It's that time of year again,  people: we're in Thanksgiving territory!

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I don't know whether it's the food, the family, or the "no gifts required," but I  believe Thanksgiving is the greatest holiday ever created, and I know a lot of people agree.

But hosting Thanksgiving can be a  daunting task. Whether you want to know how to prepare the traditional dishes, or  how to mix things up a bit, we've found some of the best places on the web to help make your Thanksgiving a success. (You'll thank us later.)

Let's start with the mashed potatoes. They're a holiday staple, but sometimes those simple white spuds can get a bit boring. Thankfully (it is Thanksgiving after all), Food Network has put together a list of 50 different mashed potato recipes.

Options like orange-fennel, applesauce, squash swirl, and butternut-sage are flavorful and festive ways to "mix and mash" your potatoes, and your guests will appreciate that you've done something a bit exotic.

Cook's Illustrated also has some great recipes and videos on how to make mashed root vegetables, along with a guide to preparing some of the more difficult ones, like celery root and parsnips.

But what about the main event? Preparing that big ol' bird is more than enough work all on its own, never mind all the other appetizers, sides and desserts. Food Network comes to the rescue once again with plenty of ways to cook the centerpiece to your meal. Whether you prefer a classic, like Alton Brown's Roast Turkey, or something more adventurous, like Bobby Flay's Black Pepper-Pomegranate Molasses-Glazed Turkey, there's likely to be at least one bird on the list that will fluff your feathers.

If you're looking to get out of your comfort zone this year,  Food Network has put together a list of 14 different menus, complete with multiple appetizers, sides, and desserts, all at your disposal. All you  do is pick your favorite, because they've done the guess work for you. Like Ina Garten's menu, complete with five appetizers, a turkey recipe, seven sides, and two desserts. Whew! Leave it to the Barefoot Contessa to show us exactly what to do. Like she always says, "How easy is that?"

Have guests bring an appetizer or dessert. It helps simplify the cooking on the holiday, and people are usually willing to help out.

My uncle always whips up a creative cocktail for Thanksgiving. One year he made these great cranberry martinis that had cranberry sauce thrown right into the shaker. They were a cool spin on a classic drink, and everybody loved them.

For a party, it's easiest to mix up a big batch of your featured drink and chill it in a pitcher ahead of time. That way you won't have to be bartending all night, and you'll be able to really enjoy the company of those you love. Anything with an apple, cranberry, or pumpkin flavor will go really well with the the traditional Thanksgiving staples. Tastefully Entertaining has a great selection of  drink recipes you should definitely try.

So whether you're a seasoned Thanksgiving veteran or a first-timer, look no further than these sites for some great tips on how to do Thanksgiving and do it well.

Let us know how it goes. Good luck!

--Alex Tillotson