Thanksgiving Guests! What are you bringing?

Question

Tons of threads about hosting Thanksgiving but only some of us hounds have the opportunity/burden to host - the rest of us will have the luxury/accedence of being guests at another's table.

So what will you be bringing to your host this TG? - Is there a special dish you contribute for traditions sake? To strut your stuff and show your culinary chops? To piss off your MIL or just because you like to eat it?

I always make cranberry jelly - from fresh cranberries with a dash of Grand Mariner - for decades our family table was cranberry-less since the tin can was retired and not replaced. Nobody every ate the canned stuff - I think my ethnic Italian-American family put it out with a sense of obligation to the holiday's traditions it got dumped in a bowl and thrown away, then just never opened, then not even bought. I like no LOVE cranberry - so I decided I would make it about a decade ago - slowly some of the cran-wary have been converted although most of my family still regards it with suspicion. Guests and inlaws tend to appreciate it more. 

So what special thing are you bringing (other than yourself) to the holiday table?

Answer

Smoked turkey breast. I used to bring a smoked turkey to my mother's Thanksgiving dinner. She always roasts a huge turkey, and we always end up with too much. A couple of years ago, I switched to doing a breast. Much less work for me and less turkey to deal with that way.

Answer

If I get forced to do Thanksgiving with the family it will be a can of chocolate cover dried cranberries and a bag of mixed nuts. Both from specialty stores in my area, both greatly appreciated in the past. And most inportantly, easy to transport 6+ hours.

Answer

going to a friend's house - it's mom, dad, and a 12 year old. So small. So full of carbs! I'm making green beans - probably with bacon and a warm vinaigrette. Unless i decide to add/sub endive gratin. 
Also, just for kicks, a small tart tatine - apples and fresh cranberries.

Answer

I'll be bringing some cornbread stuffing and perhaps some homemade cranberry sauce along with some wine.

Answer

Not going anywhere... but when I do, I always take a dessert, usually a homemade pumpkin pie or pumpkin cheesecake...

Answer

Pretty much the entire meal including wine. The Host doesn't cook much so we're bringing almost everything with us. We did give him a short shopping list of perishables.

Answer

Marcus Samuelsson's black eyed peas with berbere seasonings, cooked in coconut milk, and that 3-kinds-of-pie-in-one that popped up, a layer of pecan, a ring of apple and a center of pumpkin. Large, gastronomically adventurous group.

Answer

Going to nephew's house. Will make Grandma Faye's Shrimp Salad.
(His grandmother - she passed away this year. She made it for every single dinner gathering for most all of her 70+ years.) It should bring back some good memories for BIL and the nephews.
If not, husband will eat it all. He devours that stuff!

Answer

We're going to my sister-in-law's house. About 10 years ago, I made a ciabatta stuffing with pancetta and chestnuts that I saw Giada make on one of her shows. It was such a hit that I am now the "stuffing guy" every time we have Thanksgiving dinner with my in-laws.

Recipe here...

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/ciabatta-stuffing-with-chestnuts-and-pancetta-recipe.html

Answer

A case of wine from Navarro winery .

Answer

Big bottle of Tums. And some paper Easter-themed napkins.

Answer

I'm making sausage/apple stuffing. Going to my niece's. Last year she had corn bread stuffing. I hate corn bread anything. so............... I think I'm the only one who really cares about stuffing.

Answer

Annual family reunion (Mom's side). Very homestyle-cooking type event. Hour and a half one way trip. 

Crockpot full of slow cooked Southern style green beans, with onion and either a pork hock, ham bone, or bacon (whichever looks best and has the best price when I shop, or whichever is left in the case...) Possibly some diced tomatoes if the mood strikes. 

Brussels sprouts roasted in bacon grease with cranberries and the crumbled bacon. The ones at the market the other day looked kind of sad, so hoping they get better ones in. Depending on price I might flesh them out with some cauliflower florets and/or pearl or cipolini onions.

The Redneck Cheesecakes - old family favorite consisting of a premade graham cracker shell, a cream cheese/sugar/Cool Whip/vanilla no-bake cheesecake filling, and topped with canned cherry pie filling. I always make 2 10-inch pies and rarely bring home more than a couple slices. Trashy, but they love it. 

Probably another dessert, depending on how things look and feel next week. And maybe a giant jar of homemade Chex mix.

Answer

I am totally stealing 'cran-wary' this year!

Answer

My whole family meets up at my aunt/uncle's house so I have never hosted TG, and hang my head in shame that I have never cooked a whole turkey. I was the recipient of all of my grandmother's recipes (and her lessons while she was alive) so I am required to bring the dressing/stuffing and the "chicken & noodles". The chicken & noodles is a family tradition, because more poultry and carbs should be served right next to the turkey! What I won't be making is Nanny's recipe for mincemeat pie (it was real old fashioned mincemeat with suet, beef, and fruit). Yuck.

Answer

Lemon ricotta cheesecake.

An assortment of cured meats, cheeses, and pickled vegetables.

Fresh pasta.

Wine.

Answer

I am bringing roasted buttercup squash puréed with coconut milk and ginger, as well as Mama Stamberg's cranberry horseradish relish. 
Plus I will bring my turkey stock because I am the designated gravy maker.

Answer

Bringing a chocolate cream pie and green bean casarole. Nothing outrageous but yummy nonrtheless

Answer

Mom is making the big meal so she has assigned dishes to me and my sister. I am bringing twice baked potatoes, nothing gourmet. I think she's happier when I keep it simple.

Answer

I was assigned pumpkin pie. Trying to decide if I will have better results trying a GF traditional style crust or go gingersnap crumb crust. Must be GF for SIL. . .

Answer

Going to our daughters, and our son will be there also, along with 2 grandsons. Since almost all of us love Rutabagos I will make a stockpot full of them, mashed. After dinner we split the leftovers. And I pay for the turkey to make things easier. I may be picking up a dessert too. 
So happy to have daughter taking over holiday meals. I did my share of them before I was 70!!

Answer

The folks I'm spending thanksgiving with do all the food themselves. I'm bringing a couple bottles of wine for dinner and a bottle of Italian brandy as a "thanks for having me" gift that will likely be opened after dinner.

Answer

I made the chocolate almond toffee yesterday. I'll make pumpkin bars tomorrow. I'm going to make chocolate cups today. Did I mention I'm desserts?

Answer

After several weeks of medical (and other) drama we were told to not stress, bring nothing, and just show up. We will, with booze and a pie. Looking forward to a happy T-day.

Answer

Reject confections, which is what my mom requested (I'm a chocolatier/pastry chef). Cranberry ginger Pate de fruit that I don't think are tart enough, chocolate covered almonds that haven't sold, and chocolates with imperfect bottoms. Family doesn't mind imperfections! I had been thinking about making tangerine sorbet, but forgot until just now. Oops.

Answer

I've had Thanksgiving at my house for 12-16 for the past five years, ever since Mom moved to assisted living. This year my sister volunteered to take it on. Good thing she was serious!

So I'm taking two appetizers, smoked salmon done by DH and a simple dip. Also cashews seasoned with rosemary, cayenne and a couple other good things (thanks, Ina Garten). I've made the cranberry sauce, the peas with onions, and the Brussels sprouts. I also baked a pumpkin pie, a first for me. And we're bringing the wine.

I'm truly grateful to my sister for offering to do it this year. I cooked a lot today, but I'll just be an assistant tomorrow.

Answer

we had a power outage tonight (the turkey was done and carved but the sides had only been prepped) so I had lots of time to play with this before I saw this thread. bringing? my attitude. a sense of fair play and strong instinct no one else has made similar arrangements.

that or I can bring off-the-wall personae since I only see these people once a year. "yes! Hello! Mummy and Daddy hired 'Cook' last week, but she seems to be in a quite wretched mood, so we're piecing it together, it's all rather like camp! isn't it fun!" (bonus points if I can borrow a neighbor's horse). it gets worse from there.

Answer

We are in charge of the cornbread stuffing, a huge tray of it. I also made a mixed platter of dark chocolate brownies, candy bar Blondies, and bourbon spiked pecan pie "truffles."

Answer

I brought apple cider sangria...it was a big hit!

Topics

Locations

Your post has been published!

Thanksgiving Guests! What are you bringing?

Chowhound Recommends

Entertaining

The Ultimate Guide to Thanksgiving

Discussion Summary

Recipe

Ciabatta Stuffing with Chestnuts and Pancetta

Recipe

ApplePumpkinPecan Pie

More from Chowhound

Guides

The Ultimate Spring Produce Guide: What's in Season & How to Use It

Recipe Round-Ups

Quick and Easy Instant Pot Breakfast Recipes for Less Morning Stress

Guides

How to Care for Enameled Cast Iron So It Lasts a Lifetime

Home

The Best Tool to Clean a Wood Cutting Board Is Probably in Your Compost Bin

Trending Discussions

Favorite Chowhound Memories

A Final Goodbye for Chowhound

Chowhound Recipes That You are Saving

Food52: Goodbye to Chowhound, the Internet’s First Food Hub

NY Times: Chowhound Closes After 25 Years of Food Obsession, Wisdom and Debate

Quick Links

Latest Discussions

Cookbook of the Month

Dish of the Month

Weekly Menu Planning

Get fresh food news delivered to your inbox

12 Irish Foods to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day That Aren’t Corned Beef and Cabbage

Chowhound

Policies

Community

Editorial

Content