Thanksgiving Meal Menu Ideas: Simple Solution To The Best Menu Plans

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Thanksgiving Meal Menu Ideas – With just over a week to go before Thanksgiving, I woke up in a start very early this morning overcome by a sense of complete panic.

As the chief cook for this big meal,  I have never felt so unprepared.  Help is needed if for no other reason than for moral support. I don’t even have the turkey!

As if by magic, I came across a timely post in the New York Times.

<h2>Thanksgiving Dinner For 14!</h2>

The New York Times post provided me with the required amount of objectivity to re-focus on the big picture –  preparing Thanksgiving dinner for 14 in a kitchen other than my own,  without knowing how well the kitchen is equipped.

Curious about how I filled out the New York Times menu planning app? Stadium seating, seasoned veteran, lots of meat, lots of dairy, keeping it traditional and half way between “way ahead” and last minute.  The menu selection was spectacular!

Experience has taught me that you can’t bring it all with you nor can you expect to find it all there. Here are some other Holiday Menu ideas.

I mean, seriously, how many beach cottage owners actually stock their summer kitchen with a turkey roasting pan and a huge gravy boat? Psst….some do 🙂

Every year, I am faced with the same cooking dilemma.   And yet, every year, we leave our November home away from home vacation knowing that what mattered most was not the table settings or the meal itself but the fact that we were all gathered under one roof.

It’s true – I could write a book titled “How To Plan The Perfect Thanksgiving Dinner For A Small Army While Pretending I’m In My Kitchen”.

Let’s see how I can downsize this year’s grand Thanksgiving meal menu ideas into a more manageable dinner.


And now for some more….

Thanksgiving Meal Menu Ideas:

20+ Complete Thanksgiving Menu Ideas

Sigh…Perhaps I should have checked this site first. Can’t go wrong with Country Living © and their 23 Thanksgiving menu ideas. Select from various menus such as Laid Back, Retro, Rustic and Traditional with everything in between. Want your turkey spicy? They give you a menu and provide links to recipes for each section of the menu: the main course, the sides and the desserts. If I were to venture a guess, our dinner will be retro style.

Country Living

Saveur’s© Effortlessly Elegant Thanksgiving Menu

Elegant is correct – from the cruditées platter and the pecan cheese wafers to the brandied cranberry sauce. Pomme Duchesse make for a show stopper side dish. After sipping on a Clementine Punch while I savor my Maple Pumpkin Brulée Pie, I’m not sure I could move away from the table once the meal was done. This is high class but I’m not so sure about the effortless preparation aspect of it all.

Saveur Magazine

The Betty Crocker© Classic Thanksgiving Menu

During our travels around the globe, Mom had few cookbooks on hand. They were useless as none of the ingredients could be found locally. The cookbook from her Grandmother traveled the world along with us – just because. The only other cookbook I distinctly remember her having is the red and white classic Betty Crocker© cookbook

Betty Crocker’s© Thanksgiving Guide

Thanksgiving Leftover Turkey Sandwiches

We have one family member who dreams of the leftover turkey sandwiches.  This year, I will make sure there is plenty of meat left for sandwiches.  For inspiration on making these sandwiches all anyone really needs to do is watch this video!

I’m not sure I would go to these lengths for a sandwich but watching the thought process while cooking is hilarious and hits pretty close to home.  Oh!  and an induction cook top is on my Christmas wish list.  It’s the third one I’ve seen this week so that must be an omen of sorts.

Remember now – moist maker sandwiches are an important part of the Thanksgiving meal menu ideas. 🙂  Happy Thanksgiving!

Best Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes