Vegetarians and those who are plant-based curious: this is your sign to opt for a vegetarian Thanksgiving! Why not go for a spruced up mac and cheese, a stuffed pumpkin or squash, or savory pie? Making "Turkey Day" veggie is easier than you think.

Thanksgiving food is brilliant even without the roasted and glazed bird.

Plus, everybody knows that turkey makes you sleepy. If you skip the bird, you might not need an after dinner nap or coffees.

If you've thought about changing up your Thanksgiving main dish to something non-meat-based, why not try it out?

Here are some festive suggestions for making a magnificent vegetarian main for Thanksgiving.

The best way to win over everyone at the thanksgiving table is to focus on a family favorite and make it even better.

One always appreciated but sometimes neglected side is mac and cheese. This warming, wonderful cheesy dish is easy to make.

• 1. Cook macaroni pasta noodles per the instructions on the box, about a pound will do for a thanksgiving feast of six, especially if you've got other tasty Thanksgiving sides.

• Melt two tablespoons of butter in a sauce pan. Then add two table spoons of flour and whisk the mix until it's pasty and forms a rue.

• Next, add two cups of whole milk slowly while whisking to get the thick sauce base, you deserve. Adding about a pound of a grated cheese mix of your choice to your milk mixture makes your cheese sauce complete.

• Spread some bread crumbs and bake the entire thing in a casserole pan for a bit of extra crunch, at around 350 Fahrenheit and just until the crumbs are a glorious gold.

You can change up this basic recipe by adding a bit of everyone's favorite fall ingredient: pumpkin in the form of purée, just switch out a bit of the cheese and decrease the milk. Or you can consider opting for more umami tasting cheeses, like Gruyère, Brie, or smoked Gouda.

Another way to make mac'n cheese magical is to pimp your bread crumbs with the addition of that undeniably thanksgiving spice: sage.

Pumpkins aren't just for Halloween, and they also can be scooped out and stuffed, just like a turkey, but without the animal cruelty.

Squashes are versatile gourds that come in tons of shapes, sizes, and flavors.

When it comes to this Thanksgiving dish, you don't need a recipe per se – you need a willingness to experiment and let the thing cook.

• Just fill your squash with flavors that go with it and are your own favorite. If you're a fan of sweet, you can mix some pumpkin flesh pieces with honey, dates, and nuts and bake the whole thing in the oven. This will get you a festive treat that is somewhat like a pumpkin fondue, best scrapped out with dinner rolls and eaten with your hands.

• Acorn squashes, for example, are fantastic nutty flavored gourds they can be stuffed with the same stuffing mix you'd put in a turkey. By packing the squash full of a mixture of bread bits, apple, onion, carrots, celery, that has been sautéed in butter and then dashed with a broth and egg mixture, you're sure to get a unique vegetarian thanksgiving treat. The trick is to make sure you give it enough time in the oven for the flesh to get soft and tender.

Stuffing a pumpkin is pretty, just like stuffing a bird. The bottom line is when a squash is full of yummy stuff, baked, and placed in the middle of the plate or table, the wow factor is real.

Pie doesn't have to be a sweet treat.

Glorious filled dough can be made into a luxurious main. If the idea of a savory pie without minced meat sounds well dry, then what you need to focus on finding is a recipe for a vegetarian pot pie, or one with some cheese.

The best thing about this vegetarian thanksgiving dish is that it's versatile.

You can make a big one to sit on the table just like the bird would, or individual mains that look great on a plate and ooze goodness when you cut through.

• This is an easy recipe to whip up. Get some unsweetened puff pastry crust and fill it with the thanksgiving flavors that you enjoy. You can even avoid a soggy bottom situation by just putting the crust on top.

Think of it this way, it's your favorite stew allowed to cook longer with a bread biscuit on top.

Thanksgiving food that utilizes fall flavors, like pumpkins, is sure to be a crowd pleaser, so maybe this year is the time for a treat without meat! And if you really want to double down, check out our vegan Thanksgiving recipes to gobble the day away!