Thanksgiving might not be so big this year. And that’s OK.

Families may trim down Thanksgiving feasts with the rise of COVID-19 cases.

Virtual dinners will replace family gatherings for some. Other families may get together but only with the members whom they have been hanging.

Thanksgiving dinner may be a simple dinner with immediate family or maybe a partially catered affair where the host or hostess does not have to prepare the whole meal. Home chefs can make it easier on themselves this year. If they want to cook the turkey themselves, then do it, but also know there are restaurants or meat markets that are still taking orders for prepared birds.

If a home cook turns out a moist, juicy turkey, then let her or him cook the turkey and fill in the meal with catered sides. In other words, make it easy, so what if, the stuffing is not just the way you like it, or the candied sweet potatoes do not taste like Aunt Susie’s.

This year has been too stressful to sweat the Thanksgiving meal. If a host or hostess likes to bake pies, then bake pies, but if they do not, supermarkets and restaurants have pies for the selling. One warehouse club makes a pecan pie as good as anyone.

Several years ago, my little family joined friends for Thanksgiving, and one friend told me to try the pecan pie. I did, and I was surprised to find out that she had bought the pie. The pie costs a little more than if I would make it, but it tastes good and I can concentrate on the parts of the meal that I do best.

Another restaurant makes a good cornbread dressing and gravy. I let them do it last year and will again because no one in my family likes dressing except me. They make a 4-6 serving dressing that I can eat on for a few days.

My late husband is probably looking down on me in horror that I would buy dressing. Dressing was his piece de resistance. Thanks for the memories, Allen, but I am still buying the dressing.

If hosts or hostesses let restaurants or supermarkets do the cooking, be sure to check cutoff dates for ordering. Some deadlines already may have passed.

Keeping the meal simple will keep the stress levels low. Why not do candied sweet potatoes or a good mac and cheese? Roasted Brussels sprouts drizzled with balsamic vinegar and olive oil are easy and delicious.

While paring down, why not whittle the calories with a low-fat pumpkin flan? The flavor’s still there, but just the crust is missing.

If cooking the turkey is the home cook’s choice, here are few things to remember. Thanksgiving is four days away, and a turkey takes time to thaw.

The most important turkey tip is to thaw the turkey safely. Depending on the size of the frozen turkey, thawing on 20- to 24-pounders already should have begun. A 12- to 16-pound turkey should be moved from the freezer to the fridge today, and a 4-to 12-pound bird Monday.

Thawing a turkey in the refrigerator is the safest way.

Rule of thumb: Keep the turkey in freezer until ready to thaw. Place turkey in large pan on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator. This will prevent the raw turkey juice from running out all over the fridge and into other foods.

Allow 24 hours of thaw time for every 4- to 5 pounds of turkey. Even after thawed, the bird can stay in the fridge an additional one to days before cooking. The danger zone for food is between 40 to 140 degrees.

Remember a turkey should be cooked to 165 degrees. A meat thermometer is your cooking buddy to turn out a moist, juicy turkey.

Roasted brussels sprouts with balsamic vinegar

16 ounces or so of Brussels sprouts; ends trimmed

2 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste, or could use Mrs. Dash

Place trimmed Brussels sprouts on baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and minced garlic. Drizzle with Balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Bake at 375-400 degrees, depending on oven for 15 minutes. Turn sprouts and continue cooking for another 15.

Low-fat pumpkin flan

1/4 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons water

5 large eggs

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1 pinch ground allspice

1 pinch ground mace

1/3 cup white sugar

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree

1 3/4 cups low-fat milk

1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped out and reserved

2 tablespoons hulled toasted pumpkin seeds, optional

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Set eight (5 1/2-ounce) ramekins into a large baking dish.

Stir together 1 1/4 cups sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir until dark amber, about 10 minutes. Quickly divide the caramel among the ramekins; set aside.

Whisk eggs, cinnamon, salt, cloves, ginger, allspice, mace and 1/3 cup sugar together in a large bowl. Stir in pumpkin puree until smooth.

Heat milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it starts to gently bubble and steam. Remove from heat.

Place vanilla bean seeds and pod in milk. Allow to soak for 10 minutes. Slowly strain hot milk mixture into the egg mixture and whisk to form a thin custard.

Divide the custard evenly among the ramekins, leaving about 1/4-inch at the top of each.

Fill baking dish with hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the baking dish with heavy-duty aluminum foil.

Bake in the preheated oven until the flan is just set, 45 to 50 minutes.

Remove ramekins from hot water to cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours.

Run a knife around the inside edge of each ramekin and place an overturned plate on top. Invert and release the flan. Garnish and serve. – Recipe from www.allrecipes.com/

Andrea Yeager can be reached at ayeager51@cableone.net/ and Cooks Exchange, 205 DeBuys Road, Biloxi, MS 39535-4567.