It’s November already, and as the holidays get closer, we’ve got food fresh on our minds.  With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it’s about time to start preparing for the mayhem…err…festivities.  Fortunately, this year you can make the holidays a little less hectic with the help of the following cooking and entertaining apps for iPhone and Android owners.   And, whether you’re hosting, contributing, or just partaking, there’s a little something for everyone.  Take a minute to check them out and get ready for the feast—with these apps, you can pull it off without a hitch!

How to Cook Everything (Essentials)

If you aren’t familiar with Mark Bittman’s brilliant series of virtually encyclopedic cookbooks, let me just say—coming from a major foodie, you are missing out! Bittman, the New York Times’ veteran food columnist, and author of the superb “How to Cook Everything” series, includes illustrated tutorials on proper cooking and preparation techniques in addition to the myriad delectable recipes in every book, making them a great reference for seasoned gourmets as well as the more amateur.  The app itself is beautifully designed, and the navigation is simple and easy to follow—perfect for quick references in a hectic kitchen. What’s more, while the book will cost you a fair chunk of change, the full app is yours to own for just $4.99—and it’s worth every penny.  Otherwise, if your apps budget is low, stick to the “How to Cook Everything Essentials” version for the irresistible price of free! If you opt for the essentials, however, be forewarned that the recipe selection is fairly limited, though you can always upgrade later.  For Thanksgiving dinner, you can’t go wrong with this one! And, while it doesn’t have all the recipes, Android users can download Cook’s Cheat Sheet for similar cooking and preparation guidance.

$4.99/Free

Epicurious

Another great app for cooking up a Thanksgiving storm, Epicurious is a popular pick among food-lovers!  Though it lacks some of the detail around techniques and preparation methods, this app boasts loads of delicious recipes, all presented elegantly along with ratings and reviews from users so you can make a feast, not a flop!  Browse the special Thanksgiving category for some holiday inspiration and mark your favorites for later! And, best of all, this app is available for free! (I guess some of the best things in life still are…) Available for Android and iPhone devices.

Free

iRoast

Cooking turkey can be a beast of its own.  This year, eliminate the guesswork with iRoast.  Simply scroll through the menu, select turkey as the item to be roasted, and enter the weight—the app will calculate how long the bird needs to bake, and start a timer so you can avoid a major Thanksgiving mishap.  If you’re planning something a little more elaborate—like Tur-duck-en—just use the app’s “Advanced Settings” tab to select your desired controls.  Another fantastic feature of this app is that it automatically creates a schedule for you, depending on which foods you select from the menu, so you can get dinner served on time! Android user? Try Meat Cooking Reference.

$0.99

Smart Chef Substitutions

It’s not hard to see how this app provides value.  Imagine the following scenario: it’sThanksgiving and you’re hosting.  As the guests start arriving, you realize that yourbrother has brought his girlfriend—a vegetarian, but everything you’ve prepared has meat in it! It’s a host’s worst nightmare. Fortunately, with the Smart Chef Substitutions app, you can avoid emergencies like this. Simply replace the meat and throw something yummy together using this app-life-saver. Crisis averted!  For Android users, the highest rated alternative is Cooking Conversions.

My Recipes

Remember that time your aunt made A-MAZE-ING pumpkin pie, and wrote down the recipe only for you to lose it about 3 days later?  Don’t let that happen again. With My Recipes, add your own custom recipes to a book, so they’re always there when you want them.  The app allows you to sort and categorize your recipes, and include details like approximate cooking time, number of servings, and even a picture of the dish.  You can also export your recipes to your computer, if you want to print or share them.  Get the full version for just a buck, or test it out the lite version for free! A well-rated alternative for Android owners is Bites.

$0.99/Free

Time to Cook

The simplicity of this app is what makes it just about the best cooking timer in the app store.  Sure, sometimes it helps to have complex systems of cascading, timed alarms, but when you just need a basic timer that’s easy to use and to the point, this is the app for you. Browse the quick reference list to select pre-set timers for hard-boiling eggs or pasta al dente, or just turn the virtual-knob clockwise to set you own alarm.  And don’t worry—you can still check your email, watch game highlights, or play Angry Birds—the timer will keep running while you do. Though the equivalent Android app is a mouthful—Cooking Widget Timer—it has similar functionality and features.

$0.99

iPairings

This app promises to bring out the secret wino in you! Well, okay, maybe not, but it is a nifty app for choosing a wine that will compliment your meal (or vice versa, depending on your personal preferences).  Let me just say—there are a heck of a lot of wine apps in the App Store, but having taken a few for a test drive, this is my pick for pairings.  Don’t let the kitschy, low-resolution pictures fool you: this app is a great resource for selecting the best bottle to go with dinner.  There are so many options to choose from in this app—even pairings for “Thanksgiving Dinner”—and the descriptions are all well presented so you can easily pick the best match!  A great alternative for Android wine lovers, is Swirl.

$0.99

Shopping List Free (Grocery List)

This app is a must have.  Sure, there are a million apps out there that allow you to create lists and organize data, but what sets this one apart is its functionality, which is tailored to grocery shoppers.  Add the items you need, the quantity in pieces or by weight, and then categorize the items for more efficient shopping, so you can get in and out with your groceries in 10 minutes.  Another nice feature of this app is that it displays your items as alerts, providing a constant reminder that you need to swing by the store soon.  Buy the full app for $2.99, or try out the Lite version for free, and never be caught without your grocery list again! (*this app is very hard to search for in the iTunes app store, so be sure to include the full title (as printed above) in your search).  Though a little pricier, the Android version—Grocery King—has got it all!

$2.99/Free

iHost Thanksgiving

If you’re hosting Thanksgiving this year, this app is a great tool for planning and keeping all the details organized.  Again, the central functionality of this app is list creation, but it has preset categories specific to Thanksgiving, including a guest list you can synchronize with your contacts, a menu, calendar and budgeting tool.  And while it might seem like a simple task to keep track of these details, it’s essential to have all the information in one place when you’re hosting!  The best bet for Android users is Thanksgiving Planner.

$0.99

Turkey Trot

With all of the cooking and planning and hosting, Thanksgiving can be really exhausting.  Take some time to unwind after it all with Turkey Trot.  This app replicates the HIGHLY ADDICTIVE classic game, Bejeweled—except this version has themed Thanksgiving pieces, which include fall foliage, footballs, pumpkins, turkeys and more.  It’s pretty straightforward but fun nonetheless, and even better—it’s free! Though not based on Bejeweled, Android users can have some fun with their own Thanksgiving Taps.

Free

Now that you’re armed with these recommendations, start planning your feast extraordinaire—and don’t forget the Pumpkin Pie! Also, if you’ve tried any other fantastic Thanksgiving apps, be sure to let us know in the comments!