What is the ‘bare minimum’ of a Thanksgiving spread

[Anonymous]

Gosh DCUM has such high standards!

I would say if you’re not having turkey, gravy, some kind of potatoes, and at least one other thanksgiving-y food (cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, or stuffing would all count), I would warn guests that it’s a non-traditional thanksgiving just because the traditional food is so important to some folks, give them a chance to decide on other plans.

There is no minimum! You can invite people over for a Thanksgiving dinner of Chinese takeout, and if you are fun and good company, sounds great! But yes, worthy of a heads up in case someone prefers a more traditional option.

You people make life so complex. I can’t imagine being invited to thanksgiving, being served turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, and a slice of pie, and judging the hosts as inadequate?? Because they dared leave off the cranberry sauce?? You folks are missing the point!

[Anonymous]

Minimum: Turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing/dressing, sweet potatoes, a dessert.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I never understood mac and cheese at thanksgiving. Never served it, never been served it (except at a potluck Friendsgiving).

Same. Never actually even heard of it on thanksgiving menus until DCUM. I assumed it was for picky kids but interesting that adults seem to want it too.

It's certainly not from our WASP tables. It's ridiculous. You can make macaroni cheese any day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I never understood mac and cheese at thanksgiving. Never served it, never been served it (except at a potluck Friendsgiving).

Same. Never actually even heard of it on thanksgiving menus until DCUM. I assumed it was for picky kids but interesting that adults seem to want it too.

It's certainly not from our WASP tables. It's ridiculous. You can make macaroni cheese any day.

Not everyone is white. Get out of your bubble.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whipped cream to go with pie
Coffee and tea to go with dessert

Not asparagus, unless you live in the southern hemisphere! That's a spring vegetable.

My dh would agree with you, but for some reason specifies COOL whip from the tub for the pie instead of the spray kind.

You know there's a third option, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I never understood mac and cheese at thanksgiving. Never served it, never been served it (except at a potluck Friendsgiving).

Same. Never actually even heard of it on thanksgiving menus until DCUM. I assumed it was for picky kids but interesting that adults seem to want it too.

It's certainly not from our WASP tables. It's ridiculous. You can make macaroni cheese any day.

Not everyone is white. Get out of your bubble.

But as a bare minimum you don’t need white potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, rolls and mac & cheese. Pick 2.

[Anonymous]

Sweet potato IS the whole point of Thanksgiving. Mashed with some cinnamon and butter, topped with marshmallows, browned in oven.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gosh DCUM has such high standards!

I would say if you’re not having turkey, gravy, some kind of potatoes, and at least one other thanksgiving-y food (cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, or stuffing would all count), I would warn guests that it’s a non-traditional thanksgiving just because the traditional food is so important to some folks, give them a chance to decide on other plans.

There is no minimum! You can invite people over for a Thanksgiving dinner of Chinese takeout, and if you are fun and good company, sounds great! But yes, worthy of a heads up in case someone prefers a more traditional option.

You people make life so complex. I can’t imagine being invited to thanksgiving, being served turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, and a slice of pie, and judging the hosts as inadequate?? Because they dared leave off the cranberry sauce?? You folks are missing the point!

Fully agree.

If I were riding to the rescue for someone who wasn't going to have Thanksgiving otherwise (which is the only scenario in which I can imagine needing to do a bare minimum Thanksgiving), I can't imagine that not having cranberry sauce or whipped cream or only providing one kind of potato would make it Not Thanksgiving

[Anonymous]

Rolls or some kind of bread, some sweet potatoes, and yes Mac and cheese if there are kids. Cookies or some other non pie dessert is good too.

[Anonymous]

Cookies is not a thanksgiving staple???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cookies is not a thanksgiving staple???

Um, of course not. The only Thanksgiving “staple” dessert is pie.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t care if you ask for contributions or store buy anything or everything, but to me, the “bare minimum” a host should organize (not “provide,” but organize) would be:

Turkey
Gravy
Mashed potatoes
Dressing
Cranberry sauce
Something green, whether it is asparagus, green beans, or salad, whatever
Pumpkin pie
One not-pumpkin dessert
Drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic)

What would you add or subtract?

Sounds right to me. Some would insist on a sweet potato something, but I wouldn't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I never understood mac and cheese at thanksgiving. Never served it, never been served it (except at a potluck Friendsgiving).

Same. Never actually even heard of it on thanksgiving menus until DCUM. I assumed it was for picky kids but interesting that adults seem to want it too.

It's cultural.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I never understood mac and cheese at thanksgiving. Never served it, never been served it (except at a potluck Friendsgiving).

Same. Never actually even heard of it on thanksgiving menus until DCUM. I assumed it was for picky kids but interesting that adults seem to want it too.

It's certainly not from our WASP tables. It's ridiculous. You can make macaroni cheese any day.

Racist ^^.

We see you.

[Anonymous]

I would nix the alcohol.

And what's the "dressing" in your list?

Otherwise it seems like a reasonable list. I don't do more than that for our family of 4.