This year, you are in charge of trimming the turkey and hosting the annual Thanksgiving Day football party. Reading Grandma’s recipe for roasting a bird, massaging spices into the turkey, tying the legs together, and fitting the bird into the roaster may have you feeling overwhelmed.

Don’t despair. You don’t have to resort to canned chili and chips. Nontraditional menu fare is perfectly acceptable today — and it’s just as delicious — as long as you can still serve plenty of good food for your guests.

The Setup

For sports fans, Thanksgiving wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without the Dallas Cowboys and the Detroit Lions on the field. The tradition dates back to the mid 1930s. A ProFootballHallofFame.com piece on the history of the Thanksgiving tradition notes that Lions’ owner George A. Richards wanted to draw fans away from baseball stadiums to watch his football team.

Such a long-standing tradition means that these football games evoke emotion — shouting, jumping up and down and animated high-fives. If your TV room has carpeting, it wouldn’t hurt to scotch guard before the game day. Hire a professional or use home DIY treatments available at HomeDepot.com or Lowe’s to apply a protectant yourself.

The Game

If you plan to have a sit down dinner as part of your holiday party, schedule the dinner for non-game times. Reserve enough time to leisurely enjoy a meal before or after “the big one” on your guests’ radar. The 2013 lineup includes games on several channels. Compare packages and prices for sports programming early enough to make a switch if you and your family likes Directtv better than one of the cable companies. You wouldn’t want to have viewing problems on the big day, would you?

The Menu

Rainbow stew, slow cooker chili and corn chowder are delicious alternatives to traditional turkey and dressing. Tell each guest to bring an ingredient to add to the pot for a unique rainbow stew variation. Specify vegetables, meats or spices. Not feeling adventurous enough to let a bunch of sports fanatics control the main course? Cook up the corn chowder recipe from browneyedbaker.com. Easily follow the recipe by varying the “hot factor” by subbing green chiles or poblanos for the chipotle chili abodo sauce. Want it extra spicy? Toss in a hand full of diced fresh jalapeño peppers. Free up time by cooking in advance to spend with your guests. Serve with croutons, hard buns or chips.

Feed the Beast

Watching all that field action and cheering on the team builds up a big appetite. Order a smoked brisket, turkey or ham from your local grocer. Ask your butcher to slice it for you. This saves time when one of your guests wants to quickly build a delicious sandwich during those short breaks and penalty calls.

Serving Mexican fare can also make your guests happy and satisfied. Ranchoak.com offers both delicacies like garlic pecan crusted tenderloin, famous Texas tamales and traditional turkey or ham. Add a tray of fresh veggies, Hormel party tray, mini cupcakes or muffins, and an antipasto salad for a well-rounded menu to cure Thanksgiving day hunger.

Our favorite Thanksgiving side dish is Cheesy Beans.

4-5 cans of green beans (can use the same amount of frozen)

1/2 block of Velveeta cheese

1 package of Hormel real bacon toppings

Mix all together in the microwave or stove top and server right before your ready to eat!