Thanksgiving Ideas?

[nostalgicBadger]

I'm glad this thread exists. While we're on the topic, can anybody suggest a dish that would be really cheap to make? My roommates insist on having a Thanksgiving dinner, and it would be pretty awkward to not make anything, but I'm so ridiculously poor right now. I've been living on pancakes for the past couple of days.

[Manta Obscura]

I'm glad this thread exists. While we're on the topic, can anybody suggest a dish that would be really cheap to make? My roommates insist on having a Thanksgiving dinner, and it would be pretty awkward to not make anything, but I'm so ridiculously poor right now. I've been living on pancakes for the past couple of days.

Pumpkin soup is a good idea, NB, especially if you have a produce store near you that sells pie pumpkins (they taste better than the canned pumpkin). All you need are some pumpkin, onion, and a few other ingredients, and it makes a large yield for what you put into it. Mrs. Obscura has a good recipe for it, so I'll have to try to get it from her tonight before I can be more specific.

Another good dish, especially if you like potatoes, is Swiss Potato Patties. To make these, you boil (or bake, but boiling is quicker and simpler) one potato for every person being served. After the potatoes are soft enough to easily stick a fork into, peel them and grate them into a large bowl. Add one fourth cup coarsely shredded swiss cheese for every one potato used. Add one-eighth teaspoon salt and one-eighth teaspoon pepper for every one potato used. Stir ingredients together.

Using your hands, mold the potato-cheese mixture into small patties according to the number of people being served. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat.

Cook patties in oil for 8-10 minutes, turning once during cooking. Add more oil to the pan as necessary.


The patties tend to be very crunchy and delicious, and go well with a lot of other traditional Thanksgiving food. Plus, because they end up brown-ish and round, it's easy to decorate them like turkeys.

[Dysfunctional Cunt]

Moroccan Stuffed Acorn Squash

2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 large acorn squash, halved and seeded
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 cup garbanzo beans, drained
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1 (14 ounce) can chicken or veggie broth
1 cup uncooked couscous

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Put squash halves cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes, or until tender. Dissolve the sugar in the melted butter. Brush squash with the butter mixture, and keep squash warm while preparing the stuffing.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Stir in the garlic, celery, and carrots, and cook 5 minutes or so. Mix in the garbanzo beans and raisins. Season to taste with cumin, salt, and pepper, and continue to cook and stir until vegetables are tender.

Pour the broth into the skillet, and mix in the couscous. Cover skillet, and turn off heat. Allow couscous to absorb liquid for 5 minutes. Stuff squash halves with the skillet mixture. Reheat if necessary.

WOW that sounds awesome!  Thanks!!!

[AFK]

Thanksgiving Mooch

Ingredients:

1 you
1 key
1 automobile

Take your key, insert it into the ignition of the automobile.  Fasten your seat-belt, and drive to someone else's house and enjoy!

This is what the RWHN clan is doing. 

[Lymantria Dispar]

can anybody suggest a dish that would be really cheap to make?

Corn Cassarole

1/4 cup butter or margerine, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 (8.5 ounce) package dry corn bread mix  (about 80¢)
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained (about 70¢)
1 (14.75 ounce) can creamed corn (about 70¢)
1 cup sour cream (about $1.30)
salt & pepper to taste
(optional add-ins: canned chili's, chopped onions, shredded cheese, etc)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x9 inch baking dish.
In a bowl, combine butter, eggs, corn bread mix, whole & creamed corn, sour cream, salt & pepper & any add-ins. Spoon mixture into prepared dish.
Bake for about an hour in the preheated oven, or until the top is golden brown.

[nostalgicBadger]

I'm glad this thread exists. While we're on the topic, can anybody suggest a dish that would be really cheap to make? My roommates insist on having a Thanksgiving dinner, and it would be pretty awkward to not make anything, but I'm so ridiculously poor right now. I've been living on pancakes for the past couple of days.

Pumpkin soup is a good idea, NB, especially if you have a produce store near you that sells pie pumpkins (they taste better than the canned pumpkin). All you need are some pumpkin, onion, and a few other ingredients, and it makes a large yield for what you put into it. Mrs. Obscura has a good recipe for it, so I'll have to try to get it from her tonight before I can be more specific.

Another good dish, especially if you like potatoes, is Swiss Potato Patties. To make these, you boil (or bake, but boiling is quicker and simpler) one potato for every person being served. After the potatoes are soft enough to easily stick a fork into, peel them and grate them into a large bowl. Add one fourth cup coarsely shredded swiss cheese for every one potato used. Add one-eighth teaspoon salt and one-eighth teaspoon pepper for every one potato used. Stir ingredients together.

Using your hands, mold the potato-cheese mixture into small patties according to the number of people being served. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat.

Cook patties in oil for 8-10 minutes, turning once during cooking. Add more oil to the pan as necessary.


The patties tend to be very crunchy and delicious, and go well with a lot of other traditional Thanksgiving food. Plus, because they end up brown-ish and round, it's easy to decorate them like turkeys.

I am definitely intrigued by both of these suggestions. I might have to do a practice run at some point since it would be my first time making either, but neither sounds like something I wouldn't mind eating at all.

Also, decorating the patties like turkeys.   

[Sir Squid Diddimus]

cranberries?
not a veg but here's my recipe:

bag of berries
1/2 c orange juice
1/2 c water
1/2 c sugar
cinnamon stick
anise star
couple grates of nutmeg
about 2 orange slices

Bring everything (except berries) to a boil, reduce heat, fish out cinnamon stick, anise and orange slices, add berries cook till they break open and everything is a big sticky mess. Cool completely and serve chilled.

Also
New potatoes and green beans:

some bacon or salt pork
little new potatoes (the wee ones) with a stripe peeled around the orb
fresh green beans w. the stem snapped off and snapped in half
salt, pepper

par boil the potatoes a little and set them aside.
fry the bacon, remove. add green beans to the grease and toss w/ a little bit of water (just enough for a little steam). add salt pepper. when they soften a bit, add potatoes. cook till done.
really easy, really tasty.

that's all i can think of right now

Sqid - Is there gelatin in the cranberries?  I am wondering how liquid this is because it sounds awesome, but I am thinking on how to serve..  Do you put whipped cream on top?

The green beans and new potatoes is a great idea!!!  Thanks!!

no gelatin. the sugar and the goo in the berries makes it thicken into a syrup. after it's cooled its a lot like a preserves or that other muddled berry stuff who's name i cant remember.
it should not be runny. at all.

[Triple Zero]

pectine. is what makes fruit jellify if you boil it.

[Dysfunctional Cunt]

cranberries?
not a veg but here's my recipe:

bag of berries
1/2 c orange juice
1/2 c water
1/2 c sugar
cinnamon stick
anise star
couple grates of nutmeg
about 2 orange slices

Bring everything (except berries) to a boil, reduce heat, fish out cinnamon stick, anise and orange slices, add berries cook till they break open and everything is a big sticky mess. Cool completely and serve chilled.

Sqid - Is there gelatin in the cranberries?  I am wondering how liquid this is because it sounds awesome, but I am thinking on how to serve..  Do you put whipped cream on top?

The green beans and new potatoes is a great idea!!!  Thanks!!

no gelatin. the sugar and the goo in the berries makes it thicken into a syrup. after it's cooled its a lot like a preserves or that other muddled berry stuff who's name i cant remember.
it should not be runny. at all.

I have everything to make this, I got the cranberries and anise last night so WOOT!!!  Just curious, how well does it save, can I make it early and it will save in the fridge a couple days or is it best right when made?

[Sir Squid Diddimus]

it'll last a couple of days in the fridge.
it's like a jelly, only chunky

[Sir Squid Diddimus]

actually, the longer it sits, the better

then all the flavors have a chance to completely incorporate themselves togezzer

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I've successfully kept cranberry sauce in the fridge for months without it going bad. It's like jam.

[Kai]

I have no family in the area and no friends have invited me for dinner. I have nowhere to go so I will probably just make some pasta like I always seem to do thursday nights.

Unless ya'all have some better suggestions.

[Jenne]

I have no family in the area and no friends have invited me for dinner. I have nowhere to go so I will probably just make some pasta like I always seem to do thursday nights.

Unless ya'all have some better suggestions.

  Kai, you're always welcome out West.  I know that's a $-burden, but damn, dude...

Invite YOURSELF to your friends' houses, seriously!  Better to be "that guy" than to spend the holiday alone, Babe.

[twentythreepress]

cold bean salad.

beans. (any.. with all black beans, lime juice instead of balsamic if you run out of vinegar, and do it more spanish-inspired with turmeric and cilantro.. with cannelini beans, balsamic and basil.. whatever you have in the house.)
balsamic vinegar.
dash of olive oil.
one fresh herb, whatever grows in your climate or whatever's not too finicky to grow inside.. dill's good.. so's cilantro... basil.. thyme.. rosemary..
cinnamon.
salt.
black pepper.
raw onion cut thinly.
garlic powder.

let it sit in the fridge for 15 mins. so the vinegar draws out the flavor of the herb and onion.

vegan, cheap as fuck, quick, no-cook, healthy, etc. wee usually have all this shit in the house, so it's a matter of going out and spending $1.29 for a giant can of beans, or doing it a day in advance with dry beans for a $0 meal.

I'm glad this thread exists. While we're on the topic, can anybody suggest a dish that would be really cheap to make? My roommates insist on having a Thanksgiving dinner, and it would be pretty awkward to not make anything, but I'm so ridiculously poor right now. I've been living on pancakes for the past couple of days.