Last week I mentioned that this year my family is doing a non-traditional Thanksgiving dinner and I promised to round up some alternative recipes to turkey. For some, this is complete blasphemy. Thanksgiving without turkey!? How can I destroy all that is good and right on turkey day. I hear you and I understand the importance of turkey for one Thursday every year, but I’ve never been a fan. Surprisingly though, it wasn’t me who requested something new this year. It was my mother. We had her and my dad over for dinner (for the first time!) about a month ago and out of nowhere she says, “Grandma and I were discussing Thanksgiving and she asked what the plan was and I told her you and Dan are in charge.” Bombshell dropped. At some point in the previous weeks Dan and I had possibly agreed to this plan but I can’t actually remember what happened or when, the point is communication is obviously very strong in the Amodt household. But since I really don’t like turkey anyway, I put on my thinking cap and corralled some Thanksgiving menu alternatives.
These are six hearty dishes that are special enough to be the shining star of your Thanksgiving menu. For those who love bread or rolls you’re in luck because all of these dishes either have some sort of gravy or sauce for dipping, or would make excellent little sandwiches with meat stuffed into a wonderfully warm, buttery roll. This may be a day where we forego the turkey but we cannot forget the rolls.
Recipe, Beef Bourguignon | Sunday Suppers – This is classic comfort food. Rich wine and beef sauce is exactly what Thanksgiving turkey gravy wishes it could be.
Finger Sucking Roasted Beer Duck | Lady and Pups – If you planned on putting a lot of effort into a turkey, why not put that effort into a delicious juicy duck? Turkey is to dry, as duck is to juicy. Turkey dry, duck juicy.
Raspberry Balsamic and Pecan Encrusted Rack of Lamb | Adventures in Cooking – Rack of lamb is another classic, but why not try a version that’s a little more unique – pecan encrusted with raspberry balsamic sounds better than mint jelly to me.
My Favourite Paella with Chicken, Chorizo, Mussels, and Prawns | Jamie Oliver – How about a Spanish twist for your Thanksgiving? Paella is just a delivery system for delicious shellfish and chorizo, what could be better?
Pass the Proscuitto: Braciole di Manza (Italian Beef Rolls in Tomato Sauce) | Daring Gourmet – Braciole is something I had never heard before I met Dan, he swears by them, this type has prosciutto and cheese wrapped inside of steak. Um…yes please.
Hunter’s Chicken Stew (Pollo alla cacciatora) | Jamie Oliver – Chicken cacciatore is a dish most of us have heard of but many of us haven’t tried, this one comes from the always reliable Jamie Oliver.
