Tradition is a double-edged sword.

Sometimes it makes for great memories or feelings of warm-and-fuzzy nostalgia, but other times it means sticking with boring for the simple sake of “that’s the way it’s always been done”.

We acknowledge there are some things that should always remain constant and true, but we’re big advocates for switching things up every once and a while.

Sometimes you only need a small change to take something traditional and turn it into to something truly exciting and memorable.

Here are some of our favorite holiday foods featuring Pretty Lady-approved make-overs.

Roasted Cranberry & Grape Sauce

Sure. You might have a soft spot somewhere deep in your heart for the canned cranberry gunk that made an appearance on your Thanksgiving table every year growing up. But you’re an adult now so you need to face the facts: that stuff is not nearly as tasty (or healthy, or aesthetically pleasing) as it would be if you just took the time to make a homemade batch of cranberry sauce yourself.

This recipe from Food & Wine adds red grapes to the cranberry mixture and gets a little flavor boost from thyme and lemon as well. The final result will have far more of your family members coming back for seconds and thirds than that gelatinous canned version. Plus, this version takes no longer than an hour to make and can be refrigerated for up to three days before serving.

Easy peasy.

Grape and Pecan Stuffing

Stuffing is one of those things that can either turn out really great…or end up tasting like cardboard. Save yourself the blandness of store bought or the riskiness of trying to cook directly in the bird and opt for this version from Tara Teaspoon that is practically guaranteed to be flavorful. Caramelized Grapes? Italian Sausage? A Healthy Dose of Herbs? They’re all here and they’re all delicious.

Grape Pie

Apple Pie and Pumpkin Pie get all the attention this time of year, but Grape pie offers the same fall sensibilities. This version, from Taste of Home, takes only 20 minutes to prep and 50 minutes to bake. With its gentle hints of cinnamon and sugar and sweet bursts of grape flavor, it could be gone from the dessert table in far less time.

Chipotle Sweet Potatoes with Grapes, Apples, and Red Onion

Sweet potatoes are one of our favorite autumnal foods. There are so many ways to make them and, we have to admit, pretty much all of those ways are worthy of placement on a holiday dinner table. That being said, this Chipotle flavored recipe is one of our all-time favorites, period. So, if you looking to spice things up, quite literally, we recommend giving this one a go.

Check out our Pinterest boards for more great recipes, for this holiday and throughout the year.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!