Recently, Thanksgiving has seen some pretty strange recipes. Cooking fanatics and maniacs alike have chosen to go against the norm of serving something as bland as turkey and have instead chosen to make some bizarre concoctions. Some radicals are cooking up a “Tex-Mex Thanksgiving,” meaning that they incorporate chili con queso into their plethora of food and drink tequila until sunrise (or so I’m guessing). Others are making some slight adjustments by adding in yams – and although I might not know what yams are or taste like, judging from the name I bet they smell weird and nobody really eats them except for that creepy uncle. But the biggest deviation by far has been made by extremists who are making a Thanksgiving Day combo known simply as “Turducken” which is 3, yes 3 types of bird: turkey, duck, and to top it all off, chicken. Yet again, I can only speculate how this tastes. I’m guessing that every bite is a fork-full of feathers and fun. But for those of you who are looking for a taste of something new, festive and that allows you to show off your indomitable Redbird pride, we’ve got some suggestions.

First off is the mouth-watering Reggie Redbird Thanksgiving Turkey, or as I have dubbed it - the ”Redkey.” This is made by taking any store-bought turkey (or one that you’ve shot and skinned and gutted on your own for those hardcore Thanksgivers out there) and simply covering it in as many glistening ISU cheers and exclamations as humanly possible (e.g.- Reggie Redbird is Delicious!!! And so on). Also, for those who are really feelin’ festive, just completely cover the turkey in red feathers! You might not be able to take a bite of the Redkey without having to pick out each and every feather, but hey, it’ll dazzle your guests and give you something to do with all that bottled up ISU pride I know we’ve all got….

Next up is the Redbird Sauce. This is a lot like cranberry sauce, but is much lighter, weaker, and less intense than the flavorful punch that most sauces pack. It goes great with any roll or type of meat, be it dark or white, and is a great dessert topper for all those late night binges. Also, it’s red!! Cool, huh?!?

Finally, we recommend the Bowman Mashed Taters. This fun little side dish is key to an exquisite Thanksgiving meal and goes great with just about everything (we suggest trying it with the Reggie Redbird Turkey. It’s a hit!!). And although recent studies have proven that eating, or even being around these Bowman Taters will cause you to feel tired, drowsy and having to constantly yawn, they’re still mighty tasty and worth a try. Also, even though Bowman potatoes appear to be as white as Mr. Rogers, they’re actually black! Who knew!

So while you’re at home this Thanksgiving, don’t be boring and normal by sticking to those outdated traditions. Instead, wear your pride on your sleeve (or in your mouth) and try out these good-enough-to-slap-you’re-momma recipes. They might not be traditional, but they sure are delectable.