It's that time of year when we practice gratitude, verbally attest to what we're thankful for in front of a dining table of witnesses, visit with friends and family we may not see any other time of year, and queue in long lines at the airport or inch forward in gridlock traffic for the opportunity to see those loved ones and declare those gracious words. If you're hosting a Thanksgiving feast at your home, it can also be an anxiety-riddled time when you're dashing about the house, dusting surfaces you may have never noticed before, defrosting an obnoxiously large bird that doesn't fit in any container you own, racing to the store for last-minute ingredients, and crafting a make-ahead plan that gets thwarted by last-minute deadlines at work, the kids' end-of-the-season soccer game, and those oh-so-tempting holiday happy hour invites.

Be the hostess with the mostest by simplifying thing a bit. Thanksgiving recipes can seem long and involved because a lot of it is from-scratch cooking—the meal only happens once a year after all. In our minds, taking a little help from some ready-made dressings, marinades, sauces, and condiments made with high-quality ingredients can make all the difference between you feeling frenzied or collected. The recipes below offer Thanksgiving recipes that strike that balance of homemade with a little help.

Our Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes 

Easy, Juicy Thanksgiving Turkey

But first... the bird. No more turkey terrors when you follow this easy method for delivering a juicy and bronzed turkey to the feasting table. We injected our Avocado Oil & Vinegar Vinaigrette into the bird, let it marinate in the refrigerator overnight, then roasted it to perfecting the next day. This method means no messy, germ-infested turkey brining water to discard, and no fiddling with adjusting oven temperatures. 

Get the recipe here. 

Recipe uses Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil & Vinegar Vinaigrette.

Primal-Style Roasted Turkey

A “dry brining” process the day before and a creamy herb mix applied to the bird right before cooking offer a simple way to achieve the ultimate roasted look and juicy meat everyone will appreciate. Bonus: The baking powder causes the skin to puff up and crisp—like turkey chicharrones!

Get the recipe here.

Recipe uses Primal Kitchen Mayo.

Heritage Turkey and Mashed Parsnips

Heritage turkeys have more fat and more dark meat, which helps keep the meat moist while cooking. The meat has a richer, heavier texture and more intense flavor, rich and robust and slightly game—what a “real” turkey is supposed to taste like. Heritage turkeys can be bought from some local butchers, purchased and shipped from turkey farms, and at Whole Foods Markets.

Get the recipe here. 

Braised Turkey Legs with Fennel and Artichoke Hearts

Turkey drumsticks can be cooked alongside a whole turkey, for more dark meat, or cooked in place of a whole turkey. Roasted and carved, and served with sides, one drumstick can make a meal for two people. If you’re someone who loves dark turkey meat, or if turkey one day a year just isn’t enough, then braised turkey drumsticks are a meal you’ll love.

Get the recipe here.

Keto Turkey Gravy

A holiday meal rarely feels complete without a side of rich gravy poured over roasted turkey, mashed potatoes or cauliflower, and gluten-free stuffing. Our keto-friendly gravy is just six ingredients and tastes like well-seasoned, slow-roasted turkey.

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Green Bean Casserole

This one takes a little extra time, but you'll be rewarded with a dish of snappy green beans, luscious garlic-studded creamy sauce (with no dairy!), fresh sauteed mushrooms, and home-fried onion strings. This is not at all like your aunt's casserole-from-a-can creation. Be sure to serve yourself a large portion before anyone else notices.

Get the recipe here. 

Recipe uses Primal Kitchen No-Dairy Garlic Alfredo and Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil.

Gluten-Free Stuffing with Italian Sausage

Our Italian-inspired stuffing recipe toes the line between traditional sausage stuffing and an Italian-American fusion. It's a balance of savory, herby flavor from a mix of chicken bone broth, our Pesto Mayo, and Italian sausage.

Get the recipe here. 

Recipe uses Primal Kitchen Pesto Mayo and Avocado Oil.

4 Canned Pumpkin Recipes

Thanksgiving dinner is stressful enough to plan and cook—take help from the store when you can and use canned pumpkin puree to create classic fall recipes like pumpkin bread, pumpkin soup, and pumpkin pie, and try a trendy new pumpkin recipe: pumpkin whipped coffee. A heady mix of cold brew coffee topped with clouds of pumpkin spice-flavored cream, it's the perfect post-holiday meal sip to help you get a second wind to tackle all of those dirty dishes.

Get the recipes.

Recipes use Primal Kitchen Collagen Fuel and Primal Kitchen No-Dairy Alfredo Sauce.

Cranberry Sweet Potatoes

These all-in-one stuffed sweet potatoes deliver all of the flavor and textures of a holiday meal in one bite. The recipe calls for ground turkey, but you can easily swap in some roasted turkey. These adorable, festive boats feature the honeyed flavor of roasted sweet potatoes combined with the bitter bite of kale, tart zip from cranberries, and crunch from chopped pecans.

Get the recipe.

Recipe uses Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil and Primal Kitchen Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Spicy Squash and Sausage Stuffing 

An essential side to every Thanksgiving table, stuffing combines oven-toasted bread cubes with herb-studded, butter-sliced veggies, and often a protein like crumbly, sage-flavored sausage. Make this savory, seasonal recipe using grain-free, gluten-free Simple Mills Artisan Bread Mix and Primal Kitchen® Avocado Oil.

Get the recipe here. 

Cheesy Keto Biscuits

Unless your grandma decides to bust out the big guns and make her from-scratch rolls, the bread served alongside the meal is often a store-bought afterthought that's never worth the carbs and gluten. This cheesy keto-friendly biscuit recipe can put an end to any anguish you might feel about indulging, and you might have to fend off any non-keto eaters to get one.

Get the recipe here. 

Maple Roasted Butternut Squash

Roasting vegetables is a simple and simply delicious side-dish method. Instead of a cloying sweet potato casserole dotted with tanned marshmallows, why not simplify and roast some naturally sweet autumn squash? Scoop out the seeds and serve entire halves to your vegetarian guests, or dice into cubes to feed the entire table.

Get the recipe here. 

Recipe uses Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil. 

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad

Many avoid the obligatory Brussels sprouts dish around the holidays, but it can often be the preparation method that goes wrong and enhances the bitterness and gaseous qualities of the baby cabbage. Roasting well-seasoned sprouts with plenty of olive oil or avocado oil is a fool-proof way to make them more flavorful, as is shaving them extra fine and serving them raw with goodies like bacon, pecans, and gorgonzola cheese.

Get the recipe here. 

Recipe uses Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil and Primal Kitchen Spicy Brown Mustard.

Scalloped Potatoes

Mashed potatoes might be the go-to, but another flavorful option is scalloped potatoes. Made with traditional herbs like sage and thyme, these saucy sliced potatoes might challenge the turkey for the star-of-the-table contest. This recipe uses coconut cream and ghee, but you can substitute regular whipping cream and butter if you tolerate dairy.

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Spicy Turmeric Pumpkin Fries

If you're a fan of the sweet-savory-spicy combo, you're going to love this one. Instead of the usual potatoes, why not use seasonal pumpkin to create a unique and fun-to-pop fry that's a more upscale stand-in for cheese and crackers or overlooked dip and crudite served during cocktail hour.

Get the recipe here. 

Recipe uses Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil and Primal Kitchen Chipotle Lime Mayo.

Pumpkin Spice Keto Donuts

We crafted this sweet, cinnamon spiced keto-friendly treat to remind everyone that they can partake in the pleasures of autumn flavors without ditching their keto, Primal, or other clean eating habits.

Get the recipe here. 

Recipe uses Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Spray. 

Ultimate Primal Pumpkin Pie

Love it or hate it, pumpkin pie is a Thanksgiving tradition. This version puts a Primal/paleo spin on the pie that's infinitely better. From the sweetened nutty crust to the silken, slightly sweet pumpkin interior, this recipe offers a maple caramel topping that even non-Primal eaters will love. 

Get the recipe here. 

Chayote "Apple" Crisp

The chayote squash (also known as mirliton squash) is a mild-tasting, versatile fruit. Because of its hardness, you’ll definitely want to eat it cooked, but the end result will be worth it: a tender but slightly crisp fruit that bears a resemblance to pear or jicama and that takes on the particular flavors of any recipe—sweet or savory. We used it in place of green apples in our take on a grain-free fall "apple" crisp.

Get the recipe.

You might also like these other seasonal recipe roundups:

• Fast & Easy Fall Recipes
• Creative, Do-It-Yourself Holiday Gift Ideas
• NYE Collagen-Infused Cocktails
• Winter Collagen Recipes
• Easy Dessert Recipes