised_potatoes_and_fennel , http://www.food52.com/recipes/15054_smoking_bishop_cranberry_and_fig_compote , http://www.food52.com/recipes/7483_vegetarian_mushroom_thyme_gravy , http://www.food52.com/recipes/15023_spiced_maple_pecan_pie_with_star_anise or http://www.food52.com/recipes/14740_classic_pecan_pie_with_a_twist , and http://www.food52.com/recipes/8092_ginger_spice_bread_pudding I'm still deciding on a non-starchy vegetable side & a pumpkin dessert. I may also make http://www.food52.com/recipes/3012_mashed_potatoes_with_caramelized_onions_and_goat_cheese since you can never have too many potatoes!!!

Two fried turkeys, spiral sliced ham, bread dressing, oyster dressing. sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, kiselo zele (Bulgarian cabbage and sauerkraut), fruit salad, roasted peppers, mashed potatoes, cranberry apple orange sauce, pumpkin pie, some kind of gingerbread and a Sander's Bumpy cake for the kids. Oh and my cousin is bringing that famous green bean casserole and I hope my dad's wife brings spinach banitsa(pie).

Ditto on the Cider Brined Turkey; mashed potatoes (heavy on the sour cream), and then it turns to battle of the sisters-in-law as we present our traditional favorites: My oyster stuffing vs. her cornbread stuffing. My cranberry-orange sauce vs. her fresh chopped cranberry relish. My chunky sweet potatoes w/brown sugar & cayenne vs. her whipped, traditional sweet potatoes. And so on. My Momofuku crack pie vs. her pumpkin pie & pecan pie. But it's all good!

OK I'll go! Cider brined roast turkey (Bon Apetit this month but mine is a 25 pounder) smoked turkey legs, a spiral honey ham, Mr Ls mashed potatoes with gravy, scalloped sweet potatoes, AJ's brilliant autumn salad (roasted beets and carrots) green beans, salad, cornbread dressing AND bread dressing, cranberry sauce (home made and canned) Midge's cheddar apple pie, my pumpkin flan, Zieker's key lime pie, and a German chocolate pie, and then for appetizers - artichoke dip baked in a pie pumpkin and also a cranberry cream cheese dip.