The thing that can be banned is the green bean casserole.
Admit it, you jsut want to skim off and eat the fried onions on top. Nobody wants the nasty green beans and the cream of mushroom, or whatever else the goop is. Just put out a can of the Durkee fried onions.
keepers
sweet potato caserole- none of those marshmallows, though, just walnut / brown sugar buttery yumminess
Stuffing- Pepperidge farm, not too much fancied up, either. Though my Mom made a killer oyster dressing, my wife won't hear it.
cranberry sauce- never, EVER, EVER, from a can, fresh real cranberries, cooked up, sweetened, and chilled, slathered on top of the turkey
turkey- smoked or slow cooked
apple pie - home made, served warm, with vanilla ice cream
bread- homemade yeast rolls or a warm-from-the oven braided bread
OK but non-essential
mashed potatoes - love them, but prefer sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving
ham- if you have turkey haters it is good. My family, other than me, hates pork, so we don't ever have ham. But growing up it topped turkey.
macaroni & cheese - love it, but don't need it
deviled eggs- I am down for a few. But just a few.
pumpkin pie- good to have when the apple pie is all gone, I guess, with whipped cream
pecan pie- far superior, but usually save that for the Christmas spread.
banish
green bean casserole
all salads- just give up the illusion. Not the day to eat lettuce
anthing with jello in it- just no, crowds out stomach space useful for apple pie ala mode
anything totally non-traditional, like sushi, pizza, roasts, lobster, etc. Not bad food, but nothing screams Thanksgiving about it.
