Note: This item was staff reported, and the author continues to wish to remain unnamed. I do appreciate her help. – KtE

With the steady rise of COVID cases in the last few weeks, it’s probably for the best if we all stay at home this Thanksgiving.

Since many of us won’t be going to Grandma’s house for the traditional turkey and dressing and all the fixings – along with Pumpkin Pie at the end – it might be a good idea to try something different this year.

If you decide to stay in this holiday or have a small gathering instead, here’s a list of five traditional recipes cobbled together from some of the more prominent foodie sites on the web to make your non-traditional holiday just a little more comforting this year. 

After a quick visit to www.seriouseats.com (one of my recent favorite go-tos for recipe inspiration) I found this article from Yasmine Maggio on Thanksgiving favorites scaled down to size for smaller socially distanced groups. 

Ranging from having your traditional Turkey and eating it too – just in smaller portions – to cooking and serving your favorite stuffing recipe in a cast-iron skillet, the article showcases everything from soups to desserts for the holiday without having to cook quite as much, and you might find something on this list that you’ve never tried before.

Brown butter carrot cake, anyone? (Not a personal favorite flavor-wise, but interesting… -KtE)

Please, dear readers, do yourself a favor and check out Chef John of Food Wishes over at https://www.allrecipes.com/recipes/16791/everyday-cooking/special-collections/food-wishes/

I’ve personally tried a ton of his recipes in the past, and several of his versions of my favorite things are now staple desserts in my weekly baking. Since it is the season for all things warm and cozy, visiting this page will bring you to a collection of fan favorite recipes for the holidays. The pumpkin cheesecake recipe caught my eye, and we all know people love everything pumpkin and everything cheesecake.

Give one of these curated recipes a try this Thanksgiving, and be sure to head on over to the Food WIshes channel on YouTube for shot-by-shot videos of the recipes and enjoy plenty of Chef John’s excellent puns. 

In addition to the links mentioned previously, head on over to check out what the team at The Pioneer Woman recommends for this Thanksgiving.

One of her latest postings takes you to a gallery of a list of their 10 best Thanksgiving meals to pick and choose from if you need some inspiration for classic dishes or a spin on one of your old (but perhaps admittedly boring) favorite side dishes.

This article in particular caught my eye, because you can never go wrong with mashed potatoes as a side dish on Turkey Day. Why not try trading the butter and gravy for some roasted garlic and dried herbs? However you decide to mash this Thanksgiving, don’t miss out on these recipes. 

For our final two picks on this list, we’re going full desserts only.

Whether your favorite pie is pecan, pumpkin, or apple, I wanted to showcase something different since this Thanksgiving will be quite non-traditional in its own right. This recipe might just make a pumpkin eater out of me yet.

It’s not that I dislike pumpkin in general, but during the time of year when everything around us is pumpkin flavored,  I’m just not into it. But throw in the words maple and bourbon and you’ve definitely made a believer out of me.

I think the best hook about this recipe is the chocolate pie dough. So if you aren’t feeling up to baking the same classic pies for your gathering, give this one a try. 

This maple lemon icebox cake is sure to be a request in our house this Thanksgiving.

Flavors of lemon and maple in a no-bake icebox cake are perfect for non-traditional flavors this season. If you don’t like pumpkin, apple, or pecan, I don’t think this recipe will disappoint. It’ll likely be the recipe that takes the least amount of time out of your already hectic schedule, too.

Remember to stay safe and enjoy the holiday season with a small gathering of family this year if you do get out, but try to stay home and help keep our older relatives from getting sick if we can.