Our family’s 2024 Thanksgiving dinner menu, complete with with gluten- and dairy-free, vegetarian, and low-fodmap options! And, yes, turkey!
Thanksgiving Dinner With the Family
The final countdown to Thanksgiving has begun!
And I am starting to feel that adrenalin rush.
Excitement.
And also, admittedly, a little stressed.
The kids all lead busy lives. With spouses. Jobs. Pets. Travel. And of course a pair of toddlers.
But I am just so grateful they will all be making the trek to gather here.
In preparation for this blog post, I put the call out over the weekend for menu submissions.
Zoë, Director of Operations, both at work and for our Thanksgiving dinner, pulled the spreadsheet together.
It was quickly populated with old favorites and a few recipes we are trying for the first time. All taking into consideration a balance of dairy- and gluten-free, vegetarian and turkey-lovers, and, a new one — low fodmap.
And also keeping it all just a bit more low key than we might have done in the past.
I hope you find a dish or two to add to your table this year!
Snacks
We used to do a large spread for “happy hour” before the big meal.
Of course then none of us were very hungry for the main event. When there was an even larger spread…
Over the years we have scaled back and this year, with two busy little ones, we are keeping it super simple.
Olives, nuts.
Plus some Gougères, or “cheese puffs” as we like to call them.
When we lived in Maryland, we would gather for the holidays with my sister and her family, who lived nearby in Northern Virginia. Lissa always made these classic French cheese puffs and they have been a favorite with my kids for years. I thought the grandkids would enjoy them too this year!
These are easy to make, and I guarantee everyone will love them! You can even make the dough and form the puffs, then freeze to be baked at a later time! I think I will prep them this weekend…
This recipe is similar to the one my sister makes (an old Gourmet magazine recipe).
Entrées
With three vegetarians in the family, we do both a turkey and a vegetarian entrée.
Um, no, that would not be Tofurky.
Turkey
My daughter Leah is always in charge of cooking the turkey,.
I, however, am responsible for ordering it.
We like to get a turkey that is locally, humanely, and cleanly raised. That is easy here in Maine, where there are plenty of small local farms raising animals the right way.
Since we are getting a relatively small amount of bird, I opted for cut turkey — just the breast and legs.
I am just as happy not having a large bird carcass in my fridge…
Leah will once again be using the NYT Cooking recipe for Buttermilk-Brined Turkey. This recipe requires only two ingredients in addition to the turkey — buttermilk and salt. Be forewarned, though, it sits in the brine for 48 hours.
It also calls for you to “spatchcock” the turkey, which has you cutting it apart in some way that this vegetarian doesn’t need to know any more about.
A note about NYT Cooking: NYT Cooking is my go-to for recipes. You can see a certain number of recipes for free, but for full access you must subscribe. It is totally worth the $50 annual fee, in my opinion. But the amazing news is that a one-year subscription is on sale for 50% off right now! At $25 for the first year, it would make a wonderful gift for a favorite cook in your life. Or for yourself!
Stuffed squash
We have tried many veg-forward entrée recipes through the years.
This year I was inspired by an interview I heard with chef Danielle Humm from Eleven Madison Park, a plant-based restaurant in NYC that has earned 3 prestigious Michelin stars.
None of us are vegan (plant-based food only, so no dairy, eggs, etc…), but Humm described a roasted honey nut squash filled with hazelnuts, chestnuts, marinated portobello, and dried cranberries that the restaurant will be serving for Thanksgiving dinner. I liked the idea of something different from a casserole. A dish with a bit of a presentation.
So I will be making some kind of version of this as an entree for the vegetarians and additional side for the omnivores.
I will see what kind of winter squash speaks to me when I got to the farm stand. And I will confer with others on what kind of nuts we want to include.
I will be sure to share what exactly I come up with! Don’t be afraid to get a little creative with recipes!
Sides
We all know Thanksgiving is really all about the sides, right?
It is nice to have a mix of a green vegetable and starchy potatoes.
No need for a rice dish since we will likely have wild rice in the veggie entrée.
Stuffing is a must, even for those not having turkey.
And a crisp salad always adds a bright note.
So does cranberry sauce.
Here are our sides:
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cannellini Beans and Pecorino: This is a recipe we have made for years. I shared it in my blog post from two years ago, Our Family’s Mostly Vegetarian Thanksgiving Menu. The beans make it an almost-vegetarian-entrée!
Apple Cheddar Pistachio Salad with Creamy Shallot-Date Dressing
Shingled Sweet Potatoes with Harissa: This has become our son Jack’s signature Thanksgiving dish. It makes a lovely presentation!
NYT Cooking Smooth and Creamy Mashed Potatoes
NYT Cooking Thanksgiving Stuffing
Dessert
For dessert this year I am trying something completely new.
Ina Garten’s Pumpkin Banana Mousse Tart.
It sounds kind of weird to me. Pumpkin and banana??
It is a no-bake recipe. You cook the pumpkin filling on the stove top, stir in gelatin and banana, and then fold in whipped cream. Pour into a graham cracker crust and chill.
No tenting the crust on your pumpkin pie because it is turning black while the filling is still liquid…
People who I trust rave about it.
And Ina never steers us wrong, does she?
I will let you know what I think. And if you make it, please tell me how you liked it!
Midday Snack
I don’t think I have shared that a third grandchild will join the family in April!
Leah is expecting a girl! So Jamie will be a big brother.
And the new baby will be the recipient of lots of cute hand-me-down clothes from her cousin Poppy.
This is all to say that the mama-to-be had a lot to say about the menu. As in foods she is craving.
She inserted a midday snack into the mix.
Usually we just go from a big breakfast to happy hour to dinner.
But don’t mess with a pregnant woman’s food requests!
Leah will be making Crunchy Brussels Sprouts and Apple Slaw for a “lunchy snack” and said that we are all welcome to have a “little bite”.
Enough said!
Links to All the Recipes
I linked each of the recipes in the text, but here, for your convenience, is a comprehensive list with links for the entire menu.
One last note: We have planned this menu so that there is something for everyone. Some recipes might need to be tweaked to accommodate a special need — cornstarch in the gravy instead of flour, non-dairy milk substituted for regular milk, cutting the brussels sprouts into smaller pieces, making one helping without onion or garlic. And some of us just might have to skip one of the dishes. No turkey for me!
NYT Cooking recipe for Buttermilk-Brined Turkey
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cannellini Beans and Pecorino
Apple Cheddar Pistachio Salad with Creamy Shallot-Date Dressing
Shingled Sweet Potatoes with Harissa
NYT Cooking Smooth and Creamy Mashed Potatoes
NYT Cooking Thanksgiving Stuffing
Ina Garten’s Pumpkin Banana Mousse Tart.
Crunchy Brussels Sprouts and Apple Slaw
This Week Into Next
Thank you for your kind response to my FB Marketplace coffee table reveal here on the blog last week!
It was a fun little project, especially since I am so happy with how it turned out!
I am waiting on the glass tabletop insert, but I don’t think it will arrive until after Thanksgiving.
And speaking of post-Thanksgiving….
I am starting to firm up plans for my holiday decor. It has me all topsy-turvy planning for both Thanksgiving and Christmas at the same time.
This morning I was searching for greenery and pomegranates on the internet, while also starting this blog post. Looking at skirts to wear on Thanksgiving and also plaid pants for December.
It was… confusing.
We won’t be celebrating Christmas here this year, so I am definitely going light-ER on the decorations.
I am planning a pared down living room mantel display. And I am going with a color scheme different than the orange and blue I have used the last two years in the dining area.
I made a trip to my favorite fabric store on Monday and came home with a fun mix of fabrics for a table runner and napkins.
Hopefully the fam will help me get the two Christmas trees set up before they head home. It would be fun to have them around to help decorate. Just like the olden days!
So, I will have Christmas decor to share with you shortly after Thanksgiving.
Until then, I hope that your Thursday November 28th will be filled with peace, warmth, and love. Whether you celebrate the holiday or not!
