Anonymous wrote:11:38 here.

At WF they always make a couple "entree" type dishes on their holiday menus and they have never failed to impress us. One year it was a loaf type thing that EVERYONE ate (to the vegetarians' dismay) and raved about. Another a squash bake with nuts and fruit in phyllo dough. Amazing again.

For the Wild Mushroom Pastry:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Wild-Mushroom-Strudel-with-Arugula-Pesto-15680

We add some marsala in there while it's cooking, which isn't in the recipe.

but instead of the arugula pesto, make this red wine reduction:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Red-Wine-Reduction-102585

It's very nice with pearl onions.

Thank you!

11:38 here.

At WF they always make a couple "entree" type dishes on their holiday menus and they have never failed to impress us. One year it was a loaf type thing that EVERYONE ate (to the vegetarians' dismay) and raved about. Another a squash bake with nuts and fruit in phyllo dough. Amazing again.

For the Wild Mushroom Pastry:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Wild-Mushroom-Strudel-with-Arugula-Pesto-15680

We add some marsala in there while it's cooking, which isn't in the recipe.

but instead of the arugula pesto, make this red wine reduction:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Red-Wine-Reduction-102585

It's very nice with pearl onions.

I'm vegan, DH isn't, and DD is vegetarian. We make a real turkey breast and a Tofurkey, and all sides & deserts are vegan. There's vegan stuffing mix at whole foods, cranberry sauce, mased sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, corn, banana nut bread and apple pie. MMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Anonymous wrote:OP here--thanks for all the suggestions! My mom always makes a vegetarian "stuffing", and I know I could easily get by on sides alone, but I love Thanksgiving and fall veggies. And it's a great time for me to try something new, because if it doesn't work out, there is still plenty to eat. Last year I made the world's driest lentil loaf--I'm looking forward to trying PP's recipe at some point!

16:29 here, I've worked on the recipe to adjust for dryness. It's pretty sticky when it goes into the pan and I keep it covered with foil through most of the cooking so it stays moist. The addition of gravy also helps with moisture too. Good luck!

There are a few vegetarians in my family. We have veggie lasagna and turkey as co-main meals.

You could also dress up the stuffing with fake meat - the Tofurkey sausages would be nice, for example. I have been known to just fry tofu with garlic powder until it holds its shape and then add that to a standard stuffing.

This year, I plan to make GREAT use of parsnips. Maybe also beets. Hard to say. I have more ideas than mouths to feed at this point.

I roast a winter squash, halve it, and fill it with wild rice (made with orange juice and spices) and roasted Brussels sprouts.

We serve it with shaved parmesan, but most guests eat it as is.

OP here--thanks for all the suggestions! My mom always makes a vegetarian "stuffing", and I know I could easily get by on sides alone, but I love Thanksgiving and fall veggies. And it's a great time for me to try something new, because if it doesn't work out, there is still plenty to eat. Last year I made the world's driest lentil loaf--I'm looking forward to trying PP's recipe at some point!

Anonymous wrote:Heh, we've just started going to Whole Foods and getting their main dishes. They are SUPER good. But in prior years here are some:

- wild mushrooms in puff pastry with red wine reduction
- fall vegetable pot pie
- stuffed pumpkins
- recipes from Crescent Dragonwagon's Passionate Vegetarian (I know it sounds hokey, but they have killer fake meat entrees that are very festive)
- winter squash tarts with nuts, rosemary, and caramelized onions

Do you have a recipe for your mushrooms in puff pastry? Sounds great.

I've made a vegetarian strudel from Vegetarian Times. It was quite a bit of work. 11:38, which dishes do you get from WF?

Lentil loaf! It's great with vegetarian gravy. I've experimented with it and came up with my own recipe. I usually taste test it by making a small patty and pan frying it to make sure it has enough flavor.

Lentil Loaf
2-2 ½ Cups cooked lentils (I use green and I don't soak the lentils, just boil until al dente)
¾ Cup cooked rice (leftover rice pilaf or wild rice is best, but any short grain rice will do)
1 Cup oatmeal, uncooked
½ Cup bread crumbs (seasoned or plain)
½ Cup oat bran (wheat germ would probably work too)
½ Cup onion, diced small or minced
2 T. garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, diced small
2 eggs, beaten
2 T. – ¼ Cup onion soup mix (like Lipton) or dried onion
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. smokey barbeque sauce (can use smoked paprika or liquid smoke if you don’t have smoked bbq sauce)
1 T. garlic powder
1 T. sage
2 teaspoons salt
Several grinds black pepper

Using a potato masher, blend and mash together lentils and rice. Mashing works best when rice and lentils are a little warm. Add oatmeal, bread crumbs, oat bran, diced onion, celery, peppers and fresh garlic. Mixture will be dry, but try to blend it (I use my hands).
In a small bowl, beat eggs, and mix with the last 7 ingredients.
Add wet mixture to dry mixture and blend (again, hands are best) mashing it all together.
Put mixture into a heavily greased loaf pan.
Bake at 350-375 for 45 minutes. I usually cover it for the first half of baking and uncover it for the last half so the top gets brown and crispy.

This is a good vegetarian gravy, but use low sodium soy sauce or it will be too salty http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/vegetarian-gravy/detail.aspx We usually make a big batch and split it in half using the other half as a base for the meat gravy.

risotto with roasted winter vegetables...

As a life long vegetarian, I have a really special place in my heart for all the TG side dishes. My grandmother was always really careful to make some "stuffing" that was vegetarian, so maybe just make sure that there are vegetarian options. For Christmas, my mom likes to make this meatless meatloaf that was a mixture of tofu, veggies, breadcrumbs and seasonings. You just put regular gravy on it. I am considering making this for TG this year, as we might have some vegans in the house who will probably be even pickier than me I have always been kind of anti the fake turkey thing with tofu/seitan/tempeh, but that's just me.

This year while brainstorming, I have seen a lot of "stuffed pumpkin" type ideas, which seems like something that might be better in theory than in practice. It's also not space-sensitive (a whole pumpkin in the oven!).

Good luck!

Heh, we've just started going to Whole Foods and getting their main dishes. They are SUPER good. But in prior years here are some:

- wild mushrooms in puff pastry with red wine reduction
- fall vegetable pot pie
- stuffed pumpkins
- recipes from Crescent Dragonwagon's Passionate Vegetarian (I know it sounds hokey, but they have killer fake meat entrees that are very festive)
- winter squash tarts with nuts, rosemary, and caramelized onions

If you are vegetarian, what do you make as your main dish for Thanksgiving? I've experimented throughout the years, but still haven't come up with the right dish. I'm hoping for something seasonal, festive and preferably won't take up too much space in the oven to compete with the turkey I'll be cooking as well.