On Thanksgiving, my Midwestern family prefers to mainly play the hits. By that, I don’t mean the "Thanksgiving Theme" from A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, as lovely as that is as a soundtrack to dinner. Instead, I’m referring to the fact that we have some menu staples we swear by. We share classic roast turkey as the centerpiece. Just like Grandma, I follow the formula for green bean casserole that’s written right on the label of a can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup. Mom’s pecan pie is a must. But besides that, there’s some flexibility with our fare.

If the holiday recaps from colleagues and friends are any indication, we’re in good company with our strategy of mixing anchors with a few X-factors. So ahead, I’ve rounded up a dozen slightly more unexpected Thanksgiving menu options so you can choose one or two wildcards to add to your nostalgic line-up. You might just find a new staple to add to your holiday arsenal!

For those who can’t quite say “goodbye” to summer (hand raised high and proud), Katie Lee Biegel’s cornbread stuffing alternative will allow you to tip-toe from season to season in delicious style. Admittedly, it can be a bit of a stretch to find fresh peaches around Thanksgiving. If you’re struggling to find stone fruit that seems worthy of your holiday table, home cooks confirm this is just as delicious with ripe pears as an alternative. Either way, it’s a “showstopper,” they say, and one boldly declares this “the best salad I’ve ever tasted. I’d give it a 10 out of 5 if I could.”

If you have one too many creamy casseroles drafted onto your potential Thanksgiving starting line-up, consider tagging in this sheet pan side dish. Asking for just four ingredients and 20 minutes total, these crunchy green bean “fries” are “so easy and delicious,” according to one five-star reviewer. “My whole family loved them — even my 2 year old who hates vegetables.”

Remember when baked feta pasta swept across social media — and left grocery store shelves fresh out of feta? Luckily, the stock of the sturdy, salty and tangy cheese has been refreshed in plenty of time for us all to be able to use a block in this big-batch Thanksgiving side dish. Unlike with basic mashed potatoes, no boiling water (or spot on the stovetop) is required. Instead, this recipe calls for placing sliced Russets, half-and-half and feta all in one foil-topped casserole dish. As the potatoes steam, the cheese melts. Then all that’s left to do is mash until fluffy, stir in sour cream and bake for a few minutes more to warm it through.

Many corn casserole recipes feature more than a dozen ingredients and require an hour or more of bake time. But Ree Drummond has cracked the code; trimming down on turkey day stress and prep time all at once. Grill or sauté fresh or frozen corn, toss that with heavy cream, salted butter and hot sauce, then bake in a small pan until golden brown and bubbly. Fair warning: Fans say you might get hooked on this Thanksgiving corn recipe: “I've made this three times now, with rave reviews every time.

Typically, canned pumpkin doesn’t make an appearance until dessert. But you might want to add another can to your cart, because it’s the not-so-secret ingredient in this yeast bread that makes it remarkably moist, tender and naturally sweet. In tandem with brown sugar and a whisper of cinnamon, this toes the line between bread and dessert territory. If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers of this playfully-shaped pumpkin bread, here’s a permission slip to use leftovers for French toast the next morning. (I’ll be joining you!)

Invite a serving of Italian vacation vibes to your holiday spread with this simple roasted Brussels sprouts recipe. It’s as easy as one (toss shredded sprouts in olive oil, salt and a generous amount of pepper), two (roast until bright green and softened) and three (top with cheese and toasted sliced almonds). The result is a low-carb, high-flavor dish that gives a nod to the classic pasta recipe.

“My husband absolutely hates dressing. But when I made him taste this, he LOVED IT and wanted me to make more for the leftovers.” The accolades can be shared between two members of culinary royalty: Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian and King’s Hawaiian. With an enticing mix of sweet (buttery Hawaiian rolls, chewy raisins) and heat (spicy sausage) home cooks swear that the search for the best stuffing recipe stops here. “This is my fifth year making this recipe, and I'll never stop!”

Honey-glazed carrots have had their moment in the sun. If you ask one Sunny Anderson fan, this is “the only way to eat carrots! Delicious!” The secret lies in the bright and balanced “dressing,” with sweet and caramel-y maple syrup, punchy lemon juice and spicy red chile flakes. Besides the flavor, I’m sold on this side dish due to the ease and efficiency. It takes a mere 25 minutes.

Besides figuring out how to Jenga all of the casseroles in the oven to make room for all, one of the core challenges of Thanksgiving is dreaming up how to deliver all those familiar flavors without making everyone overly full. This year, instead of starting with baked brie, then passing around dinner rolls and cranberry sauce with the main course, I’m planning on recreating these knots that combine all of the above into one. It can be our little secret that these are semi-homemade. (Shout-out to refrigerated pizza dough!)

If you’re Team Marshmallow on sweet potatoes, I bet you’ll be sweet on Kardea Brown’s creative variation on the theme. As a swap for sweet potato casserole, why not try this easy hasselback twist that not only maximizes the surface area to season but also has a higher ratio of topping to tater. While you can cook the marshmallows over a campfire, come Thanksgiving, we recommend adding them to the top of the cooked sweet potatoes before broiling for 2 to 3 minutes.

If a regular green salad feels like a tough sell on Thanksgiving, why not turn over a new leaf and toss together this cozy roasted squash, kale, farro, golden raisin and walnut blend? Coated in a zippy mustard vinaigrette, one fan swears this is “a new favorite. It is an absolute explosion of texture and flavor.” Although this was originally designed to include rotisserie chicken and gouda cheese to make it a meal, I suggest omitting those two on the holiday to save more of your appetite for the turkey, other sides and pies. Promise you won’t feel like you’re missing a thing!