Alternate Thanksgiving main course?

Lasagna

Pb&j sandwiches.

No offense, but if none of you like turkey, it sounds like none of you know how to properly cook a turkey. Its absolutely delicious when prepared properly, especially with the bonus of turkey gravy and stuffing.

But eh, just go with the easier chicken then.

None of us really like turkey

Chinese buffet

1. Venison - it's illegal to farm in some places so you might have to hunt (either literally or for a provider) for it.
2. Alligator - hard to find, difficult to carve if you've never done it before. You can maybe try a fillet. I have no idea how much that would cost but it would be pretty expensive.
3. Duck - you're going to need two to make up for the size of a turkey. Highly controversial because of how greasy it can be.
4. Lobster - cheap ish. Not really "Thanksgiving" but very American!
5. Alaskan King Crab - basically lobster except it costs twice as much
6. Rabbit - it's like a small chicken. You'll need 1 for every two people at dinner minimum. Rabbit is one of the most common meat of early America because they were easy to trap.
7. The least favorite person in the family - invite them a day early so you have enough time to prepare and avoid discussing what's for dinner until they arrive.

Nah, turkey isnt fantastic. Edible? Sure. But its not good.

And before you say that I dont know how to cook, Ive worked in two Michelin starred kitchens and I won a national competition for professional chefs for three consecutive years. The general feeling among high end chefs is that turkey is poor.

Turkey done right is fantastic. But nearly everyone is bad at it. And no, just because you cook professionally doesn't automatically mean you are good at turkey - cooking enormous birds is not an economically sound option for commercial restaurants, so they don't do it.

Turkey done right is fantastic. But nearly everyone is bad at it. And no, just because you cook professionally doesn't automatically mean you are good at turkey - commercial kitchens have to be economical , and cooking enormous birds for several hours isn't.

Chinese take out

Every level of commercial cooking needs to be cost-effective. Even ones where the cost is "passed on to the customer." Nobody's paying hundreds of dollars for a meal that isn't typically associated with gourmet dining.

Lasagna

Youre really not getting it, are you?

I think I do.

Another poster said that turkey-haters just don't know how to cook it. That prompted you to come in here and start talking about your experience with Michelin-starred restaurants. Ergo, despite your projections, you're the one who got upset. Like you're threatened by the notion that you don't know how to cook turkey.

Well, you don't. And there's no reason to be upset by that. Commercial cooking and home cooking are different skills! Professional cooks have no reason to practice dishes that take all day and don't bring in money. You're claiming the equivalent of "charcoal-grilled burgers are trash, and that's not a me issue because I've made beef wellington for years," but in reality that's just not how it works.

But plenty of people who are much better cooks than you think its a poor bird.