Remember when vegetarians first started shaping tofu into turkey for Thanksgiving? It was a whimsical idea then, and it remains now, which is why we’ve gotten into a bird-brained mode (in a fun way!) this year. Why not inject all the meals surrounding T-Day with a little turkey-shaped fun? We’re talking dessert shaped like a turkey, appetizers shaped like a turkey … you get the idea. It’s a great time of year to come together and share a laugh over a great meal, whether that meal is big or small.

Remember the hand turkeys we all drew in elementary school? This is the bread equivalent of that, in the sense that the sight of it on the Thanksgiving table will elicit smiles at its homemade cuteness. The dough has a slight sweetness, though it eats wonderfully with butter through a savory meal (just save those chocolate-chip facial features for dessert).

It might be hard to hold back the giggles at the overload of cuteness and unexpectedness of these cupcakes, which really tell a story — what was that turkey doing when it fell over, head-first? The delight is also, in part, of recognizing what each element is made of. These take time but not skill, so they’re a fun project for anyone in the family, even if the head cook is occupied with the main meal.

What a complete showstopper — although the fact that you start with store-bought puff pastry, and that we walk you through the nuance of every step, means that we promise you can pull this off. The turkey is actually two sweet treats in one, with the body concealing an apple pie and the tail feathers that are actually simple brown sugar-spice twists. Keep it on the table throughout the feast, and then you can encourage nibbling as you ready the dessert course.

Our hats are off to the recipe developer who figured out that cross-sections of pecans look like turkey feathers. This cheeseball is zesty with Cheddar and chives and paired well with cracker tailfeathers that also happen to taste good with the appetizer.

Why wait for the main course to gobble, gobble? Start your day with a cute little cinnamon bun with bacon tailfeathers for the perfect mix of sweet and savory. This dough benefits from an overnight proof in the fridge, so all you have to do in the morning is shape, let rise and bake.

We won’t lie: This cake is an epic project! But the video is everything for visually explaining all the steps. The cinnamon-sugar-spice profile tastes like everything a fall cake should, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a dessert with more fall vibes.

It’s tempting to make a half recipe of these and a half recipe of the bottoms-up turkey cupcakes and mix and mingle them together! In any case, these, too, are simple decorating projects that the kids can get in on, and the cake itself is a tasty pumpkin with a chocolate buttercream frosting. Easy-to-buy (and recognize) candies and donut holes transform into gobblers; no fussing with pastry bags necessary to form these turkeys.

We love a good cold cut platter. Here, you’ll want something dark, like bresaola, for the outermost feathers, then a row of oval crackers. Alternating slices and rolled-up meats and cheeses for the rest of the way in give way to a pretty cute turkey face at the center.

If you’re like most, you’ve made those crispy cereal treats through the years and pressed them into the pan, just like the recipe says. But the artistic among us have noticed that this makes an excellent sculpting medium, as well. So why not wink at the form and shape it into a turkey, complete with candy stuffing?

Who knew that turkey could be a part of your complete breakfast? This one is fashioned out of pancakes, bacon, sausage and tots, the last of which seems unorthodox only until you remember that they are essentially shrunken hash brown patties.

Homemade truffles are such a decadent treat — you’ll marvel at the freshness, which you can taste. Here, a little fun with sliced almonds and piped chocolate turns these sophisticated bites into a pack of birds of a feather. Package them up in cellophane for party favors or pack them into a box to present to a host.

Crudites might truthfully be the ideal Thanksgiving appetizer. When guests arrive completely ravenous, they can munch away without worrying about spoiling their appetites (and they get a salad while they wait for the big heavy dinner, to boot). Hummus is a sensible dip if dinner is still a ways off.