Thanksgiving is often one of the year's most celebrated meals for many families because it brings people together before a bounty of absolute deliciousness.

The kids are off school and/or home from college, in-laws and other relatives have made it to town for a visit and there might even be a stray friend or two on the invite list. With so many favorite dishes on the table (and wine, definitely some wine!), it's usually a pretty good party, if chaotic and emotionally charged in the way extended family gatherings always tend to be.

Usually, there's too many cooks in the kitchen shouting directions or simply getting underfoot. There can also be too many of our favorite holidays foods to comfortably fit on the table, necessitating card tables — and too long a wait for it to get there, causing a frantic rush to the finish.

For some, the golden-brown roasted turkey that's synonymous with the holiday is the showstopper. Many times, it's preceded by the carver swatting away the hands of diners who can't wait to snatch a piece of the crispy skin, or an argument over who gets the drumsticks.

But let's be honest: Most of us are really anticipating the wide array of side dishes that make Thanksgiving dinner such a beloved meal.

According to Campbell's' 2024 State of the Sides report, 56% of diners would rather pile their plates with side dishes than the turkey itself, while 38% would be perfectly happy to dine just on sides. We also tend to crave traditional, familiar dishes, with stuffing the top choice, followed by mashed and sweet potatoes.

We're guessing you've already got plans for your turkey this year, whether you're roasting it whole or going more adventurous by deep-frying, grilling or smoking the bird in the backyard.

In case you haven't settled yet on your sides, the PG food family is sharing the recipes for their favorite family side dishes, along with the stories behind them to help explain why they merit must-have status on the holiday table.

The menu has a familiar cast of characters — recipes include cranberries, pumpkin and sweet potatoes — but with unexpected twists. Food writer Sono Motoyama, for instance, puts a French spin on baked sweet potatoes by topping them not with the expected marshmallows but creme fraiche, while food editor Gretchen McKay uses Libby's canned pumpkin to fill homemade ravioli instead of pie.

From our table to yours, best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving.

Cranberry Orange Relish

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New guests hover awkwardly around the kitchen as preparations for Thanksgiving dinner get underway. The making of the pumpkin and apple pies. The debate over whether to make another, and, if so, should it be mince? Chocolate? Some dangerous new recipe?

The new boyfriend, the foreign exchange student, the cousins who only come once a decade can get a little lost in the bustle of rolling out crusts and telling stories of past family misadventures.

Generally, I hand them ingredients for the cranberry orange relish. Now, instead of lost, they look worried. "You can't mess it up," I reassure them.

For me, cranberry orange relish has sentimental value — taking me back to the kitchen of my childhood in Ohio and my mom attaching a big metal food grinder to the counter. Some years she'd buy those gelatinous cranberry things in a can, but, ugh.

The food processor that we now use to make the relish also is a keeper of memories. It was a gift from my mother-in-law when I got married many decades ago. Don't know if she thought I should do more cooking — she was an amazing cook — but she said, "Every bride needs one of these." Sure.

But I do.

Once a year, faithfully, it is retrieved from the basement, cleaned off, used to make the cranberry relish and then returned to its safe place. Aren't you amazed it still works? Me, too.

Personally, I love the taste of cranberry and oranges. Plus, the pop of bright color is highly prized on a Thanksgiving table of light-colored meats, white mashed potatoes, some variation of brown bread and so on.

And the newcomers forced to make the relish? They do great. The cranberries and oranges are fun to watch grinding along as you push buttons on the food processor. Sugar is added to taste. Everyone who doesn't hate cranberries takes a spoonful of relish to see if they approve or if more sugar is needed. Conversation is funny and welcoming.

By the time dinner comes, everyone has contributed to making part of it and we all take a little pride in that. If they make it back the next year, those former newbies either ask to make the relish again or they drag the next newcomer up to the counter.

— Teresa Lindeman, managing editor, News and Features

1 unpeeled seedless orange (slice into quarters or eighths)

1 12-ounce package fresh cranberries

3/4 -1 cup sugar

Place half the cranberries (rinsed) and half the orange slices in food processor container or food grinder.

Process until mixture is evenly chopped.

Transfer to a bowl.

Repeat with remaining cranberries and orange slices.

Stir in sugar to taste.

Store in refrigerator or freezer.

Makes about 3 cups.

— Ocean Spray

Sweet potatoes with cranberry sauce and crème fraîche

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For most of the past 20 years, I've lived in France, where they don't celebrate America's favorite food bacchanalia.

Yet, for the sake of showing my kids American traditions, I'd often cook a semi-traditional Thanksgiving meal. That would include sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce — served together, with a dollop of crème fraîche. (I got this idea from an article in an American magazine that I can't for the life of me find again.)

Though neither sweet potatoes nor cranberries feature in the typical French diet, you can buy them if you look hard enough. A Paris grocery store called Thanksgiving, which is now sadly closed, used to carry most of the basics for the day.

In any case, even my French father-in-law, who has pretty unadventurous food tastes, would come back for seconds of sweet potatoes. Though, honestly, he might have liked the crème fraîche part the best.

— Sono Motoyama, food writer

For the cranberry sauce with oranges

1 large navel orange, preferably unsprayed, or another variety with seeds removed

3/4 cup water, plus another 3/4 cup

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup packed light brown sugar

4 tablespoons dark rum

2 sticks cinnamon

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

12 ounces (1 bag) fresh or frozen cranberries

For the sweet potatoes

6 sweet potatoes

6 teaspoons canola or olive oil

6 teaspoons sea salt

1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream

Prepare cranberry sauce: Lop off the two ends of the orange. With a sharp, serrated knife, cut the orange into 1/3 -inch slices.

In a medium-sized nonreactive saucepan, cover the orange slices with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook at a low boil for 10 minutes. Drain. Return oranges to the saucepan.

Cover with water again, bring to a boil and cook for another 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Return the orange slices to the saucepan, add 3/4 cup of water and granulated sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low boil and cook until the liquid is reduced to a thick syrup. During cooking, turn the oranges a few times in the reducing syrup so that they candy evenly.

As the liquid cooks down, close to when there is very little in the saucepan, turn the orange slices frequently to avoid burning. Remove from the heat once most of the liquid has evaporated. Tilt the oranges into a colander and let cool.

In the same saucepan, add the other 3/4 cup of water, brown sugar, rum, cinnamon sticks, vinegar and allspice.

Bring to a boil, add cranberries, then reduce the heat slightly and cook until the cranberries pop and just start to fall apart. (To maintain their color and consistency, don't overcook the berries.)

Chop the candied oranges into little pieces about the size of peas and add to the cranberries. Cook for about a minute, then remove from heat. (You may have to drain some excess liquid.)

Pluck out the cinnamon sticks and serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: The sauce can be made up to one week in advance and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving. Also, the orange slices may fall apart as they get close to being done. Not to worry; they're just going to be chopped up later. You can substitute 3/4 cup orange juice for the water that you cook the cranberries in. Whiskey, bourbon or an orange-flavored liqueur, such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau, could substitute for the rum.

Prepare sweet potatoes: Heat oven to 350 degrees. (Use 1 large sweet potato to serve 2 people as a side dish, or 1 smaller sweet potato per person.)

Wash and dry each one and rub with 1 teaspoon each of sea salt and cracked pepper. Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes or until soft in the center. While the sweet potato is hot, cut in half and top with 1 tablespoon crème fraîche or sour cream and 1 tablespoon cranberry sauce. Serve immediately.

Serves 6.

— adapted from The New York Times and David Lebovitz

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad

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Every holiday table needs something fresh and green to add a crunchy contrast to all the sweet side dishes. I started serving this family favorite many years ago after enjoying a variation of the salad during a Thanksgiving dinner at my little sister Posie's house. I love it because it's one of those recipes you don't have to stress over — it's easy to make ahead of time, doesn't take up any valuable real estate in the oven and, honestly, just speaks to the season.

Depending on who's at the table, I either add Gorgonzola (my absolute favorite!) or shaved Parmesan (to please the picky kids who don't like fermented cheeses). The Dijon vinaigrette tastes great on steamed green beans, too, if you're looking to expand your repertoire beyond green bean casserole.

— Gretchen McKay, Food editor

For the dressing

1/3 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic minced

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

For the salad

1 pound Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed

1 large tart apple, chopped

1/2 cup raisins, soaked in warm water to soften

1/2 cup honey-roasted almonds

1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese or Gorgonzola or shredded Parmesan, optional

Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

First, make the maple mustard dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, pure maple syrup, mustard and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Shave the Brussels sprouts into thin strips using a sharp knife. (You can also use a mandoline.)

Place the shredded sprouts in a large bowl. Add chopped apple, raisins, honey-roasted almonds and cheese.

Drizzle the salad with the dressing and toss well. (I use my hands.) Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Serves 6-8.

Store the salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

— Gretchen McKay

Corn Pudding

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If there's one dish that ABSOLUTELY must be on my Thanksgiving table, it's this savory, custardy, calories-be-damned corn pudding. I discovered it years ago in Southern Living magazine, and have been making it for every holiday dinner since (and sometimes even on a weeknight when I get a craving).

Made with corn kernels, eggs, cream and butter, it's classic Southern comfort food. My daughter Catherine starts asking for it in October, and I think she would disown me if it didn't find its way onto our Turkey Day table.

I made it years ago on a holiday episode of "QED Cooks" with Chris Fennimore (when I was still a long-haired brunette!), and people still tell me how much they love that it's become part of their holiday tradition, too.

I've made it in all different sized pans over the years, but it works best in a 13- by 9-inch baking dish; otherwise it will overbrown on the edges before getting cooked in the center.

I like it best with frozen white corn, but that's purely aesthetics — yellow works just as well. You can even used canned corn; just be sure to drain the liquid before adding it to the batter.

Another reason you'll fall in love with it: The pudding can be prepared up to a day ahead of time. Or, prebake it (freeing space in the oven for other sides) and then warm it a 325-degree oven while the turkey rests on the counter, awaiting the carving knife.

— Gretchen McKay, Food editor

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

6 large eggs

2 cups whipping cream

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 1-pound bags frozen white corn, thawed

Combine sugar, flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.

Whisk together eggs, whipping cream and butter in another large bowl. Gradually add sugar mixture, whisking until smooth; stir in corn. Pour mixture into a buttered casserole dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes, or until pudding is set. (It should be golden brown on the edges, but still slightly jiggly in the center. A knife inserted in the center should come out clean.) Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 8.

— adapted from SouthernLiving.com

Pumpkin Ravioli in Brown Butter Sauce

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Sweet potatoes are often a holiday favorite, but in my household pumpkin is the preferred veggie on our Thanksgiving table, so long as it's stuffed inside an envelope of homemade pasta dough with creamy ricotta and salty Parmesan.

While I could use homemade pureed pumpkin, and sometimes have, I almost always go for the shortcut of using canned pumpkin in the filling because it's easy and cheaper. Tossed in a brown butter sauce with fried fresh sage, it's a great dish for the vegetarians at the table and also makes a lovely appetizer

If you don't have time to make the pasta from scratch, substitute wonton wrappers. This year, I'm going to try making it with a 1-1 gluten-free flour so my son with celiac disease can feel the pasta-pumpkin love, too.

— Gretchen McKay, Food editor

For pasta

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

4 large eggs

For filling

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for passing

1/2 cup pure pumpkin puree

1 large egg, beaten

1 teaspoon salt

Large pinch hot pepper flakes, or more to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, or more to taste

6 tablespoons butter

5 or 6 fresh sage leaves, torn into small pieces

To make ravioli, combine flour and eggs in bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until a ball of dough forms. Knead for 3 minutes either by hand or in mixer, until dough is elastic and silky.

Cover ball of dough in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before using. Or let the dough rest for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.

Roll into long sheets (lasagna size) with a pasta machine or by hand into sheets about 6 inches wide and 1/8 -inch thick. (Keep covered until ready to use.)

To make filling, mix cheeses, pumpkin, egg, salt, hot pepper flakes and nutmeg in large bowl. Adjust seasonings to taste, then set aside. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil on stove.

To assemble ravioli, lay sheets flat on a counter dusted with flour. Working quickly, place about 2 teaspoons of filling every 2 inches on one side of dough. Fold pasta sheet over, then cut into 2-inch lengths with a knife or pastry scraper. Use fork to seal the three sides of the ravioli. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. (I used a ravioli stamp that sealed the pasta dough as it cut it.)

Place ravioli in boiling water and cook 5-6 minutes or until they float to the surface. Drain in colander, reserving about 1/4 cup of pasta water.

Place butter in large nonstick skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Cook until butter has browned and is fragrant and nutty smelling. Stir in sage leaves and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool off for a minute or so.

Add ravioli to pan and toss very gently. Add a splash of the reserved pasta water and toss again. Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6.

— Gretchen McKay

Cocktail Meatballs with Gravy

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In 1959, on my parents' first Christmas together, they started the tradition of a Christmas open house. It was always on a late Sunday afternoon in December, usually the Sunday before Christmas, depending on when the holiday fell.

This recipe is one that my mother used at her first open house and every year after that until 2010. The only time she missed a year was when my father passed away in 1999, and she only had a small get-together after Christmas.

As my sister and I got older, our friends who were home from college or in from out of town would attend the party. And each year, we would get the question, "Are the meatballs here this year?"

When Kevin and I got married and started our own holiday party tradition, this recipe was at the top of our list. Over 60 years later, this recipe is still a go-to for a holiday get-together and our family's Christmas Eve/Christmas Day celebration.

— Abby Kirkland, freelance food writer

For meatballs

2 pounds ground chuck

2 pounds ground sausage

10 slices white bread, cubed

4 tablespoons soy sauce

2 cans water chestnuts, diced

1 tablespoon garlic salt

1 tablespoon garlic powder

For gravy

2 cans or jars of beef gravy

1 pint sour cream

In large bowl, stir together ground chuck, sausage, bread cubes, soy sauce, water chestnuts and garlic salt and powder.

Form into cocktail-sized meatballs and place on a cookie sheet. Cook at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

While meatballs are baking, prepare gravy. Mix together gravy and sour cream in a pan and heat on the stove over low heat.

Add cooked meatballs and serve in a chafing dish with festive toothpicks.

Makes 50-60 meatballs.

— Abby Kirkland

Vegan Pumpkin Pie

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I started making this recipe in 2016, after I became vegan in college and was searching for an alternative to pumpkin pie recipes that call for eggs. I'm usually not one for following recipes or cookbooks — coming from a family laden with Italian home cooking, I'm more partial to eyeing "dashes" or "sprinkles," or making stuff up on the fly.

Alas! With baking, exact measurements are more crucial to a successful end product. I'm no longer vegan, but I still make this pie every year for Thanksgiving and consistently get compliments. Some whisper in my ear that it's better than the non-vegan version, but I'll leave the competition up to you.

Part of the reason I love this recipe so much is because it's incredibly easy. All the ingredients go into a blender and are poured into the pie crust to bake. (Maybe this is how all pies are made, but I'm just a 28-year-old with a fear of ovens).

Some notes for a first-timer: Agar powder, which is made from seaweed and acts as a thickening agent, is essential to this recipe. It also comes as flakes, but powder is best. (I've used both.) You can get this at Walmart, on Amazon, or at an Asian market (but not at Whole Foods, for some reason).

Also: This pie must be chilled for a few hours before serving, or you will end up with a sort of pumpkin pie pudding (still tasty).

If you have a sad, gluten-free family member like I do, feel free to sub out the pie crust for a GF graham cracker crust as the original filling is gluten-free.

— Hanna Webster, health writer

3 cups cooked pumpkin or other sweet winter squash

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 cup plain unsweetened soy milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk)

4 teaspoons canola oil

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Pinch ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons cornstarch or all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon agar powder

Single pastry crust, fit into a 9-inch pie plate

Vegan whipped topping or ice cream for topping, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a blender, pulse together pumpkin, maple syrup, soy milk, canola oil, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, cornstarch and agar powder until very smooth.

Pour into the pie shell and bake for 60-65 minutes until the center looks semi-firm, not liquidy. Check the crust after baking for 40 minutes; if the edges appear to be browning too rapidly, carefully remove the pie and apply crust protectors to the edges to keep from getting too dark.

Remove from oven and onto a cooling rack for 30 minutes, then chill for at least 4 hours before slicing.

Serve with Rad Whip, vegan whipped topping or your favorite vegan vanilla ice cream.

Makes 1 pie.

— www.theppk.com

Turkey Bone Soup

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Do you typically throw away your turkey bones after carving the bird for the big feast? This year, don't. Make a soup from them instead.

This forgiving recipe is the perfect way to turn all of your scraps into the base for a delicious day-after meal. Save the neck bone that comes with the turkey and any trimmings from the vegetables you're preparing for the big day, then turn to what's in your fridge for the rest. This is how I make mine, but consider it more of a guideline than a formula.

— Hal B. Klein, restaurant writer

Leftover turkey bones

2 large carrots, plus any carrot trimmings

3 stalks celery

1 turnip

1 parsnip, plus any parsnip trimmings

1 large onion, plus any onion trimmings

2 cloves garlic

2 teaspoons dried thyme (sage is nice here, too)

1 tablespoon salt, plus more to taste

Pepper, to taste

Add all the ingredients to a stock pot.

Add enough water to cover by 2 inches.

Add 1 tablespoon salt.

Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to a simmer.

Simmer for 3-4 hours (the longer the better).

Strain.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 6-8.

— Hal B. Klein

Tomato Pudding

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The truly polarizing event at my family Thanksgiving meals has always emerged from a side dish. The name itself is inherently suspect, but the people who helped put me forth into the world feel very strongly about it — the nays and the yays.

So it is served, with 50% of us placing the very tiniest dollop of Tomato Pudding on our plates, just to remind ourselves how much we hate it, the remaining 50% taking substantial scoops, and perhaps only grousing that there isn't more.

The recipe, passed from matriarch to matriarch for who knows how long, gives little indication of its origins beyond a simple note of "from Ohio." But all that matters is that it's tradition.

I had not made it myself until a couple of weeks ago, and I will say that, in its favor, this bread pudding makes the whole house smell of warm cinnamon.

— Polly Higgins, assistant managing editor, Features & Health

1 loaf day-old cinnamon bread, cubed

1 stick butter, melted

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup orange juice

2 1/2 -3 cups tomato juice

Heat oven to 325 degrees.

Toss melted butter and cubed bread in an 8-by-11-inch casserole dish.

Separately, in a mixing bowl combine brown sugar with orange and tomato juice and stir.

Pour sugar-juice mixture over bread.

Bake uncovered, about 30 minutes or until liquid has thickened and bread is toasty brown.

Serves 6.

—Polly Higgins