Anyone else like thanksgiving foods, just not what your family makes?

[Anonymous]

My mom has been making the same dishes for thanksgiving for at least 35 years (ie as long as I can remember). Her dishes are not traditional but are a spin on the usual, if that makes sense. Turkey, but cooked in tomato sauce. Sweet potatoes, but made with oranges. That type of thing. I tolerate it each year but wish our foods were more normal. The weird foods even actually caused my parents to not like a partner of mine several years back who made a comment about the food being weird when they came to visit for thanksgiving.

This is my moms holiday and she insists on cooking it and insists on her dishes. No one else is allowed to do the turkey. It’s a thing

I’m just ranting but I really wish I could just cook Thanksgiving myself and make more normal dishes….but that won’t happen without causing major family drama.

[Anonymous]

For the Thanksgiving I go to, I don't love their take on the traditional foods. She's just not a great cook. So I bring along a side that makes me happy and a fantastic dessert. Usually at some point in November I make a scaled down Thanksgiving style meal ",for the kids" since we're "so excited" for Thanksgiving. And I make veggies and mashed potatoes and stuffing and cranberry sauce all the way I like it, and it's just a nice comfort food kind of meal.

Thanksgiving itself isn't about the food.

[Anonymous]

Do you have an otherwise good time? If not, or if you want a change say “hey mom, I’m hosting next year, we’d love to have you”

[Anonymous]

Invite friends over for the meal you crave the week before...let your mom continue.

[Anonymous]

Turkey is sold all year long. Buy one and cook it the way you like, along with the sides.

[Anonymous]

Yep. In my case everyone has food sensitivities or strict diets that make the yummy dishes disappointing. We do a potluck with neighbors a couple weeks before where I can make what I like.

[Anonymous]

How do you make turkey with tomatoes?

[Anonymous]

My MIL is an immigrant who doesn’t cook American food especially well (and doesn’t really enjoy it) but feels like she has to make a traditional American Thanksgiving meal for her children/grandchildren - and doesn’t want us to help (cooking food for people is how she shows love). When we spend Thanksgiving with the in-laws, I often wish she’d throw tradition to the wind and make a dinner from her culture, because that would be so delicious.

[Anonymous]

No, your mom doesn’t like your friend because they were rude.

[Anonymous]

Sweet potatoes with orange is fine, but turkey in tomato sauce? Don't think I could gag that down.

[Anonymous]

My in-laws thanksgiving is fine (we go there every year) but it’s none of my favorites or flavors from my childhood. Also, since we travel, there are no leftovers. So I smoke a turkey breast and make small sides the weekend before or after. It works.

[Anonymous]

Yup. We sometimes do thanksgiving at home instead of traveling to family. The main reasons are avoiding holiday travel and unpleasant family drama, but the bonus is getting to eat the food we like. My ILs just don’t know how to cook, and tend to overlook and underseason everything. I’d never complain, but when we are eating I can’t help but think about how we’d do it if it was just us.

We’d love to host but our house is small and people won’t travel to us.

[Anonymous]

I did not realize until I was an adult that I liked (actually LOVE) squash and sweet potatoes. My mom always glazed them with sugar, syrup, or topped marshmallows and made them extra sweet. The first time I had squash that was roasted simply with butter, salt, and pepper was a revelation.

These days, winter squash is basically a food group my this house, and I’m happy to just eat a half a roasted acorn squash or something as a snack or lunch.

[Anonymous]

I totally get the holiday is about seeing people and not the food, but this year I secretly mourned not being able to eat stuffing made with some good seasoning and good bread. And I drool a little when I read the food people on here include in their menu. My mom has a very set, very bland menu. No one is allowed to bring anything else except fruit. But still kudos to her for doing it all!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My mom has been making the same dishes for thanksgiving for at least 35 years (ie as long as I can remember). Her dishes are not traditional but are a spin on the usual, if that makes sense. Turkey, but cooked in tomato sauce. Sweet potatoes, but made with oranges. That type of thing. I tolerate it each year but wish our foods were more normal. The weird foods even actually caused my parents to not like a partner of mine several years back who made a comment about the food being weird when they came to visit for thanksgiving.

This is my moms holiday and she insists on cooking it and insists on her dishes. No one else is allowed to do the turkey. It’s a thing

I’m just ranting but I really wish I could just cook Thanksgiving myself and make more normal dishes….but that won’t happen without causing major family drama.

My aunt has hosted thanksgiving since I was a child and her cooking is truly dreadful. I don’t want to sound ungrateful. She’s a lovely person, I enjoy visiting her and her family, and she puts a lot of effort into cooking every year. But my lord. She does a lot of the stuff you list above - tries to put twists on dishes and they’re never good. She is also a lifelong weight watchers member (although she’s been slim for 30+ years now) and cooks with a lot of weight watchers recipes that use weird low fat or fake sugar type substitutes. It’s just so bad. Last year because of COVID was the first year I ever skipped going to her thanksgiving. My husband and I cooked ourselves and I finally understand why people look forgot thanksgiving leftovers!