Skip the turkey. Host a Sides-giving

Let’s be honest, the turkey is the worst part of Thanksgiving anyway. So why are we going to waste our time, money, and energy lugging a 12-pound frozen bird across town and into our kitchens when half your guests probably won’t even eat it?

My solution: host a Sides-giving. Only the best parts of the Thanksgiving feast!

No turkey coma, keeps your vegan friends happy and you won’t put yourself at risk of the emergency room (turkey frying and carving accidents lead to hundreds of ER visits and millions of dollars in damage every year.)

Making sides can be labor intensive, so to plan the perfect Sides-giving, you need to make sure to give yourself variety. Variety in color, texture, flavor and effort. Make sure to choose a few options that you can easily make-ahead or serve cold to save yourself the stress of needing half a dozen hot dishes on the table at once. Here are some suggestions:

The classic sides

My personal favorite Thanksgiving side is stuffing. I’ve been this way my whole life, but I would be happy with just a plate of stuffing for my Thanksgiving dinner.

I do have some non-negotiables in my stuffing, though: real sausage, fresh herbs, must taste the celery. Not everyone has to be this way, there are plenty of boxed stuffings that will do the job just fine. But if you are in the camp of wanting to make your stuffing fully from scratch, this is a dish that’s super easy to prep or make-ahead of time and simply reheat pre-dinner.

Another great make-ahead option (though slightly controversial) is cranberry sauce. I think people who don’t like cranberry sauce just haven’t had one worth their while yet.

Cranberry sauce really brightens up a Sides-giving spread, and the sweet-tart flavor profile is completely different than any of our other side options. It helps contribute to the variety of your feast. You can eat it on its own or as a topping to many of the other dishes if you want to add a little zing.

The secret to a great cranberry sauce is (of course) fresh cranberries and a healthy amount of fresh orange zest. The subtle citrus flavor really elevates the sauce to take you on a journey from the tartness of the cranberries to a subtle sweetness bite of orange. If you want a more aromatic sauce, you can also add cinnamon or clove. Forget the simmer pot. Cranberry sauce is all you need to make your house smell so good and welcoming.

I like my cranberry sauce on the thicker side; no one wants to risk dripping bright red juice on their holiday sweater. The trick here is getting the right ratio of liquid to sugar and not rushish the simmer. I’m impatient too, I get it, but please, do not turn up the temperature to make your pot simmer faster. Low and slow is the way to go. You can always make it thinner by adding more liquid, trying to make your sauce thicker is a much different and harder battle.

Want more great food writing and recipes? Sign up for Salon’s free food newsletter, The Bite.

I love putting cranberry sauce on my stuffing and potatoes for more flavor, but if you’re someone who wants to maintain the integrity of individual side dishes, try your hand at making a dinner roll.

Bread-making may seem intimidating, but there are tons of quick and easy, (nearly) foolproof dinner roll recipes out there. If all else fails, you can always go store-bought. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can attempt something like the Parker House roll or a Hawaiian roll.

You can also use any leftover rolls for things like thanksgiving casserole, turkey and stuffing sandwiches, or French toast (cranberry sauce + maple syrup = elite topping combo).

Sidesgiving can be a little starch-heavy, but you simply can’t host a sidesgiving without mashed potatoes. Recently, I’ve become obsessed with Joel Robuchon’s famous mashed potatoes (technically, it’s pommes purees…). Robuchon earned 31 Michelin stars over the course of his career, more than any other chef, but his most famous recipe is these mashed potatoes.

Robuchon famously used Ratte potatoes (and a 2:1 potato to butter ratio), but if you can’t get Ratte, yukon gold works just fine. To get the proper silky smoothness Robuchon was famous for, you need to double strain your potatoes. The floral spiral design is so simple to make, but looks complicated. This is a great, simple dish to impress your friends and family, and it comes with built in backstory and fun facts to get the conversation going at the table.

Another starchy favorite is the mashed sweet potatoes with toasted marshmallows. This side is almost like a dessert, it’s sugary sweet deliciousness that gives a nice break from the other savory-heavy dishes of the night.

You want your marshmallows to be as small as possible to make sure they get properly melted and toasted and everyone gets some of those sugary pillows in their serving. Another trick is to slightly roast the sweet potatoes before you add the marshmallows to give them a deeper flavor. This adds an earthy, smokiness to the potatoes while ensuring you don’t end up with burnt marshmallows.

Another Thanksgiving classic is mac and cheese. There are so many different ways to make mac and cheese, and I’m sure every family has their own favorite tradition, recipe or method for making this classic dish. Even if that’s whipping up a ten-minute box of white cheddar shells (my personal favorite genre of boxed mac and cheese options).

My mom has slowly been perfecting her mac and cheese recipes over the years, and I may be biased, but I think it’s hands down the best mac and cheese in the world. Her trick is using cavatappi pasta. The curly, ridged shape is perfect for holding onto the thick cheese sauce. She also mixes crumbled bacon and a few drops of black truffle oil to the dish before baking it with a thick layer of freshly chopped bread crumbs. I love using Portuguese bread for my breadcrumbs, it has a slight tangy flavor, like a more subtle version of sourdough that adds a great bite and toastiness to the mac and cheese.

The vegetables

We need to get some veggies on our table. These sides aren’t just nutritious, they add a much needed pop of color to a holiday spread. If this is the last dish you’re trying to make and you’re too tired to even lift your fork, the easiest thing you can make is boiled green beans with butter and lemon. That’s literally the entire recipe. Throw some green beans in a pot, drain once soft, and toss with butter (to preference) and a sprinkle of fresh lemon zest. Don’t forget the salt and pepper!

A personal favorite of mine (and another quick, no stress dish) is roasted brussels sprouts with pancetta. To get the crispiest sprouts, make sure you roast them cut side up. This allows the moisture to come out of the sprout and not get trapped in the leaves while cooking. You can roast the pancetta on the same pan with the sprouts. Once everything is brown and caramelized, throw in a bowl and top with a drizzle of balsamic glaze. The balsamic adds a rich, almost fruity, flavor that helps cut the fattiness of the pancetta and the earthiness of the sprouts.

I will be attempting a new side during my celebrations this year: roasted carrots with hot honey and ricotta. I went out to dinner a few weeks ago, saw this item on the menu and immediately ordered it. It met — nay, exceeded — my wildest expectations. The rainbow carrots were roasted to perfection with a slightly charred exterior and a visible spice mix of paprika, cayenne, and other spices. The hot honey elevates the heat level as well as adds a subtle sweetness to keep the carrots from being water-eyed, “need a glass of milk” level spicy. Match that with the bed of fresh whipped ricotta and it’s a near perfect bite. The ricotta continues to cool the heat and adds a silky, delicate element to the fiery dish.

Use these sides as inspiration for planning your own sidesgiving. You can make all, some, or mix and match by adding your own favorite dishes to the list!

No matter what you make, this season is about spending time with loved ones, reflecting on the year, and preparing for the one ahead … and (of course) eating good food.