Some type of turkey
Some type of potatoes (mashed, or sweet potato casserole, or au gratin—just some type of some type of potato)
Some type of stuffing/dressing (some type—oyster or sage or cornbread or whatever)
Some type of cranberry (boiled, ground with orange, or out of a can)
Some type of gravy
Some type of rolls
Some type of green vegetable (asparagus, green salad, or yes the dreaded green bean casserole)

100% this is the basic traditional menu.

Maybe

Anonymous wrote: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.

If they don’t eat anything, why do you care? Take comfort in the fact that you won’t be dealing with them in 10 years…

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you people really not know any midwesterner rubes? The kind who can only tolerate salt, pepper, and garlic salt, and exist on meat and potatoes?

NP. I know plenty of “rubes,” but geographic location has nothing to do with it. The pickiest adult eater I know is from hunt country Virginia. He is exactly as you describe above. Another picky eater I know is from upstate New York and is as meat-and-potatoes as they come, and also doesn’t like cheese or pizza. Picky adult eaters have one thing in common—immaturity—and it has nothing to do with where they are form or where they live. My faux-vegan SIL who literally eats bacon “because she can’t resist it” is from Berkeley.

I’m not a picky eater but I completely disagree that picky eater = immature. It’s not a moral failing, Amy more than lreferring chocolate ice cream over strawberry is a moral failing.

Agree. The pickiest eater I know is from Maryland, another one from Manhattan (born and raised), and the other one from Southern California. The “pickiness” is different for all of them but all in all if they were from Iowa you would be attributing it to them being “rubes”.

Well they are rubes based on their behavior.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you people really not know any midwesterner rubes? The kind who can only tolerate salt, pepper, and garlic salt, and exist on meat and potatoes?

NP. I know plenty of “rubes,” but geographic location has nothing to do with it. The pickiest adult eater I know is from hunt country Virginia. He is exactly as you describe above. Another picky eater I know is from upstate New York and is as meat-and-potatoes as they come, and also doesn’t like cheese or pizza. Picky adult eaters have one thing in common—immaturity—and it has nothing to do with where they are form or where they live. My faux-vegan SIL who literally eats bacon “because she can’t resist it” is from Berkeley.

I’m not a picky eater but I completely disagree that picky eater = immature. It’s not a moral failing, Amy more than lreferring chocolate ice cream over strawberry is a moral failing.

Agree. The pickiest eater I know is from Maryland, another one from Manhattan (born and raised), and the other one from Southern California. The “pickiness” is different for all of them but all in all if they were from Iowa you would be attributing it to them being “rubes”.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My family likes spicy food but ILs don't. How about just make an extra load of garlicky, spicy stuffing? Last year I made a good one that included hot Italian sausage. All the other sides can be vegetarian.

Sorry but how is garlic spicy? How do you not like garlic?

People with IBS who need to eat low-FODMAP diets cannot eat garlic or onions. It is a known thing. Try to be tolerant of others food needs. When my daughter even smells garlic or onions cooking, it spikes her IBS and she begins to throw up. When she -eats- garlic? Whoa, watch out.

OP’s in laws are just insular and aren’t on any diet.

Okay??? Chances are that if they find garlic "too spicy" then they have IBS and don't know it. Just sayin'. Try to be a little more gracious and tolerant. You don't know what others are going through.

My sister, who has traveled the world, and ate every spicy food under the sun now has this issue. Giving up garlic and onions was just the tip of the iceberg for her. I’ve been around her when she says “What the hell” and “indulges” in moderately spicy food. It’s not pretty. And she has seen a dozen mainstream and more wholistic doctors for this and their advice is to avoid all of these “trigger” foods.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you people really not know any midwesterner rubes? The kind who can only tolerate salt, pepper, and garlic salt, and exist on meat and potatoes?

NP. I know plenty of “rubes,” but geographic location has nothing to do with it. The pickiest adult eater I know is from hunt country Virginia. He is exactly as you describe above. Another picky eater I know is from upstate New York and is as meat-and-potatoes as they come, and also doesn’t like cheese or pizza. Picky adult eaters have one thing in common—immaturity—and it has nothing to do with where they are form or where they live. My faux-vegan SIL who literally eats bacon “because she can’t resist it” is from Berkeley.

I’m not a picky eater but I completely disagree that picky eater = immature. It’s not a moral failing, Amy more than lreferring chocolate ice cream over strawberry is a moral failing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My family likes spicy food but ILs don't. How about just make an extra load of garlicky, spicy stuffing? Last year I made a good one that included hot Italian sausage. All the other sides can be vegetarian.

Sorry but how is garlic spicy? How do you not like garlic?

NP. My Rocky Mountain region in laws don’t eat garlic or onions, and I have never seen them use black pepper to season anything. I bet your in laws would love their thanksgiving menu.

Definition of whitebread to the core.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My family likes spicy food but ILs don't. How about just make an extra load of garlicky, spicy stuffing? Last year I made a good one that included hot Italian sausage. All the other sides can be vegetarian.

Sorry but how is garlic spicy? How do you not like garlic?

NP. My Rocky Mountain region in laws don’t eat garlic or onions, and I have never seen them use black pepper to season anything. I bet your in laws would love their thanksgiving menu.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My family likes spicy food but ILs don't. How about just make an extra load of garlicky, spicy stuffing? Last year I made a good one that included hot Italian sausage. All the other sides can be vegetarian.

Sorry but how is garlic spicy? How do you not like garlic?

People with IBS who need to eat low-FODMAP diets cannot eat garlic or onions. It is a known thing. Try to be tolerant of others food needs. When my daughter even smells garlic or onions cooking, it spikes her IBS and she begins to throw up. When she -eats- garlic? Whoa, watch out.

OP’s in laws are just insular and aren’t on any diet.

Okay??? Chances are that if they find garlic "too spicy" then they have IBS and don't know it. Just sayin'. Try to be a little more gracious and tolerant. You don't know what others are going through.

Sorry I don't buy it. How can an entire region of people in a farming town of 200 have IBS? Oh wait, maybe beacuse of inbreeding.

Anonymous wrote:

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?

You kinda can't, though. I've been in the US 20+ years. The stuff that "everybody knows" is the stuff that nobody mentions. I just read a thread on here where someone was asking about adding sour cream to sweet potatoes, which seems so utterly unremarkable to me (why wouldn't you?) but obviously was outside of the culinary grammar of several folks on that thread.

Yes, you can. It’s all variations on a theme.

Some type of turkey
Some type of potatoes (mashed, or sweet potato casserole, or au gratin—just some type of some type of potato)
Some type of stuffing/dressing (some type—oyster or sage or cornbread or whatever)
Some type of cranberry (boiled, ground with orange, or out of a can)
Some type of gravy
Some type of rolls
Some type of green vegetable (asparagus, green salad, or yes the dreaded green bean casserole)

Other additions that are typical:
Macaroni and cheese
Corn casserole
Creamed onions (older folks)
Roasted vegetables like Brussels sprouts or roasted root vegetables

Like I said, variations on a theme, “some type of.”

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My family likes spicy food but ILs don't. How about just make an extra load of garlicky, spicy stuffing? Last year I made a good one that included hot Italian sausage. All the other sides can be vegetarian.

Sorry but how is garlic spicy? How do you not like garlic?

People with IBS who need to eat low-FODMAP diets cannot eat garlic or onions. It is a known thing. Try to be tolerant of others food needs. When my daughter even smells garlic or onions cooking, it spikes her IBS and she begins to throw up. When she -eats- garlic? Whoa, watch out.

OP’s in laws are just insular and aren’t on any diet.

Okay??? Chances are that if they find garlic "too spicy" then they have IBS and don't know it. Just sayin'. Try to be a little more gracious and tolerant. You don't know what others are going through.

Anonymous wrote:

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?

You kinda can't, though. I've been in the US 20+ years. The stuff that "everybody knows" is the stuff that nobody mentions. I just read a thread on here where someone was asking about adding sour cream to sweet potatoes, which seems so utterly unremarkable to me (why wouldn't you?) but obviously was outside of the culinary grammar of several folks on that thread.

There isn't a standardized recipe. Every family is going to have their own recipe.

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?

You kinda can't, though. I've been in the US 20+ years. The stuff that "everybody knows" is the stuff that nobody mentions. I just read a thread on here where someone was asking about adding sour cream to sweet potatoes, which seems so utterly unremarkable to me (why wouldn't you?) but obviously was outside of the culinary grammar of several folks on that thread.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My family likes spicy food but ILs don't. How about just make an extra load of garlicky, spicy stuffing? Last year I made a good one that included hot Italian sausage. All the other sides can be vegetarian.

Sorry but how is garlic spicy? How do you not like garlic?

People with IBS who need to eat low-FODMAP diets cannot eat garlic or onions. It is a known thing. Try to be tolerant of others food needs. When my daughter even smells garlic or onions cooking, it spikes her IBS and she begins to throw up. When she -eats- garlic? Whoa, watch out.

OP’s in laws are just insular and aren’t on any diet.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My family likes spicy food but ILs don't. How about just make an extra load of garlicky, spicy stuffing? Last year I made a good one that included hot Italian sausage. All the other sides can be vegetarian.

Sorry but how is garlic spicy? How do you not like garlic?

People with IBS who need to eat low-FODMAP diets cannot eat garlic or onions. It is a known thing. Try to be tolerant of others food needs. When my daughter even smells garlic or onions cooking, it spikes her IBS and she begins to throw up. When she -eats- garlic? Whoa, watch out.