We're sharing our time-tested Thanksgiving hosting tips and recipes, as well as plenty from chefs, hospitality experts, celebrities, hosts and home cooks we love. Our goal – sending you into Thanksgiving with a confident smile on your face, and seeing you emerge on the other side with your sanity intact.

Economically speaking, it's pretty scary out there, and plenty of people are feeling the pinch at the supermarket. iReporter Ecotraveler submitted this simple and thrifty budget for a full Thanksgiving meal.

"I was surprised that a family of four to six, plus a few friends, could enjoy this holiday dinner together for under $30," she said. "And they were all name brands, which this year were less than generics. Great news for families on a budget and in this economy."

She continued:

It's surprising how inexpensive Thanksgiving dinner could be this year, if you're willing to read the sale ads and shop 'til you drop.

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Thanksgiving is hands down my favorite holiday. It’s the one day of the year that’s off-limits on my calendar for anything other than family, dear friends and my complete and total domination of the kitchen. No work, no crazy international travel schedule; it’s all about bringing loved ones together to share an amazing traditional holiday meal complete with turkey, stuffing, potatoes, the works.

This year, however, work and my favorite holiday collided. My team and I at EarthEcho International, the environmental education nonprofit I co-founded with my mother and sister, had just taken the wraps off of a new tool for educators and students to help them explore the environmental and health impact of daily food choices called What’s On Your Fork?

In fact, the main element of this resource is a guide created in collaboration with the Meatless Monday campaign to help students start each week with options for healthy, environmentally friendly meat-free alternatives. You can see where I might be feeling a little conflicted about my poultry-centered food extravaganza.

Should the bird stay on the menu?
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LZ Granderson, who writes a weekly column for CNN.com, was named journalist of the year by the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association and is a 2011 Online Journalism Award finalist for commentary. He is a senior writer and columnist for ESPN the Magazine and ESPN.com and the 2009 winner of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation award for online journalism. Follow him on Twitter at @locs_n_laughs

I was told the substance in the glass casserole dish in front of me was potato salad - but I wasn’t buying it.

Why was it white?

Why was it smooth?

And where was the red stuff that goes on top?

It was 1998, and I was having my first Thanksgiving dinner with white people.
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Our favorite question to ask folks at this time of year how they'd finish the sentence, "It's not Thanksgiving without..."

Wolf Blitzer, Candy Crowley, John King and Soledad O'Brien share the dishes that make their holidays shine bright.

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Even the most adventurous eaters often give their inner food warrior the day off on Thanksgiving – nothing but the same turkey, stuffing (or dressing!), cranberries, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie they've been eating since childhood. If one of those dishes goes missing, the whole meal just doesn't feel right.

Other families stray away from the standards (some friends of ours have to have collard greens, whiskey sours and banana pudding for the day to feel right, while another family dives into duck) and develop their own must-indulge traditions.

Submit your own "It's not Thanksgiving without..." story on iReport and catch up on past installments from Philippe Cousteau, LZ Granderson and Wolf Blitzer

Thanksgiving is an American holiday, but because so many of us have roots in other countries, there are many international dishes on Thanksgiving tables. CNN Radio’s Jim Roope was invited to a Filipino family Thanksgiving celebration and discovered the addition of Lechon, roasted pig, next to the turkey, stuffing and sweet potato pie.

“All [Filipino] festivities are religious in nature so we always have an offering, a Lechon at the table,” said Nora Hizon, who immigrated to the U-S 40 years ago.” “We have the turkey, but we also have the Lechon,” she said.

After some coaxing, Jim Roope finally agrees to taste the Lechon. Listen to the audio player below to hear what happens.

Listen on iTunes or subscribe to the CNN Radio Reports podcast in iTunes

Even the most adventurous eaters often give their inner food warrior the day off on Thanksgiving - nothing but the same turkey, stuffing (or dressing!), cranberries, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie they've been eating since childhood. If one of those dishes goes missing, the whole meal just doesn't feel right.

For Dr. Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell co-stars of Planet Green's "The Fabulous Beekman Boys," the must-have item is something that's much-maligned.

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Even the most adventurous eaters often give their inner food warrior the day off on Thanksgiving - nothing but the same turkey, stuffing (or dressing!), cranberries, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie they've been eating since childhood. If one of those dishes goes missing, the whole meal just doesn't feel right.

Other families stray away from the standards - some friends of ours have to have collard greens, whiskey sours and banana pudding for the day to feel right, while another family dives into duck - and develop their own must-indulge traditions.

For iReporter Sandra Kent, her mom's gravy is a must-eat.
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Even the most adventurous eaters often give their inner food warrior the day off on Thanksgiving - nothing but the same turkey, stuffing (or dressing!), cranberries, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie they've been eating since childhood. If one of those dishes goes missing, the whole meal just doesn't feel right.

Other families stray away from the standards - some friends of ours have to have collard greens, whiskey sours and banana pudding for the day to feel right, while another family dives into duck - and develop their own must-indulge traditions.

iReporter Joshua Estrin (a.k.a. "Celebbuzzz") sat down with 'Rules of Engagement' star Megyn Price to chat about the challenges of feeding a half vegetarian, half meat-eating family on the holidays and why her celery walnut salad just flat-out rules.

Submit your own "It's not Thanksgiving without..." story on iReport

Even the most adventurous eaters often give their inner food warrior the day off on Thanksgiving - nothing but the same turkey, stuffing (or dressing!), cranberries, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie they've been eating since childhood. If one of those dishes goes missing, the whole meal just doesn't feel right.

Other families stray away from the standards - some friends of ours have to have collard greens, whiskey sours and banana pudding for the day to feel right, while another family dives into duck - and develop their own must-indulge traditions.

iReporter Joshua Estrin (a.k.a. "Celebbuzzz") caught up Scott Michael Foster, Amber Stevens, Jacob Zachar, Aynsley Bubbico and Aaron Hill - the cast of ABC Family's "Greek" to chat about show tunes, adorable mispronunciations and why there are little buckets of bones all over one cast member's home.

Submit your own "It's not Thanksgiving without..." story on iReport