With Thanksgiving just around the corner, its time to start planning the feast.  What would you like to have for Thanksgiving dinner?  Will it be the traditional stuffed turkey or will it be a nice spiral cut ham, or maybe a big ol' rib roast, or will it be something else?  There are so many options and several ways to prepare them.  If you like your turkey, will it be oven baked, smoked in a smoker all day or deep fried?  Maybe you don't like to cook and prefer to go out to have Thanksgiving dinner, but where too?

Personally, I would like to do a ham, basted with clove, honey, pineapple, brown sugar and orange juice.  Candied yams, green bean casserole with French's French fried onions on top, and hot rolls with butter and cranberry sauce.  A nice meat, cheese and cracker platter along with a veggie tray with ranch dressing dip for snacking on during the day.  Pumpkin pie with whipped cream for dessert.

Perhaps it's coming around for you guys, but up here it happened three weeks ago.

Anyways.....

I HAD the standard (or close to standard) recipe - honey-glazed turkey with some red jell-o. It was delicious.

Turkey, and lots of Honey Smoked Ham! 

Usually what my family does during Thanksgiving is decide on whether we want to have a traditional meal (Turkey and such) or a more out to eat type of year (Like Outback and such). A lot of my friends do the same most though usually eat with their family, I think Thanksgiving is more of a family holiday, what does everyone else think? 

Honestly, I don't even know if we'll have Thanksgiving at all. (I mean it is a day where the Natives shared food with the Pilgrims and then soon afterward, The Pilgrims had enslaved and murdered the Natives...) But I'm just rambling. However if we do have it... It will most likely just be turkey, a small platter of mashed potatoes, and a corn on the cob.

My family (mostly my parents) don't believe in turkey in their culture. Instead, we eat other meats like duck, pig, chicken, fish, rice, beans, veggies, and beans often on Thanksgiving.

This year we might be going out for Thanksgiving. Last year we cooked and had leftovers

Traditional Turkey, most likely. But there will be pork and other meats. It's a giant get together.

I've recently become vegetarian. Since my family probably wouldn't understand at all (and since the last thing I would want is to be forced to eat meat whenever I'm with them), I'll end up eating a bit.

All kinds of meat. Along with gravy, mashed potatoes, home-made chicken soup (which my mom makes from scratch), and many other mouth-watering, delicious foods.  Welp, I'm starting to get hungry just thinking about it. 

I'm having Thanksgiving with my sister, her husband, and my baby niece! So this should be interesting.  My mom and sisters-- including me-- are doing the cooking, while my dad and brother play with the baby, heheh. The perfect excuse to not change her diaper.  Plus, I love to cook, so it'll be a win win situation!  My mom's probably is gonna be "the master chief" in this event. So, I'll most likely be her assistant, which means I don't know how she's going to cook the turkey.  Guess we'll have to see how it goes when the time comes.

I usually eat smoked ham, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy. 

In our household we always cook Thanksgiving Dinner,and normally those duties fall to me.So I will be doing a smoked turkey with mac&cheese,mashed potatoes and some herbed corn.Lots of work but lots of fun!

Perhaps I shouldn't reply here since I'm from Canada and we had our Thanksgiving in October, but I imagine we'll probably have something nice to eat for dinner anyways. I do most of the cooking in the house so I'll probably make something unusual just for the hell of it.
I know for a fact it won't be turkey, even though we do have one in the freezer. I could do a small ham even though we just had one this week.
If I do something different it might be a spontaneous meal, so who knows what I'll make but I am sure it will taste delicious.

medieval zombie : yes we do the classic big turkey with a big dinner and its also the day of the year with the MOST dishes and guess who's gotta clean em' all

I'm sure this year will be the same as every year for me. My family always have the traditional turkey in addition to other meals like rice, ham, fruit, potatoes, and other food.

medieval zombie : we already had thanksgiving up north, but the first course was shrine maiden.

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Ok, So I have decided to go with a turkey this year, cuz the things that can be made with the leftovers are awesome.  I plan on making a nice turkey enchilada casserole with some of the leftovers.  I have a 15 pound bird just waiting patiently in my freezer.  I have decided to bake the turkey in the oven for most of its cooking time.  The remainder of the time will be spent in my BBQ catching heat and smoke from the side smoke box, to keep it warm and give it a nice, most likely cherry wood flavor.  With the turkey smoking in the BBQ, that will give me the time and room I need to make the green bean casserole and candied yams.

Boxia :  I like the sound of the Honey Glazed turkey, I think I will do that with mine.  You said you also had red jello, was that plain or did it have fruit and/or whipped cream in it?  Did you have any pie?

thing1 :  The turkey and honey smoked ham sounds good, I am going to combine them for the Honey smoked turkey.

Lycan212 :  I agree with your thoughts on Thanksgiving being a family holiday.  I also think that a friend in need is very welcome to join.  I have done so in the past and had the same done for me.  It is very nice to be welcomed into somebodies home for a gathering of excellent people and food to share the moment.  Have you decided what you are going to do yet?

ghostfishy :  You mentioned your family (mostly your parents) do not believe in turkey with your culture.  I am just curious as to what culture you speak of.  If I had to guess, judging from the types of food you listed, I would have to say Asian.  Duck sure sounds good, I have never cooked one before.

EideticMemory :  That is cool that you decided to not eat any meat, but it is kind of sad that you think your family would not understand.  Maybe you could just tell them that you have cut back on your meat intake.  Eating some turkey, in most cases, is not bad.  Maybe you have a very good reason for your choice.  I would have to think that your family would understand.

Kuti_Kat :  I think its cool that you enjoy cooking.  I love it.  You mentioned that your mom is the "Master Chief" of the event, I like the title.  I earned the nickname "Jeff Boy-ar-Dee" for my cooking skills .  Does your mom use homemade egg noodles in her chicken soup?

petey2780 : Sounds like an excellent meal!  Could you tell us a little more about your smoked turkey, like how do you prepare it and maybe the cooking process?

bugameca :  You are more than welcome to reply here.  Where you are from does not matter.  We call our feast thanksgiving, but it is called other names in other cultures.  Most cultures have a Thanksgiving type of holiday, mainly to celebrate the years harvest.  What did you have for your Thanksgiving dinner in October?

kirbmanboggle :  I am guessing that you get to clean the dishes.  What do you do with the leftovers, is there a dish you like to make every year with them?

AriaAngelDream :  I don't think I have ever had a rice dish with Thanksgiving.  I might do that this year instead of mashed potatoes.  What do you do with the leftovers?

emptysenji :  What was your second course?

medieval zombie :

It was plain. My sister had whipped cream with it, but i don't like stuff on my jell-o.

I was the only one who didn't have pie. It was apple pie, but i didn't take any because........well, to be honest, I DON'T LIKE PIE!

Run for your life!

medieval zombie : regular old deer meat.

I actually have no idea. All I know is that we are driving to Vegas with my in-laws. We are likely going to eat somewhere awesome, knowing them. I'm excited to find out

medieval zombie : Honey Smoked Turkey? I do not think I have ever heard of that. If you are serious, and do go through with it, please let me know how that turns out, because that actually sounds good.