Bring a little bit of extra flavor to your holiday table with a non-traditional side using a very familiar ingredient… the sweet potato! The vitamin A enriched root vegetable is known for being sweet and delicious, but not everyone loves eating a marshmallow covered sweet potato concoction that includes anything from nuts to pineapple.

For something savory, with a hint of natural sweetness, preheat your oven to 425 and bake ValS’s Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Onions. Once it’s in the oven, you can pretty much forget about it; it’s that simple. But dinner guests won’t forget to ask you for the recipe :).

Looking for something spicy? Mitch’s Chipotle Smashed Sweet Potatoes are buttery and flavorful, the only thing that makes them a little sweet is the natural flavor of the sweet potatoes.

Momofsixplus1’s recipe is the ideal fall treat. It uses quite a few of our favorite seasonal ingredients, from cranberries to warm maple syrup. Enjoy her Maple Cranberry Sweet Potatoes during dinner or for dessert.

I know you’ve heard about twice baked potatoes. But since we’re talking about sweet potatoes, we need to mention KennySD’s Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes. Brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg… these potatoes smell just like the holidays when they’re baking.

Fast, easy and cheap. You wouldn’t typically describe chili that way, delicious is usually good enough. Chili will please a crowd and your pocketbook. But… these recipes will also please your palate, they’ve got more to offer than just a hearty serving of your favorite magical fruit :).

OrchidGirl1979’s starting a new trend. Think of a pot pie, now imagine chili beneath a savory crust instead of chicken. She doesn’t just top the chili with cornbread, corn and minced poblano peppers are folded into the dough, making every bite of her Chili topped with Cornbread a flavorful one.

Snoo combines South of the Border ingredients with seasonal vegetables in her Pinto Bean Chili with Corn and Winter Squash. If you’re hosting a nice dinner and want to serve up something warm and elegant, this is the meal to make.

Since Friday’s the day to unwind, go for a recipe that won’t take all evening to make. MagnoliaMom’s Easy Chili is the ideal meal for busy families. Make this in about 45 minutes max! And if you’ve got about 15 more minutes to spare, bake up a batch of Jolsen’s Garlic Cheese Biscuits for an extra comforting meal.

Don’t forget, this month’s Demy Holiday Recipe Contest is soon coming to a close! So hurry up and submit those tasty holiday recipes… we want everything from pies to your wackiest stuffing recipe. Anything original from your holiday menu goes!

Sticking to a classic pumpkin pie recipe this year? Why not mix up your holiday menu by including one of these delicious desserts. After all, who just has one slice of pumpkin pie for dessert? Show those you love just how thankful you are to have them in your life by serving them something a little special :).

If the sun’s shining where you are, and you want something a little different and cool but still seasonal for dessert this Thanksgiving, then try a Popsicle! Momofsixplusone’s Pumpkin Pie-Sicles are unlike any holiday treat I’ve ever seen. Basic ingredients, like butternut squash and cream, go into making this a stand-out dessert.

Foodycat’s also got a dessert that goes perfectly with something cold. Her Rosemary-scented Apple and Almond Dessert is like a cobbler in that it can be served with ice cream, but the similarities end there. If you like pancakes, you just might like this dessert. Find out why she says her dessert is “something a bit different”.

SoCalPastryChef’s got a recipe for The Sweet(est) Potato Pie that’s really got me curious… and hungry. Nothing but fresh ingredients go into this pie. Guests might think you’ve served them a typical pumpkin pie, but they’ll be pleasantly surprised after the first bite :).

This year, you’ll be able to leave the jack o’ lantern full of candy alone! Because, whether you’re passing out candy, or trick o’ treating with little ones, you’ll enjoy these snacks.

Rpeters9568’s Harvest Pumpkin Dip with Cinnamon Chips sounds like it could be a dessert, and though it does remind me of pumpkin pie… it’s also a chips and dip recipe! Ever thought of sprinkling cinnamon on chips?

Cndrela13’s Fresh Salsa is for savory snack lovers. But try salsa on more than just chips! Think about marinating your favorite cut of chicken in her fresh salsa, or add a few tablespoonsful to some beans, with cheese, and you’ve got another kind of dip.

But wouldn’t that be more like a bean dip? Maybe. Savagerabbit’s Black and White Bean Dip sounds pretty tasty too. Wrap this in a tortilla or enjoy with… chips… or even cold veggies, if you want to take the healthy route.

Need a different kind of snack idea? We did mention portable snacks, and foodiewife’s shredded pork taquitos can be enjoyed anywhere. For a vegetarian treat, try rocknrolljane’s Garden Vegetable Bagel Sandwich.

I’ve already cheated. I enjoyed an early Thanksgiving feast at one of my favorite restaurants, I just could not wait. If you love turkey so much that you also find yourself cheating, or not complaining about generous amounts of Thanksgiving left overs, this post is for you!

What’s Thanksgiving without a turkey? Phowley’s written up everything we need to know about how to make a turkey, and cook it for the right amount of time! This is a great recipe for beginners, or if you need a bit of guidance after the big bird’s defrosted. Check out Phowley’s Blast Furnace-Roasted Turkey Recipe.

You’ll want to pack these for a great at-work lunch. They’ll fill you up and fill the office with the sweet aroma of Thanksgiving. If you’re worried about eating that extra slice of pie — don’t! Why? Because you’ll be enjoying devonrexkitty’s light Cool Turkey Pitas the next day. For a hot lunch, try Belinda’s Turkey Oven Sandwich.

What if you don’t want to wait for Thanksgiving leftovers. Go ahead and celebrate early with boanja’s Turkey Roast with Garden Vegetables, we won’t tell ;). Her recipe calls for a 2-3 pound turkey, perfect size for a hungry family or group of friends. If you’re cooking for two, you’ll probably have leftovers. But we like that, and we like that roscarson shared Jamie Oliver’s Turkey and Sweet Leek Pie recipe with us — great way to use the leftovers.

Here’s a tip: if you want to save a little money this holiday season but still want to savor the delicious taste of a freshly roasted turkey, go for just the turkey breast. Seal in the flavor and moisture by brushing the top layers with butter and baking the turkey an affordable oven bag!

Don’t forget about our Demy Holiday Recipe Contest!!!