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Eat Beat: T.Day Side Dishes

You've got the turkey, you've cleaned the house and your relatives are barreling toward town more quickly than you'd likely prefer. It seems that everything is almost ready for your Thanksgiving feast.

Now's the time to start making adjustments.

I'm sure that recreating your grandmother's pumpkin pie from scratch seemed like a good idea three weeks ago. The same goes for peeling, boiling and mashing four pounds of potatoes. But now you're starting to realize that your Thanksgiving menu was a little too ambitious. You've got a turkey to bake, relatives to entertain and, don't forget, a day off that you meant to enjoy.

So why not cheat a little? Pre-order those potatoes, pick up a pie at a bakery or just grab a vat of veggies at the deli counter. You'll save yourself hours of the kitchen on Thursday and your guests won't be any the wiser. Richmond.com has you covered.

Potatoes

Forget about mashing and buttering pounds and pounds of spuds, try picking up the whipped, sweet variety. European Market in the Fan is serving up whipped, sweet potatoes with caramelized apples and pecans for just $6 a pound. 2001 1/2  W. Main St., (804) 355-5182

Veggies

Let's be honest, no one wants to eat your canned and microwaved vegetables. Especially not when they could have curried baby carrots seasoned with a hint of ginger from the Museum District's Cucina . This side can be picked up on Tuesday or Wednesday for just $4.95 a pound. 2901 Park Ave., (804) 355-0965

Green Bean Casserole

Everyone knows that at Thanksgiving this side dish is a category all its own. Southern Railway Deli , in Shockoe Slip, will be serving it up to go or eat in all day Tuesday and Wednesday. It's the original variety so it's safe for relatives with conservative palates. 111 Virginia St., (804) 343-3354

Soup

There's soup and then there's Ellwood Thompson's caramelized onion, brie and champagne soup. What else is there to say? It's $4.99 a pint. 4 N. Thompson St., (804) 359-7525

Cranberries and Stuffing

Second only to the turkey itself, cranberry sauce and stuffing are essentials on everyone's Thanksgiving dining table. And Manchester's Savor has plenty of options. Their organic sausage stuffing can be picked up for $36 a pan (serves 9 to 12 people) or try vegan chestnut stuffing for $30 a pan (serves 9 to 12 people). But the cranberry sauce is where the real gourmet action is happening. Chef Ellie's take on cranberry sauce is a ginger-cranberry relish for just $10 a pint or $18 a quart. 201 W. 7th St., (804) 527-2867

Dessert

The best is always saved for last. For dessert there are just too many options. All of the above cafes and markets offer desserts to go and there are dozens and dozens of local bakeries that will be at your service for Thanksgiving. And then there's Ukrop's and its chocolate pecan pie (and every other pie imaginable). Just stop in and you're all set.