Your Thanksgiving dinner menu, done!

Thanksgiving Day is approaching.

Do you have your menu yet?

For some, the menu is planned and the grocery list has already been made. For the rest of you, may I suggest a deep breath? We have you covered. We have a delicious meal planned for you with options to make your holiday meal your very own. Keep posted for the next few days as we unveil each course of the meal from start to finish, including tips to make the preparation that much easier.

If your family is anything like mine, appetizers are a must to keep hungry nibblers out of the kitchen while the table is being set. Here are a couple of starters that are sure to please!

Appetizers

Toasted Cheese Rounds

Creating Comfort - Genesis Women's Shelter - Dallas, TX

2 cups mayonnaise

2 cups chopped scallions

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese

40 (1/2-inch) slices French baguette

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the mayonnaise, scallions and cheese in a bowl and mix well. Spread the cheese mixture over 1 side of each of the bread slices and arrange spread side up on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until bubbly. Serve immediately. Makes 40 rounds.

Chili Bacon Breadsticks

Simply Sarasota - Junior League of Sarasota, Inc. - Sarasota, FL

30 thin slices bacon

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons chili powder

30 crisp breadsticks, broken into halves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Trim the fat from the bacon and cut each slice lengthwise into halves. Mix the brown sugar and chili powder in a shallow dish. Wrap the breadsticks with the bacon and coat with the brown sugar mixture.

Arrange the breadsticks on a rack in a baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the bacon is brown and crisp. Let cool for 15 minutes. Serve at room temperature.

Yield: 5 dozen breadsticks