Editor’s note: Parts of this story have been previously published.

What’s the best holiday of the year? Thanksgiving! It’s about family and friends and, of course, food!

Turkey, sweet potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pecan pie.

Apple pie.

Pumpkin pie.

Are you hungry yet?

We want your Thanksgiving to be joyful and delicious, so we’ve created this guide. Whether you need some cooking tips or where to buy knockout desserts, here are our recommendations for all-things Thanksgiving.

Juicy turkey with crispy brown skin, savory stuffing with sausage and apples, decadent pumpkin pie. Sounds delicious, doesn’t it?

The bad news? Someone has to cook this Thanksgiving feast.

The good news? It doesn’t have to be you.

Chefs at the Shore are planning holiday meals for us to enjoy in their restaurants or at home. They will cook traditional dinners with all the trimmings, plus their own twists on holiday dishes. But you may want to reserve now since reservations go fast. Here are Jersey Shore restaurants open for Thanksgiving or offering meals to take home with you.

If you’re in a turkey rut — bored, or disappointed, or both — why not take the advice of chefs and food industry professionals and try a different bird. An alt-turkey, if you will. A capon is one option — or consider a heritage turkey, duck or goose.

Turkey may get all the attention on Thanksgiving, but let’s be honest, pie is where it’s at.

There are the traditional holiday flavors — pumpkin, apple and pecan — and the popular places to get them, like Delicious Orchards in Colts Neck, Battleview Orchards and Wemrock Orchards in Freehold Township, and Emery’s Berry Farm in New Egypt.

But smaller bakeries and restaurants will be baking both classic and creative takes on those flavors. Here are some to try.

A guide to help you prepare

There’s no better stress-buster than timely preparation. Doing stuff last minute is not only anxiety provoking but not particularly wise. Stores are crowded, shelves somewhat light and traffic’s a nightmare. You’ve got time now to get your bird, plan your stuffing and learn how to make the juiciest, tenderest, “bestest” turkey. Here’s a timeline so you can stay organized and get ahead, making Turkey Day a breeze.

Part of the fun of the holidays is discovering new recipes — and revisiting old favorites.

If you are searching for something new to serve this year, we want want to help. We gathered our favorite recipes, dishes we cook with and for our families on Thanksgiving. There are appetizers and sides, ways to add flavor to your turkey and sweet endings for your meal. From our kitchens to yours, Happy Thanksgiving!

On average, Americans serve five side dishes on Thanksgiving every year. At least that’s what the folks at Campbell’s tell us. They also let us the most popular side dish on Thanksgiving — and you may be surprised to learn it’s not stuffing.

Campbell’s also announced a limited-edition collection of Campbell’s soup-infused truffles inspired by Thanksgiving side dishes.

Did you know someone at Campbell’s Soup invented the green bean casserole and called it the Green Bean Bake? Needless to say, Campbell’s knows a lot of history concerning this Thanksgiving favorite. Here’s the recipe.

Some call it a Gobbler, others a Thanksgiving sandwich. Some believe its authenticity comes from being made at home with Thanksgiving Day scraps, while others are happy to order it from their trusted local deli.

The classics that go into the sandwich are turkey, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy — and sometimes mashed potatoes. Basically, if you could take the entire Thanksgiving Day table and dump it on a roll, you would have a classic Gobbler. But some Jersey Shore restaurants are shaking up the classic Turkey Day staple. 

On Thanksgiving morning, while many of us are already relaxing after putting a bird in the oven, the 97th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will get underway. The parade will feature 25 balloons, 31 floats, 700 clowns, 11 marching bands and seven performance groups, as well as Santa Claus. The parade will air from 8:30 a.m. to noon on NBC, Telemundo and will stream live on Peacock.

To help consumers navigate the hustle and bustle of the shopping season Blackfriday.com has released the list of major retailers that have Thanksgiving Day store closures and Black Friday hours. And here’s a list of deals you can find, courtesy of USA TODAY.

Planning to travel? Or do some last-minute shopping? The forecast is calling for average temps on Thanksgiving. According to the National Weather Service, Nov. 23 could be a wet one for the first time since 2020. But the good news is it should not be too chilly.