Spicy Venison Sausage and Cornbread Stuffing
While not your traditional dressing, the flavors of jalapeño, sausage and cornbread just go together, and they’re perfect for warming you up from the inside on a chilly November day. First you’ll sauté your onion, garlic and celery. Then add walnuts, sage and rosemary to your veggies for another minute more. Combine these ingredients with jalapeño deer sausage, stale cornbread cubes and dried cranberries. Soften your mix with chicken stock and stuff it into your bird of choice (e.g. quail, duck, turkey). After a taste, Grandma’s crock pot stuffing recipe might be lost forever … We found this amazing creation on The Food Network website.
Red Beans and Rice with Smoked Wild Boar Andouille
Another break from tradition, but a southern staple all the same: red beans and rice. If you’re feeding a crowd, this is a super filling dish that’s easy to make in bulk. From Field to Plate released this recipe at the beginning of 2020 (ah, a simpler time), and the chef says that you can use any wild-game sausage you have on hand. However, smoked wild boar’s strong flavor elevates the dish to a whole new level. Just don’t forget the Louisiana hot sauce!
image courtesy FromFieldtoPlate.com
Crostini with Duck Breast and Red Onion Jam
If your Turkey Day dinner is served at actual dinnertime, it’s kind to your guests to serve some savory appetizers to last them until supper. The turkey can share the spotlight with its waterfowl cousin for a few hours, right? Not that these crostini will last that long … Red onions, red wine and sherry vinegar reduce down into a sweet jam to dollop onto crispy duck breasts nestled atop toasted baguette slices. Save some snacks for yourself before serving, because no one can resist this sweet and savory hors d’oeuvre.
image courtesy food52.com
Roast Goose with Pear and Cranberry ChutneyThis year some are opting for intimate, immediate-family-only gatherings for Thanksgiving. 
A roast goose is a smaller, but still show-stopping, alternative to a 25-lb. turkey. A chutney of chopped pears, cranberries, pecans, orange zest, cinnamon and ginger keeps this bird festive, even if your celebration isn’t quite as grand as last year’s. (image courtesy nigella.com)
Deep-Fried Wild Turkey
If you’ve been keeping your biggest bird on ice since turkey season, now is your time to shine. If you do plan to deep-fry your gobbler, make absolutely sure that it is completely thawed beforehand. Deep frying is no laughing matter, so operate hot oils sober and under the manufacturer’s direct instruction. Done right, a wild, crispy, well-seasoned turkey is sure to satisfy. A pro-tip for after your guests have gone is to add duck bacon to your Thanksgiving-leftover sandwich; you won’t regret it.
