Turkey is certainly the masterpiece of Thanksgiving table, presented with flourish and praise for the cook. Despite the idyllic image we’ve created of roasted turkey, it is essential the same as roasting your Sunday chicken, albeit on a much larger scale. While there are lots of opinions, and some sound advice, for roasting a turkey, there are just a few key steps to avoid for a terrific Thanksgiving turkey.

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Thanksgiving is nothing without a pie (or three), so you’ll obviously also need a special pie server. Trust us, you don’t want to try using a flimsy plastic fork and knife.

If you don’t have a pie server already, you’re in luck because we’ve rounded up 10 fun options. Dig in.

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So, you bought your pumpkin pie instead of making one this year — that’s totally okay. What’s more important is what you do with it on the big day. Go beyond the standard whipped cream for a fast-and-fancy upgrade that really brings that wow-factor to your pumpkin pie.

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Pumpkin pie is an icon of the Thanksgiving table, a dish of rich pumpkin custard fragrant with warm cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves wrapped in flaky pastry crust. Served with a generous dollop of whipped cream, there aren’t many slices of pie so universally loved. But even pro bakers know that a near-perfect pumpkin pie requires a few special considerations to take it from ordinary to memorable. Here are five mistakes to avoid when baking your holiday pie.

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How to peel and cube butternut squash for soups, stews, pastas, and purees.

Recipes often ask us to peel and cube a butternut squash, but actually doing it can be a little puzzling. How does one coax cubes from this wonderfully curvy vegetable? Do we need to deal with the neck differently than the bulbous seed area? And what about the skins and seeds? Read on for a step-by-step guide to breaking down a butternut squash.

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Now that we’ve made it to November, perhaps you’re growing weary of pumpkin spice, well, everything. Not to worry, though, because there are a handful of spice blends out there that just might rival that classic combination of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and clove. They may seem unconventional in your pumpkin pie or muffins, but give one a try and I guarantee that your taste buds will delight in the vast world of flavors beyond pumpkin pie spice.

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As a person who doesn’t really love turkey and wishes we’d just trade the ol’ bird for a beef tenderloin or a honey ham, bacon-wrapped turkey was a bit of a surprise to me. Bacon-wrapped turkey is the turkey for turkey haters. Wrapping a turkey in bacon is fun, taking some of the stress off of roasting a Norman Rockwell-worthy turkey and wowing your guests at the same time.

What’s even better? Wrapping a turkey in bacon eliminates any brining, salting, or basting to make a flavorful turkey and creates a stunning, crispy “skin” — a welcome contrast to the tender turkey meat. And it’s much easier than it looks.

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A solid potato dish is pretty essential on the Thanksgiving table, be it one made with classic white spuds, those sweet orange tubers, or even both. Whether mashed, layered in a creamy casserole, or simply roasted, here are 15 essential potato recipes to consider for your Thanksgiving menu.

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Last month we celebrated National Dessert Day by making the most over-the-top dessert we could imagine. We started with an idea you might be familiar with — a “piecaken” — which is essentially just the sweet matrimony of pie and cake.

We took the concept a step further and included a scoop of ice cream and a torched meringue topping. In the end, you end up with a final piece that tastes as good as it looks.

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Sure, turkey may be at the center of the table for Thanksgiving, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of incredible dishes to dig into if you’re meat-free. In fact, many of the best sides at the table, more often than not, are meatless. Here are 25 vegetarian-approved salads, stuffings, mashes, and casseroles for your Thanksgiving table.

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