Thanksgiving is a great time of the year for fantastic food, but it’s also a time that families start to get a little reative with the side dishes. The head cook of each family generally will start planning the menu a few weeks before Thanksgiving. Sometimes, the food is going to be the standard turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole, and fresh dinner rolls; but the menu can also be something unexpected, unique, and quite delicious.

Unique Thanksgiving Turkey

The great news about having turkey for Thanksgiving are all of the different ways a turkey can be fixed. Having all of these options can really enhance the creativity for your dinner, but also inspire others to have just as much fun.

Deep-Fried Turkey

Okay, this might sound really horrible and artery-clogging, but this turkey is also quite delicious. Deep-frying a turkey is a Southern tradition that actually does not take much time to cook. Rule of thumb: do not try to deep fry a turkey inside of your home. Deep frying a turkey should be done outdoors with some type of outdoor cooker. Also, soaking your turkey in some type of brine prior to cooking is a great way to add flavor. Peanut oil is recommended for the frying, but vegetable oil also works the same. Your deep-fried turkey should be done cooking, depending on the weight, in about one full hour.

Bacon-Wrapped Turkey

Now, THIS is how you cook a turkey for those who love bacon. Of course, this is also a meal that you may need to spend hours in the gym to burn off, but when it comes to bacon: it’s well worth it! There are several different recipes on the Internet for different ways to cook a turkey wrapped in bacon, but the main thing you will want to pay attention to is making sure you get the crispy bacon on the outside. It’s a great main course meal, and bacon lovers are going to be in pork heaven.

Turkey Cake

Yes, this actually does exist. Imagine your mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, and even your turkey combined into a “cake.” It surely does exist, but the only concern would be how hard it is to make the turkey cake. That and the fact all of these different items would be combined into one: how is that even possible? This may not be a fan favorite, but it sure looks unique.

Latke-Crusted Turkey Stuffing Fritters

This is a very unique Thanksgiving appetizer, but the level of difficulty in cooking these might be too high. These little fritters are deep-fried stuffing balls that have been encrusted with shredded potatoes, then filled with a cranberry core. Hard to make? Yes, most likely, but with a delicious gravy to dip these little fried goodies, it might be worth it.

Thanksgiving will always be the perfect time to showcase hidden culinary talents, but be sure you have had a few trial runs before trying to go for the extreme Thanksgiving recipes that require time, skill, and a great deal of patience.

What odd meals will you have this Thanksgiving?

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