How can vegetarians replacing a meal that is less about the turkey?

It depends on the person. Some people will eat just the sides, such as the green beans, mashed potatoes, etc. Others will eat the faux meat, a Quorn roast or Tofurkey. There are people that will make a fall themed dish, using fall vegetables, squashes, etc. Still others just make a general main dish with not fall theme.

I change it up every year. My sister likes the faux turkey products so sometimes we use those. Other times I will make a fall themed dish, last year I made a generic dish that had nothing to do with fall. This year I want to make a fall themed meal.

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i am a vegetarian but the rest of my extended family isn't, so i don't make them make me anything special.... i will eat the sides like stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce. Even without turkey it is still the best meal all year. Also make sure you get your protein... maybe make some beans to eat beforehand.

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My last Thanksgiving dinner with the family had two or three vegetarian casseroles, spicy green beans, candied sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, a salad or two, a nutroast, some bean dish, macaroni and cheese, and loads of desserts. If that meal is lacking for something, well I must be crazy.

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After I gave up turkey I made a feast of vegetables cooked the way I liked them best. Seasoned roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, mashed yams with ginger,green beans with almonds, candied root vegetables like carrots, turnips, parsnips etc. Lots of stuffing, vegetable stock gravy, cranberries. I had so much taste variety that I never missed the Turkey and haven't even bothered with a meat substitue.

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Some eat faux turkey or faux meat. But some of us left the idea of a meat or meat-like "main" dish in our past. Omnivores typically think of meals as a hunk of flesh with "sides". I think of a meal as several colorful and varied dishes.