Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be a marathon of cooking, setting the table, and panicking about serving everything at the right moment. This year, rock it. We’re going casual and creative but also keeping it festive. Enter: the Thanksgiving grazing table. A big, beautiful banquet where your guests can help themselves, taste everything, and just get excited. The best part? With a few easy recipes you can use Ocean Spray®you get all those classic Thanksgiving flavors with a fresh, modern twist.

The grazing table is an extremely easy but aesthetically pleasing solution. Picture this: A rustic (or modern or maximalist—whatever your style is, it fits) deli-style product that keeps the food flowing all day long. Start with appetizers, weave in sides, and make room for the main event at a single photo-worthy table. Guests can snack, sip and socialize at their own pace.

How to Set Up the Perfect Grazing Table?

The secret to a killer grazing board is balance. You want a little bit of everything – textures, flavors, colors – and you want it all to be easy to grasp. First of all, you want to be big. Get large wooden or ceramic boards (or several smaller boards) to form the basis of your grazing table. Rustic or chic, the choice is up to you, but make sure there’s room for all your holiday snacks.

Then layer on the classics (cranberry flavors are so simple). It’s Thanksgiving, so we’re not skipping the basic ingredients; we’re just making them more suitable for grazing. Slice your turkey, add some cranberry-cream cheese sauce place directly on boards, pour into muffin tins and scoop mashed potatoes into small moulds. It’s all about making things easier to eat but still completely indulgent.

Grazing Table Key Recipes

Cranberry Trail Mix: Start with a trail mix that includes: Ocean Spray® Craisins® Dried Cranberries. Sprinkle roasted hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds and a pinch of cinnamon on them. The perfect sweet-savory combo that guests will snack on all day long.

Cranberry Crunch and Dipping Sauce: Take Ocean Spray® cranberry sauce and turn it into a sauce that’s begging to be paired with turkey or roasted vegetables. Stick to the classics by leaving your sauce straight out of the box: Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce Ideal for dipping or spreading, Jelly Cranberry Sauce It’s better when you want something thinly sliced. Or you can switch up the sauce by whipping it into a tangy aioli or stir in cream cheese for something smooth and delicious.

Sparkling Sips: Keep it festive with Ocean Spray® Cranberry Juice Cocktailcocktail mixers and some bubbly. Set up a drinks station with glasses, ice, garnishes, your liqueurs or NA spirits, and a variety of sparkling flavors. Guests can grab a glass whenever they want, and you don’t have to worry about playing bartender.

Don’t Forget the Finishing Touches

Last but certainly not least: don’t forget to decorate. You can go as simple or as extravagant as you want. Throw in some mini pumpkins, fresh herbs like rosemary, tons of red Ocean Spray® fresh cranberriesor colorful autumn leaves that will make your board sing – there’s really no wrong way to do it. Don’t be afraid to play with height either; Stack some treats on cake stands or in bowls to keep things interesting and, let’s be real, more photogenic.

A grazing board or table turns Thanksgiving into something even more casual. You still offer the best tastes to your guests. But you will actually enjoy the day with them. Your Thanksgiving will be one for the books (and your Instagram feed) with this setup.