Some grocery store traditions are better than a calendar. At Hi Nabor, fall officially starts when the Signature Sweet Potato Pies come back out of the oven, and they have been back since Oct. 1.

The pies are a limited, once-a-year run, and the store keeps the recipe simple: real butter, fresh whole eggs, pure vanilla, a generous hand with sugar and new-crop sweet potatoes from Earl Roy in Hessmer, Louisiana. Once the season ends, they disappear until next fall, so a pie for the Thanksgiving table is worth grabbing sooner rather than later.

A hometown store for holiday hosting

Hi Nabor calls itself Baton Rouge's homegrown supermarket. It is employee owned and runs three neighborhood stores, all open seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.: Winbourne (7201 Winbourne Ave.), Broadmoor (9620 Florida Blvd., Suite 100) and Jones Creek (5383 Jones Creek Road), which also has a pharmacy.

Beyond the pies, the store's specialties include complete holiday dinners with baked, smoked or fried turkeys and honey basted baked hams, plus its award-winning Strawbetter Berry Cakes. Ask your store about this year's holiday dinner options and timing.

Trays for the crowd

Hosting a watch party or a family get-together? The deli puts together ready-to-serve party trays, including finger sandwiches, Swedish meatballs, deviled eggs, fruit, vegetables and cookies. Buy participating trays and the Money Saver Club tracks a punch each time; after eight, the ninth participating tray is free, no paper card required.

When nobody wants to cook

For the busy weeks between holidays, Meals Made Quick are fresh-made daily, ready to heat in minutes, with options like a seafood boil, salmon, catfish and chicken at all locations. And if leaving the house is the hard part, Hi Nabor now delivers through both DoorDash and Instacart.

Pick up a pie, stock up for the week and let your neighborhood grocer handle a little of the holiday work.

Photo courtesy of Hi Nabor Supermarket.