My Annual Thanksgiving Dishes on My Table!
Submitted by Angelina Ng
As November slowly comes to an end, Thanksgiving is nearby! A holiday that celebrates family, loved ones, and blessings, I always look forward to the Thanksgiving holiday surrounded by the people I love and care about the most. I would see the most classic Thanksgiving dishes on television: turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, and pie. Although those dishes are traditional and delicious on Thanksgiving, my household likes to incorporate a twist with Asian dishes and even some takeout! Every year, we have just a few main dishes we bring to the table as a tradition, however, we like to change up our platters and let our creativity take over. Here are some of my annual Thanksgiving dishes that we bring to the table!
1. Turkey
I did mention that turkey is a classic dish on Thanksgiving. However, what’s Thanksgiving without the turkey? My mother spends hours in the kitchen preparing this delicious dish. Marinated with rosemary and butter and thrown in the oven, her platter comes out juicy with a slight crisp on the skin. It’s sliced generously into white meat pieces. This essential dish is the best when made by my mother.
2. Mac n’ cheese
The only way to make the best mac n’ cheese is to incorporate different types of cheese. My uncle’s mac n’ cheese recipe always fails to see another day, since there are never any leftovers! It’s a tradition that he makes his mac n’ cheese every year only on Thanksgiving. Making a large tray of macaroni, he alternates his layers of macaroni and the cheeses. He uses sharp cheddar, white cheddar, american, and mozzarella. With a splash of heavy cream and milk, the creamy texture really leaves an unforgettable taste!
3. Chinese Buddha Delight Vegetarian Dish
For the vegetarians in our family, we provide a delicious dish of vegetables. It contains a mix of vegetables, tofu, and it’s drizzled with a mushroom-tasting sauce for a more delicious taste. It delivers a variety of nutrients since it uses a mixture of vegetables. The mixed flavors truly make this dish so unique!
4. Chow mein
Chow mein is one of the takeout orders we eat on Thanksgiving! We go to a local Chinese restaurant by our house, and they have always provided us with this amazing dish on this special occasion. It is a stir-fried noodle platter with noodles, cabbage, bok choy, green onions, beef, and garlic. The sauce is typically a combination of soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil. The additional and delicious crunch from the dry noodles always makes me want to eat more.
5. Ginger Scallion Lobster
This Cantonese-styled dish is a takeout dish we always look forward to. The lobster platter is what makes our Thanksgiving unique and special. The lobsters are stir-fried with scallions, ginger, and garlic. The lightly seasoned sauce gives it a spiceful kick, and it’s a dish that surely brings out the flavor!
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