We have had drama at Thanksgiving the past few years so we've decided we're going to mix it up this year. No ham, no turkey, something fun and but delicious. Looking for your families non-standard but creative Thanksgiving ideas. BBQ? Mexican?

What ya got, TexAgs?

You should do clam chowder in sourdough bowls.

I've always been interested in Mexican-food-izing the Thanksgiving meal but have failed to volunteer because I'd have to do it all. Basically, it would start with turkey enchiladas and a spicy chipotle-cranberry (cream?) sauce, some sort of cumin flavored dressing, corn (or corn bread) and them go from there. You can make most of the standard Thanksgiving items with a Mexican flair, or go original Mexican (corn based, gourd based and bean based dishes easily transition). A corn/turkey/cranberry tamale would also be interesting.

Ultimately this gets more tequila into Thanksgiving, which is what we all want/need anyways.

Last year we just had some good fish, and a few sides. It was a billion times better than making fifteen dishes and then having a mess to clean. Everybody appreciated the simplicity.

My sister made a tamale based dressing last year. It was really good.

We are having a fish fry for Thanksgiving this year. You can't beat fried fish, hush puppies, onion rings and some garlic butter shrimp! This is probably not what you were looking for, but I love fried food and don't eat it near enough anymore.

We've done bbq thanksgiving, tex-mex thanksgiving, cajun thanksgiving, and Italian thanksgiving. I highly recommend alternative thanksgiving. I do like having a traditional one every few years but it's great to mix it up.

We pick a theme each year and cook accordingly. Last year was Scottish Thanksgiving. We have done Mexican, Italian, and Asian in recent years. Soup and chili year was also a hit.

Ina Gartens clam bake recipe, easy, delicious and feeds many

My mom joked one year we were doing burgers, fries, and onion rings for Thanksgiving and I was so happy. We got to dinner and I was very disappointed that she had been joking (I was like 10).

I'd vote for a Thanksgiving brunch/breakfast stuff! You can easily throw rosemary, sage, and other fall herbs and seasonings into things, to ease yourself away from the turkey dinner flavors, but still feel like you're having a falltime meal. There are also lots of good rich brunch things you can make so you still feel indulgent, rather than just oh, cool, more BBQ/Mexican like we always have. PLUS lotsa good boozy drinks go with that type of meal.

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We are having a fish fry for Thanksgiving this year. You can't beat fried fish, hush puppies, onion rings and some garlic butter shrimp! This is probably not what you were looking for, but I love fried food and don't eat it near enough anymore.

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This is what we do at my parents house. They live on the gulf near Freeport so get some really fresh and cheap seafood. They get 10 count shrimp straight from the shrimper for less than $5/lb and the seafood market sells quarts of shelled gulf oysters for $30-$35.

smoke some meat. what patriotic Texan could me upset to arrive with delicious beast smoking away?

PlanoAg98 said:

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We are having a fish fry for Thanksgiving this year. You can't beat fried fish, hush puppies, onion rings and some garlic butter shrimp! This is probably not what you were looking for, but I love fried food and don't eat it near enough anymore.

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This is what we do at my parents house. They live on the gulf near Freeport so get some really fresh and cheap seafood. They get 10 count shrimp straight from the shrimper for less than $5/lb and the seafood market sells quarts of shelled gulf oysters for $30-$35.

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I need to hang out with your family for Thanksgiving!

We just do steaks and whatever else sounds good

I make a cranberry jalapeo salsa. Google it for recipe options. I customize mine per personal preference.

We seldom have traditional spread, maybe riffs on some conventional dishes.

Brunch Thanksgiving, why have I not thought of this?

Max Power said:

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Brunch Thanksgiving, why have I not thought of this?

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Because society has pounded it into you that you can only have brunch and breakfast foods in the morning, or on a boozy Sunday afternoon. It's lies! LIES!

Love all these suggestions!

It is just the three of us.

I like the brunch idea.

Savory bread pudding with sage and turkey sausage and spinach would work.

http://www.seriouseats.com/2007/11/calvin-trillins-thanksgiving-laugh-one-mans-g.html

Spaghetti Carbonara as explained by Calvin Trillin

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In England, a long time ago, there were people called Pilgrims who were very strict about making everyone observe the Sabbath and cooked food without any flavor and that sort of thing, and they decided to go to America, where they could enjoy Freedom to Nag. The other people in England said, "Glad to see the back of them."

In America, the Pilgrims tried farming, but they couldn't get much done because they were always putting their best farmers in the stocks for crimes like Suspicion of Cheerfulness. The Indians took pity on the Pilgrims and helped them with their farming, even though the Indians thought that the Pilgrims were about as much fun as teenage circumcision.

The Pilgrims were so grateful that at the end of their first year in America they invited the Indians over for a Thanksgiving meal. The Indians, having had some experience with Pilgrim cuisine during the year, took the precaution of taking along one dish of their own. They brought a dish that their ancestors had learned from none other than Christopher Columbus, who was known to the Indians as "the big Italian fellow." The dish was spaghetti carbonara--made with pancetta bacon and fontina and the best imported prosciutto.

The Pilgrims hated it. They said it was "heretically tasty" and "the work of the devil" and "the sort of thing foreigners eat." The Indians were so disgusted that on the way back to their village after dinner one of them made a remark about the Pilgrims that was repeated down through the years and unfortunately caused confusion among historians about the first Thanksgiving meal. He said, "What a bunch of turkeys!"

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I'll cook breakfast at any time of day, if I have a bad day at work then the dinner menu is going to include pancakes, waffles, or French toast. But I've never thought to turn thanksgiving into the breakfast event of the year. But now I've been enlightened.

for the brunch idea:

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/11/stuffing-waffles-recipe.html

biobioprof said:

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for the brunch idea:

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/11/stuffing-waffles-recipe.html

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We have done that before.

Next on our mission is to try that with macaroni and cheese. He wants to put bacon in it but I said he would have to make his last because I don't want bacon near my Mac and cheese waffle.

Has anyone ever rolled up stuffing in a ball and fried it? I had an idea, just not sure if it would be good.

Bobcat-Ag said:

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Has anyone ever rolled up stuffing in a ball and fried it? I had an idea, just not sure if it would be good.

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Sounds like a hush puppy

Bobcat-Ag said:

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Has anyone ever rolled up stuffing in a ball and fried it? I had an idea, just not sure if it would be good.

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Google search gives a bunch of recipes. One from Rachel Ray wraps the stuffing balls in bacon. Others have stuffing around a sausage or gravy center. Then there's this:

http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/11/thanksgivukkah-food-lab-latke-crusted-turkey-stuffing-fritters-liquid-cranberry-center-schmaltz-gravy-thanksgiving-hanukkah-thanksgivukkah-recipe.html

Read an idea on amazing ribs called "muffings"---basically, cooking dressing/stuffing in a muffin pan.

My side has done a shrimp and crab boil the last few Thanksgivings.

I miss the Fried shrimp and oyster dressing Thankgiving when my Aunt lived on the coast.

Ag MD 84 said:

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Read an idea on amazing ribs called "muffings"---basically, cooking dressing/stuffing in a muffin pan.

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Those are great if you are like me and like crispy edges on things like dressing, mac and cheese, brownies...

One year when I was a kid, we had baked red snapper for both Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I don't know why we did it, but I loved every second of it.