The evidence is all over the place. Smudged recipe cards littering countertops. Recipes dog-eared in Southern Living Magazine. Grocery lists made, tweaked, and edited.

Yes, Thanksgiving is just two weeks away. It’s time to prep for the food, the cooking, the grocery shopping, and the entertaining family.

A great kitchen is a blessing worthy of gratitude, most definitely. The right counter space, the fabulous appliances, the super pantries, the custom cabinetry, and the spots to enjoy lots of homemade wonderfulness — what could be better for this holiday focused on sharing food and family and appreciation?

We’ll say thanks to you for reading about some of the wonderful houses being held open this week.

1784 Hidalgo Lane, Frisco

When thinking of a holiday that just centers on food, what could be better than a house with a walk-in pantry? So much space to store the cans and cans of cream of mushroom soup, green beans, and those weirdly fragile fried onion rings needed for the traditional green bean casserole. And a bonus — a butler’s pantry, perfect for storing the most darling dish to serve it all in. Naturally stone countertops and a kitchen island are part of the package.

No worries with this house if you’re expecting all the relatives to show up for Thanksgiving. You’ll be grateful for the 7,432 square feet within the walls of this home found in Frisco’s Hills of Kingwood. Let aunts, uncles, siblings, whoever sleep in one of the five bedrooms and fight over five full baths and three half-baths. But don’t let them see the primary bedroom’s unbelievable closet, though. They will be very jealous, but with a price tag of $4.125 million, there will be a lot of things to be jealous of so maybe never mind.

For those of you who might not have tickets to the Dallas Cowboys game to see the MVP, Dolly Parton, in action, this home has an added bonus. It’s very near the Dallas Cowboys’ training facility. Drive the relatives by there, and maybe they’ll get to see a football player, even if they don’t get to hear Dolly during the Thanksgiving halftime show.

Jerry Mooty with @properties Christie’s International Real Estate will hold this house open from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday.

7234 Oak Alley Drive, Colleyville

Having an outstanding kitchen would be a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. But if you bought this house, you could be additionally grateful that your home was Fort Worth Magazine’s 2023 Dream Home. It was built in 2023 by Kensington Custom Homes, and people actually bought tickets to snoop around its spectacular 7,682 square feet of traditional design in the Oak Alley gated neighborhood.

But now back to the kitchen … It features the kind of upscale appliances you’d expect in a showhouse, plus a quartzite island and Wood Mode cabinetry. The wood ceiling beams play off the kitchen’s colors for a cozy feel in such a large home. Even if you’re going over the river and through the woods for Thanksgiving, this kitchen will entice you to a big round of pumpkin pie baking ahead of the trip.

Now if the relatives do end up coming for Thanksgiving, no worries about any older aunties who might be daunted by the idea of a two-story. The house’s own elevator is a feature that will wipe out any worries about stairs.

This open concept includes five bedrooms, five full bathrooms, two half-baths, three fireplaces, and a four-car garage. Want this one and its half-acre lot? It’s listed at $5.295 million.

This house, listed by Troy George and Lucy Noonan with Synergy Realty, will be held open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 3 p.m. Nov. 17.

3753 Shady Hill Drive, Dallas

Sleek and sophisticated, this kitchen emotes the kind of vibe that the cook is in command of his or her life.

Check out the shiny pendant lights over the cool breakfast bar that could serve as command center. Just think how cool you’d be serving a chic Thanksgiving morning brunch from the beautiful marble countertops, gas range, and custom cabinetry. You could entertain with lattes, muffins, and a savory breakfast casserole, and skip the turkey all together.

The bright aqua door is the first clue that something special is beyond. This 1968 house has been transformed with an open floor plan made for entertaining. White oak flooring and natural light are part of the appeal, as are the on-trend color palette and luxurious fixtures.

There’s plenty of space for out-of-town relatives to visit for the holidays since there are five bedrooms and four bathrooms in this 3,528-square-foot house.  The living room fireplace would be a great gathering spot Thanksgiving morning while you jointly puzzle over why anyone would choose to run a 5K Thanksgiving morning instead of watching the Macy’s parade.

The house is listed at $1.425 million.

Open from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, the home will be held open from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday by Jessica Koltun of Jessica Koltun Home.