Happy Thanksgiving!

Travel, by all venues, has increased in 2025. With the upcoming holiday season, you’ll notice flights filling more quickly, and cabins getting crowded. As trends go, this Thanksgiving promises to break records with families and friends gathering in larger numbers than ever. We’ll appreciate old traditions and create new ones, welcoming generations we might be meeting for the first time. This Thanksgiving offers new culinary trends with a splash of creativity and invention. Here, River North Law Group takes a look at three of the most popular ways hosts and influencers are making non-traditional plans for Thanksgiving.

Traditional Thanksgiving Turkey

The singular family tradition, which anchors the holiday for so many is the Thanksgiving turkey. America consumes an estimated 46 million turkeys each holiday season. That’s nearly 80% of Americans featuring turkey in holiday meals. A typical traditional Thanksgiving turkey feast might include a combination of green bean casserole, mashed sweet potatoes or yams, creamed spinach, and Brussel sprouts. Cranberry sauce, a wide variety of stuffing and rolls, hot from the oven, complete the traditional table setting.

Recently however, you may have noticed a departure from the traditional table to more imaginative Thanksgiving dining alternatives. These are just a few of the Thanksgiving Dinner ideas and fascinating stories we’ve discovered to wish you the best holiday ever.

Best of Both Worlds

Begin by understanding that you don’t have to give up your favorite traditions in order to try something new. You can add a dish or two, even an appetizer, to family festivities to change it up or refresh the routine.

Martha Steward reports that while plant based and vegan dishes are in higher demand this year, the classic turkey dinner is still the most popular. Ree Drummond of The Pioneer Woman helps you to find creative ways to include unexpected main courses, fun Thanksgiving side dishes, tasty appetizers, and more. Think: pumpkin risotto, crab-stuffed mushrooms, sweet potato curry, and cauliflower gratin. Looking to skip the roasted turkey? No problem! Try a tender roast beef or an easy slow cooker pork chop recipe instead! You can also choose from one of the vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner ideas, like creamy butternut squash pasta or mushroom gravy. Once you have your non-traditional Thanksgiving menu planned out, all you need to finish the meal is a dessert that's equally unpredictable—like say, a chocolate Thanksgiving dessert!

Get more details from her at this link.

Chesapeake Coastal Thanksgiving

 

Country Living Magazine features fourth-generation oyster famers, Travis and Ryan Croxton, founders of the Rappahannock Oyster Co. In 2001, they got a phone call from their dads asking if they had any interest in the family’s 200-odd acres of oyster leases – the contract with the state was expiring. What happened next is a rich story you’ll find on their website.

For the holiday season, they cook a menu of simple Southern-costal fare, and share recipes you may borrow for your holiday. Learn more.

The Croxtons like a cold sparkling wine or brut Champagne with their feast. If you can splurge, try a bottle or two of Nyetimber or just get your favorite bubbly.

Main Course: simple herbed turkey with easiest ever gravy—loads of butter keep the meat moist, and handfuls of flavorful fresh herbs keep it simple and tasty.

Sides include oyster pie, crab cakes, oyster stuffing with bacon-scallion cream sauce, bourbon yams, lima bean and Corn Succotash. You’ll also find a recipe for Nana’s Famous Corn Pudding. So, take the plunge, and be creative finishing off your feast with a dessert of cranberry walnut shortbread bars

Vegan Thanksgiving

You don’t have to be Vegan to find these Thanksgiving ideas attractive. Food allergies, and an assortment of other circumstances may require forgoing a meat entrée. However, it doesn’t mean sacrificing a delicious meal with warm fellowship of friends and family. On the contrary, you may find some of these dishes fulfill your dream of a non-traditional holiday reunion. Of course, taking your meal preparation into plant-based territory can feel a bit intimidating.

But Runner’s World makes it easy. Their Thanksgiving dinner includes dishes that are just as satisfying as traditional ones, packed with the same fall flavors we all know and love. The spiciness of pumpkin, the heartiness of a thick gravy, and the warm fluffiness of stuffing can all be accomplished in vegan-friendly ways—believe it or not—and we’re here to show you how.

Click this link to find 35 vegan recipes that explore cuisine without using a single egg, pat of butter, or dash of milk. And of course, since it’s Vegan, there’s zero meat involved. But if you experiment with two or three dishes, you may find guests won’t notice the winged gobbler missing from the table.

A Small Plate Thanksgiving Feast

Are you weary of the toll of stuffing yourself to the brim, and running over with the biggest meal of the year? Well, here’s an idea to get your stuffing down to size. Instead of filling a large plate to the outer margins, try a series of small plates that shift the focus entirely. You can go from the traditional sit-down dinner to a more casual fellowship of delectable small plate treats. Add music for atmosphere, and transport your guests to a refreshing Thanksgiving that won’t add 10lbs.

Eating Well has an irresistible assortment of recipe ideas. From pepperoni basic tomato puffs, to honey garlic bacon wrapped shrimp or Brussel sprouts, you might try the recipe for spicey deviled eggs or garlic balsamic slow-cooked pork shoulder. You’ll find them all here.

Of course, with dishes this rich, we can’t guarantee your Thanksgiving offers fewer calories. But who’s counting?

All of us at River North Law Group are wishing all of you and yours a warm and memorable Thanksgiving Holiday and a most delicious feast!