If you’re like the rest of America, you probably fell into a deep food coma after yesterday’s Thanksgiving dinner, and you’re probably still feeling a little bit of a turkey hangover this morning. Or more likely a side-dish hangover because everyone knows the sides are the best part of Thanksgiving dinner.
Regardless, you enjoyed yourself. You indulged, you spent time with family and friends, you ate ridiculously good food and you didn’t care if your pants felt a little tight at the end of the night. Because it was Thanksgiving – and that’s the point!
Here’s how it all went down at my Thanksgiving dinner hosted by my wonderful Aunt Patty and Uncle Gary in their home, as it is every year.
Salad with sliced strawberries, mandarin oranges, dried cranberries, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, slivered almonds, sesame sticks, celery, sunflower seeds. You name it, it was in this salad! A refreshing start to the meal, made by my aunt’s very good friend Mary.
Homemade Cranberry Sauce with mandarin oranges. My cousin Beth always makes the cranberry sauce. Nothing canned or store bought at our Thanksgiving dinner!
TURKEY! My uncle cooks one turkey on the grill, and Bubby roasts another in the oven. Turkey two ways. Both were delicious, but there’s something about the grilled turkey that I like just a little bit better. It’s got that smokiness to it that I absolutely love.
Ginger Roasted Vegetables made by yours truly! It was very simple to make, and everyone enjoyed it. Who doesn’t love roasted vegetable?! Carrots, parsnips, cauliflower, acorn squash, and Brussels sprouts. Recipe will be up soon!
Butternut Squash and Sage Pesto Gratin – I found this amazing dish through one of the Sunday Supper round ups. It was shared by Brianne of Cupcakes and Kale Chips, who originally got the recipe from Food Network’s Giada. I loved the sound of a sage pesto, and butternut squash is a must for Thanksgiving! I changed a couple of things in the pesto. Recipe will be posted soon!
Spinach Maria – Almost like a cream spinach but not as rich or heavy. It’s a mix of spinach with a bunch of cheeses and the best part: a crispy topping. My aunt got the recipe out of the local paper – it is a copycat recipe for the famed dish from a restaurant in Boca, Kee Grill. Everyone loves their Spinach Maria, so my aunt jumped at the chance to recreate it for our Thanksgiving dinner. It had a bit of a kick to it from cayenne, but was still very good.
Kasha Stuffing – One of my aunt’s staple dishes for Thanksgiving. Instead of the traditional corn bread, or any bread at all, she uses what we Jewish folk call Kasha, but the rest of the world knows as Buckwheat. It’s total Jewish comfort food, like Kasha & Bowties (Kasha Varnishkes). It’s good, and it makes a great stuffing and I truthfully don’t think I’d have my stuffing any other way!
Sweet Potato Souffle – Another of my aunt’s Thanksgiving staples. I don’t know how she makes it. It is so smooth and creamy and in no way heavy or dense at all. She never uses marshmallows, which is fine by me; I’m not a big fan. I only like marshmallows in s’mores.
Time for dessert!
This Pumpkin Cheesecake is seriously the most decadent and delicious cheesecake I have ever had. It just gets better and better every year. My cousin Beth is known for this dessert. I don’t think anyone else would even attempt to try and outdo her.
My cousin Leah’s husband Michael has been making us this Apple Pie since he became a part of the family. It is amazing, and always looks beautiful. I told him he needs to teach me the art of pie making. I have yet to attempt it, and am a little intimidated. He makes it look so easy!
Welp, there ya have it. Thanksgiving Dinner in a nutshell. Now I’m heading to the gym to burn off the gazillion calories I consumed as evidenced by these photos. See ya!
What did your dinner table look like? What’s your favorite dish at Thanksgiving dinner?
