Hosting Thanksgiving for mostly seniors, very traditional

[Anonymous]

What's on your menu, if you are hosting? I usually like to cook with lots of garlic, have a couple vegetarian dishes, keep skin in mashed potatoes, kale salad... The senior in-laws from midwest (in their 70s and 90s) will not eat any of this. Even black pepper is out because it is "too spicy". Any tips? I want the younger and more adventurous eaters to feel satisfied, but I also want to keep the older folks happy and fed. And I don't want to do double of everything since there will only be a total of 10 people.

[Anonymous]

Regular turkey
Regular cornbread or sourdough stuffing depending on which camp you're in
Mashed potatoes (skin off, milk, butter, salt, I do sour cream)
Basic gravy
Green bean casserole or steamed French green beans (depending on what camp you're in, again)
Cranberry in a can
Rolls

Then have other things that are fun:
a fun veggie like an adventurous corn dish
a fun cranberry sauce recipe
a salad with roasted butternut squash, nuts, cheese, spicy vinaigrette, pepitas, dried cranberries

[Anonymous]

It is one meal, the adventurous eaters will survive a sweet potato casserole. have an antipasto/ charcuterie platter set up pre-meal and something fun for dessert. good alcohol.

[Anonymous]

I'm from Indiana. My brother is a well-known chef. Both sides of my family of origins are good cooks and adventurous eaters. Maybe your particular in-laws are not, but please don't make ignorant, sweeping generalizations.

That said, we like traditional Thanksgiving meals. I do have a vegetarian cousin, but we've got her covered. Our mixed-bag menu is:

Turkey
Gravy
Mashed potatoes
Dressing (I make it in the crock pot; vegetarian)
Cranberry sauce
Vegetable Wellington
Burgundy mushrooms (vegetarian recipe)
Green beans
Homemade Parker house rolls
Roasted Brussels sprouts with pancetta and balsamic glaze
Musubi (SIL family tradition)
Pork and scallion dumplings (SIL family tradition)
Salad with pomegranates and goat cheese

Pumpkin pie
Pecan pie
Ginger cheesecake

A variety of non-alcoholic beverages, plus beer and wine

[Anonymous]

Just make regular mashed potatoes without the skins. If people like mashed potatoes, they like mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes with skin does not equal adventurous eating by the way. I'd keep the kale salad and serve it along with whatever traditional items the elderly like.

[Anonymous]

This might be a stupid question... but how do you get smooth mashed potatoes like you'd get in a store/box? I know two of the guests won't eat lumpy mashed potatoes. But I've only ever done chunky/skin on roasted garlic mashed potatoes because that's what we like. I don't have a hand mixer. Would a stand mixer with the hard metal paddle be good for potatoes, or would they go gluey? Or is the trick to add more liquid?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm from Indiana. My brother is a well-known chef. Both sides of my family of origins are good cooks and adventurous eaters. Maybe your particular in-laws are not, but please don't make ignorant, sweeping generalizations.

That said, we like traditional Thanksgiving meals. I do have a vegetarian cousin, but we've got her covered. Our mixed-bag menu is:

Turkey
Gravy
Mashed potatoes
Dressing (I make it in the crock pot; vegetarian)
Cranberry sauce
Vegetable Wellington
Burgundy mushrooms (vegetarian recipe)
Green beans
Homemade Parker house rolls
Roasted Brussels sprouts with pancetta and balsamic glaze
Musubi (SIL family tradition)
Pork and scallion dumplings (SIL family tradition)
Salad with pomegranates and goat cheese

Pumpkin pie
Pecan pie
Ginger cheesecake

A variety of non-alcoholic beverages, plus beer and wine

? I specified my inlaws ages and where they are from. I didn't suggest every senior or every person from the midwest has a non-adventurous palate. From what I understand, there's also a limit to what was available in the midwest when my inlaws were growing up. They are used to canned food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This might be a stupid question... but how do you get smooth mashed potatoes like you'd get in a store/box? I know two of the guests won't eat lumpy mashed potatoes. But I've only ever done chunky/skin on roasted garlic mashed potatoes because that's what we like. I don't have a hand mixer. Would a stand mixer with the hard metal paddle be good for potatoes, or would they go gluey? Or is the trick to add more liquid?

potato ricer

https://www.amazon.com/Priority-Chef-Potato-Perfection-Stainless/dp/B00MUEHPGQ

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just make regular mashed potatoes without the skins. If people like mashed potatoes, they like mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes with skin does not equal adventurous eating by the way. I'd keep the kale salad and serve it along with whatever traditional items the elderly like.

Mashed potatoes with skin and pepper would be adventurous for the older in-laws.
Is cornbread or dinner rolls "safer"?
Part of the problem here is that I grew up eating non-american food (parents are immigrants) so I'm not sure what is "standard." But I know the inlaws will not want to eat anything "different."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This might be a stupid question... but how do you get smooth mashed potatoes like you'd get in a store/box? I know two of the guests won't eat lumpy mashed potatoes. But I've only ever done chunky/skin on roasted garlic mashed potatoes because that's what we like. I don't have a hand mixer. Would a stand mixer with the hard metal paddle be good for potatoes, or would they go gluey? Or is the trick to add more liquid?

potato ricer

https://www.amazon.com/Priority-Chef-Potato-Perfection-Stainless/dp/B00MUEHPGQ

Thank you! I've never used one of these before.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm from Indiana. My brother is a well-known chef. Both sides of my family of origins are good cooks and adventurous eaters. Maybe your particular in-laws are not, but please don't make ignorant, sweeping generalizations.

That said, we like traditional Thanksgiving meals. I do have a vegetarian cousin, but we've got her covered. Our mixed-bag menu is:

Turkey
Gravy
Mashed potatoes
Dressing (I make it in the crock pot; vegetarian)
Cranberry sauce
Vegetable Wellington
Burgundy mushrooms (vegetarian recipe)
Green beans
Homemade Parker house rolls
Roasted Brussels sprouts with pancetta and balsamic glaze
Musubi (SIL family tradition)
Pork and scallion dumplings (SIL family tradition)
Salad with pomegranates and goat cheese

Pumpkin pie
Pecan pie
Ginger cheesecake

A variety of non-alcoholic beverages, plus beer and wine

Salad with pomegranate seeds and goat cheese sounds good. What kind of greens do you plan to use?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This might be a stupid question... but how do you get smooth mashed potatoes like you'd get in a store/box? I know two of the guests won't eat lumpy mashed potatoes. But I've only ever done chunky/skin on roasted garlic mashed potatoes because that's what we like. I don't have a hand mixer. Would a stand mixer with the hard metal paddle be good for potatoes, or would they go gluey? Or is the trick to add more liquid?

I started buying prepared mashed potatoes and gravy from Wegmens and Balduccis (Costco also has excellent mashed potatoes, but no gravy). It’s really been a game changer since these tend to take too much time and or last minute prep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm from Indiana. My brother is a well-known chef. Both sides of my family of origins are good cooks and adventurous eaters. Maybe your particular in-laws are not, but please don't make ignorant, sweeping generalizations.

That said, we like traditional Thanksgiving meals. I do have a vegetarian cousin, but we've got her covered. Our mixed-bag menu is:

Turkey
Gravy
Mashed potatoes
Dressing (I make it in the crock pot; vegetarian)
Cranberry sauce
Vegetable Wellington
Burgundy mushrooms (vegetarian recipe)
Green beans
Homemade Parker house rolls
Roasted Brussels sprouts with pancetta and balsamic glaze
Musubi (SIL family tradition)
Pork and scallion dumplings (SIL family tradition)
Salad with pomegranates and goat cheese

Pumpkin pie
Pecan pie
Ginger cheesecake

A variety of non-alcoholic beverages, plus beer and wine

? I specified my inlaws ages and where they are from. I didn't suggest every senior or every person from the midwest has a non-adventurous palate. From what I understand, there's also a limit to what was available in the midwest when my inlaws were growing up. They are used to canned food.

What does where they are from have to do with anything? You can be from New York City and be "used to canned food," or from Ohio, or from Virginia. Gross attitude, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just make regular mashed potatoes without the skins. If people like mashed potatoes, they like mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes with skin does not equal adventurous eating by the way. I'd keep the kale salad and serve it along with whatever traditional items the elderly like.

Mashed potatoes with skin and pepper would be adventurous for the older in-laws.
Is cornbread or dinner rolls "safer"?
Part of the problem here is that I grew up eating non-american food (parents are immigrants) so I'm not sure what is "standard." But I know the inlaws will not want to eat anything "different."

Presumably you know how to Google, and you still can't figure out what a "standard" American Thanksgiving meal typically entails?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just make regular mashed potatoes without the skins. If people like mashed potatoes, they like mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes with skin does not equal adventurous eating by the way. I'd keep the kale salad and serve it along with whatever traditional items the elderly like.

Mashed potatoes with skin and pepper would be adventurous for the older in-laws.
Is cornbread or dinner rolls "safer"?
Part of the problem here is that I grew up eating non-american food (parents are immigrants) so I'm not sure what is "standard." But I know the inlaws will not want to eat anything "different."

Presumably you know how to Google, and you still can't figure out what a "standard" American Thanksgiving meal typically entails?

Honestly I don't think there is a standard. There are regional differences, for sure. Some areas will put sausage or oysters in their stuffing. Some will use cornbread instead of bread. Some will insist on calling it dressing.