Today's Thanksgiving Planning Tip: Tablecloths and napkins! It's time to purchase them, if necessary, or make sure the ones you have are cleaned and pressed. More

Making cranberry sauce from scratch isn't too hard. But going the canned (or jarred!) route saves a few steps on the crazy T-Day, and some people even prefer the taste. And I'd argue that a subset of others just buys it just for that priceless plop noise the gelatinous cylinder makes when it enters the world. We tried nationally available brands (Ocean Spray, Whole Foods 365, Trader Joe's, and Williams-Sonoma) in both the jellied loaf and whole-berry categories. Find out who won. More

Today's Thanksgiving Planning Tip: Preorder your meats to guarantee the best cuts and birds. If you're getting one at your local farmers' market, start talking to the farmers and reserve one. You should average about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of meat per person. More

Two years ago, I did a roundup of standard supermarket cornbread mixes for this column and was generally unimpressed with all of them. They were gummy, thin, and cloyingly sweet. I called Jiffy, my top choice, "solid, if not sensational" and recommended doctoring it up with add-ins like sun-dried tomatoes, poppy seeds, and pecans. This year, I thought it was time to revisit the cornbread basket by comparing two readily available specialty mixes: Crate & Barrel's Buttermilk Cornbread Mix and Trader Joe's Cornbread Mix. More

Salads are a light spot at Thanksgiving, a palate cleanser between turkey and stuffing and, well, more turkey and more stuffing. They're also an opportunity to get a little creative, since tradition is a little looser when it comes to fresh lettuce (though lots of us like to include fall specialties like pears, apples, and nuts in the mix). Looking for some Thanksgiving salad inspiration? We've got it right here. More

After they're done charred in the bacon fat, I season them with plenty of salt and pepper (I don't like to do it before because I find the salt from the bacon fat penetrates the sprouts as they cook, making it hard to judge salt level), then toss them back together with the crisp bacon. If you're feeling extra plucky, you can go for a full half-and-half bacon-to-sprout ratio. Trust me, you'll be popping them like scrumdiddlyumptious bars. More

Today's Thanksgiving Planning Tip: Plan your menu. You going for the traditional spread? Healthy? Got any vegan guests? Also, work out how much food per person you will need. Bookmark it: Butterball's Calculators and Conversions tools. More

I didn't grow up with creamed onions, but they seem pretty luxurious to me— little orbs bathing in rich liquid, cooked until the sweetness has been coaxed forward. Of course, I wouldn't turn away a sweet-and-sour vinegar-basted onion, or a roasted, caramelized one, either. I've often felt that the humble onion doesn't get enough respect. Incorporate onions into your Thanksgiving dinner with these recipes. [Photograph: ilovebutter on Flickr] More

Today's Thanksgiving Planning Tip: Plan how many people you will serve at the big feast and make a guest list. Or, if you're still a Thanksgiving orphan, here are 10 tips to getting an invite. More

Green beans: love 'em or hate 'em? Some folks have a soft spot for old-fashioned green bean casserole, while others prefer a lighter lemon-juice-and-toasted-nuts preparation. Here are a few recipes for inspiration. Will you be eating green beans this Thanksgiving? More