In the United States, families consider Thanksgiving as one of the most important holidays of the year.
Every year, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. Most families follow the same traditions that started on the first Thanksgiving, but many have their own traditions that they follow every year.
A couple of examples of Thanksgiving traditions include the turkey pardon and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The traditional Thanksgiving feast is considered to be a large part of this celebration. As a matter of fact, many families include the entire family in the food preparation, especially the turkey, one of the most important symbols of Thanksgiving. Leftovers are almost guaranteed for the whole family.
So, I'll give you a share of what my family eats for Thanksgiving every year.
Turkey
The turkey is the star of the show in a Thanksgiving feast. My mom usually prepares it in advance, starting with thawing it in the fridge at least two days prior to the big feast. During that timeframe, she prepares a marinade and puts herbs, such as rosemary, in order to enhance its natural flavor.
Whenever we have a Thanksgiving feast that involves more family members, we do a whole turkey. However, if we do not have time to prepare a whole one, we opt for preparing a turkey breast, which comes out just as great.
Gravy
Gravy is another staple for the traditional Thanksgiving feast. In fact, I love adding gravy on everything that I serve on my plate, especially on my turkey slice.
Typically, we buy the turkey gravy in a jar and heat it in a saucepan just before the feast.
Stuffing
In my opinion, stuffing is my favorite part of the Thanksgiving feast. Families have different ways of serving it. Some choose to put the stuffing inside the turkey, hence the name. However, some choose to serve it as a side dish and my family does the latter.
Typically, we prepare it from a box of Stove Top stuffing mix. To add a little bit of our own twist, my mom chops and dices some celery and adds it to the mix. In other words, we think of it as our semi-homemade recipe.
Mashed potatoes
Mashed potatoes are another traditional part of the Thanksgiving feast. Some families do these from scratch, while others prepare them from a box.
My family loves to use a box of Idahoan instant mashed potatoes, which comes out as great as the ones made from scratch. In addition, we like to add cheese for enhanced flavor and top it off with a spoon of gravy.
Mixed vegetables or green beans
This option provides some flexibility for the Thanksgiving feast.
Some families prefer preparing green beans, corn, or carrots. Others like to make a vegetable casserole. In this case, my family prefers preparing a portion of mixed vegetables from the freezer bag. In other years, we also make green beans with butter and seasoning.
Cranberry sauce
I personally do not eat cranberry sauce as part of the Thanksgiving feast. However, my family does have a side of this sauce as a contrast to the savory part of the meal.
While some families prepare the sauce the homemade fashion, my mom buys a can of cranberry sauce and heats it in a saucepan.
Pumpkin pie
Last but not least, no Thanksgiving feast is complete without a pumpkin pie. In other words, it provides a sweet ending to a savory dinner. However, some families opt for other types of pie, such as pecan pie and apple pie, to name a few.
My family goes for the traditional route, so we typically buy one from a store.
To enhance our traditional Thanksgiving feast, my mom likes to decorate our apartment with the decorations related to the fall season. This includes adding the scarecrow figurines, mini pumpkins and tablecloths that are the colors of fall (yellow, orange and red).
Thanksgiving brings a sense of tradition and togetherness. In addition, the feast provides a wonderful atmosphere for everyone to enjoy. Happy feasting!
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