We also have to have Red Velvet cake. My husband was born on Thanksgiving Day, so she got no dinner that year. We always celebrate on Thanksgiving even if it doesn't fall on that day. She always makes him a Red Velvet cake for his birthday. Required!
My husband was born on Thanksgiving Day also, in 1932. We always celebrate his birthday on Thanksgiving Day.
Three Thanksgiving Favorites:
My family is not big on candied sweet potato dishes but I have found a sweet potato recipe that starts with mashed sweet potatoes (not yams) , sugar, milk, butter, eggs, salt and vanilla and topped with a mixture of pecans, flour, and brown sugar, that they all love. It's custardy and almost like a desert.
I also make a simple bread dressing consisting of cubed bread, onions, celery, sage, salt, pepper and butter. It is our families favorite as it does not compete with the turkey, and topped with homemade turkey gravy is yummy. I roast approximately 23 lb fresh turkey stuffed with this dressing, and I make enough dressing to also fill a large casserole dish. I use my electric roaster to roast the turkey as it saves oven space and the turkey comes out very moist and never dry.
Homemade cranberry sauce.
Ofcourse there is much more that is prepared in the way of veggies, pies, etc -- but these are the favorites.