Story highlights For a slightly rustic Thanksgiving table, this year’s menu at the White House is going with the family recipe instead of the same menu that the first family shares each year
If you’ve ever wondered if the seasonal dinners the first family prepares are an accurate picture of what those American holidays bring, this year’s menu is probably going to give you a good idea.
As in the past, the First Family ate Thanksgiving dinner in the White House dining room. It was loaded with classic Thanksgiving dishes like a holiday feast of hams, turkey, candied yams, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and pies. As always, President Barack Obama also offered up pumpkin pie.
The menu is going with a slightly rustic feel this year, instead of what the first family typically serves at an official state dinner. And the very popular peach and caviar served in first lady Michelle Obama’s Christmas Garden is missing from the Thanksgiving table. That’s in part due to the First Lady’s health and fitness campaign, Let’s Move. With it came healthier versions of traditional Thanksgiving dishes, like more healthful versions of turkey dinner, which is served instead of the turkey with sausage stuffing and sweet potatoes.
Potato salad and fried green tomatoes are the only two additions to the Thanksgiving menu. All in all, it’s going to be the same dinner the first family gathers around each year.
While the menu is drawing comparisons to just about any other Thanksgiving table in the country, it’s worth noting that it’s leaning more towards Obama’s fitness-focused campaign. Part of this includes serving turkey broth and grains over half of the menu, replacing the country’s popular turkey gravy with the Obama family’s own version, glazed turkey with sausage stuffing and dried cranberries.
The First Lady’s stand-out healthy treats are still serving their traditional roles. For Thanksgiving, there’s pumpkin pie and apple pie. The traditional menu also featured cornbread stuffing, sweet potatoes, roasted yams, a stew-like salad with winter veggies, cranberry relish, and more.
Now, that being said, if you’re in the White House Dining Room this holiday, make sure to bring something for dessert. The first year the Obama family welcomed his second and final guest, President Donald Trump, the first lady gave the president a pumpkin pie. Of course, this year’s presidential spouse Melania Trump is serving pumpkin pie too.
On the downside, the First Family will be sharing this year’s turkey with a number of guests, instead of the traditional treatment reserved for only members of the First Family.
No matter what, Thanksgiving is one that we remember as a family — even if the meal doesn’t look much like a holiday feast for millions.