Anyone have a non-traditional Thanksgiving meal? No turkey/ham?

[Aimeedyan]

We'd like to serve something different than the typical turkey/ham/potato/cranberry sauce/pumpkin pie Thanksgiving dinner this year and are looking for ideas!

What things do you serve?

 

[taramarie]

We are from Louisiana

One year we had gumbo. Most years we have smoked ribeyes. They are yummy!!!!

Tara

 

[SwedishMeatball]

None of us are huge turkey fans. My family has already started talking about how they're looking forward to our Thanksgiving roast.

 

[Pooh67_68]

We mostly stick to the traditional, but one year we had lasagna.

 

[C.Ann]

I know of one family who does seafood - and another who does roast beef..

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

No, but I'd like to go to one since I don't like turkey or ham.

 

[mommasita]

My husband's side does Lasagna for Xmas and Thanksgiving. It is their Italian tradition, and one I could never slip into, therefore they also have Turkey now, but as the second dish. Nobody eats it but me

 

[WDWBarb]

Vegetarian here. We skip the Tofurky (egads, it's horrible!) and usually make some sort of pasta. Last year I did a traditional dinner except no real main course and just did all the casseroles, etc. meat-free. It worked out well - the large item in the middle of the table wasn't really missed

I haven't decided what to do for this year yet?

 

[Hedy]

My husband's side does Lasagna for Xmas and Thanksgiving. It is their Italian tradition, and one I could never slip into, therefore they also have Turkey now, but as the second dish. Nobody eats it but me

Wow, I never knew Canadian Thanksgiving involved turkey-learn something new everyday.

Vegetarian here. We skip the Tofurky (egads, it's horrible!) and usually make some sort of pasta. Last year I did a traditional dinner except no real main course and just did all the casseroles, etc. meat-free. It worked out well - the large item in the middle of the table wasn't really missed

I haven't decided what to do for this year yet?

I actually like Tofurkey. However, the past couple of years we've had Quorn's roast, but after a malfunction that led to us eating veggie dogs last year, we're looking elsewhere. At present, we're debating ordering Whole Foods' vegan roast, or their Pumpkin risotto.

 

[mjantz]

One year because of college football games, traveling & such, we were all arriving at the location of Thanksgiving Dinner just a few hours before a mealtime. We ended up ordering BBQ from a local BBQ place & ate it off paper plates while watching more football! One of my favorite Thanksgivings & I'd love to do it again.

 

[disneymom3]

A friend of mine and her extended family always have lasagna for Tgiving and they are nowhere near Italian! They just decided several years back that none of them even liked turkey so why were they making it? This has been at least 8 years now. She says the point isn't what you are eating it's being together and how you feel. Good point.

 

[Doe]

I used to know a family that had hot dogs for Thanksgiving. She just didn't wanna deal with all the fuss of a big turkey dinner.

 

[Agent Provocateur]

We're thinking of doing chili.

 

[staley7580]

Last year we ran out to Ampm and bought burgers...

 

[Kycha]

Roasted Pork loin...it was delicious

 

[got2travel]

We usually do traditional at Thanksgiving then different on Christmas. Some of the 'different' things we done are prime rib, grilled salmon, stacked enchiladas and one year we just did appetizers all afternoon.

 

[disykat]

A bunch of my extended family members came from another country. The first year they were here, they really didn't have a taste yet for many "American" foods but they did enjoy Spaghetti. So that's what we had.

In general though, we have a traditional Thanksgiving and then (like the above poster did one year) we do just appetizers for Christmas Day.

 

[Diva of Dragons]

Most of my family does the traditional thing but I'm a veggie head. There is a vegan restaurant here that makes an thing called "The Wellingtons". It's a huge baguette shaped thing madfe out of a crust wrapped around a whole Thanksgiving meal. Layered inside is vegan "turkey", cranberry, collard greens, stuffing, and yams...plus you get a really good mushroom gravy to go with it.

You order it, in advance, pick it up frozen and just bake it in the oven! It's sooooo good, the whole family loves it.....even the ones who think us veggie heads are nuts!!

 

[NMAmy]

We always have turkey but for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, we also have stuffed grape leaves. It was our favorite when we were kids but it's a bit labor intensive so Dad would make grape leaves for birthdays and the holidays.

My dad passed away a couple of years ago and my sister makes them now. I can make them, too, but they always taste better to me when someone else does the cooking. And rolling and stuffing, as well.

New spouses to the family have thought it a weird tradition but they're all used to us now.

 

[Swimnoid]

We do traditional but once we went to a friends house. They dont like turkey so every Thanksgiving they would make homemade ravioli. It was really fun to do something different and take part in the actual making of the ravioli.