Thanksgiving is almost here, and if you are preparing a Thanksgiving meal for family and friends, then your menu should be nearly complete. If you have yet to take the time to consider, or if you are not sure you have all of your bases covered, here are some dishes for you to consider preparing or delegating.  And help yourself to ListPlanIt‘s printable Thanksgiving Menu Planner to aid you in preparing a well-rounded menu for the upcoming holiday.

• Hors d’Oeuvres – Big meals usually take a little longer to prepare, and to keep the wolves at bay, it is a good idea to have some things to snack on before the feast begins.  Cut vegetables and dip, cheese and crackers, or some other type of appetizer is a good idea to add to your menu.
• Main Dish – For most of us, this means a turkey:  roasted, grilled, or fried.  However, vegetarians may choose a big pumpkin soup or other meat substitute.
• Side Dishes – Traditional side dishes include dressing or stuffing, mashed potatoes, or green bean casserole.  Consider adding some nutrient-dense, high-fiber, low-calorie vegetable dishes to your menu this Thanksgiving.
• Salads – This may include a fresh garden salad or fruit salad or even a salad that is easy to prepare ahead and generally stays cold.
• Bread – Piping, hot dinner rolls are a common Thanksgiving staple.  In honor of the first Thanksgiving with the Indians who taught us to grow corn, make a fresh cornbread to serve at this year’s feast.
• Desserts – Do I really have to say what should be included in this part of your menu?  Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. . .pumpkin pie, pecan pie, chocolate pie, apple pie, or any other kind of pie is the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving table.
• Drinks – Unless you plan to serve water from the tap (which is perfectly acceptable), you will need to consider what drinks to serve.  You may want some fruit varieties, carbonated varieties, or adult varieties for your celebration.

Which dishes will you be including on this year’s Thanksgiving menu?