Turkey day suggestions?

[meowbunny]

Ths year, it will just be two for dinner. We both love dark meat, so fixing a turkey breast is out. Turkey drumsticks just doesn't seem right to me. So, what in heck do I fix for turkey day? I don't mind going all out on the trimmings. I'd probably be killed if I didn't.

I was thinking a roasted chicken but the more I think of it, the more depressed I get. That's just not Thanksgiving.

Honestly, I wish my daughter would just say yes to one of the invites she's gotten. I could use the day to move stuff into the new place rather than waste the whole day cooking.

So, any ideas what I can fix for two that would still seem like a Thanksgiving meal. I'll fix a ham for Christmas, so that's out. She doesn't like game hens.

Sides will be sweet potato casserole, spinach salad, green bean casserole (yuck, sorry), candied carrots, garlic mashed potatoes, cranberry compote, cherry and pumpkin pies. I can substitute rice for the mashed potatoes if someone comes up with a good idea and rice would be better than mashed potatoes.

HELP!! I really don't want to think about this. And going out to dinner is not an option. Leftovers are required. lol

I really want to go home and fix dinner for all of my friends and family. If Heather weren't so far away, I'd go to her house and fix dinner for everyone. I love fixing big holiday meals but for just two it is so wasteful.

 

[klmno]

Ham!!

 

[tiredmommy]

I'd roast a whole turkey and use the leftovers: turkey soup, casserole & salad. You could probably freeze a ton of nearly complete meals.

 

[meowbunny]

TM, one major problems -- I HATE leftovers. I'll eat about two turkey sandwiches and the rest will be thrown away. Don't know why that's the way it has always been. And meat casseroles are on the serious yuck scale to me. Even if I sent quite a bit home with my daughter, there would still be way too much to throw away and I know that any food sent her way will end up being tossed because she works double shifts all weekend and it will just sit for too many days.

I may get stuck doing ham but I hate to have the same meal for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Like I said, I wish she would take one of the invites she has. It would make my life so much easier.

 

[Andy]

Do you know of any single people you can invite for the day? Or a very small family that may be struggling? I know this seems last minute to try to invite people but if there are any, they would love to be served a turkey and those awesome trimmings.

We have invited our church's Director of Christian Education to join us. She is 23 or 24 years old and does not plan to travel the long distance home for Thanksgiving. She is new in town so does not know many people.

Does your easy child know of anyone around her age that need a Thanksgiving family? How about any neighbors that are elderly facing the holiday alone?

I think there are more single or small family people than we realize who are on their own for a holiday meal.

 

[Andy]

We did turkey roast last year. It is a rectangle box of turkey meat. I do not like it but husband and difficult child do (I think easy child did also). For me, I don't care if the meat is gone from Thanksgiving (though I love turkey drumsticks) - the trimmings are my all time favorite of the meal.

 

[Jena]

aw i'm sorry to hear that. Here i am fighting with-boyfriend over thanksgiving and you will be just two. i ca'nt think of any ideas but i'll search on internet and paste a link.

 

[Abbey]

I'm a trimmings gal. I will miss those this year as I'm working that day then serving at the homeless shelter.

My store's meat department will make up anything you like. You might ask your store if they'd give you a special cut of dark meat. Shoot...we have turkeys at 38 cents a pound right now. At that price, you can cook the turkey, get your dark meat...have some leftovers for whomever wants them and chuck the rest.

It's all about the gravey. If you have enough, I can make enough meals for the next month.

Abbey

 

[Jena]

Hi,

Good luck

 

[klmno]

Another thought - it might not be the most popular, but I always thought small cornish hens tasted more like the dark meat of turkey. I do like the idea of cooking a whole turkey and giving out meals though- difficult child and I did this a few times with our elderly neighbors. I just fixed complete plates of dinner and difficult child delivered them.

 

[flutterbee]

You have an open invitation to come up here and share Thanksgiving with us.

Other than that, I have no suggestions. I hate to cook.

 

[hearts and roses]

There will only be 3 at our house so we have a similar dilemna. I think we're just going to get a breast - not the whole bird. But I think you can get a half bird. Maybe you could make a casserole and give it to a women's shelter or neighbor in need?

 

[gcvmom]

There are some organizations that will come to your house and box up the leftovers to take to local soup kitchens. Try googling for the info and see what you come up with if that appeals to you.

 

[everywoman]

The Thanksgiving after my grandmother (the mother who raised me) my old maid sister and I decided we just couldn't handle any "traditional" turkey. So we cooked stuffed pork chops. We still had the dressing (stuffed in the pork) and all the sides. They are a favorite of mine and my grandmother would fix them each year on our birthdays.

 

[timer lady]

Cornish game hens ~ they are wonderful. I've done 4 of them for when it was just husband, myself & the tweedles. Only take about an hour to bake.

 

[witzend]

don't they sell turkey drumsticks at the store anymore? I used to buy them in the regular meat department. They weren't frozen and were wrapped like burger.

 

[susiestar]

What about Pot Roast or a nice rolled roast? I am a big beef person and would truly enjoy that. We don't do much with beef right now because it has been out of the budget, but for Thanksgiving it would be nice.

We will be at my inlaws and have our traditional Mexican food. My stepMIL goes to Sams and gets a bunch of the frozen mexican food - poppers, other stuff I forget, chili, etc.... and we pig out on that. (I always have to nag husband into Beano,otherwise he will chase us ALL out of the house in his sleep, LOL! Thank Heavens for Beano!)

We will do a meal at my parents over the weekend and have pizza probably. I am going to cook a turkey later in the week, it will take a few days to thaw in the fridge.

Anyway, If you want dark meat, first check out what is in the meat section. I have been finding all sorts of cuts of turkey lately, I even think thighs were available at one point.

If you do turkey legs you can always eat with the visual of my boys including husband) "swordfighting" with them as Jess and I laugh hysterically. I made the mistake of buying the cooked turkey legs that were leftover at a community festival (there is always a smoked turkey leg booth), mostly I bought them because they gave me 10 turkey legs for the price of one, just so they didn't get tossed). The boys were all sitting outside eating them and suddenly broke out into a "swordfight".

It was truly hilarious, but I was glad they were OUTSIDE!

Whatever you do, enjoy the time with your daughter.

 

[mrscatinthehat]

See I wish some of us were closer too. Just me and husband this year. He wants to go out to dinner (what...no leftovers). I am so not helpful right now as I am trying to figure mine out.

beth

 

[SRL]

One year before I got married it was just my mom and I and we ordered one of those take out turkeys with the fixings from the grocery store. I bought a bottle of Bailey's for after dinner. Sure it wasn't exactly what we were used to but with no cooking, no fuss and we had leftovers--we had a ball.

We had a ball.

 

[goldenguru]

Boston Market? I have heard their food is wonderful.

If it were just hubby and me I would buy a really nice cut of steak for him and a salmon fillet for me and grill out! A nice bottle of wine and a Waldorf salad. Sweet potato pie for dessert.