How to Plan a Great Thanksgiving Dinner
It's hard to believe how fast time flies but another Thanksgiving is almost upon us. If you haven’t made plans to celebrate Thanksgiving on Topsail Island, there is still time to get everything in order to have an amazing beach holiday. We have lots of great vacation rentals available for any size party. Of course, no Thanksgiving is complete without an incredible dinner, and this week we have everything you need to plan the perfect Thanksgiving feast.
The Centerpiece
The centerpiece is the key to setting the mood for your Thanksgiving feast. Of course, since this is a beach Thanksgiving you have to bring a little bit of beach flair to your centerpiece. To add a dash of the coast to the table, try adding seashells, starfish, and lighter colors to the table. Do you have a great beach themed centerpiece? If you do, let us know about it on your favorite social media.
Plan the perfect appetizers
For many of us, Thanksgiving isn’t just one meal. The day includes a family gathering, football, kids running around, great memories, and always lots of appetizers. This year is the time to try something new. Forget that old cheese ball and try more seafood themed appetizers. Here are two great ideas.
Crab Dip
Crab dip is a delicious and creamy dish that is great any time of the year. One of the best features of crab dip is its warm rich flavor. Here on the North Carolina coast we love our crab dip, and we thought it was the perfect way to kick off the Thanksgiving Day calorie fest. Need help with finding the perfect crab dip recipe, no problem we've found one for you
Spicy Baked Shrimp Po'Boy Dip
If you have a shrimp lover in your party this Thanksgiving, they'll love this twist on a Po'Boy. Best served in a bread bowl with crisp vegetables like celery or carrots. It is also perfect for dipping with crisp pieces of baked bread. The spicy baked shrimp Po'Boy dip isn't likely to have any leftovers.
Planning the seafood inspired main course
Planning the main dish of any meal can be stressful. However, for many of us Thanksgiving is the biggest meal of the year. Forget the traditional turkey and gravy. This year we have a new take on Thanksgiving and you guessed it, it is all about seafood. Here are a couple of fun seafood recipes that are sure to “wow” the family this year.
Seafood Paella
Paella is a wonderfully warm and savory dish that is very popular in Spain. However, we think we have the perfect recipe for your Thanksgiving paella. Perhaps the best thing about this menu is we get to use fresh local shrimp. What more could you ask for. Don’t worry we have everything you need for this recipe, just Click here!
Bouillabaisse
What could be better than a hearty steaming bowl of soup on a cool Thanksgiving evening. Bouillabaisse is a traditional Provençal fish stew originating from the port city of Marseille in France. So from one coastal town to another comes this incredible dish loaded with flavors. The soup consists of mussels, white fish, scallops, and shrimp. Making this dish is easy, but the flavors are complex and savory due to the spices.
Desserts you'll love
We all love the main dishes but let’s face it, what we are all really looking forward to is dessert. So after you’ve had all your vegetables its time to enjoy some delicious sweet and savory desserts. Here are two awesome desserts you are sure to love
Pumpkin Cheesecake With Bourbon Sauce
If you love cheesecake (who doesn't) this is the dish for you. Of course, what is even better than cheesecake? Well cheesecake with a pumpkin and bourbon, of course. There is a reason pumpkin lattes are so popular at Starbucks with its rich and nutty flavor, pumpkin is simply a fall staple that no proper Thanksgiving meal should be without. Click here to make this wonderful dish.
Pear and Cranberry Tart
In case you didn't have enough calories, we have one more delicious dessert to add to the waistline. This Pear and Cranberry tart is actually easy to make last minute. The best part is it combines the wonderful flavor of pears with the traditional flavor of cranberries. Perhaps what is best is that this dessert just begs to be served with a fresh scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Find your Topsail Island vacation
Ready to make your final preparations for Topsail Island beach Thanksgiving? As we mentioned at the beginning of this post, we have a great inventory of vacation homes for you to choose from. Give one of our friendly reservationists a call today at (800) 497-5463 or click the button below to find your Topsail Island Thanksgiving vacation.
