Thanksgiving dinner is an annual tradition. It is typically considered as a day to feast and give thanks. The Thanksgiving dinner may often be served in the afternoon. Family and friends gather to share in the splendor of delicious food and drink.
Turkey is the traditional main course, although ham is a second choice, served along with numerous side dishes. There are numerous ways to prepare a turkey, including roasting, deep frying or even grilling, as well as numerous variations on the preparation method, including brining and marinading.
While some will use prepared stuffing from the grocery store, making stuffing at home is easy as well. Homemade stuffing can be customized to include flavors of leek and wild mushrooms, sausage, cornbread and sage and even oysters.
To top the turkey, there are a variety of gravies that can be prepared, including the traditional giblet gravy, lemon garlic gravy and the robust pancetta-sage gravy.
Traditional sides include mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, vegetables, and other items. It is tradition to eat hearty on Thanksgiving, which is why many dinners contain an abundance of food (often resulting in leftovers). The main course is usually followed up with desserts like pumpkin, pecan, and apple pies.
Recipes used on Thanksgiving are often handed down generation to generation. Using grandma's favorite stuffing recipe brings back family tradition and memories of days long past. Others look to the familiar recipes like on the back of the Campbell's soup can for green bean casserole.
