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It's coming up on Thanksgiving for those of us in the US, and the annual negotiation of Thanksgiving menus is upon us. What are you all looking forward to having, and what has been dropped from the list that would still be on there if you were solely in charge? What travesties will appear on the table that your misinformed host thinks are a good idea?

My MIL is an amazing cook, and I'm looking forward to her puddings (corn at Thanksgiving, Yorkshire at Christmas). However, she's a cornbread-and-cranberry stuffing fan, so I'm dreaming of white bread stuffing with turkey sausage that will not be on my plate. (Yes, I can make it myself, but it tastes better if it was cooked in the bird!)

Feel free to venture dishes from other cultural holidays and opinions on specific recipes. A few years ago, there was a sweet potato debate here that almost came to blows.

When it comes to stuffing I have to admit that I have never had a homemade stuffing…ever.

It’s always been the prepackaged stuff.

I grew up with it cooked in the bird, but my favorite way is prepared in muffin tins so that it comes out crispy.

I do make my own cranberry sauce though. None of that jelly stuff, lol.

My in-laws always had Mac and cheese as part of Thanksgiving dinner.

My Sister in law has rice and bEans as that is their Puerto Rican tradition.

My other friends always have collard greens in Thanksgiving.

I’m a sausage stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy person. Cornbread and pumpkin bread is required. Sweet potato pie and turkey with broccoli casserole, Brussels sprouts with bacon and of course, homemade apple crumb pie and pumpkin pie. And pumpkin swirl cheesecake with cinnamon whipped cream.

And a standing appointment for angioplasty lol

The preferred pie in my family, oddly enough, is lemon meringue. Someone brought one years ago for variety, and it was wiped out instantly. The following year, the same thing happened, with several embittered folks who missed out. Eventually, pecan got cut from the roster, and a two lemon pie minimum was established.

Everyone thinks I'm nuts when I bring lemon meringue pie to other Thanksgivings, and yet, it always gets eaten!

White Castle Stuffing is the best

White Castle Stuffing is the best

OMG! I had to look that up, and

Only in America, folks!

My kids would stage a rebellion if we left out the green bean casserole. My son makes it with Golden Mushroom soup rather than the cream of mushroom. Over time that has become the tradition.

Every year we have a discussion about how to prepare the sweet potatoes, and have a hard time deciding on our favorite of the many recipes we have tried in the past. I'm feeling lazy and unmotivated this year so I am going to poke holes in them and bake them. I'll serve them like regular baked potatoes but offer toppings more appropriate for a sweet potato: butter, brown sugar, and whatever else people want.

Stuffing? What is this stuffing of which you speak?

My family origins mean I'm familiar with something called dressing. Which is a Thanksgiving dish formed into pones and baked until crisp. Includes homemade cornbread, homemade biscuits, sausage (with biscuits and sausage being the breakfast for everyone that morning), fresh broth cooked with turkey bits/celery/onion and lots of other goodies. It's a real pain but so worth it.

Dressing is one of those things people get goofy about - everyone's got their own tradition and when people start blending families/friends, it can get...scowl inducing when the dressing is placed on the table.

My great aunt used to call it dressing! She grew up in Kentucky and Ohio. I remember it confused my brother when we were kids -- he thought she was offering to pour some Thousand Island on his plate.

That dressing sounds amazing, Chili.

I do make my own cranberry sauce though. None of that jelly stuff, lol.

It's traditional here to have both the sauce with whole berries and the jelly from a can. The jelly must be unadorned and served on the plate still in its can shape, so all the suspicious palates know it hasn't been secretly gentrified with other ingredients.

Is there more than one type of stuffing?
IS THAT ALLOWED?!?!?!?

Stale white bread croutons, chopped onion, finely chopped celery, lots of butter, poultry-seasoning and good stock. Preferably combined on a pan the day before and the turkey stuffed to the brim (cavity, under the skin, neck area). Cooked in the turkey – not on the side.

It so simple and soooooo gooood! This is how my mom made stuffing and how all my grown kids make stuffing. It’s even got to where their in-laws make this stuffing.
Every year my wife starts pulling out all these recipes for other options. She admits this stuffing is great "but it would be nice to try something new". Words that have wrecked so many marriages…

Heck… I think we need a new forum here on SI:
The forum for those whose spouses wanted to "try something new" in Turkey stuffing.

quote]Heck… I think we need a new forum here on SI:
The forum for those whose spouses wanted to "try something new" in Turkey stuffing.

We actually are trying something new this year. Usually I make a copycat of Red Lobster’s Cheddar Bay Biscuits. This year we are going to try to make a Cheddar Bay Biscuit stuffing!

Exactly, Bigger. That's exactly the stuffing I grew up with, and the only upside of the pandemic is that I had it last year because we made our own turkey. It's not the same if it's on the side -- though we do that, too, because otherwise we'd run out. The only thing worse than making the wrong stuffing is not having enough stuffing. Or gravy, for that matter.

I haven't made it in years because it's a pain, but I used to make an Oyster stuffing, probably more like a dressing than a stuffing because the only thing you stuffed it with was your face. But it was pretty damn good. These days we are more likely to do Stove Top

I know Thanksgiving is over here in the states, but Christmas is coming up so…..

Anyway, we usually have at least two types of stuffing (dressing, I’ve heard it that way too).
Personally, I’m a Stove Top Stuffing guy. I love that stuff.
I’ve never really cared for all the different homemade, cooked in the bird or out kind of stuffing I’ve tried over the years.
My wife make a homemade stuffing that everyone loves except me and my oldest son. That’s why we always have some out of the box Stove Top Stuffing as well.

However, if we make White Castle stuffing (we’re in Michigan) that stuff is like the holy grail of stuffing in these parts, lol.
No leftovers of that at all.

Since discovery of White Castle stuffing, we’ve only had it a few times.
Someone above mentioned it and reminded me how good it is.
We’ll be having that along side a nice prime rib roast this year at Christmas !