Don’t Let A Stolen Turkey Ruin Your Thanksgiving

Ever had your Thanksgiving dinner stolen by a bear? No? Then count your blessings and buckle up—this one’s a feast of gratitude, grit, and a surprisingly picky black bear.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Not because of the turkey (truthfully, I could live without it) but because it invites something rare: gratitude without the glitter. No presents. No pressure. Just people you love, a table full of carbs, and the Macy’s Parade as emotional background music.

But last year? Last year was different.

It started with a sealed cooler, a perfectly frozen 25-pound turkey, and the assumption that our backyard in the Pacific Northwest was safe overnight. Spoiler: it wasn’t. We woke up to parade music and panic—the cooler had vanished. Not a trace. Dad’s security cams showed the culprit: a bear. A real-life, royal-blue-cooler-stealing, cheese-loving bear.

Did we panic? Yes. Did we laugh so hard we cried? Also yes. Did we go into the woods to retrieve said turkey? You bet your green bean casserole we did.

A Thanksgiving miracle: the turkey was still there. Barely defrosted, untouched, and apparently unappetizing to our vegetarian bear friend. Only the Boursin cheese was gone—licked clean. Priorities.

This year, we’re switching things up. Out with the traditional and in with a Southwestern flair. Think smoky spices, comfort food with a kick, and a menu that would make a desert sunset jealous.

You know we named this bear The Pink Panther. Did you see how he silently sneaks back into the forest? You can’t imagine the belly laughter this little Thanksgiving snafu caused. My father was not going to let a bear steal his beloved turkey so off into the forest we set to find the remains of dinner. After about 15 minutes the royal blue cooler was discovered. Shredded and open. Every last bit of the Boursin cheese licked clean from the wrappers. A Thanksgiving miracle happened though, at the bottom of the cooler lay a semi-defrosted 25 pound turkey left completely unscathed. Apparently these black bears are vegetarians and prefer cheese over frozen raw turkey. What an amazing memory!

Let’s get to the planning! This year our family is breaking away from the normal family traditional Thanksgiving dinner and are working on a new menu with a Southwestern twist. The challenge is making sure our menu satisfies everyone’s Thanksgiving cravings and even though I would prefer fish tacos it’s fun to come up with ideas.

Our menu for 2022 is as follows. I’ve included links and resources used to put together our menu and subscribe to our mailing list to receive the full 2022 Southwest Thanksgiving Planner.

Our Family Thanksgiving Menu | Southwest Theme

Appetizers

• Hongos En Chipotle, made from scratch, recipe included
• Texas Trash, made from scratch, recipe included
• Shrimp Cocktail, Costco, recipe NOT included
• Rosemary Mixed Nuts, Trader Joe’s, recipe NOT included

Main Course

• SW BBQ Turkey, Dad’s secret SW recipe, BBQ outside, recipe NOT included
• Cornbread Chorizo Stuffing, adapted from Sunset magazine, recipe included
• Green Chili Cheese Grits, family recipe, recipe NOT included
• Chiles En Nogada, adapted from Barrio Café, Phoenix, recipe included
• Spicy Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Cotija Cheese, adapted from Sunset Magazine
• Elote Corn Casserole, adapted from  Salt & Baker, recipe included
• Fry Bread, recipe from A Desert Feast: Celebrating Tucson’s Culinary Heritage, recipe included

Dessert

• Pecan Pie, Elephants Delicatessen, recipe NOT included
• Pumpkin Pie, Costco, recipe NOT included
• Chocolate Pot-de-Creme, made from scratch, recipe NOT included

Menu Inspiration

I love to research Pinterest and the web to find incredible recipes and make them my own. The following links were used to put our SW menu together.

• Sunset Magazine , SW Thanksgiving
• Epicurious.com, Thanksgiving Coast to Coast
• The El Paso Chile Company’s Texas Border Cookbook by W. Park Kerr and Norma Kerr
• The El Paso Chile Company’s Texas Border Cookbook by W. Park Kerr and Norma Kerr
• A Desert Feast: Celebrating Tucson’s Culinary Heritage by Carolyn Niethammer
• Arizona’s Best Recipes: Featuring some of Arizona Highways favorite restaurants, by Kelly Vaughn

Other Inspirational Recipes

• Mexican Sweet Potatoes
• Green Chili Cheese Grits
• Texas Trash, The El Paso Chile Company’s Texa Border Cookbook
• Fry Bread, A Desert Feast: Celebrating Tucson’s Culinary Heritage by Carolyn Niethammer
• Mexican Corn Casserole, Salt & Baker
• Fry Bread Recipes from various Tribes, Sacred Springs PowWow

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