What is something someone served at Thanksgiving that surprised you?

Stuffed brape leaves (dolmas).

My brother in law’s family had lived for generatons in Egypt, until Nassar kicked the Jews out in 1948. But they ate MIddle Eatern foods at every family celebration. The one year I went there for Thanksgiving it was heay on hmmus and stuffed grape leaves. Not a yam anywhere.

We had chicken strips and hamburgers one year.

My husband’s family had a big spaghetti dinner my first Thanksgiving with them. It was so weird for me, as my family are very traditional.
I must say that since my Mother In Law has aged, she is back to enjoying traditional foods, as long as I cook instead of her. haha!

Lasagna as the main dish

I made quartered turkey dinner with BBQ sauce when no one showed up. I ate most of it. It was delicious.

I like mashed potatoes topped with creamed corn.

Vegan lasagna, tofu for cheese and no sausage. Noodles were egg-less. Spinach and thin sliced eggplant fried in olive oil between sauce and noodles. Went back for seconds.

Tomato sauce was from tomatoes in the community garden in our backyard that I rototilled at beginning of season. Neighbors weeded and bought seed for the garden.

I was surprised that they served anything at all.

My husband had his life-saving lung cancer surgery the day before Thanksgiving. This was years ago. I spent Thanksgiving Day at his bedside, being thankful. When I got home, my two sons had fixed turkey burgers with mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. In some ways that was the best one ever.

When my daughter first got married, 20 odd years ago, she and her hubby invited us out to their place for Thanksgiving, and they served Cajun Turkey. I had never heard of that, as far as I know my wife hadn’t either. Turned out to be really good. A turkey by any other name, is still a turkey. Probably couldn’t handle it now, too spicy. And I have trouble with acid reflux big time.

Wow @Jeruba. You had a busy Thanksgiving that year.

@KRD, yes. They were young guys and had not fixed a family meal before, so I wasn’t expecting anything. I thought I was going to have to pull something together after that long day and an hour’s drive home. They had planned it as a surprise, and it sure was.

When I saw all the medical staffers in scrubs in the hospital cafeteria at midday, cheerfully putting away institutional turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, and some very dead spinach or green beans, I felt a surge of gratitude to them for being there.