Thanksgiving and Christmas have an issue when it comes to dinnertime. America has put itself in a situation where the main feature of the dinner is turkey for two holidays just weeks apart. Americans buy 45 million turkeys at Thanksgiving and 22 million at Christmas. It’s tradition. But, sometimes traditions can get boring, and there’s nothing wrong with shaking them up with a dinner that doesn’t gobble.

The possibilities are almost endless, but rather than spend hours waiting for the bird to cook, you can choose a flavorful and exciting substitute. Some choices that can take the dull out of your holiday meals include:

• Porchetta Pork Roast
• Stuffed Standing Rib Roast
• Salmon Roasted in Butter
• Roast Lamb
• Twice-Cooked Pork Tenderloin
• Easy Roast Duck
• Meat Lasagna
• Roasted Chicken Breasts

There are lots of ways that changing up your Thanksgiving centerpiece can benefit you. Thanksgiving still remains the top day for families to gather. It’s good to keep some of the traditional things that your family loves but mixing up the menu will make the meal more enjoyable for everyone and help maintain happiness at the table. Your family is more likely to want to be at your house when you introduce variety. Having the same turkey every year means you have to improve the results to meet with the build-up to the meal. Moving away from turkey transfers that anticipation from how well the bird is cooked to what will be on the menu that year. This means guests are more likely to declare your dinner a success. Trying new things also expands everyone’s horizons, which then leads to trying even more new things.

Since you’re trying something new, you need to make sure you’re ready to prepare that dish. It will also help you if you don’t try to do everything at once. Start your planning now by selecting your dish. At the beginning of November, make sure you know how to cook your dish and have the needed tools. An experiment is destined to fail if you don’t have the right tools. Make sure you have everything you need to prepare the meal – including pans, basters, tongs, spatulas, cutting boards, and the right knife. Examine what is needed to prepare, cook, serve your new meal. Remember to add some  spices or vegetables to your new dish – flavor will make your new meal sing. About a week before, start getting the ingredients you need and finalize your plan to make sure the dish is ready. Planning and spreading out the work will ease the stress of trying something new and increase your chances that it will turn out great.

Trying out new meat for the holidays is a breeze when you have a supplier with many high-quality meat options. Meat By The Case Meat Market (MBC) has a large selection of quality meats that are NOT turkey, and bulk ordering means there will be plenty for a large family or group. If that’s you, then buying in bulk from MBC will save you some money, and save you time by not having to shop around town for the meat you need. During the holidays, having more time to spend with loved ones is key. Be sure to look over the product list on our web site and contact us to order. If you’re planning to try a specialty meat, call ahead because although it may not be listed, we can often meet that need.