Every year my sister Janet hosts a “theme” Thanksgiving dinner. It’s fun for her because she gets to dream up new recipes and ideas, and it’s fun for the guests because it’s not the same dishes year after year. We still get to enjoy the ‘basics’ like roasted turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes, but every dish is prepared with a little twist.
At this years gathering we celebrated a “Caribbean Thanksgiving”, which included Jerk spices, exotic island flavors and a rousing game of Limbo! Thankfully we did this before we stuffed our faces.
The Menu:
Coconut Shrimp w/ Pineapple Salsa
Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Bites
Caribbean Jerk Turkey
“Yo Ho” Mashed Potatoes
Buccaneer Gravy
Mango Cranberry Relish
Island Fresh Fruit Salad
Reggae Banana Chip Stuffing
Jonkanoo Seafood Salad
Grilled Veggies Abroad
Jerk Sausage Crostini
Key Lime Pie
Pirate Pumpkin Pie w/ Rum Whipping Cream
Chocolate Espresso Mini Cakes
Apple Alamode
Janet’s Caribbean Turkey: She rubbed it first with olive oil, salt, pepper and Jamaican Jerk seasoning. It was stuffed with fresh limes, celery, onions, garlic and quartered butter cubes (about 8)… then followed with a quick wash of soy sauce. She then covered the wings and tips of the drum sticks and covered the entire turkey with foil, making sure to baste every hour. The turkey was 22.5 pounds to start, and ended up being over 25 after stuffing!
Photos of the delicious, family fun day!
Cody & Chace Cutting Pineapple
Kindal & Chace, Bacon Wrapped Pineapple
Uncooked Bacon Pineapple Bites
Pirate Decor
Table Settings
Janet and Cody. Done Cooking!
Kindal and Chace
Limbo Time! Janet, Kindal, Chace, Paul, Trevor and Laur!
Thankfully we did this before eating!
The Menu
Janet and her delicious Caribbean Jerk Turkey.
Peter gets carving!
Reggae Stuffing
Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Bites
Jerk Sausage Crostini
It’s time to eat!
Chow Time!
Happy Cody! With piles of food and Jade.
Paul with Chocolate Espresso Mini Cakes
STUFFED and very grateful indeed!
my last bite... 
It looked like so much fun and yum!!
Love the bacon picture..
Caribbean Jerk Turkey, it sounds so good.
I want to eat it.
JO!
I’m sooo proud of your “Caviar”!! The pictures are just beautiful too!
Love you!
Your Sis
Was interested in the recipe for the yo ho mashed potatoes. Potatoes are Andean (I live in Ecuador and write on Andean food) so I was wondering how you made potatoes Caribbean….
Wow, what a menu! Sounds like a fabulous and very fun themed Thanksgiving. You guys know how to have a good time! 🙂