Turkey (+ gravy)

Cranberry Sauce

Stuffing/Dressing

Pumpkin Pie

Sweet Potatoes

------------------------------------------------

Should-have:

Mashed Potatoes

Vegetable (green beans, brussels sprouts, etc)

Corn Bread

Autumn Squash (i.e., Acorn or Butternut)

Apple Pie

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3436637&forum_id=2#31962698)

I think sweet potatoes are the must-have, she prefers the mashed

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3436637&forum_id=2#31962742)

although i love the yams, i think they're too sweet to enjoy in larger quantities. ideally you'd have both.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3436637&forum_id=2#31962767)

see, i see the stuffing as the workhorse. i have some stuffing with a bite of turkey and lots of gravy. then the tartness of the cranberry sauce to cleanse the palate. followed by a bite of side dish.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3436637&forum_id=2#31962783)

Gravy must have but no mashed potatoes ?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3436637&forum_id=2#31962824)

Cream onions

Cherry Pie or Shoe Fly pie

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3436637&forum_id=2#31962705)

i'd rather roast a suckling pig than have a ham

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3436637&forum_id=2#31962769)

Schweinshaxe is good to make on a more regular basis.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3436637&forum_id=2#34684537)

candied yams

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3436637&forum_id=2#31962713)

corn seems thanksgivingy - no?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3436637&forum_id=2#31962722)

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/make-ahead-gravy

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3436637&forum_id=2#34684563)

Try roasting them like this instead:

http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/11/the-best-roasted-sweet-potatoes-thanksgiving-sides-the-food-lab.html

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3436637&forum_id=2#31963255)

Also, there will be roasted Brussel sprouts with garlic - the garlic caramelizes and tastes like candy.

Cranberry bread made using a recipe from a Children's book about Thanksgiving is our family tradition and I must have it every year at both Thanksgiving and Christmas. This might be a New England thing.

I refuse to make gravy because gravy is for people who don't know how to properly roast a Turkey.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3436637&forum_id=2#31970069)

i don't understand your point about the gravy. explain.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3436637&forum_id=2#31970142)

Also, I don't like gravy so I don't serve it when I cook Thanksgiving. The in-laws get a little pissy about it, but my side of the family takes it in stride.

I do serve home-made cranberry sauce.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3436637&forum_id=2#31974866)

I eat the turkey with the cranberry sauce.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3436637&forum_id=2#34683827)

Here is my menu for this year:

Drink: Apple cider and rum punch

__

Appetizers

Fruit and cheese; goat cheese with caramelized onions & water crackers; chips & guac

__

Meat: Turkey and Ham

__

Sides and bread:

Pull-apart rolls and corn muffins with honey brown butter

Gravy

Cranberry and walnut relish

Stuffing

Kale and brussels sprout salad

Varenyky w/ground beef & potatoes and caramelized onions & potatoes

Scalloped potatoes

Roasted tomatoes with thyme and mozzarella

Roasted beets with grapefruit and rosemary

Roasted sweet potatoes with chickpeas, chile, yogurt and mint

__

Dessert:

Apple pie

Kentucky derby chocolate walnut pie

Carrot cake cupcakes with toasted marshmallow frosting

Confetti cookies

Ice cream (vanilla) (for pies)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3436637&forum_id=2#34683878)

but your menu pretty much has all my must-haves, sometimes with a few twists, which is totally cool.

i disagree on your hate for pumpkin pie though. i personally love pumpkin pie, especially with a huge dollop of whipped cream on top. and i do think it's a pretty important dish at the Thanksgiving table.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3436637&forum_id=2#34683924)

Was also little conflicted about leaving off mashed potatoes and roasted brussels sprouts, but I think the other dishes make up for it.

I don't like green bean casserole and creamed onions at all and don't think anyone should ever make them.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3436637&forum_id=2#34683994)

I am using this recipe

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/kale-and-brussels-sprout-salad

but with this dressing

½ cup peanut oil

2 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil

2 Tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1-½ Tablespoons honey

Dash of cayenne pepper

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3436637&forum_id=2#34684007)

otherwise solid list

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3436637&forum_id=2#34683985)

truthfully, i could be convinced to just make the must-have list include "potatoes".

re the veggies, here's how i analyze it. i think anyone who hosts thanksgiving will probably include some sort of veggie dish, and as i note in my OP a veggie dish is one you SHOULD HAVE on the table.

but if you took 100 people and had them look at a Thanksgiving table, i'd bet way fewer would crow about the lack of a veggie dish than they would if, say, you excluded turkey/stuffing/cranberry/potatoes/pumpkin pie.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3436637&forum_id=2#34684026)

cranberries on the should-have

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3436637&forum_id=2#34684015)

Turkey

Stuffing

Squash

Gravy

Cranberry sauce

Pumpkin pie

Should have——

Mashed potatoes

Candied yams and/or sweet potatoes with marshmallows

Apple pie

Green bean casserole or some kind of green bean dish

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3436637&forum_id=2#34684547)

Turkey

Gravy

Mashed potatoes

Potatoes au gratin

Green beans

Stuffing

Should:

Meat lasagna

Okra

Brussels sprouts

Mac n cheese

Pheromone rich pussy

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3436637&forum_id=2#37231157)

Roast bird (I will defend duck/chicken but I realise this is weak)

Stuffing

Mashed potatoes

Roast vegetables of some sort

Salad of some sort

Bread of some sort (cornbread, biscuits, fresh baked bread all ok)

Something with cranberries. No one really likes cranberry sauce I usually put them in q desert like cranberry muffins or apple cranberry pie.

Pumpkin pie with whipped cream

Alcohol

Good to have:

Apple pie and/or cherry pie

More salad

Fruit and cheese plate

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3436637&forum_id=2#37271185)

entirely unnecessary: turkey, cranberries, stuffing, sweet potatoes

(my mom)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3436637&forum_id=2#37278285)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3436637&forum_id=2#49462011)