Do You Cook or Eat Out For Thanksgiving?

[katmigordon]

It's just the two of us and she's a pescatarian, while I'm a traditionalist who wants turkey.
Those things given, we eat out every Thanksgiving at a local restaurant that does a turkey meal with all the fixings as one option and has their regular menu available as well.

 

[Kitty 34]

I cook.

 

[slo]

I cook.

Me too - I host every holiday

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Do You Cook or Eat Out For Thanksgiving?​

I cook. Almost all the time. In random years we've gone out.

 

[Meriweather]

I cook a little.
DIL does the rest and we go to DS's house

 

[TwoMisfits]

I cook. It's the one holiday I always cook, and I actually have a whole day and 3 meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner expectations) to handle.

Thus, I do not cook Christmas...ever!

 

[AppleDumpling]

Cooking this year. I either cook or go to a family member’s home. I have a large family and we rotate hosting duties for holidays, though most of us contribute a dish.

It's just the two of us and she's a pescatarian, while I'm a traditionalist who wants turkey.
Those things given, we eat out every Thanksgiving at a local restaurant that does a turkey meal with all the fixings as one option and has their regular menu available as well.

In your case, OP, it makes sense to eat out. I wouldn’t be fixing a turkey for one person, and that way you each get to enjoy the meal you like, as well as each other’s company. Perfect compromise!

 

[CynBeth]

Every few years we visit Disney but when we are home we cook. It is just the 3 of us so we get turkey breasts and make allergy friendly sides to have enough for 3-4 days.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

I usually go to my sister's house, but this year I'm staying home. My aunt and the rest of the family usually go somewhere else but decided to stay home this year and my aunt will cook the turkey while I'll be in charge of sides.

 

[NannyBeBe]

I always cook. We ate out one year; will never do it again because there were no delicious leftovers the next day.

 

[amcnj]

The usual is at home. Though in the last five years, a few times some of the food came from Whole Foods. And this year the vote was to go out. We will see how that goes. It is a family style place and I think there are even leftovers, or at least that is what I am hoping!

It is also common for there to be a second thanksgiving meal later that weekend, due to family members having free turkeys to use up.

 

[Ms Bibbidi]

Cook at home.

 

[disykat]

I generally cook or attend a shared meal. If there is a year where it's just the two of us, we absolutely go out! I'm assuming there will be more and more of those years as all of our kids live farther and farther away and have other families to see too. This year most of my group I celebrate holidays with will be home but without any of our adult kids home, so we'll be together.

We have a pescatarian in our family now too and whenever she is here we have shrimp in addition to turkey and I make the dressing with vegetable broth. She can eat everything except the turkey and the gravy.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

I always cook.

 

[TippyThomas]

It's just me so I go out.

 

[bcla]

Done various things over the years. Must have been casino buffets many times.

For various reasons, I'm going to be home alone for Thanksgiving. The family will be elsewhere, but I have to remain at home. I haven't really spend Thanksgiving with my parents much in the last few years, and I don't think they're interested in a big Thanksgiving dinner without my family.

I did buy a turkey, but only because the price was too good to pass up. Safeway has a $7 price on their house branded turkey weighing between 8 and 11.99 lbs if one spends at least $25 on other items. I'm not actually going to roast it, but I'm going to thaw it out and then cook parts separately - i.e. the way to avoid over and undercooking different parts of the bird. And my oven is in pretty bad shape, and I'm going to find creative ways to cook a turkey with an Instant Pot and an air fryer. Not sure how long it's going to take to thaw in the fridge.

 

[focusondisney]

Pre pandemic, we had been going to my sister’s. I made 4 pies & huge trays of roasted veggies. But with 30 people in the small space the last few years were getting too chaotic for me. In 2020, my DD & her SO came to my house. Last year was just my DH & myself as they went to his family’s dinner. This year my sister has invited everyone again for the first time since 2019. But I decided my DH & I will stay home & have our own dinner. I love my family & all the little kids, but I just can’t do the chaos anymore. I do a split turkey breast with dressing, potatoes & veggies for us a few times a year anyway. So this will be no different, except there will be chocolate pie!

 

[fla4fun]

I can understand eating out if there are only two people and they have different dietary requirements. However, we cook. I start on Wednesday morning and then by the time my sister arrives that afternoon, the stuffing has been prepared and she does the turkey prep work. Then we just have to stuff the bird and pop it in the oven the next morning. We also pre-make the cranberry-cherry sauce and the pies a couple days ahead.

 

[White Cat]

Depends, changes each year.

 

[katmigordon]

I kind of wish I liked turkey breast, I might cook at home then. I'm more a leg kind of girl - dark meat is my preference. I find white meat a bit dry for my taste.

Pre pandemic, we had been going to my sister’s. I made 4 pies & huge trays of roasted veggies. But with 30 people in the small space the last few years were getting too chaotic for me. In 2020, my DD & her SO came to my house. Last year was just my DH & myself as they went to his family’s dinner. This year my sister has invited everyone again for the first time since 2019. But I decided my DH & I will stay home & have our own dinner. I love my family & all the little kids, but I just can’t do the chaos anymore. I do a split turkey breast with dressing, potatoes & veggies for us a few times a year anyway. So this will be no different, except there will be chocolate pie!