These delicious Thanksgiving side dishes will steal the spotlight away from the turkey. There is truly something for everyone on this list from vegetables to potatoes and salads.
Other Thanksgiving recipes that guests will love include this Thanksgiving punch and fall charcuterie board!
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Best Guide to Thanksgiving Side Dishes
Many would argue that the array of side dishes are the best part about the Thanksgiving menu. While the Thanksgiving appetizers, oven roasted turkey, or a pumpkin pie recipe with fresh whipped cream and other holiday desserts are delicious, it’s usually the side dishes that are the star of the show.
Every year, my plate is always jam packed with all the Thanksgiving side dishes. There are so many delicious options to choose from and you will find all your favorites here in this round up of the best Thanksgiving sides!
Be sure to save room for a few of the best Thanksgiving dessert recipes!
Thanksgiving Side Dishes: Potatoes
Whether you like your potatoes topped with turkey gravy or love cozy, comforting and cheesy potatoes, make a few to appeal to all guests at the table.
Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Rich and creamy mashed potatoes are whipped smooth and fluffy with cream cheese, butter and heavy cream! A favorite side dish at any meal or holiday table.
Total Time: 30 minutes
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Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
These easy cheesy scalloped potatoes are made with tender layers of potatoes in a rich and creamy cheese sauce baked to golden perfection.
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
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Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping
This sweet potato casserole with pecan topping combines creamy mashed sweet potatoes with a buttery brown sugar pecan streusel. A classic Thanksgiving side dish!
Total Time: 40 minutes
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Easy Cheesy Potatoes Recipe
Easy cheesy potatoes are a classic recipe made with diced potatoes in a creamy cheese sauce. Topped with a buttery cornflake topping it's a simple and comforting side dish!
Total Time: 40 minutes
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Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
These EASY instant pot mashed potatoes are made in just 30 minutes! Everything comes together in one pot, making clean up a breeze!
Total Time: 30 minutes
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Garlic Mashed Red Potatoes
Skip the peeling and enjoy restaurant-style garlic mashed red potatoes. Creamy, buttery, and ready in 30 minutes, they're easy to make for weeknights or holidays!
Total Time: 30 minutes
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Scalloped Sweet Potatoes
These savory scalloped sweet potatoes are made with sweet potato rounds in a creamy, herb sauce with cheese. Sweet potato gratin is a rich and luxurious twist on a classic!
Total Time: 50 minutes
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Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
These rosemary roasted potatoes are simple to make but a classic side dish recipe that you'll enjoy over and over again! They are flavorful, crisp on the outside with a fluffy center.
Total Time: 45 minutes
Crockpot Mashed Potatoes Recipe
These crockpot mashed potatoes are easy to make in your slow cooker and result in creamy, smooth and velvety mashed potatoes! Best of all there is no boiling on the stovetop involved.
Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
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Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Easy oven roasted sweet potatoes made with just 5 simple ingredients. Perfectly crispy and caramelized with amazing flavor!
Total Time: 40 minutes
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Roasted Red Potatoes
These roasted red potatoes are perfectly seasoned, crispy and flavorful! They are easy to make and an irresistible side dish to just about any meal.
Total Time: 40 minutes
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Crockpot Cheesy Potatoes
Simple and delicious, crockpot cheesy potatoes are the fix-and-forget side dish everyone loves for holidays, potlucks, or weeknight dinners.
Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
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Twice Baked Potatoes
These twice baked potatoes are mashed into a creamy, cheesy filling, spooned back into the shells, topped with cheese and bacon, then baked again until warm and lightly golden.
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
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Thanksgiving Side Dishes: Mac and Cheese
Not just for the kids table, everyone loves when a mac and cheese side appears on the Thanksgiving menu!
Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese Recipe
Creamy slow cooker mac and cheese with cream cheese is a family favorite that is easy to make in the crockpot with elbow macaroni noodles cooked in a cheesy sauce!
Total Time: 2 hours
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Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese
Creamy baked mac and cheese with a rich cheddar and gruyere sauce, finished with a golden, bubbly layer of cheese on top. A cozy side dish that works for weeknight dinners, potlucks, and holiday spreads
Total Time: 45 minutes
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Homemade Mac and Cheese
This easy homemade mac and cheese recipe is made on the stovetop with 8 ingredients in 25 minutes! It's so creamy and rich, you'll never go back to boxed mac and cheese.
Total Time: 25 minutes
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Thanksgiving Side Dishes: Stuffing
Cornbread Stuffing
This easy make-ahead cornbread stuffing will easily become the star of any festive meal. Slightly sweet cornbread, sage sausage, veggies, and herbs result in unforgettable mouthwatering flavors and textures that cannot be found in a box!
Total Time: 55 minutes
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Old Fashioned Sausage Stuffing Recipe
This old fashioned sausage stuffing is a family favorite! Made from scratch with dried bread, savory sage sausage and herbs and seasonings then served casserole style!
Total Time:
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Crockpot Stuffing
This classic crockpot stuffing has timeless flavors and mouthwatering aromas! Add a little calm to the holiday chaos by making a simple delicious slow cooker stuffing!
Total Time: 55 minutes
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Thanksgiving Side Dishes: Salads
I love how a salad can add a bright pop of color to the Thanksgiving table!
Fall Salad
This easy fall salad is filled with chopped greens, apples, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds and roasted butternut squash. Then topped with a maple balsamic dressing that brings out the delicious fall flavors!
Total Time: 20 minutes
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Apple Cranberry Spinach Salad
Apple cranberry spinach salad filled with greens, crisp apples, dried cranberries, walnuts, feta cheese and a delicious honey dijon dressing. An easy salad recipe that's full of flavor!
Total Time: 10 minutes
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Pomegranate Pear Salad
A vibrant pear salad with pomegranate seeds, feta, and candied pecans tossed in balsamic dressing. Fresh, colorful, and easy to make, perfect for fall dinners or holiday gatherings.
Total Time: 5 minutes
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Cranberry Fluff Salad
This fluffy cranberry salad is made with fresh cranberries, pineapple, marshmallows, apples and whipped cream. It's a sweet, tangy holiday side dish that's a favorite!
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
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Raspberry Jello Pretzel Salad
Raspberry jello pretzel salad is made with a cream cheese and Cool Whip mixture on a pretzel crust layered with raspberry Jello. It's a sweet and salty classic dessert salad!
Total Time: 4 hours
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3-Ingredient Cranberry Sauce
An easy 3-ingredient cranberry sauce recipe made with fresh cranberries, sugar and an orange. It's simple to make from scratch and tastes better than the canned version.
Total Time: 15 minutes
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Thanksgiving Side Dishes: Vegetables
These sides will help complete your meal and add a dose of healthy to your table. You can make virtually any veggie you like with one of these clever ideas, whether you prefer them roasted, in a casserole, or covered in cheese—there’s an option for you.
Paula Deen’s Green Bean Casserole
Inspired by Paula Deen’s green bean casserole, this version is made with green beans, cream of mushroom soup, and topped with crispy French fried onions and cheddar cheese.
Total Time: 30 minutes
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Creamed Spinach Recipe
This creamed spinach is rich, flavorful and a quick and easy side dish made with frozen spinach and heavy cream. The silky white sauce pairs perfectly with the tender spinach!
Total Time: 20 minutes
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Jiffy Corn Pudding Recipe
This Jiffy corn pudding is a cozy side dish made with just 5 ingredients. It bakes into a creamy, sweet casserole with Southern-inspired flavor for holiday dinners.
Total Time: 55 minutes
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Crockpot Green Beans
These crockpot green beans are a simple side dish made with fresh green beans, onion and smokey bacon! This easy recipe made in the slow cooker will be your new favorite.
Total Time: 3 hours 5 minutes
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Oven Roasted Butternut Squash Cubes
These roasted butternut squash cubes are oven baked until tender, caramelized and full of flavor. The best fall side dish that can easily be adapted to a variety of seasonings!
Total Time: 35 minutes
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Maple Roasted Vegetables Recipe
These maple roasted vegetables are sweetened with maple syrup and bacon for a crowd-pleasing side dish worthy of the holidays but easy enough for a weeknight meal!
Total Time: 45 minutes
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Bacon Wrapped Green Bean Bundles
These green bean bundles are wrapped in bacon then brushed with butter and brown sugar. Simple enough to make for a weeknight dinner or make ahead for the holidays!
Total Time: 40 minutes
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Easy Roasted Asparagus
Crisp-tender oven roasted asparagus is fresh, healthy and ready in 15 minutes. This simple vegetable side dish is easy to make and a great addition to any meal.
Total Time: 15 minutes
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Jiffy Corn Casserole
Thi Jiffy corn casserole is soft, creamy, and full of sweet corn flavor. It’s the perfect easy side dish for holidays, family dinners, or potlucks!
Total Time: 55 minutes
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Roasted Vegetables
These oven roasted vegetables are tender and packed with flavor from olive oil, balsamic vinegar and seasonings. Use this method and adapt it to any veggies!
Total Time: 40 minutes
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Green Beans
Buttery, fresh sautéed green beans are an easy classic side dish recipe any night of the week. All you need are four simple ingredients and it's ready in 15 minutes!
Total Time: 15 minutes
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Glazed Carrots Recipe
These glazed carrots are made with 3 ingredients including brown sugar and butter then roasted until caramelized until tender. An easy side dish for dinners and holidays.
Total Time: 25 minutes
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Roasted Parmesan Broccoli Recipe
This parmesan roasted broccoli is healthy, delicious and the best broccoli ever. Broccoli florets are tossed with seasoning, baked and then coated in Parmesan for a crispy side dish full of flavor!
Total Time: 30 minutes
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Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Recipe
Bacon wrapped asparagus is the side dish that disappears first every single time. Crispy bacon, tender roasted spears, and only 20 minutes start to finish.
Total Time: 25 minutes
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Roasted Cauliflower Recipe
Easy and flavorful, garlic Parmesan roasted cauliflower will be your new favorite side dish! It's oven roasted until tender with the best crispy edges.
Total Time: 30 minutes
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Parmesan Roasted Carrots Recipe
These Parmesan roasted carrots are an easy side dish with a flavorful crispy coating of Parmesan with a hint of garlic. They will be your new favorite way to eat carrots.
Total Time: 35 minutes
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Candied Yams
Buttery with a sweet brown sugar glaze, candied yams are a classic southern side dish that are baked until caramelized. This easy side is the best served with any holiday meal!
Total Time: 55 minutes
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Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Roasted brussels sprouts are easy to make, perfectly caramelized, and fork-tender. They're the best 30-minute classic side dish that no one can resist!
Total Time: 30 minutes
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Crockpot Creamed Corn
An easy crockpot creamed corn made with canned corn and a rich, buttery cream cheese sauce, perfect for the holidays
Total Time: 3 hours 5 minutes
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Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
These slow cooker brown sugar glazed carrots are one of our favorite side dishes! Coated with butter, brown sugar and parsley they are tender, sweet and full of flavor.
Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
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Creamed Corn
Quick and easy creamed corn is made with frozen sweet corn simmered in a rich and creamy sauce. Simple ingredients make it easy to ditch the can and make this homemade!
Total Time: 20 minutes
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Crockpot Green Bean Casserole
This crockpot green bean casserole is a classic Thanksgiving side dish made hands off in the slow cooker. This creamy dish is a holiday favorite plus frees up oven space!
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
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Thanksgiving Side Dishes: Rolls and More
Don’t forget to round out your plate with a warm piece of homemade bread or dinner roll. I love to dip mine in turkey gravy or spread some garlic herb butter or dreamy orange butter on top. So yummy!
Best Homemade Dinner Rolls
Soft and fluffy with golden brown tops, these are the best dinner rolls! This recipe makes one dozen homemade rolls making it the perfect holiday side dish.
Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
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Sweet Cornbread
This sweet cornbread is one of my favorites to make during the fall. It's super moist, fluffy, and is an easy recipe that pairs well as a side dish to so many meals!
Total Time: 40 minutes
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Potato Rolls Recipe
These potato rolls are made with instant potatoes and yeast for the best soft and fluffy homemade dinner rolls that are easy to make from scratch!
Total Time: 3 hours
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Sweet Cornbread Muffins
These sweet cornbread muffins are light and fluffy muffins with the perfect amount of sweetness! So easy to make from scratch and tastes amazing with chili and soup.
Total Time: 30 minutes
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Lion House Roll Recipe
These Lion House Rolls may have originated in Utah, but you can now make them at home with the same soft, fluffy and buttery taste. The perfect dinner roll!
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
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Homemade French Bread Recipe
The BEST homemade french bread recipe made in just 90 minutes! So easy to make and comes out golden and crispy on the outside, while remaining soft and chewy on the inside.
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
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Easy Deviled Eggs Recipe
Easy deviled eggs are a classic recipe made with simple ingredients including hard boiled eggs, mayonnaise, mustard, sweet pickle relish and a sprinkle of paprika on top! Perfect for potlucks and parties.
Total Time: 25 minutes
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Which recipe will you make this year? I can’t wait to load up my plate!
Dawn Miller
Yum! Lots of great ideas here. I Pinned this to my Recipes~Side Dishes on Pinterest. Dawn~A Quirky Crafter
carolina go
Amazing and lovly information. I really so much happy for your tips. I will try to make my own. thanks
Barbara Hong
Love your recipes!
Paige
I’m a sweet potato casserole girl through and through!
Paige
Danielle | The Creative Bite
So many beautiful and delicious looking sides perfect for Thanksgiving. Thanks for sharing!