This will be my first year cooking Thanksgiving for my new husband and his family, What are some great recipes?

You can make a lot of things ahead of time. This makes it easier for you so you can enjoy the holiday more. You just have to re-heat them. If you pop them in a crock pot or sterno tray, it makes it even easier because you don't have to worry about freeing up the oven. I would say people love the traditional side dishes: Cranberry sauce Stuffing Yams Mash potatoes Some kind of green beans (some like casserole, some like their food less goopy). Stuffing is easy-- saute onions; brown sausage & drain; mix it with a bag of stuffing; add seasonings like rosemary, sage, parsely, celery salt, salt & pepper; stir while adding chicken or turkey broth until it's just moistened and taste it occasionally until it is seasoned just as you like it. Make it the day before like that and put it in a greased baking dish. Cover with foil. After the turkey comes out, drizzle some of the pan juices on it and put it in the oven. As the turkey rests for 30 minutes & then you carve it, the stuffing will get perfect. Just uncover it for the last 15 minutes. I give a lot of simple recipes, if you look through some of the other questions here you'll find I answer a lot. Most important thing is the turkey-- if you don't know the right way to cook it, it can be an epic failure. If you do, people will be mighty impressed. Brining it is the best way to get it juicy on a cellular level through osmosis. Basting is useless. Don't stuff it, it takes longer to cook and cooks unevenly. And never, ever ever cook it "low and slow" because prolonged exposure to heat dries the meat out more quickly. You can find a lot of details regarding turkey-- from shopping to thawing to cooking-- here: squidoo.com/thanksgiving-lets-talk-turke... Have a happy t-day!

Hi, I'm just online right now looking for Thanksgiving info too and saw your question. Normally we cook but this year we can't. Here are two recipes we've done that got HUGE RAVE reviews in the past: Sausage, Apple & Cranberry Stuffing - we used Amy's chicken sausage with this and added just a little maple syrup and it was soooooo good (see recipe link in 'sources') Pumpkin Upside Down Cake - Instead of pumpkin pie (which I get bored of), I tried this one year and it has been a favorite ever since. If I don't make it now people are bummed. It's really, really good. (see recipe link in 'sources')

These are so good and can be frozen for later use: http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1610,157164-227201,00.html MAGIC LAYER COOKIE BARS 1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs 1 1/2 sticks butter 1 1/2 c. pkg. coconut 1 1/2 c. chocolate chips 1 1/2 c. butterscotch chips (opt.) 1 1/2 c. nuts (walnuts, pecans, etc.) 1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated) Melt butter, mix in graham cracker crumbs and press into a 9"x13" pan. Layer rest of ingredients in order given. Pour condensed milk over entire pan. Bake in 350 degree oven about 25 minutes. Have a wonderful holiday!