Thanksgiving is a terribly busy day, and let's face it, you could use all the help you can get.  Whether this is your first time hosting Thanksgiving, or you're a seasoned veteran who is also in charge of keeping the kids under control and entertaining your lovely (but demanding) mother-in-law, it never hurts to use a couple of shortcuts when making dinner.

Pre-made stuffing: Trader Joe's has a great boxed stuffing that will save you the trouble of chopping vegetables and purchasing 19 different types of spices that you will probably never use except at Thanksgiving. Head over to Grosse Pointe, Royal Oak, or Farmington Hills to find a Trader Joe's store.

Canned cranberry sauce: Ocean Spray knows cranberries, so why not leave the making of the cranberry sauce to them? Their jellied cranberry sauce can be found at most grocery chains.

Boxed biscuits: It doesn't get much easier than Pillsbury's Crescent Rolls and Grands Biscuits.  It also probably doesn't get much tastier.  These can also be found at most grocery chains.

Packaged pie crust: Whole Foods has a great pre-made pie crust. It even has those classic wrinkled edges so you might be able to pass it off as homemade. Head over to Troy, West Bloomfield, or Rochester Hills to find a Whole Foods store.

Vegetable party trays: Who needs to go through all the trouble of chopping all those vegetables when Kroger offers a huge variety of party trays?  They have traditional trays with the basics: celery, broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots.  But they also have trays with antipasto and olives, deviled eggs, sourdough bread, hummus, and so much more.

Pre-cooked turkey: Honey Baked Ham offers a variety of pre-cooked turkey products.  This is the most complicated part of Thanksgiving dinner, so it would be the most useful shortcut.  Honey Baked Ham has several locations around Metro Detroit.