Thanksgiving is all about family and sharing with others, family traditions run deep. I also, like those old favorite, handed down recipes that mean comfort food.
If you don't have traditional recipes, why not start some this season? It's never to late.

A turkey, cooked a day early.
Cranberry sauce and/or relish, homemade only.
My Great Grandmother's dressing; stuffing cooking in a pan instead of the bird. Her daughter wrote the recipe down one year as it was made so we'd have her recipe.
Butternut squash casserole (a recipe my grandmother found and tried on assorted potlucks and then Thanksgiving.) She laughed through the whole meal because my Grandfather did not eat "squash" except in pies, he had three helpings and only then learned it was not sweet potatoes like he thought.
The other veggie side changes. green bean casserole or roasted veggies
Sister Schubert rolls. favorite and easy- homemade squash rolls if we were 2 only.
Pies and sometimes a birthday cake.
Pies this year are pumpkin and an adapted Apple Cider Cream

Definitely, play with your non-traditional dishes, you might find a new traditional dish. I'm attracted to all the seasonal fruits and vegetables now.

I just ran across the recipe for cranberry bread, in my grandmother's handwriting. It totally made me smile to remember the story of the bread, seeing her writing, seeing the paper it was written on & how we always have that bread on the table for Thanksgiving.

I pulled out the recipe to make for our celebration this year, the 1st one we'll have in our home.

"This is the time of year when nearly every food writer and editor scratches their head, looking for something new to say about Thanksgiving."

I always chuckle when reading these articles each year as I wonder how many hours (blood sweat & tears) were invested in them. Our Thanksgiving & Christmas menus (and even Easter, for that matter) are written in stone and God help the one who tries to change it up.

Having said that, I enjoy perusing new ideas & have adopted/adapted quite a few for *other* times of the year. That to say, I do appreciate the sweat equity involved. Not sure the stress is worth it for the writers/editors but I guess some work better under pressure & I for one would hate to miss out on all the creativity such pressure inspires.

@discerning: "...written in stone and God help the one who tries to change it up."

My sentiments exactly! Lazy weekends, summer vacation, finding a new veggie at the farmer's markets...these are occasions for experiments, crazy concoctions and adventures. Thanksgiving? Give me a turkey, some mashed potatoes and a pecan pie and I'm one happy gal.

We are big on the sides: great salads, roasted squash or sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pies. But most of my family is vegetarian, so the turkey thing, not so much. Some years there's a turkey breast (or leg) if someone is coming who will miss it. Some years we've had a salmon as a centerpiece; other years, I cringe to admit, a Tofurkey. Mostly now, we just go straight vegetarian. If you’re looking for vegetarian Thanksgiving menu ideas, some of my favorites are here!

My Thanksgiving day menu has been set in stone for years.
Kahlua Turkey, and Kahlua yams. Salad, homemade cranberry relish, stuffing.
I do vary my desserts, some form of pumpkin pie, and something chocolate. (There's usually only 3 of us, so it's a small gathering)

@Laura "Barbara" Bennett,

Please stop plugging your apron on every thanksgiving post.

Thank you.