When you’ve got a big meal to serve – and isn’t Thanksgiving the biggest of them all? – success is all in the details.

Plan ahead to make sure you have all the right serving utensils. Planning a spiral sliced ham? Do you have the right serving fork? Side dishes planned?

Thinking of cooking a lovely Chateaubriand or prime rib roast? Make sure to time it just right so there’s just the right amount of aroma to whet the appetite before you sit down.

Make it an enjoyable experience for your guests (and easy for you) by having two each of the essentials on the table. Two baskets of bread – one for each end of the table – so that the entire meal isn’t spent passing and passing, two gravy boats, etc.

Think of the meal from your guests’ perspective and everything will flow nice and easy – the way a holiday should be!

Photo courtesy of KansasCitySteaks.com.

So I’ve already told you that I MUST have a turkey on my Thanksgiving menu.

But that doesn’t mean there won’t be other options. I like to have a spiral sliced ham on board, too, so I can make future breakfasts and lunches with it.

Have YOU ever been daring and served something a bit less traditional for Thanksgiving? Perhaps a gorgeous Chateaubriand or a prime rib roast?

That’s not to say that those amazing meals are not classics in their own right, they’re just not strictly by the book like a Thanksgiving turkey.

They’re edgy. Daring. Different.

And I like that.

What will you be serving this Thanksgiving? Traditional or living on the edge? Tell me!

Photo courtesy of KansasCitySteaks.com.

Turkey is a must-have at Thanksgiving time around my house. It MUST be on the table. No ifs, ands or buts.

But… this year I’m exploring new options to spice it up – or herb it up, as the case may be.

I’ll be serving an herb roasted whole turkey. It’s already infused with a blend of herbs that brings out the juiciness of the turkey while flavorizing it.

Yes, it’s so good I had to make up a new word for it. Flavorizing. You can use it, too.

With a flavorized turkey, beautiful sides, delicious desserts, and the company of my family, I will be in my happy place this Thanksgiving.

There is so much to be thankful for!

Photo courtesy of KansasCitySteaks.com.