Our Best Thanksgiving Recipes, Tips & Tricks

Don’t forget the crackers!

Light, crunchy, and refreshing.

The perfect bite.

So good, I eat them straight from the pan.

It’s easy to get caught up in planning the big Thanksgiving dinner and your dessert spread, so here’s your friendly reminder to not forget the appetizers. Because a pre-dinner nibble or two of something tasty is always a good idea (especially when partnered with a Thanksgiving cocktail!). As for what to make, we’re firm believers that Thanksgiving appetizers should look and taste totally impressive, but be shockingly easy to pull off.

It’s loaded with flavor.

Every bite is heavenly.

Down to the buttery breadcrumb topping.

I am very worried, friends. Worried that the fear of pie crusts may be keeping a great many of you from making your own pies at home. Is this true? Does this sound like you? Do debates over butter vs. shortening or tender vs. flaky make you want to run and hide? Well, take a deep breath and grab your notebook — today we’re going to go over how to make a pie from start to finish, one step at a time. Here’s your first lesson: Homemade pies do not have to be perfect. Really.

You'll never want to prep it any other way.

Pumpkin cheesecake has become a fall and winter dessert classic for good reason. The lively, familiar spices of classic pumpkin pie are balanced by the cool and creamy goodness of a New York-style cheesecake. The combination makes each bite memorably delicious and worthy of any celebration — especially Thanksgiving. Even if you have never made a cheesecake or pumpkin pie before, this is a dessert that is within your reach.

Find *everything* you need to know to safely fry the crispiest, most delicious holiday turkey at home.

Like the boxed stuff, but so much better.

The cream cheese layer is everything.

Last Thanksgiving I made Christine Gallary’s herby garlic Thanksgiving butter, and it somehow found its way into just about every savory dish on the table. It’s easy to make, and the flavor payoff is huge. The combination of garlic, parsley, sage, thyme, and rosemary gives it that classic Thanksgiving flavor everyone loves. I drizzled the butter on roast turkey, added it to sautéed green beans, tossed it with roasted potatoes, and brushed it onto warm dinner rolls.

That crust!

Just stir, dump, and bake.

It’s all about the gooey cheese topping.

It has the best cinnamon-sugar streak in the center.

Save this to your fall baking list.

When it comes to cranberries, I’m all in when the tiny, tart fruits are baked into desserts. This easy cranberry orange bread, for example, is one of my favorite ways to bake with them. Orange plays so nicely with the cranberries, adding a bit of sweetness and fragrant flavor. This cranberry orange bread isn’t too sweet, and it can be baked up into a loaf or into muffins with equal success. It’s well-worth adding to your baking rotation! Here’s how to make it.

So cozy.

Crispy on the outside, buttery and tender on the inside.

My friends can’t get enough.

It’s extra creamy and not too sweet.

Sweet and tangy.

No holiday table is complete without sweet potatoes. Some people like theirs mashed and marshmallow-ed, while others serve theirs for dessert, but me? I prefer mine souffléd. In this sweet potato soufflé, sweet potatoes are puréed until silky-smooth, topped with a candied pecan crumble, then baked until light and puffed. They’re elegant yet rich and always hit the spot — and it’s high time they made an appearance on your spread.

Editor’s Note: If you’ve cooked this beloved recipe before, it might look a little different these days! We recently improved it to make it even easier to follow and more delicious.“Southern as sweet potato pie” is a saying I didn’t learn until I moved to Georgia over 10 years ago, but long before I ever came to the South I had fallen in love with sweet potato pie.

It’ll steal the spotlight.

The easiest thing you can make for Thanksgiving.

One scoop is never enough.

Have a ball at Thanksgiving.

Some people have always understood that soup can be easy. I’ve just never been one of them. I’ve found myself on more than one occasion eating lunch with a friend who packed leftover soup — incredibly delicious-looking soup they’d just casually “whipped up” the night before. What was this sorcery? Doesn’t soup involve lots of chopping and simmering and layering of flavors? Apparently not, as I discovered while working on this easy pumpkin soup.

Make it while the turkey’s resting.

And it’s perfect on the leftovers sandwich, too!

It's the only side dish you need this fall.

The slow cooker does all the work.

Editor’s Note: If you’ve cooked this beloved recipe before, it might look a little different these days! We recently improved it to make it even easier to follow and more delicious.Let’s talk about holiday appetizers and cocktail party snacks. Everyone needs just one or two really reliable crowd-pleasers around the holidays, no? It’s a relief for a cook to set out a plate of tasty bites while he puts the finishing touches on a meal.

If you like pecan pie, you’ll love these bars.

They’re gonna be, gonna be golden.

I grew up thinking the only way to eat butternut squash was to mash it with lots of butter, milk, and brown sugar. Although that’s a delicious way to enjoy it (it’s still one of my favorites!), I’ve learned there are many more possibilities when it comes to preparing this vegetable. You can add butternut squash to creamy risotto, blend it into soup, or turn it into fritters.

Look at those layers!

We’ve got the perfect mashed potato recipe for you (it’ll impress the pickiest of guests).

It’s delicious with whipped cream.

Everyone will demand seconds.

The Biscoff cookie crust is fantastic.

It’s shrimply the best.

If you like pecan pie, you’ll love these bars.

You won't miss the crust.

It’s perfectly creamy.

We tried every method out there to come up with the very best.

Now that Halloween is behind us (how the heck did that happen!?), I immediately have to brace myself for the rushing tidal wave that brings in the holiday season. My to-do list immediately grows longer as I begin planning family gatherings, testing new Thanksgiving recipes, and pondering edible gift ideas. It’s a chaotic time for sure, but I look forward to every single minute of it. One thing I have learned over the years is that you can never start too early.

Yee-haw!

The salad that will steal the show.

It’s got the perfect crunch.

We all know that the best part of Thanksgiving dinner are the side dishes. And I have really great news when it comes to sticking with vegetarian Thanksgiving sides: Nearly all of the most crowd-pleasing side dishes are naturally meat-free. From the mashed potatoes and stuffing to the cranberry sauce and everything in between, we’ve got 40 can’t-miss vegetarian sides for your Thanksgiving dinner.

When you’ve eaten just about all the turkey sandwiches you can stomach, it’s time to get a bit more creative with Thanksgiving leftovers. Enter: this decadent turkey stew. Chunky vegetables, shredded turkey, and a creamy, almost gravy-like broth come together in less than an hour for an irresistible seasonal bowl that fills your house with the aroma of a home-cooked holiday meal. Here’s how to make it. It’s the perfect way to use up leftover turkey.

You’ll love it.

The toasted pecan graham cracker crust is so irresistible, you’ll want to eat it by the spoonful.

No-bake pumpkin cheesecake, anyone?

The sauce is so gooey.

Spoiler: it’s because of brown butter, garlic, and Parm.

They're ever-so-slightly crisp on the outside and perfectly soft on the inside.

Only better!

It's a game changer.

A creamy, dreamy mac & cheese that you can prep days ahead of time and just pop in the oven.

Oreo cookie crust + brownie + chocolate pudding + whipped cream = heaven.

Roasted vegetables can’t wait for a spoonful.

Who doesn’t love mini marshmallows?

While summer may be “corn season”, I welcome a serving of creamed corn on my plate any time of the year. Whether I’m holding a paper plate at an outdoor cookout or my grandmother’s fine china during the holidays, there’s nothing better than sweet corn simmered with rich butter and cream. If you’ve only been served creamed corn from a can, it’s time to see how simple and comforting homemade creamed corn can be. Here’s how to do it.

It’s great warm or chilled.

These creamy, caramelized coins are almost too good to be true.

Everything I know about cornbread dressing — and Thanksgiving — I learned from my mother, which she in turn learned from her mother. It is a long line of resourceful Southern cooks, and I trust them with this important meal completely. The secret? It’s all about the butter! My very wise nanna once said, “Whatever the amount of butter called for in a dressing recipe, double it, triple it, heck, even quadruple it!

It results in perfect squash every time.

Bookmark this recipe for future pie-baking endeavors.

Make room for dessert!

I married into a family that believes pretty much everything is made better with cheese. I can’t say I blame them, because these potatoes are so decadent and showstopping that I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to go back to the original. What’s more is that these mashed potatoes are the ideal make-ahead side dish.

Editor’s Note: If you’ve cooked this beloved recipe before, it might look a little different these days! We recently improved it to make it even easier to follow and more delicious.Anyone else here think that the stuffing is the best part of Thanksgiving dinner? I love its mix of textures and flavors – the buttery aromatics, herbs, and broth-soaked bread — oh mama, that’s good stuff!

Think Pocky stick, but peanut butter.

It’s all about the salty, crispy Parm.

It’s no secret that one of the best ways to enjoy Brussels sprouts is when they’re deeply crispy and caramelized. While there are several paths that can get you there — including high-heat roasting and air frying — there’s nothing quite like the taste and texture of Brussels sprouts that have been deep-fried.

The sweet and tangy miso glaze is a Brussels sprout's best friend.

Ah, pumpkin pie. It’s a recipe filled with nostalgia, a creamy combination of sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and custardy filling, baked in a homemade pie crust and topped with a dollop of whipped cream. Thanksgiving isn’t the same without it.

Sure, warm egg white bites hit the spot when I’m hungry and in a rush. And I have a soft spot for the lemon loaf and trio of cake-y petite vanilla bean scones, which my mom used to pick up for me whenever she stopped for an extra-hot latte on her way home from work. But the very best thing from Starbucks’ bakery case is their pumpkin bread. It doesn’t matter whether I’m buying it at 6 a.m.

Ready in a jiffy.

My mother-in-law isn’t a baker, but she has a serious sweet tooth. When she pulled out a chocolate-smudged cookbook on our first shared Thanksgiving holiday, she turned straight to the chapter on pies — and specifically, a recipe for whipped cream-topped chocolate pie. Ever since, I’ve accepted chocolate pie as a welcome addition to any holiday spread.The version I’m sharing here is one I know she’d be proud of.

Editor’s Note: If you’ve cooked this beloved recipe before, it might look a little different these days! We recently improved it to make it even easier to follow and more delicious.Thanksgiving is near! You’ve got recipes for the best roast turkey and creamy mashed potatoes. But do you have a recipe for my very favorite holiday condiment: cranberry sauce? My family have always been pretty staunch cranberry relish people.

This easy vegan number won't wilt like more fragile salads.

The most delicious leftover sandwich starts here.

It's scary good.

Against all odds, yes, it works.

Mashed potatoes are a requirement on most Thanksgiving tables, and we set a high bar. They must be lush and creamy with enough flavor to stand on their own, but not so assertive that they clash with the turkey gravy. I don’t like to brag, but I think this is the ultimate potato side dish you’re looking for. It’s the perfect make-ahead side dish.

It’s a classic.

Baked brie in puff pastry takes “rich and luxurious” to a whole new level. Add a few friends and some good tunes playing in the background, and you’ve got yourself a bonafide party situation. When I make this appetizer as part of a big holiday gathering or for a cocktail party with lots of other nibbles, I often like to bake it in a pie plate instead of on a baking sheet.

Start with the pepper jelly cream cheese dip.

Southern biscuits are the perfect fictional device for telling the narratives of Southern families. One cook makes his biscuits with White Lily flour only because that’s how his Maw Mae did it. Another swears by lard, as her family never had the funds for high-dollar butter or shortening. Most Southern cooks bake biscuits at least once a week — a ritual and rite of passage as the recipe is handed down through the generations. My biscuit recipe is much the same.

It's classic and potato perfection.

It's key to the juiciest Thanksgiving bird.

Bacon and maple syrup make everything better.

Food doesn’t get more fun than this.

Quick and easy!

Easier than pie.

These smooth and creamy grits are ready in record time.

Pommes aligot is more than just a cheesy twist on mashed potatoes. This incredibly magical blend of creamy potatoes and cheese was born in the French region of Midi-Pyrénées, and it is a celebration of regional cheese, served on special occasions alongside sausage or roasted meat.

Dinner party plans stressing you out? Puff pastry cheese straws are here for you. These crispy, flaky, cheesy twists require just two ingredients and a few minutes of your time, and yet they deliver big — real big — out on the buffet table. Make puff pastry cheese straws for your next holiday party or serve them with cocktails for happy hour at home.These cheese straws are really an equal-opportunity appetizer. They go just as well with a glass of wine or a pint of beer.

Ah, pumpkin pie — that most quintessential of Thanksgiving desserts. Here’s my own favorite take on pumpkin pie — one that skips the sometimes-finicky, sometimes-soggy pie crust for one made from crispy graham crackers. Add a heaping spoonful of fresh ginger and you have the pumpkin pie I look forward to all year long.Pumpkin pie didn’t used to be a favorite. I liked the flavor and spices of traditional pumpkin pie, but often found it unpleasantly soggy.

Okay, we’re not going to win any awards for thinking up this combination, but hey — these potato bites are easy, delicious, and perfect for a sports-loving crowd, should you find yourself surrounded by one this weekend. They even remind us of sports-bar food, like little deconstructed potato skins.We decided to make these after countless evenings munching on these bacon-wrapped dates, which are also very yummy, but got us thinking about other things we could wrap in bacon. Potatoes?

So much easier than apple pie.

The humble banana gets the spotlight.

The sweet potato is arguably the most versatile veggie in the produce department. It can easily be the star of any meal, from pancakes for breakfast to the main event of dinner and can even do dessert. While baking sweet potatoes in the oven can take up to an hour, microwaving a sweet potato takes a mere five minutes. Here’s the very best way to do it, so that you can dig into your tender, steaming sweet potato ASAP. It’s lightning fast.

So nostalgic.

I’m on the record as saying Thanksgiving leftovers are perfectly good reheated. I don’t need too many ways to eat leftover Thanksgiving stuffing, for instance; straight out of the dish is generally quite good enough (although pan-frying as a reheating method is pretty sublime).But mashed potatoes often aren’t as good reheated as they were fresh, so here’s what I made: crispy, creamy, cheesy mashed potato puffs.

Every time we make vegetable stock, we wonder why we ever bother buying it in the store. It’s so easy! Chop up some vegetables, cover with water, and simmer. Done. You’ll have enough stock to make your comforting soups, hearty casseroles, and rice pilaf for weeks to come, and all in just a little over an hour. It’s perfectly balanced. When making a basic vegetable stock, you want vegetables with neutral, but savory flavors.

Your pies will thank you.

This drink has everything.

Cranberry sauce is the jewel of the Thanksgiving table and often the only spot of brightness on a table full of brown, orange, and tan dishes. While canned cranberry sauce is available year-round, you have to wait until October for fresh cranberries to come to market. Once the ruby-red fruits arrive, it’s your cue to make this easy sweet and tangy sauce for your Thanksgiving celebration.  Only three ingredients.

Apple crisp is the lazy baker’s best friend. It delivers all the flavor and satisfaction of apple pie, but in half the amount of time. Tender, lightly sweetened, warmly spiced apples get dressed up with a sprinkle of buttery old-fashioned oats that crack under the pressure of a spoon. It’s truly the only crisp recipe you need for fall and Thanksgiving.Apple crisp requires just a few basic ingredients, an abundance of apples, and a warm oven.

On Thanksgiving, I don’t think any dish inspires quite as much love and jealousy as classic stuffing. Or, for that matter, technical debate over stuffing vs. dressing. Sure, if it’s baked inside the turkey it’s stuffing, and if it’s not, it’s dressing. But to me, it will always be stuffing — it sounds so much more satisfying than dressing, which brings to mind vinaigrette. And on my table, the stuffing is always some version of this classic sage and onion mix.

You don't even have to peel it!

Crackly edges and creamy centers every single time.

There's more to it than you think.

Hot mulled cider is a must-have at all our fall and winter shindigs. It’s a great non-alcoholic drink option for holidays like Thanksgiving — guests of all ages never seem to turn down a mug, but grown-ups can also take the opportunity to do a little self-spiking and mix with their alcohol of choice. Slow-cooker mulled cider is the easiest way to serve a crowd.

Who needs turkey when you've got stuffing on the table?

One is never enough.

If you’re buying a big bone-in ham for the holidays this year, consider this your friendly reminder that you’ll be left with a tasty ingredient after all the meat’s been picked off: The ham bone. So, whatever you do, don’t toss it in the compost bin or trash. Ham bones are packed with so much rich, smoky flavor. Don’t have time to put the ham bone to use right away? No problem, just freeze the bone, as you would any other meat bones and food scraps.

Even if the arrival of PSL season has you rolling your eyes, there’s no denying the deliciousness of a Starbucks pumpkin spice latte. It’s so good, we’ve recreated this magical drink at home. In fact, our copycat Starbucks-style pumpkin spice latte is even better than what you can get at the coffee house chain.Here’s how to make an easy extra-frothy pumpkin spice latte. You’ll even have enough to share with someone you truly love (but only if you want to share!).

There are two types of people in this world: those who like their apple pies topped with a layer of flaky pie crust, and those who prefer a crunchy streusel-like topping. I fall into the latter category, favoring a crispy streusel topping over traditional pie dough any day. This is why I love Dutch apple pie. Here’s how to make the best, classic version, worthy of a spot on your holiday table. It’s a classic.

Ham is one of my favorite things to serve as a main dish. I’ll either cook my ham in the slow-cooker or bake it in the oven. I love that it’s easy to make and provides the perfect savory foundation to build the rest of your dinner around. In my opinion, a large part of the pleasure of serving ham is enjoying the side dishes that play well with its rich flavor. Plus, leftover ham can be reinvented into several other meals throughout the week or frozen until further notice.

Because leftover Thanksgiving sandwiches are overrated.

Each layer is deliciously perfect.

Consider these honey balsamic Brussels sprouts the only recipe you’ll ever need. The sprouts are roasted until they’re ridiculously crispy, then tossed in a sweet and savory honey-balsamic glaze. They’re reminiscent of the kind of Brussels sprouts you order at restaurants that leave you wondering what is it that they do to them? It’s a veggie side dish that (almost) rivals the main course. Here’s how to make them.

It's got all the classic fall flavors.

Editor’s Note: If you’ve cooked this beloved recipe before, it might look a little different these days! We recently improved it to make it even easier to follow and more delicious.Cherry season comes and goes quickly, but our love for cherry pie lingers all year long. The good news? This ruby-hued pie can be made with fresh cherries or frozen cherries, making it just as suitable for Thanksgiving as it is your July to-do list.

It's even great for beginners.

A skillet and a lid are all you need to make these crispy potatoes with fluffy, perfect insides.

A sponge cake (also called a foam cake) is a light and tender cake that gets its texture from whipped eggs. Cakes like angel food, genoise, chiffon, and Victoria sponge all lie under the umbrella of “sponge.” Here, I’ll let you in on all the details — and share the recipe for my very favorite one. I’ve made it even easier to make. There are many variations of sponge cake, but this recipe is closest in ingredients and technique to a chiffon sponge.

These are beyond worth the effort.

Once you’ve tasted these roasted carrots bathed in a honey-garlic butter sauce, you might proclaim (like I did) that it’s the only way you’ll ever eat carrots again. The combination of nutty brown butter, fragrant garlic, and sweet honey is basically the dream team.The carrots soak up all this goodness to become a side dish that rivals the main course, and they’re nothing like the mushy carrots of your childhood. Believe me: You’ll dream about these carrots.

It has the perfect sweet and crunchy glaze.

In my opinion, everything tastes better with bacon. Green beans are no different. There is something quite magical about the marriage of crisp green beans and nuggets of crispy bacon, tossed in bacon fat and a little butter. This recipe is simple enough to make and serve midweek, but also a great holiday side and alternative for green bean casserole. They’re crisp and bright. Blanching and shocking the green beans first keeps them crisp with a bright green color.

Mix them into meatloaf, or toast them for crunchy toppings.

If you’re looking for a way to give your basic mashed potatoes a seriously impressive upgrade, there’s no better way to do it than by taking inspiration from a loaded baked potato with all the fixings. I’m talking tangy sour cream, smoky bacon, sharp cheddar, and fragrant fresh chives.From Thanksgiving dinner to game day when there’s a slow cooker of chili and you need a little something extra to round out the meal, loaded mashed potatoes are always the answer.

My father in-law is not a big fan of turkey. So about five years ago, we started adding a bone-in-ham to the family Thanksgiving menu. But each year I am the host and cook, and so I would run into a problem: After making the turkey, how do I season and heat a full ham while all the side dishes are hogging the oven space? Fortunately I settled on a solution: Put the ham in a slow cooker!I admit, spiral-cut ham wasn’t something I always loved.

It might even be better than the Thanksgiving meal itself.

Roasted fingerling potatoes are an easy and versatile potato side dish, ready to be enjoyed with anything from roast chicken to grilled steak. To really make them shine, I use a mixture of olive oil and butter to give them a creamy, melt-in-your-mouth quality. I also add a generous amount of minced garlic to infuse them with savory flavor, and a final flourish of parsley brightens everything up. They’re crispy, tender, and buttery.

Did we mention the herb butter?

Unwrapping one is the perfect treat.

Guaranteed to be gone in minutes.

The star on the table.

Goes with everything.

Say goodbye to soggy crusts.

There are many ways to cook carrots, but roasting them is hands-down my favorite method. It’s one of the best vegetable side dishes that pairs well with anything for dinner. Roasted carrots might seem simple, but when done right, they can rival just about any other vegetable side, be it Brussels sprouts or sweet potatoes. When it comes to glazed carrots, some recipes call for cooking them on the stovetop, but I opt for the oven so that the carrots can do their business while I do mine.

You only need five ingredients.

It all starts with a hot baking sheet.

The stakes have a way of getting a little higher when you’re cooking a holiday dinner — especially when it comes to sides. No matter what else you’re serving, the sides are inevitably the star of the table. When narrowing down the options, you want dishes that pair well with the main course and are a little more special than what you’d make for a weeknight meal, without being so complicated they dominate your day. Luckily that’s what we’re good at.

This is the only method I’ll ever use again.

It’s flawless.

Yeehaw!

Bottoms up!

Eating with your hands is encouraged.

I guarantee it's even better than your Grandma's.

The only recipe you’ll ever need.

It wins the award for coziest side dish.

Regardless of what time everyone rolls out of bed on holiday mornings, you know there will be stomachs growling. It’s a holiday for you too, though, so no need to wake up at the crack of dawn to get going in the kitchen. Our favorite solution: a make-ahead breakfast casserole.

It’s all about the compound butter.

It's deceptively easy to make.

This is the recipe to make if you got sent home with turkey leftovers.

The new classic.

On the day after Thanksgiving, do you find yourself wondering what in the world you’re going to do with all of that leftover roast turkey? You’re not alone. There’s the requisite turkey and cranberry sandwich, and perhaps a pot of turkey soup. (Don’t forget to use that carcass for turkey stock!) But for some of us, that barely puts a dent into all those turkey leftovers. Don’t lose hope!

Pommes Anna is a French side dish made of just three simple ingredients: potatoes, butter, and salt. It’s classic and elegant all at the same time; potato slices are arranged in overlapping concentric circles, creating layers upon layers into a round cake that resembles a flower. The outside is golden-brown and crispy — like the fanciest hash browns you’ll ever have — and makes a satisfying crunch when you slice it into wedges.

Rich and savory.

For me, the best part of Thanksgiving dinner are the leftovers. Day one is the day for turkey sandwiches and plates of reheated dinner. And this turkey noodle soup is the ideal next step for leftovers. It not only uses up the leftover turkey meat, but also any vegetables and herbs you may have left from the big day.  It’s the best way to use leftover turkey.

From the essentials to the non-turkey mains, sides, pies, and even drinks to help plan a delicious holiday dinner.

A little olive oil, a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper, some alone time in the oven — this is all that’s between you and a cozy dish of roasted acorn squash this evening. Here is a step-by-step recipe and guide to help you cook perfect acorn squash every time. It’s the perfect fall side dish. This simple side dish pairs well with almost everything for dinner, from roast chicken and pot roast to creamy risotto. It’s great for meal prep.

I like to think sweet potatoes eagerly await Thanksgiving every year, knowing it’s their time to shine. Whether it’s a tradition to bake them into a pie for dessert or turn them into a casserole with marshmallows as a side dish, sweet potatoes are a holiday classic. However, there are so many more ways to serve them than these fan-favorite dishes.

Every year I anxiously await the arrival of fresh cranberries at my local grocer, and once they get here I’m always quick to toss a few bags in my cart — because they don’t stick around nearly long enough. The good news is that when you store fresh cranberries correctly, they’ll keep for three to four weeks in the fridge or up to a year in the freezer (yes, you can freeze fresh cranberries!).

It’s not a contest, but if you aspire to win Friendsgiving with the best side dish of the night, you’re hardly alone. From an everything bagel stuffing and smashed potato casserole to Thanksgiving slaw, this impressive collection of recipes will help you up your game with a side dish that will keep everyone talking.

It’s often assumed that roast turkey will be sitting front and center as the main course on Thanksgiving. Sure, it’s traditional, and the homemade turkey stock that follows cannot be beat, but it’s just one of so many great holiday options. If you’re forgoing the large celebration in favor of something smaller this year, a big turkey might be far too much food. Or maybe it feels like more work than you can muster, or you’re ready for a new tradition.

Yes, you can skip the whole bird.

Perfect for pairing with a PSL.

They're not the same as gratin.

No one has to know you didn't make it from scratch.

If you struggle to get your guests out of the kitchen while you’re focusing on the roast turkey and Thanksgiving stuffing and are desperate for no distractions, I suggest you casually place a platter of these deviled eggs in the room you’d like your family and friends to gather in. I guarantee they’ll be like bees to honey, fleeing your workspace and helping you to not freak out in the eleventh hour.

Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving a full month-and-a-half or so before Americans. While it’s often not quite the affair that it is in the States, the food is generally the same. There’s always the classic roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy, and maybe there’s a little more maple mixed into desserts and special side dishes. Canadian Thanksgiving is this coming Monday, so we’ve gathered up a few of our favorite Thanksgiving recipes on the site to celebrate.