If you’ve never hosted a Thanksgiving dinner before, there are plenty of good reasons to give it a go. First is your karmic debt; you’ve certainly eaten your share of holiday turkey by now. Then there's the elimination of the classic couples’ quandary: “Whose family do we eat with this year?” Invite both sets of folks to your place. Finally, having your own Thanksgiving dinner is fun! You could even host a pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving with friends before everyone heads off to the airport.

Never cooked a turkey before? That huge, oven-filling beast may look intimidating, but don’t worry -- just think of it as an overgrown chicken. But what about the trimmings? No problem. Just stick to the basics and farm out the rest of the tasks to your guests. Ask Aunt Susie to make her famous green bean casserole, have another guest make the pumpkin pie recipe on the back of the Libby’s can (or pick one up at the bakery), and so on. Most guests won’t mind pitching in a little if you handle the big stuff.