Friday Five – Thanksgiving addition

It is that time of year.  I know most of us are thinking about your menu and maybe “cooking” up some new ideas this Thanksgiving.  So this Friday Five – Thanksgiving addition is presented to inspire us all.  Before we get into the food, I did a little research on the history of Thanksgiving and thought I would share a few facts that we may not know.  The first Thanksgiving was a harvest meal that the Native Americans were invited to.  It was not a dinner but actually a 3 day festival.  Americans did not start celebrating Thanksgiving for another 200 years.  Below is a video giving some more historical insight on the holiday.

Now that you are so well informed, let’s get to the good stuff – the food.  So are you looking for a new drink to serve?  How about this “J. Crew” from the Book Cooker.

Appetizers are such a big part of Thanksgiving.  We gather early and spend a lot of family time before we get to the meal.  How about these comforting Herbed Turkey Meatballs with a Cranberry BBQ Sauce made by Spoon Fork Bacon.

One appetizer is not enough.  How about a nice warming soup.  In Chicago and Detroit, where my Thanksgiving takes place, it can be cold.  So here is a Cream of Mushroom Soup from Season with Spice.

I know, you are saying, “where is the turkey?”  This is a Smoked Turkey recipe that I created last year.  If you like smoked foods, this is a really tasty recipe.

Your dinner is not complete without some awesome sides.  One traditional side is clearly Heavenly Mashed Potatoes.  These potatoes are another offering from Spoon Fork Bacon.

Is there anything more traditional than stuffing for your meal?  I don’t think so.  This recipe created by Nourish Network is called Susie’s Breadcrumb Stuffing.

Got to have some Cranberry Sauce too.  Nothing like the homemade kind and this one was developed by Cooking Classy.

I don’t know about you but I am pretty full.  Hold on a minute – never too full for a bite of dessert.  Is there anything more traditional than Pumpkin Cheesecake  again from Cooking Classy.

How about one more cheesecake?  We finish this post with a Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie made by Tracey’s Culinary Adventures.