What are you cooking for Thanksgiving?

So...what are you guys cooking up for Thanksgiving?  How do you celebrate?  I'm guessing most of us do about the same thing....get together with family and/or friends and eat some sort of food.  Most traditional, some less so.

I've experienced a big range....from cooking it all (turkey to pie and everything in between) by myself, to doing NOTHING but eat someone else's glory, to eating Chinese food.  I prefer traditional Thanksgiving fare, though.

(photo from Luxury Post)

This year, we're going to Gramma's (my mother-in-law).  Her boyfriend (Grump) will be there.  Adam's brother Eric and his girlfriend Lyn will be flying in, too.  I need to bring a few sides.

Do you have a chain called Black Eyed Pea where you live?  My favorite thing there is the vegetarian platter. I particularly like their squash casserole.  My cousin Stephanie makes an awesome version.  I was thinking I'd make a basic squash casserole using acorn squash instead of yellow squash.

I don't think I could live without a pecan pie.  Here's a tasty recipe from the Food Network.  I approve of the bourbon in the ingredients list.

And I need to bring some other side dish.  We'll have turkey, stuffing, gravy, spinach and broccoli casserole, and sweet potato pies. 
What else would y'all recommend making?  Do you have any good recipes?

Comments

[Vanessa {a fanciful twist}]

My Grandma (nana) always makes Thanksgiving lunch, and then my mom makes Thanks dinner.

You are so stuffed that day you want to faint and you can't sleep.

But, for the last 2 years I have been hosting my own Thanksgiving with Lovee and a couple of friends.

It's been great.

I make all the trditional stuff. Pumpkin pies too, etc.

But, if you want everyone to faint, and you want to be the hit of the party - make Paula D's pumpkin cheesecake. It's unreal and everyone freaks out over it.

It really is good. Delicious good.

I like staying home for Thanksgiving, since Christmas is so crazy in my world.

[Laura Irrgang]

Thanks, Vanessa-
pumpkin cheesecake is on the shortlist.
Paula is my mother-in-laws name, by the way.

[Jill James]

I agree with Vanessa.....I have a pumpkin cheesecake recipe from a restaurant, Market Street Grill ~ it's similar to Paula's, but there are nuts in the crust ~ I double the crust to fit into two 9 x 9 pans and the cheesecake part fills both of them. EVERY time I bring it somewhere, people are dying over it. It has pumpkin, 4 packs of cream cheese, 1 c of whipping cream, 6 eggs, sugar, spices ~~~~ gah! it's scary good.

My Mom was from Georgia, so of course, cornbread stuffing, squash casserole (definitely southern), sweet potato casserole with serious streusel topping, and my all time fave; fatty potatoes. It's basically a mashed potato souffle (potatoes, cream cheese (I normally don't eat cream cheese!), butter, sour cream & 2 eggs. It puffs up and you can make it ahead.

I am married to a non-pecan pie lover so I make those little pecan tassies for my daughter & me (they are in mini muffin cups so you don't die of sugar poisoning)

Cranberry sauce in the can (it's a tradition!) and fresh made.

Don't you love Thanksgiving? If we go somewhere, I bring a giant candy dish of candied spiced pecans.....I love staying home though..........

[Jill James]

When I lived in Florida, there was a restaurant called Po Folks.....the vegetarian platter was my favorite also.

I make Cowboy Caviar with black eyed peas & it's amazing how many northeners don't eat lima beans, okra or black eyes. Po Things! They are missing out. I miss my Aunt Jewell's turnip greens.

[Laura Irrgang]

Po things....youre such a riot, Jill!
I know what you mean about Northern vs. Southern food preferences.
I think that in the south, you GROW all this stuff, and people farm a lot more than they do up north.
So....you grow it, you grow up eating it.
But maybe Ive got it all wrong.
Maybe theres a whole slew of Northern goodness Ive yet
to discover.

[Laura Irrgang]

Po things....youre such a riot, Jill!
I know what you mean about Northern vs. Southern food preferences.
I think that in the south, you GROW all this stuff, and people farm a lot more than they do up north.
So....you grow it, you grow up eating it.
But maybe Ive got it all wrong.
Maybe theres a whole slew of Northern goodness Ive yet
to discover.

[Laura Irrgang]

Oh, Jill...you have me salivating.
I may pester you more about that pumpkin cheesecake recipe. I like the idea of a nut crust.
Dont you mean the souffle puffs YOU up?
I have to admit I eat cream cheese all year long, not just on special occasions.
Pecan tassies! Yes! My Irish great granny made those.
But---my family had a pecan orchard, so we had every variety of pecan treat known to mankind.
My dads family farms peanuts, too, so theres always spiced peanuts, boiled peanuts, and peanut brittle.

[Charlotte]

Two traditional dishes for our Thanks and Xmas are scalloped chipotle sweet potatoes and butterflake rolls stuffed with a mix of shredded cheese, mayo and diced olives. Personally I like to cut all the fatty dishes (luscious as they are) with some simple roasted fresh veggies. I've hosted Thanks for many years; this year will be 14 people. Each family brings a dish which makes it easier on me. Heck, I want to have fun, too.

[Maria]

You just reminded me to start planning! Thanks!

It's just the Army Dude and me, and neither of us are big fans of the traditional meal. (I know. Crazy, right?) We usually do lasagne, but are thinking of mixing it up this year.

[Laura Irrgang]

No shame in lasagne.
And, for just two people---the huge meal is kind of ridiculous.