How We Cooked Thanksgiving Dinner Outside for 50+ People in Uganda
July 27, 2026 – Emily
What started as a kitchen disaster turned into one of my favorite family memories since moving back to Uganda.
When I imagined celebrating my first Thanksgiving back in Uganda, I pictured a cozy kitchen filled with the smell of turkey, pumpkin pie, and all of the family recipes I’d grown up making.
Instead, I found myself cooking Thanksgiving dinner…outside.
Watch the Story
We filmed the entire day—from moving our cooker outside to serving more than 50 family members. Watch the vlog, then come back for the behind-the-scenes story and all the details that didn’t make it into the video.
The Kitchen That Wasn’t
A few weeks before Thanksgiving, our kitchen had been completely torn apart after a leak around the sink caused mold and damage to the cupboards. The workers assured me it would all be finished before Thanksgiving.
“Absolutely,” they said.
As the days on the calendar kept disappearing, it became increasingly obvious that “absolutely” wasn’t going to happen.
Thanksgiving was coming.
My kitchen wasn’t.
As an American living in Uganda, celebrating Thanksgiving has always mattered to me. It has never been about the turkey as much as it has been about slowing down, gathering together, and intentionally remembering all that we’ve been given.
Some of my favorite memories are Thanksgiving dinners spent around the table with family, and I wasn’t ready to let the holiday quietly disappear just because my kitchen had.
So we came up with Plan B.
Sometimes the best kitchens are the ones you never planned to have.
Welcome to My Outdoor Kitchen
David carried our stove (or cooker, as it’s called here) outside to the pavilion we had built for our extended family to gather in. He ran an extension cord across the yard, hauled our kitchen table outside, and just like that…
…I had an outdoor kitchen.
Was it ideal?
Not exactly.
Was it memorable?
Absolutely.
Cooking Became the Entertainment
One thing I’ve learned about cooking outside in a Ugandan village is that it immediately becomes a community event.
You don’t cook alone.Every person walking past stops to see what’s happening. Someone pulls up a chair. Children wander over. Neighbors peek in. Family members gather to watch. Before long, you have an audience.
As I stirred gravy and mashed potatoes, curious faces watched every step.
As I mixed green bean casserole and stuffing, more people arrived.
As homemade pumpkin pies baked in the oven—made completely from scratch using pumpkins we’d picked from our own farm—people continued to gather.
By the time cupcakes were cooling on the table, I realized this wasn’t just dinner anymore.
It had become the afternoon’s entertainment.
Thanksgiving by the Numbers
Feeding a Crowd
David had one very important job.
The turkey.
He roasted it outside on the giant barrel grill he had built after we moved back to Uganda.
Meanwhile, I kept looking around the pavilion as more and more people wandered in.
No one actually said they were staying for dinner. They didn’t have to.
It became very clear that our Thanksgiving meal was about to grow well beyond what we’d planned.
So we did what every good host does when unexpected guests arrive. We made more food.
Out came fresh catfish from our fish ponds. Rice was added to stretch the meal.
Because when you’re feeding a crowd in Uganda, you quickly learn that there’s always room for one more person.
An American Holiday in Uganda
After hours of cooking, chopping, baking, and stirring, dinner was finally ready.
More than 50 family members gathered together for what would become their very first American Thanksgiving meal.
He shared that this is a day when we intentionally stop to thank God for our family, our lives, and the love we share with one another.
Before we began eating, David stood up and explained to everyone—in Japadhola—that we were celebrating an American holiday called Thanksgiving.
Looking around the pavilion, I realized something.
The traditions looked different. The setting looked different. The language sounded different.
But gratitude?
Gratitude translates perfectly.
Not Exactly What I Planned…
Serving more than 50 plates in what quickly turned into a conveyor belt assembly line wasn’t exactly how I imagined my first Thanksgiving in the village.
But in hindsight, maybe it was exactly how it was supposed to be.
Because if living in Uganda has taught me anything, it’s these two simple truths:
- Food always brings people together.
- Fun usually follows.
That Thanksgiving had plenty of both.
It certainly wasn’t the perfectly styled holiday meal you see in magazines, but it was loud, joyful, unexpected, a little chaotic, and full of people we love.
And honestly?
I wouldn’t trade that memory for anything.
Over the years, I’ve realized that a kitchen isn’t defined by four walls or beautiful cabinets. Sometimes it’s a pavilion with an extension cord stretched across the yard. Sometimes it’s a barrel grill and a table full of curious onlookers. And sometimes the best meals come from the kitchens we never planned to have.
One Last Update…
As I write this in July of the following year, our village kitchen is…
…still not finished.
Apparently, “before Thanksgiving” was a very flexible timeline.
Here’s hoping it’s ready before this Thanksgiving.
But if not, at least I already know how to cook Thanksgiving dinner outside.
A Little About Me
I’m Emily — a wife, mom of three, humanitarian professional, and storyteller sharing our family’s journey of building a life across cultures
After more than a decade away, my family and I returned to Uganda, where we’re learning to embrace a slower pace of life, discover beauty in everyday moments, and create a home in a place that is both familiar and new.
Through Isn’t Life Extraordinary, I share reflections on family, faith, travel, food, and the lessons I’m learning along the way.
Meet Our Family →
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