Turkey and dressing is delicious, but sometimes a full Thanksgiving spread is just too much pressure. My family loves to replace the traditional feast with finger foods every few years, and it’s always a hit. Pigs in a blanket, chips and dip, meatballs, and finger sandwiches are my personal favorites.
You can always go fancier with delectable hors d'oeuvres or give your finger foods a Thanksgiving twist with foods like mini pumpkin pies, too!
Unless it’s pouring rain on Thanksgiving, the November weather is excellent for a family picnic. You can set up picnic tables in the backyard where everyone can enjoy turkey and dressing. This is especially great if your family has a lot of young children because they can go straight from eating to running around the yard without disrupting the adults.
The added bonus is everyone can soak up some much-needed vitamin D.
Everyone loves turkey, but if you have multiple Thanksgiving celebrations to attend, it can get old quickly. I recommend cooking a prime rib in place of turkey and dressing to give your Thanksgiving a little edge.
Prime rib is universally loved and pairs just as well with the traditional mashed potatoes and green bean casserole. Your family will probably start requesting it every year!
It might just be my family, but we’re all about a good competition, so a Thanksgiving cook-off is pretty standard for us. A pie competition is a great way to get the whole family to interact, and family rivalry is always fun.
If you aren’t into a pie competition then you can do it with any other Thanksgiving food. (My family is really into having a dressing competition.) Assign each dish a number, and have your guests cast their votes for the best.
America was built on various cultures from around the world, so it’s completely acceptable to celebrate this diversity on Thanksgiving. You can do an all-Italian Thanksgiving menu, eat a Chinese feast, or incorporate food from any other culture that appeals to you.
Those in attendance will definitely remember the party, and it’s fun to try something new.
It might seem a little lackluster, but my family chose to dine out for Thanksgiving dinner one year, and it was just as delicious as making the meal ourselves. There’s no mess or stress, and it allows for more time to just enjoy your family.
Make sure everyone still gathers together afterward for quality time, and it’ll be a happy memory for everyone.
If you want to keep the holiday on the healthy side, then do a salad-themed menu. Various salads, including pasta salads, are a fun and diverse way to celebrate Thanksgiving. For dessert, you can even make a fruit salad to go along with the theme.
Because you won’t be weighed down with heavy carbs that make up a traditional Thanksgiving meal, your family will have the energy to take a post-dinner walk together.
You’re going to be spending money on food no matter what, so you might as well use it to support your local economy. Hit up your neighborhood farmers market to purchase fresh produce, and then create a menu that’s centered around the foods that are indigenous to your area.
For example, if you live up in Maine, try a lobster dinner. If your family is into hunting, cook up some delicious wild turkey or even venison for Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is about being appreciative of all that you have, so it’s important to make sure that’s the focus of your family dinner. My family likes to go around the table and state what each of us is thankful for, but you can take this even further.
Have everyone write a thank you note to another family member, and take turns reading them aloud. This is a great way to let your loved ones know how much they mean to you.
It’s great to spend the day enjoying good food with your loved ones, but volunteering with them is an even better way to gain some perspective. Load up your family and friends to volunteer and feed those less fortunate, whether it's at a soup kitchen, homeless shelter, or church. You and your family will do some good in your community and realize just how many reasons you should be thankful.
Afterward, you can share a meal together and discuss all that you’ve each learned from the experience.
