Thanksgiving isn’t just a time for eating with the family. It’s also a time for menu conflict.

Take this email I received from my friend Maureen: “I put my son in charge of deviled eggs for Thanksgiving. He’s come up with a very ordinary recipe (though it does use cream cheese). Can you tell me one or two simple items that we can toss in there that will give these puppies a little pizazz?”

At Thanksgiving, one often must smile and eat. Granny’s marshmallow-covered sweet potatoes that contain more sugar than a pie. Aunty’s dressing that crumbles like sand. Maureen, if you are determined to snatch up the plate when he arrives, dump the eggs’ filling into a bowl and add what you like to it yourself, I do have some suggestions.

– Bacon. Bacon makes everything better.

– Since there’s already cream cheese in the recipe, add some chopped smoked salmon, onion and capers.

– Add a little mayo, Dijon mustard and blue cheese for a rich deviled egg. Top it with bacon.