Traditional Thanksgiving Menu

What foods are you likely to find in a traditional Thanksgiving menu? If you are like many of us, you have a rich memory bank of delectable foods that Mom or Grandma made year after year in your Thanksgiving celebration.

Although the traditional Thanksgiving dinner may vary some from region to region, or from the United States to Canada, still many of the foods on the menu are likely to be included regardless of the locale.

A friend and I were brainstorming a traditional Thanksgiving menu just this evening, and I made an interesting observation. Both of us live in the Southeastern U.S., but we both grew up in the cold north. Still, our discussion turned up nearly all of the same foods.

Compare your menu with ours and see how similar they may be!

Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner

At the center of the Thanksgiving celebration is the remarkable Roast Turkey. It is highly likely that the very First Thanksgiving dinner - celebrated by the Indians and Pilgrims - had this bird as a focal point. Of course, their dinner would have been wild turkey, whereas most of our turkeys today are domesticated and grown for the purpose of our Thanksgiving delight. Can you smell the aroma?

Accompanying the turkey would be the stuffing (cooked inside the bird or separately) and turkey gravy to smother the meat, stuffing and potatoes. Yum!

Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Traditional Thanksgiving side dishes include the following:

• Corn
  
• Herbed or Cornbread Stuffing
  
• Rolls (often yeast rolls with butter)
  
• Mashed Potatoes
  
• Sweet Potatoes (often made into a casserole with melted marshmallows and sweetener included)
  
• Green Bean Casserole
  
• Cranberry Salad or Jelly
  

Thanksgiving Traditions: Dessert

The traditional Thanksgiving dessert is, of course, the princely Pumpkin Pie. It is typically served with whipping cream, and its smooth, silky texture with its sweet, spiced flavor is an absolute delight! A sweet potato pie is very similar in taste and texture.

Apple pie and vanilla ice cream is another option for Thanksgiving dessert.

Go from Traditional Thanksgiving Menu to Happy Thanksgiving

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