The tried, true and memory-laden, or the new, adventurous and exotic? I face this question every year when I am thinking about where to vacation, and I face it every November when I’m thinking about the Thanksgiving menu. I bet I’ve got lots of company.

Should it be, for instance, Mom’s cranberry mold or do I make a raw, tart cranberry relish with more appeal to my adult palate? Do I want a traditional pumpkin pie — the stuff of childhood memories — or do I make a left turn and try to recreate an intriguing sesame caramel pumpkin pie I recently saw in the case of Sofra Bakery in Boston?

No need to commit 100 percent to either approach, of course. “Something old, something new” works just as well for the harvest holiday as it does for the new bride. This year, to help spur ideas old and new for your Thanksgiving sides, we’re reprising several recipes from Press Herald Thanksgivings past — because really, how much has this menu changed over the centuries?

And if you still have the energy to try something brand new, we’ve also got something new for you: A delicious and surprising twist on classic apple pie from Pot + Pan Executive Chef Tara Canaday.

LET’S START

How lucky are we to be living in a golden age of oysters in Maine! And what better time to celebrate the bounty than Thanksgiving? In 2010, then Maine Ingredient columnist Brook Dojny proposed serving Nude Oysters and Some Sauces for the holiday. She noted that Maine had 20 licensed oyster farmers. Fifteen years later, their numbers have grown to more than 150, and their ranks include U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner.

Oysters hark back to tradition, too. Oyster stew, oyster soup and oyster stuffing made frequent appearances on Thanksgiving and Christmas menus from the mid- to late 19th century, food historian and Islesboro resident Sandra Oliver said.

And long before English colonists ever arrived on these shores, long before the first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621, Native Americans feasted on oysters.

“Damariscotta was a great meeting place of many tribes,” Oliver said. “They would go there and they would eat oysters. They did this for a millennia or more.” (See the evidence yourself at Whaleback Shell Midden in Damariscotta.)

NUDE OYSTERS AND SOME SAUCES

Brooke Dojny: “Yes, it can be challenging, but oyster opening is the sort of activity that can be fun during that pre-Thanksgiving dinner waiting period. A selection of simple sauces gives people a way to personalize their toppings.”

Servings: 4

About 3 dozen fresh raw oysters
Horseradish, either freshly grated or from a fresh bottle of prepared horseradish
Ketchup
Lemon wedges
Tabasco sauce or other liquid hot pepper sauce

MIGNONETTE SAUCE

Either have the oysters shucked at the fish market or shuck them yourself. Arrange them on a large platter on crushed ice. Place the horseradish, ketchup, lemon wedges and/or Mignonette Sauce in small bowls, and leave the hot pepper sauce in the bottle. Your guests can dress their oysters as they desire. Slurp and eat.

MIGNONETTE SAUCE SAMPLER

Classic mignonette is made from 1 tablespoon minced shallots stirred into 1/3 cup white wine or champagne vinegar, with cracked black pepper added to taste.

VARIATIONS:

Mango Mignonette — Add 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mango or papaya
Cranberry Mignonette — Add 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cranberries and a pinch of sugar.
Herb Mignonette — Add 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, parsley or tarragon.
Jalapeno Mignonette — Add 2 teaspoons chopped jalapeno or other fresh hot pepper
Ginger Mignonette — Add 2 teaspoons minced or grated fresh ginger root

SOUP’S ON

If real estate is location, location, location, you could accurately describe a stress-free (or at least stress-lite) Thanksgiving as preparation, preparation, preparation. In 2006, then-Maine Ingredient columnist Annie Mahle suggested a number of Thanksgiving dishes that could easily be made ahead, including this Creamy Butternut Squash and Pear Soup. Prepare it up to six weeks in advance, she wrote, and store it in the freezer until the holiday arrives.

CREAMY BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND PEAR SOUP

Serves 8

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup diced onions
1/4 cup diced celery
1 tablespoon minced garlic, or to taste
1½ pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 pear, peeled, cored and chopped
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup sherry
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and sauté the onions, celery and garlic. When they are translucent, add the squash, pear and nutmeg. Sauté until the squash starts to stick to the bottom, stirring frequently, and then add the sherry and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until the squash is very tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a blender and purée.

Freeze for up to six weeks. When you are ready to serve, bring to a simmer in a medium saucepan and then add the cream.

STUFF YOURSELF

In 2009, Mahle suggested readers make Cranberry and Challah Stuffing. She explained challah to readers as a “slightly sweet bread made with eggs … recognized by its traditional braid.” I’d add that it’s a bread that Jews traditionally bake and eat on the Sabbath and other holidays.

In the same column, Mahle generously offered herself as a personal turkey hotline for readers. “If you would like to contact me by e-mail and include your phone number, I’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have about your upcoming meal.” she wrote. “I’ll be available until the night of Nov. 24.”

CRANBERRY AND CHALLAH STUFFING

If the bread is very fresh, cube it and leave it out overnight to stale slightly. If you like, add a lightly beaten egg to help the stuffing bind and stir in additional chopped herbs with the sage, such as rosemary, thyme and parsley.

Serves 8 to 12

1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter
1 cup diced onion, about 1 medium onion
1 cup diced celery, about 2 stalks
1 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup minced fresh sage
9 cups diced, slightly stale challah 
3/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups low-salt chicken broth (or turkey stock)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch and set aside.

Melt the butter in large skillet. Add the onions and celery and cook over low heat until soft and translucent. Stir in the sage and cranberries and cook for another minute. Add the rest of ingredients and stir well.

Transfer to the prepared pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 hour or until the center of the stuffing is steaming hot. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes or until the top gets crispy and golden brown.

RELISHING CRANBERRIES

In my very own family, there are people who have that weird nostalgia thing for canned cranberries plopping out of the jar and sitting unceremoniously on a plate on the holiday table with the rings still visible (I’m looking at you, Molly).

Personally, I vote for tart, sour, vivid, gorgeous fresh cranberries any day and especially for Thanksgiving, when they take their annual star turn. And while the size of the Massachusetts crop dwarfs that of Maine, fresh cranberries are still very much a local ingredient that suits the harvest holiday splendidly.

CRANBERRY CITRUS RELISH

We first published this recipe, from then Maine Ingredient columnist Harry Schwartz, in 2002.

Yield: About 3 cups

12 ounces (1 bag) fresh cranberries
1 cup granulated sugar
Zest and juice from 1 lemon
Zest from 1 orange

Place all the ingredients in a medium-size heavy saucepan and stir together. Place over medium heat and when the mixture begins to bubble, reduce heat and simmer until cranberries are tender but still intact, about 15 minutes. Pour into a heatproof bowl and serve the relish warm, or refrigerate and serve later at room temperature.

EAT YOUR VEGETABLES

For many families, it just isn’t Thanksgiving without the green bean casserole. As Portland Press Herald news assistant Deb Sayer wrote in 2015, “… failure to serve a green bean casserole at any holiday table where my family is seated is tantamount to sacrilege.”

After a few years suffering through substandard versions, Sayer, who has worked at the paper for nearly 40 years, took over the tradition, tweaking and updating the recipe from its 1955 Campbell Soup can beginnings.

“OK … so it’s just a green bean casserole, but I do have standards,” she wrote. “My recipe includes fresh steamed green beans, homemade cream of mushroom soup, Cooper Sharp American cheese and the aforementioned crispy fried onions. It’s a little more work, but totally worth the effort.”

And “Yes! That green bean casserole is still a holiday feast staple,” Sayer told me a few weeks ago .

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

FOR THE CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP:
6 tablespoons butter
1 medium-sized sweet onion, chopped fine
1½ cups finely chopped white button mushrooms
6 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups vegetable or beef broth
2 cups whole milk

FOR THE CASSEROLE:
3 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
10-12 slices Cooper Sharp American cheese
1 (6-ounce) container French’s French Fried Onions

To make the cream of mushroom soup, melt the butter in large skillet over medium heat and sauté the onions until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook an additional 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle in flour and seasonings, stirring constantly. Cook 2 minutes to get rid of the floury taste. Gradually pour in the broth, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Add the milk, whisking until smooth. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, 10 more minutes. The soup will be very thick.

To make the casserole, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Steam the green beans until tender, about 10 minutes. Put the beans in a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Pour the soup over the beans, adding more milk to thin it as needed. Top with cheese slices.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes or until bubbly. Top with fried onions and return to oven, uncovered, for 5 to 10 minutes.

ROLLING INTO DINNER

I would follow one of columnist Christine Burn Rudalevige’s recipes to the ends of the earth. That’s poorly phrased, but you get my drift. Her recipes are stylish, accessible, reliable and imaginative. Case in point, these Honey-Squash Dinner Rolls, which she wrote about for the Press Herald in 2022.

That column was devoted to side dishes to make for Thanksgiving that travel well and require no work from the host once you arrive at your destination. As you’ll see, Rudalevige gives instructions for making these rolls ahead and par-baking them. All that’s left to do on the day itself is to bake until golden, then let the holiday feast get underway.

HONEY-SQUASH DINNER ROLLS

Makes 24 rolls

2 (1/4-ounce) packages (4½ teaspoons) active dry yeast
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 cups Maine Grains spelt flour
1¼ cups whole milk
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1/2 cup honey
1-1/3 cups winter squash puree
3½ cups all-purpose flour
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Raw pepitas

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached, combine the yeast, salt, nutmeg and spelt.

In a small saucepan, combine the milk, butter and honey. Place over low heat and stir just until the butter melts. Make sure the temperature is no higher than 110 degrees.

Add the warm liquid and the squash to the combined dry ingredients and turn the mixer on low to combine. Add 3 cups of the all-purpose flour and mix on low to form a soft dough. If the dough is sticky, add the remaining half cup of flour. Turn the mixer speed to medium and knead the dough until it is smooth and soft, 4-5 minutes.

Rub a clean bowl with oil. Place the dough into bowl, turning once to grease its top. Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place until it’s doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Rub two (9-inch round) baking pans with oil.

Punch down the dough, turn it onto a lightly floured surface, and divide it into 24 equal pieces, about 3 ounces (85 g) each. Shape each piece into a ball. Place 12 balls in each of the prepared baking pans. Cover and refrigerate the shaped buns overnight.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Bake the rolls for 1 hour and 15 minutes. In the initial phase of baking, they will continue to rise. After about 75 minutes they will be fully cooked but will be very pale. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Cover tightly when cool. If you are going to finish baking them the same day, hold them at room temperature. If you are planning to bake them later in the week, place them in the freezer.

When you’re ready to finish baking the rolls, brush them with the egg wash and sprinkle with pepitas. Bake the rolls in a 350 degree oven until browned, 15 minutes for room temperature rolls, 20-22 minutes for frozen rolls.

TIME FOR DESSERT

Baker Tara Canaday said she got the idea for this playful recipe after listening to a podcast about female founders. “To my surprise, Pepperidge Farms was founded by an incredible woman named Margaret Rudkin.“

Pepperidge Farm Goldfish were a staple in Canaday’s home when she was a child, and she’s equally well-acquainted with them as a mom and an aunt. Apples with cheddar cheese were another favorite childhood snack, “so it felt like an apple pie made with the crunchy, salty, cheesy goldfish crackers I love would be a match made in funky pastry heaven,” she wrote in an email when she sent the recipe.

“It’s perfectly salty + sweet, and there’s something nostalgic about the fake orange color in the pie crust and streusel, thanks to the addition of the crackers, that I love,” she wrote.

I love how the pie picks up on the old-timey New England combination of apple pie topped with a slice of cheddar cheese — something old and something new.

CHEDDAR GOLDFISH APPLE CRUMB PIE

Makes 1 deep-dish 10-inch pie

FOR THE DOUGH:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup Cheddar Goldfish, blended into flour-like consistency
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
½ cup ice water

Whir together the all-purpose flour, goldfish flour and sugar in the food processor. Add the butter and pulse the food processor until your butter is pea-size and the mixture resembles coarse corn meal. Drizzle in cold water a few tablespoons at a time and pulse mixture. Add the cold water until a slightly sticky dough forms, making sure to not add too much water.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and gently form dough into a ball before flattening into a 1-inch thick round disk. Wrap the disk in plastic and place in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours.

When you are ready to assemble your pie, remove the pie dough from the fridge. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough disk until the pie dough is ⅛-inch thick. Press pie dough into 10-inch deep- dish pie plate. Cover and return to the fridge until you’re ready to fill the crust and bake.

FOR THE FILLING:
8 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced in ½-inch slices
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ cup unsalted butter, melted

Add the sliced apples to a large bowl. Add the brown sugar, lemon juice, flour, and spices, followed by melted butter. Toss apples until they’re evenly coated.

FOR THE CHEDDAR GOLDFISH STREUSEL:
¾ cup Cheddar Goldfish, blended into flourlike consistency plus ¼ cup coarsely crushed Goldfish pieces
½ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¾ cup unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature

Combine all ingredients in a bowl until a coarse, crumbly streusel forms. 

ASSEMBLY:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Remove the prepared pie crust from the fridge.

Spoon the prepared apple pie filling into the crust. Sprinkle a thick layer of Goldfish streusel over the apple filling, completely covering the apples.

Place the pie in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. and bake for an additional 45-50 minutes until the crust is golden and the apple filling is bubbling.

Serve warm with your favorite vanilla ice cream.