Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes

Thanksgiving is a time of food. It's a celebration of the Pilgrim's early successes in America, won through hard work to tame the land in what was for them a new world.

Every year it's a traditional meal. Turkey, sometimes ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, rolls or bread, pumpkin pie and apple pie, and a variety of other trimmings adorn the holiday table. It's a time when families get together to celebrate history. Thanksgiving dinner recipes can be quite different, as there are many ways to cook a turkey.

Why not try the following appetizer? Move the pumpkin from dessert to the start of the meal as a savory Pumpkin soup. Heat a tablespoon each of oil and butter over medium heat. Add three sliced leeks (only the white) and saute until the leeks are soft. Now throw in some pumpkin puree along with cloves, cinnamon, ground ginger and some salt. After that's all mixed, add 32 ounces of vegetable broth. Next comes brown sugar. Use low heat to simmer it for 10 minutes. Cream or half and half are optional, along with a pinch of cinnamon on top of each bowl. That soup is a real treat.

A turkey can be fried instead of broiled. You may think it's greasy but it isn't. The oil can't penetrate the skin after the hot oil sears it. Get a big drum and a propane burner, otherwise known as a deep fryer. Check the meat with a meat thermometer and the oil temperature with an oil thermometer. Make sure to fry outside in a clear area. Heat the oil to between 325 degrees and 350 degrees F. The turkey takes about three minutes per pound to fry to about 170 degrees F in the breast. Frying a turkey doesn't involve cooking the stuffing inside the bird, but it does include spices directly injected into it.

Pumpkin and sausage soup makes for a good appetizer too. Other appetizer possibilities also exist. Give cheese wrapped asparagus a try. Use two cheeses, one spread and one sliced. Try slices of swiss with a blue cheese spread. Spread the soft cheese on the slices, wrap it around a few asparagus spears, then cook in a 230 degree C oven for about 15 minutes, or until the asparagus is soft. Ok, this way asparagus isn't healthy. Thanksgiving is a time for a little fun. So live it up.

Many more delicious Thanksgiving dinner recipes are available on the Internet.