Okay, so you've got the big entree under control. You think. There are a lot of other dishes for the family holiday gathering that are traditional. Some are a lot of trouble, or at least you've never made them. That makes the stress go up. On the other hand, salad is always a thing. So, here's a no-brainer salad from your humble hash-slinger that you can throw together in no time. I call it . . . Crunch Salad I invented this one for a Cub Scout event I was cooking for. Getting veggies in these young'uns can be a challenge. Plus, I was serving meatloaf and mac and cheese -- two very soft foods. I wanted something on the side with some chew to it. My response was to make a "crunch" salad. Herewith are the ingredients for a single family-sized dish. Multiply as necessary for the hordes you might have to feed. 1 broccoli crown (use the stem for something else) 1/2 head cauliflower 1/4 head red cabbage 1 small pkg dried cranberries 1 pkg tortilla strips Ranch dressing in quant. suff. (takes more than you think) Chop all the veggies to nibble size. Put in bowl with cranberries and tortilla strips. Toss with Ranch dressing until all pieces are covered. I've served this to various groups, young and old. I keep getting rave reviews on it. You can make it up the day before. It's also bright and festive looking, the perfect thing on a plate to contrast with meat and potatoes, which are brown and beige. If you're making it up ahead of time and don't want to mess up a bowl, put all the ingredients in a gallon or bigger ziploc bag, seal the bag and squeeze/toss between your hands to mix. Then store it in the fridge.