Our Thanksgiving Menu

The links in the post below may be affiliate links. Read the full disclosure.


As I mentioned in my Meal Plan post, we are having 18 people for Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday. Although, I don’t have Thanksgiving every single year, in the 25 years I’ve been married, I have had it quite a bit. I remember in the beginning, I wanted to try so many different recipes and searched and searched for different ideas, always interested in what others prepared. In the end, I always go back to our family basics because that is just what we love. I’ve tried fancy stuffings but always go back to the basic recipe on the bag of Pepperidge Farm stuffing. I’ve tried fancy veggies and not ones eats them. So, basics it is for us.

This year we are cooking up a 26 lb turkey. Yeap, a big one. I’m trying something different this year. I am actually considering cooking the turkey on Wednesday, slicing it, pouring some of the juice over it and then heating it back up on Thursday. A turkey that size would need around 12 hours of cooking and to eat at around 3:00, well I’ll have to start it around midnight. And I just don’t feel like doing that. So, I did a little research and have found people that actually like doing it that way better. So, I’m going to give it a go.

So, with all that said. I wanted to share our Thanksgiving dinner menu plans. A couple of items I’m still on the fence about so if anyone has any great recipes, please do share. Now remember, I am Italian, so my menu is based on holiday dinners I have had growing up. It’s fun to see how everyone celebrates.

The Livesey/Sabatino Family Thanksgiving Feast:

Appetizers:
Antipasto w/ bread
Chips w/ dip
Hummus with pita chips

1st course (the Italian part):
Lasagna
Meatballs & Sausage

Main Course (the basic menu):
Turkey
Gravy
Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes w/ cheese and sour cream
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Steamed Broccoli
Salad
Cranberry Sauce
Dinner Rolls

Pre-dessert (put out while we are cleaning up):
Clementines
Nuts
Chocolates

Dessert:
Homemade apple pie w/ ice cream
Whatever else the family brings
coffee, espresso

If anyone has cooked their turkey ahead of time please let us know how it is and any tips.

Photo Credit: Microforum Italia