T-7 Days until Thanksgiving! That means it's game time for your big festive dinner prep.

I am cooking my family's meal and it can definitely be a daunting thing to plan what food you want to serve, and how to juggle preparing all those different dishes. To help you out, I put together this roundup of a few of my favorite recipes of my own and also from some of my favorite blogs. I also included some helpful links with extra tips that I found really useful in my own preparation. 

On a related note, anyone getting silly excited for all the upcoming holidays like me? I saw the red and white tents of my favorite holiday market in Union Square getting set up to open soon. My inner 5 year old is skipping with glee- I've started lighting all of my holiday-scented candles so my apartment smells like Christmas goodness. Such warm fuzzies. 

Onto the recipes and tips! I've got 8 recipe links and 3 (well 6, technically) links of tips for you guys.

Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup

1. Sweet Potato-Thyme Holiday Biscuits: 
These biscuits are healthier than your average biscuit, and gluten-free for you celiacs out there. I loved the notes of thyme in these biscuits and the sweet potatoes ensured that they stayed moist and flavorful.

2. Roasted Pomegranate Brussel Sprouts w/Feta, Farro, and Pecans: 
This is definitely my favorite recipe I've developed for the holidays, well, ever. The tart, juicyness of the pomegranate compliments the creaminess of the feta, and the farro grains are a nice touch. Drizzled with a Pomegranate-Citrus maple glaze, this is a crowd pleaser. So very excited that Julie and Dan from feedfeed featured my recipe and photos on their recipe cards during their market day with GrowNYC at Union Square Greenmarket, and the lovely folks over at Tasting Table also featured it on their Instagram. 

3. Baked Autumn Cauliflower "Au Gratin": 
This would actually be a great main dish for a vegetarian/vegan (vegan substitutions listed in recipe) Thanksgiving dinner. Warm, hearty, creamy, and decadent- all the things you want in a holiday dish. If veggies are all prepped and chopped, this recipe is actually SO easy to make. Also gluten-free. 

4. Autumn Butternut-Thyme Soup:
I love making soup for Thanksgiving dinner because I can make it in advance- it just needs a bit of heating up on the stove right before serving, and it doesn't take up valuable oven space. Last year, I made a pumpkin-butternut cashew soup with a chia seed/chive garnish, and this year I kept it a bit simpler with this recipe. Super health-friendly, using greek yogurt to thicken it up and add some protein into the mix!

5. Currant-Chia Almond-Butter Banana Bread:
If you/your family aren't pie people, this is an amazing bread for dessert. Currants aren't in season right now, but the perfect, festive substitute is cranberries! Those bright pops of color are sure to dress up your table. This bread freezes well and can be made in advance- the team over at Infatuation seemed to want this #eeeeeats for breakfast, as well.

6. I'm making a spinoff of this Vegan Green Bean Casserole from Eat The Love for my FamiLee's dinner this year! Not sure how I'll do my take on it but Irvin's recipe looks delicious. Gluten and Grain free, and Paleo friendly as well.

7. Last year, I used this Better Homes and Garden recipe to make Pumpkin Crescent Rolls with Honey Butter. It was my first time ever making anything bread/roll-like, and it turned out great. A little labor-intensive, as all recipes with yeast are, but it tasted great. And who doesn't love a crescent roll?

8. PIE: I think I'm going to try to make a spinoff of this Four and Twenty Blackbirds Salted Caramel Apple Pie this year. I had been meaning to go to their store in Brookyln, but then my friend Judy Kim of @thejudylab (gorgeous food feed- follow her!) made this epic stunner of a pie using that recipe. Totally got inspired by her, and will try giving it a go... because, confession:

I have never made a pie. Well, I tried once when I was like 14 and it epically failed into mush, so I'm a little nervous to try it out, but with more knowledge of how pastry making works now, and with this awesome New York Times pie-crust making tutorial video (a must watch for first timers), I feel a little bit more comfortable now. Cross your fingers for me!

Tips and Recipe Inspiration

1. I was so honored when Julie and Dan featured a few of my recipes on their "Recommended Dishes" list under their holiday feed on their website, feedfeed. Check out that feed, and their Thanksgiving-specific feed for recipe and plating inspiration from all these brilliant Instagram home cooks. 

2. I love the Tasting Table. My sister and I are both subscribed to their newsletter for all the great tips and unusual, creative recipes they share all the time. I did a little dance when I found out they regrammed my brussel sprout dish. Check out their page of Thanksgiving recipes and tips to add some spruce and ease to your meals.

3. So, I'm obsessed with The Kitchn- they are like the all-knowing cooking great-grandmother of Julia Child. Anytime I have issues with the cooking process or get stuck or confused how to cook something random I picked up from the farmer's market, I run to their website and I always find answers. 

Naturally, the last 3 tip links I leave with with are from there- you really should check them out, and I found them extremely helpful for gearing up for my own fam's dinner:

A) Here's What You Can Prep Now for Thanksgiving Dinner
B) 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Cooking a Turkey
C) How to Make Turkey Gravy Ahead of Thanksgiving

So that's it- good luck with prepping your Thanksgiving meals. I'd love to hear how you're prepping and any new things you're tackling this year!