Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I've made this meal for years, and now have a set menu everyone likes. If anyone wants to bring a turkey or anything else that's fine. I sometimes have a quorn roast, but don't bother with it much anymore. Here's the menu:

Cornbread dressing (I use No-Chick Broth, works great)
Mashed Potatoes ( and this year we grew them, along with most of the veg)
Wild Rice with toasted almonds
Acorn Squash with honey, cinnamon and rosemary
Fresh Cranberry Sauce
Light Wheat Yeast Rolls
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Cauliflower Salad with Remoulade
Yellow Squash
Green Beans
Corn
Sweet Potato Pie
Pecan Pie
Vanilla Ice Cream
Iced Tea with the meal, Coffee with dessert
Everything is made from scratch. I have a game plan written down and start 3 days ahead.
I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm not a vegetairan by any accounts but I did make this recipe one Thanksgiving and it is truly a show stopper.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pumpkin-Stuffed-with-Vegetable-Stew-240601

I'm going to have to agree with other comments that sides and pie are enough for me! 101cookbooks has a great olive oil mashed potato recipe with kale that could be vegan but still omni-friendly.

@nitsuj If I eat meat/chicken stock/etc. I get sick. I don't think it's polite of me to ruin Thanksgiving by getting violently ill just to avoid putting them out and having my host make a different recipe when they are already cooking and have invited me over to eat. Often I will bring a dish, suggest a recipe so they don't have to find one, or offer to cook. Would you think a Jewish guest should eat bacon because they are inconveniencing you by voluntarily keeping kosher?

If you make green bean casserole please please please make Alton Brown's - http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/best-ever-green-bean-casserole-recipe/index.html - it kicks the canned soup version's butt!!

oh! and my mom and sister threw a fit when i sent them my menu and there was no pumpkin pie on it. i don't even think they like pumpkin pie, but i know people get funny about traditions... so i am making ina garten's pumpkin banana mousse tart to appease the fam. that's a nice little variation on the classic.

mr guy, i'm right there with you. i am by no means a food snob, but i am a foodie. and having just entered my mid-20s and being the only family member who likes to cook, i've become the appointed cook for thanksgiving and christmas. but my family says "why not just go to campbellssoup.com and get some easy recipes using canned soup. stop being such an elitist!" *sigh* they just don't get that interesting and fresh recipes don't take any more effort than the canned concoctions. (not that i don't sometimes cook with the occassional can of cream of whatever soup) anyway... to my point...

last night i made michael chiarello's butternut squash pastina and it was DELIGHTFUL. it's super easy and tasty. you can easily find his recipe on www.foodnetwork.com or on a few blogs i've read. i made it a little differently and added some ricotta and a few extra spices, etc. this is a great fall-ish alternative to mac n cheese, if your family won't disown you for messing with traditional mac n cheese. this will be making an appearance on our thanksgiving table and hopefully my family doesn't stage a revolt.

good luck!

I usually brine my Turkey, but this year I am trying a recipe that I am told is the best, I will let you know how it turns out!! Here is the recipe for anyone else that is brave enough to try it! Old-Fashioned Roast Turkey with Gravy

You will need one 2-yard package of cheesecloth for this recipe. Because we layer the bird with salt pork, we prefer to use a natural turkey here; self-basting turkeys may become too salty. If using a self-basting turkey, use all water in the gravy rather than a combination of water and broth. Make sure to start the gravy (step 3) as soon as the turkey goes into the oven.

Serves 10 to 12.

Ingredients
Turkey
1 package cheesecloth (see note)
4 cups cold water
1 turkey , 12 to 14-pounds (see note), neck and giblets reserved
1 pound salt pork , cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Gravy
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Reserved turkey neck and giblets
1 onion , chopped
5 cups water
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper

Instructions
1. For the turkey: Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Remove cheesecloth from package and fold into 18-inch square. Place cheesecloth in large bowl and cover with water. Tuck wings behind back and arrange turkey, breast-up, on V-rack set inside roasting pan. Following photos 1 to 4 above, prick skin of breast and legs of turkey all over with fork, cover breast and legs of turkey with salt pork, top with soaked cheesecloth (pouring any remaining water into roasting pan), and cover cheesecloth completely with heavy-duty aluminum foil.

2. Roast turkey until breast meat registers 140 degrees, 2½ to 3 hours. Remove foil, cheesecloth, and salt pork and discard. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. Continue to roast until breast meat registers 165 degrees and thigh meat registers 175 degrees, 40 to 60 minutes longer. Transfer turkey to carving board and let rest 30 minutes.

3. For the gravy: While turkey is roasting, heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook turkey neck and giblets until browned, about 5 minutes. Add onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in water, broth, thyme, and bay leaf and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until reduced by half, about 3 hours. Strain stock into large measuring cup (you should have about 3½ cups), reserving giblets if desired.

4. Carefully strain contents of roasting pan into fat separator. Let liquid settle so that fat separates, then skim, reserving ¼ cup fat. Pour defatted pan juices into measuring cup with giblet stock to yield 4 cups stock.

5. Heat reserved fat in empty saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Stir in flour and cook until honey colored and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Slowly whisk in giblet stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Chop giblets and add to gravy, if desired, and season with salt and pepper. Carve turkey and serve with gravy.

Try this: slice Brussels sprouts with a mandoline if you have one or just thinly slice, saute with leeks, garlic and shallots in olive oil until tender, add white wine and simmer until soft, add butter, salt and pepper to taste. It's amazing. People who swear they'd never touch a BS love them!

I just posted a recipe for a winter squash soup. I completely feel your pain about the old standbys always making an appearance on the holiday table. I've been pushing for this one to fill the 'pumpkin quotient' for the day but have so far lost the battle.
http://www.theexperimentalgourmand.blogspot.com/

Another favorite and a different take on the usual pies (versions of this seemed to appear on all sorts of blogs and in articles last year) is this one that I'm also fighting to keep in our rotation. Given that it has the three Southern basics - chocolate, pecans and booze - it might stick around for a while.
http://theexperimentalgourmand.blogspot.com/2007/11/sweet-thanksgiving-fb2b-part-81.html

I have several vegetarians coming for Thanksgiving this year, and although I feel like everybody subs portabello for meat, I tried this Pioneer Woman recipe last week, and it made a beautiful fall main course:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/11/mushrooms-stuffed-with-brie/

Just sub portabello for the smaller mushrooms, one wheel of brie made six stuffed portabellos!

I am a vegetarian and I was born on a Thanksgiving Day so this is a BIG DEAL for me... I just don't like to eat a bunch of side dishes that seem to have nothing in common... That's why I have taken it upon myself to make a vegetarian menu with which noboby will miss the traditional turkey. This is what I have done in the last few years:

2006
Butternut Squash Lasagna from Giada Di Laurentiis
I guess we accompanied it with a salad... can't remember

2007
Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese
Vanilla Maple Glazed Carrots
Sweet Potato Flan
Arugula/Red Onion Salad

2008
Pumpkin Rissoto
Baked Sweet Plantains
Vanilla Cheese Flan - same recipe as above, but without the sweet potato added.

2009 - this menu is still in the works... but here are a few options I am considering
pumpkin polenta
sweet potato mash with a homemade cranberry sauce
truffle mac & cheese - just because its delicious and super simple to make
roasted pears with blue cheese and hazelnut pralines

I've always gone the sides route and have been vegetarian long enough that my family respects my decision and doesn't make the sides with chicken broth or whatever. It also helps that many of our family's traditional dishes don't have animal products, like my grandmother's roasted eggplant salad.

But, if there's any worry that you're putting someone out with your request (or that you're being put out), there's no harm in bringing something to the table yourself (or asking your guest to). It lets the vegetarian be in control of their food, introduces other family members to their lifestyle choice/veggie foods and helps the host/hostess out. Honestly, most veg*ans are used to this anyway and it'll be a good experience for your brother.

Since my grandmother is getting on in years, I plan on doing a lot of cooking this year anyway. I'll be making a veggie gravy (roux of margarine/flour, veggie broth, various herbs and soy sauce for umami), green bean casserole, garlic mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes from The Modern Vegetarian Table. My husband, an omnivore, is making his signature "bird in a bag" (roasting a spice-rubbed turkey in a paper bag).

@Nickiter

Like not be a difficult eater for a day and just deal with what's given them?