Thanksgiving Meal Advice Needed

No. I don't think it's too much cabbage for one meal. However, I don't think it's necessary to have 3 types of meat. I would skip the sauerkraut and kielbasa and add a different type of vegetable.

For me it would be too much. I would leave out the sauerkraut and kielbasa and instead do a fresh vegetable dish (or two!).

IMHO, you can NEVER have to many options at Thanksgiving! It's the joy of leftovers!
~J.
www.mommylifeafterphd.blogspot.com

I think you could make a turkey and then have another meat for him like a slab of ham, etc. I agree that one person should not dictate the Thanksgiving tradition for everyone.

I'd make a turkey AND a ham. That's plenty.

As a matter of fact, if it were me I'd likely suggest that the in-laws bring a ham with them, since FIL is the one who wants a special accommodation.

well, you are lovely to be so accommodating, but just because your FIL is sick of turkey, does everyone else have to be deprived? ham, ground beef and kielbasa is a lot of protein choices! i'd drop at least one of them and add turkey back in.
your cabbage dishes are dissimilar enough that i don't think it's a problem serving them both, but this meal is light on the veggies for my taste. i'd drop the sauerkraut and add a fresh vegetable dish.
have a wonderful meal!
:) khairete
S.

My husbands grandfather hated poultry of any kind, so we always had a ham along with the turkey.

Drop one of the cabbage dishes and the pasta salad. Instead do a fresh salad or fresh vegetable that is not covered in a sauce. Like fresh green beans, or peas and onions, or steamed yellow squash with onions.

You seem heavy on the starches.

Your menu sounds lovely. Those two kinds of cabbage are totally different in my book. How nice of you to be so considerate of your FIL.

Sauerkraut and stuffed cabbage rolls have distinct flavors so even though they are both cabbage, I think your fine.

I would fix a traditional Thanksgiving meal and FIL could skip the turkey if he so chooses. You could be nice and add another meat for him.

I would not do the cabbage rolles and/or the sauerkraut and kielbasa....but that's jut me. Doing both would be too much cabbage.

I personally would skip the cabbage rolls and sauerkraut and add green beans and salad but I like fresh green vegies.

Another option is to make the turkey meal you want and make a protein (ham sounds good) that your FIL would eat. I add to our regular meal to suit guests instead of changing the whole menu. ie: I have made salmon or a vegetarian dish for those who don't eat turkey so guests have something to eat with protein but my family has all of their favorites.

Well I like cabbage and cabbage things, so no.
I would eat it!
Sounds good!
But who knows what your FIL will think.
And does he even like or want ham and stuffed cabbage/kielbasa?

ALSO, the rest of you can still have Turkey if you want.
I mean, just get a turkey whole breast or something and have that too.
I wouldn't want to miss eating turkey just because 1 relative didn't want it.
And I wouldn't want to miss out on eating cranberries either. Just because of 1 relative.
And I wouldn't want to miss out on eating stuffing either, just because of 1 relative.

Personally I would tell my FIL tough luck, we only do turkey once or twice a year so he will just have to deal with it. But, your menu sounds fine as well :)

I wouldn't have two dishes made with the same main ingredient.
My family aren't big fans of turkey either, so I'm making seafood gumbo.

Lol. You are nicer than I am... I don't even LIKE turkey at all, but still make it every year out of tradition. Lol. (Of course, my husband does like it, so it's not *just* for tradition's sake...)

That said, I don't think it's too much cabbage for one meal... Anyone who thinks it is can just pick one... I doubt you are planning to FORCE everyone to eat everything! Lol.

Your meal sounds just fine!
Though, I would still do a turkey as well. Maybe you guys cook turkeys all year round but we only do it twice a year so we really look forward to it. It's okay to have a turkey AND a ham, we always have two or three meats.
Usually whoever is hosting does the turkey and then someone else brings a ham and/or a good prime rib.
I don't think it's fair for one person to dictate the menu :-)

I get it that your FIL rules this. My dad, in his final years, was the king of our extended family. I would love the cabbage rolls but would not like the other cabbage dish so I agree, the differing cabbage tastes, make it okay

in the long run what matters is that your family is together. and years down the road you can laugh about having all the polish food for thanksgiving. one year my mom was gone (not dead just not home) and it was just my brother and me at home. we had planned on going to grandma's house for dinner but no one picked us up. (we were 13 and 14) so I pulled out a jar of spaghetti sauce and made spaghetti. we had that with garlic bread. another year we were on vacation and went to a japanese steak house for dinner. kids still talk about that one now. its all about having the family together.

separate note. i would do either sauerkraut or stuffed cabbage not both.

I despise turkey. I can stand eating smoked turkey though.

I suggest you have what you want and add an extra meat or two for him to choose from. There's no reason you can't have a traditional turkey meal and him have roasted chicken or a piece of ham to choose from. I imagine there will be others too who'll like having more than turkey to choose from.

You could ask the other diners if they'd like to do something besides turkey. If no one is really looking forward to it then by all means, do something non-traditional.

I don't think it's too much cabbage, but I think it's too many different kinds of meat. I don't see any regular veggies with your meal - broccoli casserole, or glazed carrots maybe instead of the kraut and kielbasa.

I think it sounds perfect, but I do not like turkey! I would have a small turkey too, if the rest of you want it. We always had ham and turkey when I was younger because we had a big family with aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. Now that we don't all get together in that big group (we all have our own families), my dad STILL makes a ton of meats for dinner! At Christmas when we all get together we have ham, kielbasa, stuffed cabbage and often city chicken as well.

I think that sauerkraut and stuffed cabbage taste so different that it won't matter if you have both.

It sounds just fine, as long as the menu makes you (and your other guests) happy as well.

Sounds great! I'm polish, we are having kapusta (a polish bland form of sauerkraut) with kielbasa (polish sausage), pierogis (polish dumplings), stuffing, turkey, green bean casserole, 2 potato dishes...

Do you make your stuffed cabbage rolls with a tomato sauce also? (yet another polish dish!) If so, then they are unique enough to be just fine... maybe add a green vegetable in there somehow... sauteed broccoli?

One suggestion - a pork loin slow-cooked to tenderness can be a great alternative to turkey, & bring a wonderful aroma to the house.

Bon apetit! T.

What is raspberry fluff? I would do green beans, carrot, sweet potato and soup.

The entire meal does not sound like it goes together. However, it ALL sounds YUMMY and I for one would LOVE it!!! Anyway, that was not your question so, NOI I think the cabbage rolls are just fine to have even if you have sauerkraut especially since they are two way different tastes. After hearing your menu, the traditional TG meal sounds boring.

sounds wonderful, I might be able to make it in a couple of hours so save some for me!