With all the Thanksgiving trappings, there is frequently no fresh food offering, if you think about it. I always serve a Caesar Salad which gives the taste buds a nice break from all the cooked items. I need to make lots. It's a big hit!

If you'd like any menu ideas, here are the other items we serve:
Roast Turkey
Stuffing
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Yams
Steamed French Green Beans (thin ones)
Cranberry Relish
Pumpkin Pie
Apple Pie
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Here's a Thanksgiving tip! If you're hosting a Thanksgiving Dinner, know ahead of time if anyone has allergies. One year, my sister in law put walnuts in almost every dish and even stuffed the turkey with them. My father in law is allergic, so he couldn't eat anything. We ended up fetching him a TV dinner from our freezer just so he could eat with us.
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I know it's cheating but my favorite tip is to order the Turkey and generic sides (salad, greenbeans, mashed pots) from the supermarket or deli. Then I just add in my own specialties. Thanksgiving is a day I should rest too.
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Here's my Thanksgiving tip: bake plenty of extra crescent rolls or whatever rolls you like best so you can use them for turkey sandwiches later. I slice open the crescent roll, spread cranberry sauce on one side and a good Swiss cheese spread on the other, and then put a nice thick slice of leftover turkey meat in between. Mmm!

http://www.mahalo.com/thanksgiving-dinner-tips
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My advice is that when a guest or family member offers to bring a dish, take them up on it! The less food you have to prepare the less time you'll have to spend cleaning pots and pans, and the more time you'll have to relax with friends and family!

http://www.mahalo.com/thanksgiving-dinner-tips
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I have a policy that all the food has to be of North American origin.

That meas turkey and cranberries, and potatoes and squash, and wild rice from Lake Winnipeg, and cornmeal bread, and of course corn, and pies with Saskatoon berries and huckleberries...

It can include venison, elk, caribou, moose, grouse, partridge (no pheasant because those were introduced from Asia), buffalo, wild duck and Canada goose, west coast salmon and crab, east coast lobster, wild onions, asparagus, morel mushrooms, oysters, trout, etc.

But it means nothing with wheat or rice or oats or barley, no beef, no milk nor cheese, no chicken nor chicken eggs, although duck eggs are okay if you can find them, no pork, although south American wild boar is okay if you can get it, no lamb unless it's bighorn sheep, no goat unless it the bearded rocky mountain goat, no carrots, no tomatoes, no lettuce or cucumbers, etc.

It gets tricky with the seasoning. Salt and chili peppers and sage are okay, but rosemary and thyme are out.

Wine has to be made from Saskatoon berries or huckleberries or wild grapes if you can find them, but it's easier to just go for corn mash whiskey and tequila.

It makes the meal different and special compared to the Christmas dinner that's only a month away, and it makes a point.

Now, this part I know you're going to think is corny, but it's something I do anyway...

I live close to a reserve, and I have friends and trading partners there, and they know that on thanksgiving I have a standing invitation for band people to join as potluck, as long as it's food native to north America, and they always show up with more than anyone can eat... we usually have so much that part of the evening is boxing up the leftovers to take home.

What's funny is... they have *so* incorporated bannock into their diet, the way people from the old world have adopted maize, that when it's remembered that wheat didn't come from north America, they sometimes get stumped what to bring for a staple. But they always bring loads of salmon, and usually a lot of moose, and sometimes whitefish and caribou.

The aspect of inviting native colleagues is something I do because I can, and my family doesn't care because everyone all grew up around each other...

... but for those who see thanksgiving as a family-reunion type thing, you still might want to try seeing if you can make your feast out of just foods from the Americas.

Try it, just for one year, and I bet you'll be surprised what does and does not come from the Americas.

WAIT A SEC... I JUST GOT AN IDEA!!!

I've had the tradition of only north American food on thanksgiving for almost 16 years now, but I've never had one that's just food from the old world!

A couple weeks ago there were discussions on Mahalo about whether or not Columbus day should continue to be recognized, and if so, should it be renamed.

Some people said it should be dropped as a holiday, others said it should be retained but renamed to Discovery day, and I said it should be retained and renamed as New World Day.

As of this moment I'm set and know what I'm going to do!!!

I'm going to recognize Columbus Day but as New World Day, and I'm going to organize a yearly feast around it, where all the food has to be only from the Old World!!!

So potatoes and corn are squash are out, but wheat and barley and peas are in...

Andd I'm going to tell everyone who shows up that it has to be called New World Day (within earshot, anyway, or there will be a penalty, like... forced downing of a shot of lemon gin), and that the point of the feast - aside from having an excuse to gather and eat and drink - is to remember what Europeans and Africans and Asians used to eat!

And I'm going to invite the same people that are invited to the thanksgiving feast, so now the natives can bring their bannock, and we're going to stuff ourselves with joints of beef, and chicken, and ham, and fresh baked bread with butter, and wine made from Italian grapes and beer made from barley and hops!

It balances out the way I make is that thanksgiving has to be just food from the Americas, plus it's almost at the opposite side of the year, so it has a symbolic fit that way...

That's it!

I now officially recognize New World Day (where it says Columbus day on the calendar) and the cuisine shall be only food that was available in the old world!

ANYWAY....

My tip for Thanksgiving is see if you can make your meal 100% out of just foods native to the Americas.
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http://www.ehow.com/how_5560455_make-turkey-thanksgiving-christmas-dinner.html

This brings new meaning to dressing your dinner up!
Here you ACTUALLY dress the DINNER up; in this case the turkey!
Source(s):
http://www.ehow.com/how_5560455_make-turkey-thanksgiving-christmas-dinner.h...

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Thanksgiving is supposed to be about gathering with loved ones and giving thanks. My tip is not to let it become ALL about the food. Sure, the meal should be good, elaborate even, but only to the extent that it doesn't overwhelm the one preparing it. Leave some time and space to enjoy the company of those attending. Being too exhausted to enjoy the fruits of your labor and the companionship of friends and family leaves you thankful for just one thing: that it's finally over.

So scale back, ask for help and make it memorable by cherishing more than just the turkey.
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Here's mine:

If you are serving pumpkin pie, make sure to serve it with real whipped cream (the can stuff is okay, but not the fake cool whip stuff). It's so much better with real whipped cream! Buy it early, since it does sell out fast close to Thanksgiving.
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This is a very important tip: Remember to take the insides out of the Turkey before putting it in the oven! Some turkey's do not come with the innards in a nice baggie that can be pulled out so you have to check. Use the innards in the stuffing so you are not wasteful!
Source(s):
http://www.mahalo.com/turkey-dinner-tips

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http://www.mahalo.com/thanksgiving-dinner-tips

Delegate food preparation and jobs to all the people attending the feast. Give them plenty of forewarning and give them a choice on what to contribute to the meal, what tasks they need to do and so forth. There is no reason, if other people are attending, that the whole meal has to be all on one person's shoulders, with prep and cleaning work, financially or in food preparation. Even children can chip in with food preparation, setting the table ,decorations, cleaning the house before and cleanup after the meal. This is a gathering not a only one person has to do it all show.
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Great idea for a question and the Thanksgiving Tips page will come in handy for many. I remember my first few Thanksgivings of cooking on my own and I had so many questions. The tips added in the comment section already are great ones. Here's my addition:

If you are serving cranberry sauce from the can, remove the lid from both ends of the can and push the sauce through so it comes out in one tube-like piece and can be sliced.
Source(s):
personal experience

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Make sure you have a meat thermometer or get a turkey that has a thermometer in it. Nothing like serving raw turkey to your guests!
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Julieann2 added a comment Less than a minute ago
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Use crock pots for making simple dishes like sweet potatoes and vegetables to keep the oven open for the turkey. These work great for keeping food up to temperature when entertaining a large crowd too.

http://www.mahalo.com/thanksgiving-dinner-tips

Here's my tip.
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