a Thanksgiving Feast…

This year our Thanksgiving holiday will bring a ‘first’ to our family.  It’s just happened to work out that local family will be out-of-town and out-of-town family aren’t able to make the trip.  So for the first time ever, our family will be celebrating the holiday on our own. 

Rather than be sad about the fact that none of our extended family will be around to share the holiday with us, I’ve decided to look at some ways we can make this day special…  Maybe start some new traditions. 

So why not start with the menu?  After all, it really is all about the food.  And where’s the best place to find amazing new recipes?  Pinterest, of course!

Maple Roasted Turkey w/ Smoked Bacon & Stuffing

I have always wanted to stuff a turkey.  I don’t know why.  I guess it just conjures up images of a perfect Norman Rockwell type gathering where everyone sits around the table in their Christmas sweaters eagerly anticipating the moment dad carves the perfectly cooked turkey.  Seriously, I have no idea.  It just seems like the thing to do at least once in a lifetime.  And then I found this!  A stuffed turkey covered in bacon.  Score!

Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole

An absolute must at Thanksgiving dinner is broccoli rice casserole.  Ever since I was born we’ve had this dish on Thanksgiving.  There is no way I’m not including it on the menu.  But since we put bacon on the turkey, why not on the broccoli rice casserole too?

Cheesy Corn Casserole

Are you sensing a theme here?  Yes, this one also includes bacon.  This is going to be a very cheesy, bacony, heavy cream-laden kind of dinner.  The kind where you say, “bring on the tryptophan and football!”

I would have never, ever, thought about adding bacon and cheese to corn casserole.  Personally, I like the corn casserole just how it is, but keeping with the theme, I figured it was worth a shot.  I mean, look at that picture!  Who wouldn’t want to eat that???

 

 

 

Green beans

I know, traditionally, everyone makes green bean casserole but my family doesn’t care for it.  Instead, we will be having fresh green beans from my local produce co-op cooked in a chicken soup base.  Easy peasy and a break from all that cheese and bacon.

Potato Au Gratin

Okay, back to the cheese.  Mascarpone and Havarti cheese, to be exact.  We’re cranking it up a notch with this potato dish.  Forget the hashbrown casserole and boxed potatoes this year!

Candied Carrots

I love cooked carrots.  I really do, but SO many times I’ve been disappointed when I’ve made them.  Just really bummed that the flavor was ‘off’ or non-existent.  Let’s hope I get really good carrots this time.

 

Don’t these look amazing?  I hope I can find some of these tiny, beautiful carrots at one of our local markets.  They look so wonderfully awesome to me. 

 

 

 

 

Fruit Salad

After all that cheese and bacon, I figure a dessert with a little less processing might be a good idea.  But of course I’ll have to add some cherry jello.  Bwahahahahahaha!

And my husband will cry if I don’t go to Bob Evan’s and get a Pumpkin Supreme Pie.

So there you have it!  Can you imagine eating all that in one day?  I am not gonna be able to move on Friday!

Happy Thanksgiving, y’all!

-knittingprose