This year I am hosting my first thanksgiving. I dont know if my in-laws are going to come-honestly im going to be upset if they dont go but there are huge family politics about holidays with his family, they make a schedule every5 years as to who?s doing what.
this is what i got so far:
Anti Pasta: Cheese/olives/crackers
Soup: Roasted apple and butternut squash soup w/spiced creme fraise
Pasta: Stuffed shells or manicotti or lasagna
Main: Turkey (butter spice rub)
Sausage Stuffing
Cranberry Sauce
Gravy
Sides: Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Corn Bread (regular and jalepeno cheddar)
Veg: String Beans
Asparagus
Stuffed Mushrooms
Dessert: Pumpkin Pie & Roasted apples (whole apples stuffed with a cinn stick, nut meg, sugar butter topped with some ice cream and melted chocolate spiked with apple pie liquor)
ETA- and pastries/cookies from my MILs bakery
I also forgot to mention the Fruit and Nut course lol
This is normal T-day menu for my family the only thing im spicing up this year is the soup, jalapeno corn bread and the roasted apples-normally we do apple pie and a broccoli soup
Re: How does your family do thanksgiving?
That sounds like the most delicious meal EVER. Ours is not nearly so fancy, but if I ever hosted it I would probably just jack your menu.
And I'm glad to see you omitted the green bean casserole with crunchy onions.
The apples sound orgasmic.
i have never had green bean casserole looks gross. we are Italian so im pretty sure someone would be rolling over in their grave if i used cream of crap on any type of food lol
the apples are a total foodgasim
My Menu so far this year.
Main: Turkey and Ham
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Sausage Stuffing
Home made Mac and Cheese
Green Bean Casserole
Crescent Rolls
Cranberry Fruit Salad
Some sort of Salad (I'm thinking a seven layer)
Cheese/nut/olive tray, Pepperoni Rolls and Spinach Dip for Appetizers
Desserts:
Sweet Potato Cake
Apple Pie
I am glad to see my family isn't the only one that Italianizes the American holiday.
My parents don't even do turkey. We do fish, Italian meats, and other such things.
::licks lips::
I am bummed to do Thanksgiving with DH's family. We've done the past two alone, and I've made them Italian...this is honestly my first American Thanksgiving ever.
It varies a little, but usually we have: turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatos, gravy, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, corn, rolls, cranberry sauce, green salad, pecan pie, pumpkin torte, apple pie. Often there are light snacks (cheese tray, veggies and dip) before dinner.
I'd never heard of having pasta!
I'm cooking for my parents and brother this year so I think I shall scale down a little since there will only be 5 of us!
we would normally do a whole roasted fish too or a lamb roast but its only 6 people this year-if my inlaws come thats another 3 (well 4 if BILs GF comes) so i dont know if ill do the lamb roast-prob the fish tho...
That sounds absolutely amazing... can I come have Thanksgiving at your place?
We havent hosted yet... we always piggyback on either my family or DHs.
I love the pasta option... when my mom hosts she always throws in a lasagna.
What part of Italy are you from?
We're Rome. Both of my parents were born there...moved here in the 1970s.
My family is Italian too, and our menu is pretty similar:
Antipasto: cheese/crackers/fried capers/olives/cured meats. Typical dego fare.
Soup: butternut squash with crisp pancetta & thyme (I make)
Pasta: homemade butternut squash ravioli with brown butter and crisp sage (I make)
Main: turkey, cornbread and italian sausage stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy (my mom makes all)
Sides: my famous potatoes Dauphinoise, Roasted root vegetables, spinach & wild mushroom bake (I make all of these)
Dessert: pumpkin pie (mom makes) & blood orange compote with basil creme freche (I make)
We also serve bread, usually an olive bread from La Brea Bakery. This is our standard meal.
"This ribbon has been reported." - lovesnina
Our families live in Michigan.
We have our Thanksgiving dinner, just the two of us. We have all the regular stuff, with a small ham for me because I don't like turkey.
My parents are from Calabria moved here in the late 60s (but they met and married here lol)
Dh family is from Castrofillipo move here in 78 (married in Sicliy)
Both families are still very OTB-his are VERY OTB. i dont think they realize they are in the US lol
I should add DH's family is Italian but I am americanizing Thanksgiving since they are coming here. I will keep the traditional ravioli course and maybe a soup course but the rest of it I plan to do traditionally.
Also - we don't do the creamy green bean casserole. Instead I steam green beans, toss with a little lemon juice and toasted slivered almonds. Simple and yummy.
DH's family has been here since before the Civil War, so no links to Italy there. They think they may be Mexican/Polish. Who knows.
I was actually in Castrofillipo a few years ago. My parents go on vacation to Italy to see family every year, and I tag along as often as I can. We went to Sicily a few years ago to visit an aunt who had just recently moved there.
LOVED it.
I would LOVE to live in Italy. I love the Northern regions. So pretty.
im impressed you went to castro! not many people know about it. it has a popualtion of like 50 and they are all Dhs relatives hahaha! his grandparents and aunts/uncles are still there. he has aunts and uncles here but they are not blood (you know how it goes). his family still has a villa there right off of via nationale i still havent seen it yet but ive seen pics and it looks wonderful! he used to go there for 3 months every year but when he started working he couldnt take that much time off at once. his parents go back 2x a year and we had about 20 people from the town fly in for our wedding. DH is the first to get married in his blood line for this generation so it was a big deal. they all want us to go there and renew our vows so the town can celebrate with us. i think its a cute idea we might do it in the spring (at the church where dhs parents got married) if im not PG by then