Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away and it’s time to get serious about planning your Thanksgiving dinner. Of course, you’ve already taken the most important step by booking your Ocean Isle Beach vacation for the Thanksgiving holiday. If you haven’t booked your vacation, take a moment and click the button at the bottom of this post or give us a call to book your vacation today. Ok, now that you’ve chosen one of our beautiful vacation homes, it’s time to start planning your Thanksgiving dinner and this week we have everything you need to prepare the ultimate Thanksgiving dinner.
The Centerpiece
The Centerpiece. You can’t have the ultimate Thanksgiving dinner without a festive and beautiful centerpiece on the table. Since this is a beach Thanksgiving, it is important to bring a little bit of the coast to the table. Need a fun idea that is easy and beautiful? Bring a bit of the coast to the table by adding seashells, starfish, and lighter colors to the table. If you need a great example of beach themed centerpieces check out the Sand & Sisal for some great ideas.
Great Appetizers
If your home is like many, celebrating Thanksgiving is an all-day event with food, fun, and football. Kicking off the day with great appetizers has never been easier with these easy to make appetizers.
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. Just click here. Don’t forget to check out our previous post about crabbing on Ocean Isle Beach: Learn All About Crabbing On Ocean Isle Beach.
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.
The Main Course
Planning the main course of any meal, never mind one as important as Thanksgiving can be stressful.This year we have some help for you by way of these great ideas for a seafood inspired Thanksgiving dinner. Your guests will love this new twist on Thanksgiving dinner.
Seafood Paella
Ok, so this is not the traditional turkey, but let’s face it, there are plenty of turkey recipes out there. This year to celebrate your beach Thanksgiving it is time to try something new. Seafood Paella is a great seafood dish that is warm and savory, hearty, and fun to make. Plus it allows you to use fresh local shrimp! What more could you ask for. Need a Paella recipe that is easy to follow? We thought you would never ask. Click here for all the details!
Bouillabaisse
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 dish includes, mussels, white fish, scallops, and shrimp. Who could ask for a better pairing than that! The secret to this stew is the spices and herbs that are traditionally used to give this dish a more complex flavor signature than you might have expected. Making this dish is not complicated but you will want to do a little chopping ahead of time for the proper herbs.
Dessert
No Thanksgiving is complete without finishing the meal with a delicious dessert. It is Thanksgiving after all, and who’s counting calories on Thanksgiving day? With all the great dessert options out there, picking just the right dessert can seem a little overwhelming. Have no fear, we’ve picked out a couple of desserts everyone will love and will be real crowd pleasers
Pumpkin Cheesecake With Bourbon Sauce
If you love cheesecake (who doesn’t) and also want to get your annual fix of pumpkin satisfied, well this is the dish for you. We warn you this is a diet buster for sure. With all the richness and delightfully filling flavors of a traditional cheesecake combined with the nutty flavor and sweet addition of bourbon and pumpkin make this pumpkin cheesecake something special on the table. Give this one a try and be prepared to have your family request year after year.
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.
Ready to make your final preparations for your Ocean Isle 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) 727-9222 or click the button below to finalize your Ocean Isle Beach Thanksgiving vacation.
Let us know about your favorite Thanksgiving dinner ideas and traditions by leaving a comment below.
