Thanksgiving has always been a special day for me just like everyone else, it’s the day to show gratitude and to be thankful for everything in our life. Having a delicious feast, spending time with loved ones and watching a game alongside them, nothing more merrier than this could happen to me. The day of gratitude is filled with many delectable meals and dishes, especially from the oldest and classic American dishes.
Thanksgiving, which occurs on the fourth Thursday in November, is an annual national holiday in the United States and Canada, is where everyone celebrates the blessing of the previous year. It is the time where you could explore the wide variety of cuisines as a part of American Tradition.
In this blog, let me give you a quick summary of the various Thanksgiving meals and dishes mustered up during the special day. I hope this will help you to create an ideal Thanksgiving day with your loved ones.
The Top Delicacies For a Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner
The day filled with love, joy, gratitude and thanksgiving dishes, what more could you ask for? Well in my recent years of celebrating the joyful day, I always craved for the thanksgiving food appetizers.
From filling up with the turkeys and heading straight to mixing gravy with potatoes. Don’t forget the dessert by the way, it’s the best of the last. It is time for you to ensure that your next Thanksgiving is perfected with all these captivating cuisines. Here are some of the best traditional delectables I’ve tried myself so far on the day of gratitude.
1. Roast Turkey
The main and centerpiece dish of Thanksgiving is the delicious roast turkey. Even though it might take some time to cook the turkey, it is really simple and easy to prepare the best Thanksgiving appetizers. Thanksgiving is never complete for me without a perfect roasted Turkey.
Are you wondering why roasted turkey is the main dish of the special day? It is because to serve a big crowd, Turkey is more perfect than any other birds and more affordable for everyone than a cow or a pig. Moreover, there are many national mythologies about turkey being the best holiday dish of America and it still remains as one of favorite foods for thanksgiving.
2. Mashed Potatoes
Among the various side dishes for the thanksgiving dinner, mashed potatoes is known as the most important and necessary one. I mean I can’t imagine a holiday without mashed potatoes, it is my very own most preferred side just like millions of other Americans.
I know it can be a little bit tough to prepare this perfect side dish yet trust me it’ll be worth your patience. Peeling the potatoes is when it gets a bit annoying but afterwards it’ll be really quick, and after boiling just take it with potato ricer alongside melted butter and a bath of cream and it’s done. In just 45 minutes you will get your perfect Thanksgiving dinner sides ready for you. You may enjoy it with bread stuffing or take it whole with the gravy or however you want.
3. Cranberry Sauce
Another favorite of mine among the Thanksgiving dinner sides, Cranberry Sauce is a sweet- tart sauce and as simple as opening up the canned ones. Did you know you could pretty much make the cranberry sauce one week in advance? Yes, and you could even place it in your refrigerator so that the flavor would meld and deepen as much as it stays in the fridge.
Cranberry sauce became a most important part of the traditional thanksgiving meal and is one of the few fruits grown native to the United States. Yet it became popular only in the 19th century. Moreover, no matter how the main menu changes, some sides like cranberry sauce would always be there.
4. Green Bean Casserole
It personally feels like a Thanksgiving wouldn’t be complete without the green bean casserole. Veggies for Thanksgiving is also essential as this classic casserole has a vegan version just like a slow cooker version and a gluten free version.
It is being said that the dish was created in the test kitchen of Dorcas Reilly’s company in 1955, when he asked to make a dish using condensed cream of the mushroom soup. Later, in a few experiments Reilly utilized the green beans and finally prepared the amazing cuisine known as Green Bean Casserole.
5. Pumpkin Pie
My favorite and one of the best pies for thanksgiving, Pumpkin is also an essential dish in every thanksgiving table. Not just because of its taste, the orange and golden crusted pie is much more than a chief dish, it represents gratitude and appreciation towards the ancestors during every season of harvest.
6.Sweet Potato Casserole
Let your taste buds tangle with Sweet Potato Casserole as it is creamy and crunchy and makes a perfect crowd pleaser is one of the easy thanksgiving meals. We all just love having the casserole with butter, pecans, flour and brown sugar as toppings. Moreover, the whole casserole could be prepared two days in advance which will give you a stress-free thanksgiving day.
7.Stuffing
Dressing or is it Stuffing? This is one of the most timeless dishes of thanksgiving. Some of the best stuffing for thanksgiving is prepared separately and displays cornbread as the chief addings. Also the flavors depend on the traditions of your own as it has been rooted over many regional traditions for many generations. The stuffing always holds a dear place in our hearts during every Thanksgiving.
8.Gravy
A homemade gravy is the most important and must-have side for pouring over your roast turkey, biscuits or mashed potatoes during the holidays and making the perfect thanksgiving meals to go. It always got to be perfect just like all the other delicacies on the table as it could enhance almost everything with gravy. I always prefer making the gravy two days before just so that my family won’t have to wait for their food on Thanksgiving day.
9.Pecan Pie
When you come to think of desserts in the holidays, just like the pumpkin pie, pecan pie is also one of the best thanksgiving desserts. Pecan pie is one the easiest desserts to make and is a mixture of sweetness and saltiness. It is a combination of pecan nuts, butter, eggs, vanilla, maple or corn syrup. We just cannot resist the yumminess of Pecan Pie for dessert.
Tips for a Tranquill Thanksgiving
So have you planned enough for your upcoming Thanksgiving? If you haven’t then lemme give you some pointers to make your thanksgiving perfect and amusing.
- Buy the turkey in advance so that it would get enough time to thaw
- Make sure you don’t overcook your turkey.
- Bake and prepare all the pies,desserts and gravy in advance
- Make a plan on the timing for serving things like appetizers, breakfast, dinner and all.
- Encourage your kids to do the kitchen works alongside you
- Always use the crockpot
- Try variety of recipes for your big meal
- Make sure the turkey is big enough
- Set the table in advance or a night before
- Chill the drinks for thanksgiving in advance
- Clear your trash cans and dishwasher the night before
- Check the best places to stay during the thanksgiving weekend
Wrap Up!
Now that we have covered the traditional delicacies being prepared during the day of gratitude, it is time for me to wrap this up. The whole foods in thanksgiving is unique on its own, as there are so many more varieties of good thanksgiving dishes out there. I’m pretty sure that now you have a pretty great idea about the top dishes prepared during the holiday after reading the blog. But now it is time for you to explore the more distinct traditional cuisines and try them out on your own.
Furthermore, if you wish to host your thanksgiving party or enjoy your great holiday in a luxury rental then We HolidayKeepers are more than ready to welcome you into our luxurious and comfortable vacation rentals along with the ultimate hospitality and amenities available.
Contact Us for further doubts or queries.
FAQs
Q: What are the most preferred light thanksgiving appetizers?
A: Some of the best light appetizers for the holidays are:
- Air Fryer Pumpkin Seeds
- Hasselback Sausage Bites
- Rosemary-Brown Butter Pecans
- French Onion Deviled Eggs
- Dried Beef Cheese Ball
Q: Which are the best Thanksgiving food alternatives?
A: Here is the list of the best food alternatives
- Artichoke Hearts Gratin
- Roasted Pumpkin Soup
- Roasted Pumpkin and Goat Cheese Crostini
Paul P, Senior Editor and Travel Planner at HolidayKeepers, brings over 10 years of experience from New York. He expertly combines storytelling with extensive knowledge in travel and hospitality. Known for turning vibrant travel experiences into engaging articles, Paul covers everything from hidden gems to the latest in vacation rentals, resonating with adventurers and leisure-seekers alike.
