How To Introduce A New Dish To Your Southern Family's Thanksgiving

Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch

When it comes to what's on the Thanksgiving menu, many Southerners stick to family traditions. Someone brings the sweet potato casserole (topped with marshmallows, of course), one family member bakes the "famous" pecan pie, and the cousin who can't cook (we've all got one) picks up some dinner rolls and wine. With the honor of your signature dish having a permanent spot at the annual Thanksgiving feast comes a certain amount of pride. For example, the chef behind the beloved mac and cheese recipe would not take kindly to someone showing up with an additional version of the original. That being said, eating the same exact menu year…after year…after year gets monotonous. What if you saw a gorgeous fall salad in the latest issue of Southern Living, and you think it could be a fun addition to your tired Thanksgiving table? How do you broach the subject without ruffling any feathers in the kitchen? Our food editors are here to help.

"Whenever I try to get my family on board with something new at Thanksgiving, I find it helps to let them make the original, and I bring the new dish. So I'm not replacing their version, but offering more options," says Assistant Food Editor Alana Al-Hatlani. "This happens with pies a lot. I get bored of making just normal pumpkin pie, so I let someone bring the classic, and I bring the chocolate pumpkin tart or whatever new dessert I'm into that year."

So in our earlier example, instead of bringing a vaguely different mac and cheese recipe, you could test out a totally new option that won't be a replacement but rather a companion or complement to the primary recipe (Fried Mac and Cheese Bites, anyone?).

"Everyone is happy this way, and I even convert some people to my new dessert when they taste each on their plate right next to each other," says Alana. Though, she admits with a laugh, this is not always guaranteed to work.

Senior Food Editor Josh Miller agrees that establishing a new recipe into the family's Thanksgiving canon can get tricky. No one wants Mama throwing the line, "I guess my recipes just aren't good enough for y'all anymore" around—no one. To hopefully avoid that, here's what he recommends.

"Find a 'hole' in the menu and fill it," Josh says. "Chances are high that your family's more traditional Thanksgiving menu might not have a fresh, crunchy fall salad."

But don't come at Grandma with visions of kale, sliced apples, pickled shallots, toasted pecans, golden raisins, and a zippy vinaigrette so fast. With subjects as sensitive as the annual Thanksgiving offerings, it's often so much more important how you phrase your suggestion than it is the actual recipe you bring.

"The key move here is to not to say 'Well, I wanted something fresh…' implying that the mainstay, cream-of-something based casseroles are so last century," Josh says. "Instead, justify your make-ahead side dish addition with either politeness ('I wanted to stay out of your way in the kitchen') or faux self-deprecation ('I literally had no time and just threw this together, it's probably terrible'), and then let the cards fall where they may."

Even with all the delicious recipes she encounters on a weekly basis, Deputy Editor Lisa Cericola is wary of rocking the Thanksgiving mainstays' boat. Like Alana, she advises making a recipe that's vastly different from the go-to one (à la our macaroni and cheese debacle) to avoid offending anyone. She also dreamed up an adventurous option that could make for a more lively holiday: "If family members are willing, maybe you could have people draw dishes (like drawing names out of a hat) to make everyone try something new this year."

Like with the purposeful self-deprecation, dietary concerns are another polite avenue you can take when offering up new food ideas. "Dietary restrictions are another way to introduce something new without offending," Lisa says. "Grandma's sweet potatoes are amazing, but maybe your other version is dairy-free." If we're revisiting our first scenario, Tabitha Brown's Vegan Mac and Cheese Recipe would be a beautiful place to start.

At the end of the day, Lisa has one of the best proposals for this conundrum that won't end in a family fight: Save the new recipes for Friendsgiving. You get the satisfaction of cooking something you wanted to make for people who will not be upset by it. And just maybe you can bring Mama some leftovers for consideration in next year's Thanksgiving feast.

Looking for something new to add to your Thanksgiving menu this year? There's no better place to find a tried-and-true recipe than the tables of Southern Living Test Kitchen pros and contributors.

Pam Lolley's Pecan Pie

Recipe: Pam Lolley's Pecan Pie

"This was my mom's go-to pie for the holidays," recalls Test Kitchen Professional Pam Lolley. "She was notorious for leaving it in the oven too long. As far as I know, she never owned a timer. We all had a lot of fun teasing her—saying, 'It must be Thanksgiving when you smell pecans and sugar burning!' Her first reply would always be, 'Well, I just don't know what went wrong.'"

John Somerall's Sweet-Tea Brined Smoked Turkey

Recipe: John Somerall's Sweet-Tea Brined Smoked Turkey

"I took over cooking the family Thanksgiving about 10 years ago," says Test Kitchen Professional John Somerall. "We typically do two turkeys every year, one smoked and the other roasted. I like to smoke one for two reasons: I just love the flavor, and it gives me an excuse to be outside and escape the family for a little bit while everything is baking in the ovens. We have a huge whiskey-and-bourbon tasting after lunch. Everybody brings a bottle, and we all share them and talk about what we're thankful for."

Ann Taylor Pittman's Kale-Citrus Salad with Bacony Pecans

Recipe: Ann Taylor Pittman's Kale-Citrus Salad with Bacony Pecans

"This kale salad is designed to fit in this time of year— it has enough little indulgences to feel right for the holiday; it's pretty; and it offers a fresh, crisp respite from the heavier dishes," writes contributing editor Ann Taylor Pittman. "Center-cut bacon doesn't overpower like other varieties might, but the drippings impart all their smoky goodness to the salted nuts."

Karen Rankin's Italian Sausage Dressing with Marsala-Mushroom Gravy

Recipe: Karen Rankin's Italian Sausage Dressing with Marsala-Mushroom Gravy

"This dressing smells like Thanksgiving heaven—there's nothing better than butter, sausage, onion, celery, and thyme. If I don't make this recipe, my children are unhappy and feel like we have not done our part to be thankful. And it's even better the next day," notes Test Kitchen Professional Karen Schroeder-Rankin. "My absolute favorite way to enjoy it is on a turkey sandwich with mayo and cranberry sauce on toasted wheat bread, eaten while sitting at the table late at night with my daddy."

Lisa Cericola's Herbed Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes

Recipe: Lisa Cericola's Herbed Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes

"I'm not big on mashed potatoes throughout the year, but they are required at Thanksgiving," writes Southern Living Senior Food Editor Lisa Cericola. "This recipe is ultrarich thanks to butter, half-and-half, cream cheese, and a generous swirl of Herbed Brown Butter on top. It is guaranteed to upstage the other sides on the buffet."

Jasmine Smith's Rice and Beans

Recipe: Jasmine Smith's Rice and Beans

"My dad always makes this twist on Caribbean rice and beans for the holidays. Usually, these types of recipes call for coconut milk instead of canned diced tomatoes. Dad's version is lighter and more versatile," writes Test Kitchen Professional Jasmine Smith. "The spices and tomatoes give it a Creole vibe. If you want to get fancy, add a pinch of saffron."

Jessica B. Harris' Harvard Beets

Recipe: Jessica B. Harris' Harvard Beets

"There was never a Thanksgiving when sweet-and-sour Harvard beets—which my mother prepared using canned beets—did not appear on the table. It was the only time of year that we had this dish," writes Southern Living contributing editor Jessica B. Harris.

Ivy Odom's Lacy Cornbread

Recipe: Ivy Odom's Lacy Cornbread

"These crispy, golden rounds of cornbread go by many other names, like hoecakes, hot-water cornbread, lacy hoecakes, johnnycakes, and more," writes Test Kitchen Professional and Hey Y'all Host Ivy Odom. "Although they taste great on their own, they're best served as an accompaniment to casseroles or side dishes. I like to spoon the perfect bite of green bean casserole, cornbread dressing, turkey, and cranberry sauce on a piece of lacy cornbread and eat it."

Paige Grandjean's Calabacitas

Recipe: Paige Grandjean's Calabacitas

"My aunt and uncle live in Hatch, New Mexico (the Chile Capital of the World), and my family goes there every fall to roast green chiles and make red chile sauce to stock our freezers for the year," writes Test Kitchen Professional Paige Grandjean. "Our Thanksgiving wouldn't be complete without green chiles. They usually make an appearance in multiple dishes: calabacitas, cornbread, and mac and cheese. Calabacitas (which means little squash) is made of sautéed squash, onion, and corn and has a smoky, slightly sweet flavor from the chiles," notes Grandjean. "It feels like a New Mexican take on succotash."

Melissa Gray's Cranberry Granita

Recipe: Melissa Gray's Cranberry Granita

"My Aunt Terry is admittedly not a great baker, so she started making this cranberry granita. I'm from Florida, and November can be rather hot there. Granita is a great dessert that cools us all back down," says Test Kitchen Professional Melissa Gray. "It's perfectly tart and sweet; plus it's so light that it saves room for that second plate from the buffet!"