Non-Traditional Thanksgiving Dinners

It's the same thing every year: a giant turkey followed by ten different sides (including the obligatory stuffing and controversial sweet potato casserole). Move on to the pumpkin or pecan pie, and then retire to your bed to enter a week... [more]

It's the same thing every year: a giant turkey followed by ten different sides (including the obligatory stuffing and controversial sweet potato casserole). Move on to the pumpkin or pecan pie, and then retire to your bed to enter a week-long food coma. Every year, you may feel tempted to try something different. Some couples and families rebel completely and decide to order Chinese takeout. Others will set up a huge Italian or Mexican buffet – after all, it's more about being together than cooking an elaborate meal.

If you are somewhere in the middle, between “I'm bored with the traditional meal” and “I can't bear to abandon tradition completely,” here are some suggestions. Below are three menus customized to suit your Thanksgiving needs: Healthy Vegetarian, Southern Comfort and Upscale Gourmet. None of the meals feature plain turkey as the main course, but all of them incorporate five courses of the tastes and treasures that we love about the holidays, with a twist.