uh oh-- plan B is in effect now-- Thanksgiving dinner at my house...

...for about 15 adults and their children. Time to start thinking about the menu. Here are my thoughts-- I'll have one or two helpers arriving early:

Brined and roasted gobble-bird, of course, with gravy.
Sausage and cornbread stuffing with dried cherries and pecans.
Cranberry-nut relish.
Garlic mashed potatoes.
Roast squash.
Sweet potato and leek gratin.
Maque choux with diced chilis.
Southern style green beans.
Caesar salad.
Maybe a fruit salad of some sort.
Fresh sourdough bread.

Steamed mussels in white wine and bruchetta for appetizers?
Any other appetizer suggestions? Roasted chestnuts maybe....

Deserts-- hmmm-- Liberalhistorian is going to be here and says she makes a mean pumpkin cheesecake.
Bread pudding with a sweetened creme fraiche and fruit sauce?
Can't go wrong with pies.

Looks like my relaxing Thanksgiving break is turning into a cook-fest!

I have done Thanksgiving dinner for up to 25 people. I have kept my sanity to limiting the menu and doing as much ahead of time as possible.

Sorry, I don't have any hints for you other than to do as much as you can ahead of time.

But, can I come to your house for Thanksgiving??? Sounds like you are having a major feast at your house!

Would you care to share your recipe for the Sweet potato and leek gratin, it sounds quite intriguing.

Kudos to you for being willing and able to take on such a gift of service to your family and friends.

Sweet Potato & Leek Gratin

Ingredients
1 pound leeks, trimmed, halved lengthwise, sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces, and soaked in cold water to cover
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup garlic, minced
2 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup dried currants or diced pitted prunes (I use dried cherries, soaked until expanded)
1/4 cup fresh thyme (I use less than this, and add LOTS of freshly ground black pepper)
salt and black pepper to taste
1 pound sweet potatoes or garnet yams, peeled
1-1/4 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled and reserved in cold water

Instructions
Lift the leeks from the water in which they're soaking so any sand remains in the water. Drain the leeks in a colander. Melt the butter and olive oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat and stir in the leeks and garlic; cover and lower the heat. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the cream, bring to a simmer, and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the currants or prunes, fresh thyme, and salt and black pepper to taste. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a heavy-bottomed 5-quart casserole. Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, slice the sweet potatoes 1/4 inch thick. Do the same with the Idaho potatoes. Beginning with Idaho potatoes, arrange a layer of potatoes on the bottom of the casserole. Season lightly with salt and pepper, then spoon 2 tablespoons of leek cream over the potatoes. Repeat with sweet potatoes: layer, season, and spoon leek cream over them. Continue in this way, alternating Idaho and sweet potatoes, until all are used. With your hand, or a rubber spatula, press down firmly on the potatoes; drizzle the remaining leek cream over the top layer. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, until the gratin is bubbling around the edges and a knife slides into it easily. Remove to a warm place and let rest for 15 minutes.

Slice the gratin into wedges or squares and serve.

Recipe from: Not Afraid of Flavor : Recipes from Magnolia Grill by Ben & Karen Barker (University of North Carolina Press)

This looks really interesting and different, I'll have to give it a try.

Thank you for typing it all in for me.

Hope your Thanksgiving meal is fabulous, I'm sure it will be.

:-)

My secret for a worry free Thanksgiving dinner is pot luck. I make the turkey and fixings, let other people bring the sides. But if you are up to it, more power to you!

Also, for a meal that size, I wouldn't bother too much with appetizers. You will have so much food, you don't want everyone to fill up early on nibbles while watching football. I always do nuts and olives, but not much else if I am planning a big spread and it is not being served too late.

Finally, my favorite thanksgiving salad is baby spinach with dried cranberries, apples, walnuts in a apple cider vinaigrette. Just an alternative to the ceasar and fruit salads to consider.

Good luck. Give us the final menu when you get it figured out.

I am not cooking for either Thanksgiving or Christmas this year. We will be traveling instead. So I feel a little deprived. My favorite meal to plan is always Christmas Eve dinner. Not too constrained by tradition, and usually it is only a few close friends or family members, so I can go big on ingredients and not worry too much about blowing the budget. I might do a New Year's thing this year, just to get to cook a little.

I think I'll give it a try. I'll have several pairs of helping hands, and we've already discussed potlucking some of the sides and the deserts (I'll still make the bread pudding though). I can do a lot of the prep work before Thursday, so while it'll be busy, it won't be unmanagable, I don't think. Some of the members of this group and I have done thanksgiving dinner for 8 adults plus some kids in the past, but in a tiny cabin kitchen with an antique stove and virtually no counter space (and no municipal electricity, so we worked in semi-darkness). This year the crowd is bigger, but I've got a nice kitchen to work in, and as I said, this bunch is pretty accustomed to pitching in.

I love cooking, but with all that you could seriously tire yourself out so much you can't enjoy the meal and your company.

no wonder they went for B

...but the contractors are running behind, so they're cooking on a Coleman stove, have no furntiture, etc. They were really looking forward to it as a way of showing everyone their new digs-- it's a major rebuild-- but it's not happening. Meanwhile, we'd all been looking forward to the big get-together, hence plan B.