Anonymous wrote:Somebody mentioned Field Roast...I was just thinking the same thing. A family member brought one of these last Thanksgiving (hazlenut cranberry roast en croute): http://fieldroast.com/product/hazelnut-cranberry-roast-en-croute/

Very hearty for a main dish.

Oh, sorry, you said you want homemade. This would be simple though.

Somebody mentioned Field Roast...I was just thinking the same thing. A family member brought one of these last Thanksgiving (hazlenut cranberry roast en croute): http://fieldroast.com/product/hazelnut-cranberry-roast-en-croute/

Very hearty for a main dish.

This is glorious: http://www.theppk.com/2010/07/eggplant-potato-moussaka-with-pine-nut-cream/. We make it for Christmas dinner! I've only frozen leftovers, but they were awesome. FYI, we usually make it with cashews instead of pine nuts,

Anonymous wrote:You know the boxed frozen rogue key roast is pretty good. I have also seen a fancier field roast version sold at whole foods.

rougue key=autocorrect fail.
tofurkey

http://www.marthastewart.com/343473/red-and-black-bean-pies

My favorite and is easy to make and freeze. Just omit the Cheese on top.

You know the boxed frozen rogue key roast is pretty good. I have also seen a fancier field roast version sold at whole foods.

Whole Foods typically has stuffed acorn squash that I have used in a pinch. With a baby, take it easy and be Thankful for the baby and not stressed by TG dinner.

Anonymous wrote:Smitten Kitchen has a butternut squash galette that is pretty involved BUT I think you could make and freeze most of the components ahead of time and assemble it on Thanksgiving and bake it them. She also has a mushroom bourguignon that is supposed to be wonderful and easy/fast, and I'm sure it would freeze well. Either of those would make a nice main.

Sorry--forgot the dairy free part. Rules out the galette...

Smitten Kitchen has a butternut squash galette that is pretty involved BUT I think you could make and freeze most of the components ahead of time and assemble it on Thanksgiving and bake it them. She also has a mushroom bourguignon that is supposed to be wonderful and easy/fast, and I'm sure it would freeze well. Either of those would make a nice main.

If you can find a recipe for argentine tarta tricolor or tarta pascualina that would be nice. Sort of in between a quiche and a vegetable pie.
http://m.thelatinkitchen.com/recipe/pascualina
http://m.thelatinkitchen.com/recipe/tri-color-butternut-squash-casserole-pastel
http://m.thelatinkitchen.com/recipe/milanesa-de-berenjenas-la-parmesana-eggplant-milanesa

Lentil barley stew is a wonderful entree/side.

Heat olive oil (enough to cover bottom of a large Dutch oven). Add in one bag of frozen corn, one chopped medium onion, a couple of big cloves of chopped garlic. Then add a few stalks of chopped celery, 1-2 large red peppers cut into small bite-sized pieces (or 2-3 medium). Cook until these are soft and the onions and corn are just starting to caramelize (brown). Add about 20 oz of stewed or crushed tomatoes, 2 cups of water or vegetable broth, 1/2 cup lentils, 1/3 cup barley, 4-6 carrots cut into discs. Let stew low for about 2 hours. The recipe I have suggests making a double batch because it is easy to make and freezes well. You double everything except for the peppers and corn.

It goes well by itself, over rice, over wide pasta (we do egg noodles, but if you are vegan, you can probably find other wide pasta). I recently made a double batch and we ate 1/2 and split the remaining two quarter portions into freezer containers for later. One portion is enough for two of us (myself and one son) to have as entrees and my wife and other son to have as sides for one full meal and a little leftover (like one or two lunch portions).

OP here - I'm the host, AND the vegetarian. If I'm hosting I treat myself to a vegetarian main, which is never provided for me if I go elsewhere. A bunch of veggie sides does not make for a special holiday meal. I prefer also to have some protein involved. I will also be either over 9 months pregnant or have a newborn a couple of days old. I won't have a huge variety of side dishes because we don't know if it'll be just us, or our out of town family, so it will be as streamlined and simple as humanly possible, while sticking with just a few Thanksgiving classics.

You could try a shepherd pie type dish (just skip the dairy/use a substitute in the potato topping):
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/10035/golden-veggie-shepherds-pie

If you need to make things ahead, I wouldn't focus on a separate vegan main dish and go with traditional Thanksgiving sides--many are vegetarian and can be made without dairy. If it's only one person who is vegan, they will still have plenty to eat.

(If most of the guests aren't vegetarian, they probably won't eat much of the main dish in any case.)

How about this sweet potato and chipotle pot pie?

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/000127.html

I have an unusual situation for Thanksgiving this year, and I need to make ahead and freeze almost everything. I am NOT the freezing type. Most of it also needs to be vegetarian, and dairy free.

I'm looking for something to serve as a vegetarian main, and side for everyone else. It should freeze well. I'm thinking some kind of savory pie? Mushroom, or lentil or something hearty. Any recommendations? I'm usually an adventurous cook and use lots of ingredients and spices, but the simpler the recipe the better, while still being homemade - no biscuit mix or jar of gravy...