30 Best Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Thanksgiving turkey may get top billing, but the side dishes are often the best part of the meal! Whether you’re planning a traditional feast or looking for something new to add to the table, these 30 Thanksgiving side dishes have you covered. You’ll find all the classics, along with plenty of fresh ideas to round out your menu. Many can be made ahead, too, so you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying the holiday.

Essential Thanksgiving Sides

No Thanksgiving table is complete without the classics. From savory stuffing to homemade cranberry sauce and gravy, these are the dishes everyone looks forward to year after year.

Cranberry Sauce

Once you've made cranberry sauce from scratch, it's hard to go back to the canned stuff. This version gets a little extra flavor from fresh orange juice and zest, and it can be made well ahead of Thanksgiving Day.

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Turkey Gravy

A good gravy ties the whole Thanksgiving meal together, and this is the one I serve every year. A splash of cognac and a little cream give it wonderful depth and richness. Be sure to make plenty for the turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes!

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Easy Sausage & Herb Stuffing

This is my most-requested Thanksgiving stuffing, and for good reason. Store-bought stuffing cubes make it surprisingly easy to prepare, while savory sausage, onions, celery, and fresh herbs give it that wonderful homemade flavor. It's a holiday staple in my house.

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Creamy Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

These mashed potatoes are rich, creamy, and one of my Thanksgiving essentials. Best of all, you can make them up to two days ahead and simply reheat them in the microwave, freeing up valuable oven and stovetop space on the big day.

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Sweet Potato Casserole

Forget the marshmallows! This sweet potato casserole has a buttery brown sugar-pecan topping that adds just the right amount of crunch to the creamy sweet potatoes underneath. It's always a favorite on my Thanksgiving table.

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Potato & Sweet Potato Side Dishes

Mashed, roasted, or baked with plenty of cheese, potatoes are always a favorite at Thanksgiving. These recipes offer something for everyone, from potatoes au gratin to crispy roasted potatoes.

Potatoes Au Gratin

Thinly sliced potatoes baked in a creamy sauce with Parmigiano-Reggiano until tender and golden—what's not to love? These potatoes au gratin are rich, cheesy, and just the thing for a special holiday meal.

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Twice Baked Potatoes

These twice-baked potatoes combine the best of both worlds: creamy, buttery mashed potatoes tucked into crispy, salty potato skins. They're a little indulgent, but that's what the holidays are for! You can also prepare them ahead and freeze them.

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Crispy Roasted Potatoes

Golden and crispy on the outside, fluffy and tender on the inside, these roasted potatoes are hard to resist. They're a great alternative to mashed potatoes and especially delicious with a spoonful of Thanksgiving gravy.

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Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Smooth, buttery, and naturally sweet, these mashed sweet potatoes are a wonderful alternative to traditional sweet potato casserole. They're especially nice if you want something a little less sweet alongside all the other holiday dishes.

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Thanksgiving Vegetable Dishes

With so many rich dishes on the holiday table, it’s nice to have a few vegetables in the mix. From caramelized Brussels sprouts to simple green beans and roasted carrots, these sides add color, freshness, and plenty of flavor.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts (Balsamic & Honey)

Roasting Brussels sprouts brings out their natural sweetness and gives them deliciously crispy, caramelized edges. A drizzle of balsamic vinegar and honey adds a sweet-tart finish that makes them especially hard to resist.

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French String Beans with Shallots

Sometimes the simplest sides are the best. These tender-crisp French green beans are sautéed with shallots for a light, elegant dish that pairs beautifully with turkey and helps balance out the richer Thanksgiving favorites.

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Roasted Carrots

Roasting transforms ordinary carrots into something special, bringing out their natural sweetness and giving them beautifully caramelized edges. With just a handful of ingredients, these thyme-scented carrots are easy to make and add a welcome pop of color to the holiday table.

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Simple Creamed Corn

Sweet corn in a rich, creamy sauce is comfort food at its best. This classic side dish is easy to love and makes a wonderful addition to the Thanksgiving table, especially for anyone who isn't a fan of the usual green vegetables.

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Creamy Mashed Cauliflower

If you're looking for something a little lighter than mashed potatoes, this silky cauliflower purée is a delicious option. It's creamy, comforting, and subtly flavored with thyme—a lovely complement to roast turkey and gravy.

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Creamed Spinach

This steakhouse-style creamed spinach is a delicious way to get something green on the Thanksgiving table. Made with frozen spinach, it's surprisingly easy to prepare, and the creamy sauce makes it a perfect match for roast turkey.

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Brussels Sprouts Gratin

Even Brussels sprouts skeptics may have a change of heart after trying this creamy, cheesy gratin. Using heavy cream instead of a traditional béchamel keeps the preparation simple, while the golden topping makes it feel special enough for the holidays.

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Roasted Green Beans with Garlic, Lemon, Pine Nuts & Parmesan

These aren't your ordinary green beans! Roasting gives them blistered, caramelized edges, while garlic, lemon, pine nuts, and Parmigiano-Reggiano add loads of flavor. They're a delicious alternative to traditional green bean casserole.

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Cauliflower Gratin

Tender cauliflower baked in a rich, cheesy sauce with a golden topping makes this gratin hard to resist. It's a wonderful way to turn a simple vegetable into something special for the Thanksgiving table.

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Comforting Sides

Thanksgiving is the perfect excuse to indulge in something creamy, cheesy, and baked until golden. These cozy casseroles and gratins are always crowd-pleasers.

Baked Mac and Cheese

There's always room for mac and cheese on the Thanksgiving table! This baked version is extra creamy, with plenty of cheese sauce and a buttery, herb-flecked panko topping. It's a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, especially with the kids.

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Spoon Bread

If you've never had spoon bread, think of it as a cross between cornbread and a savory pudding. It's soft, creamy, and wonderfully comforting. Frozen corn works beautifully, making it an easy addition to your Thanksgiving menu.

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Cornbread & Sausage Stuffing

Made with homemade cornbread, savory sausage, onions, celery, and herbs, this Southern-style stuffing is tender on the inside with a beautifully golden, crispy top. A delicious addition to any Thanksgiving table.

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Fresh Thanksgiving Salads

A fresh, colorful salad is a welcome addition to a table full of rich holiday dishes. These salads feature seasonal ingredients like apples, cranberries, nuts, and hearty greens, and several are great for making ahead.

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Apples & Walnuts

With crisp Brussels sprouts, sweet apples, crunchy walnuts, and Parmesan, this salad is a refreshing change from the usual rich Thanksgiving sides. It actually benefits from being made ahead, and the leftovers are delicious alongside turkey sandwiches.

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Wild Rice Salad with Dried Cranberries, Apples & Orange Vinaigrette

This colorful wild rice salad is a welcome contrast to all the rich, creamy dishes on the Thanksgiving table. With tart cranberries, crisp apples, and crunchy pecans, it's full of fall flavor. It's also easy to make ahead and perfect for bringing to a holiday gathering.

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Waldorf Salad

Crisp apples, celery, grapes, and walnuts make this classic salad a natural fit for Thanksgiving. It's crunchy, refreshing, and just sweet enough to complement all the savory dishes on the table.

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Green Apple and Celery Salad with Dill

Light, crunchy, and refreshing, this green apple and celery salad is a welcome break from all the rich Thanksgiving dishes. The crisp apples and celery make it especially good alongside roast turkey and stuffing.

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Thanksgiving Breads, Biscuits & Rolls

Don’t forget the bread basket! Whether you prefer fluffy dinner rolls, flaky biscuits, or golden cornbread, these recipes are perfect for soaking up gravy and rounding out your Thanksgiving feast.

Dinner Rolls

Soft, fluffy, and buttery, these homemade dinner rolls are well worth the effort. They're perfect for soaking up gravy, and nothing beats the smell of freshly baked bread coming out of the oven on Thanksgiving Day.

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Buttermilk Biscuits

Flaky, buttery, and golden brown, these homemade buttermilk biscuits are always a welcome addition to the holiday bread basket. You can prepare them ahead and bake them just before serving, so they're warm and fresh when everyone sits down.

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Cornbread Muffins

These golden cornbread muffins are tender, buttery, and just sweet enough. The batter comes together in minutes, and they bake in just 20 minutes, making them an easy addition to your Thanksgiving bread basket.

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Sweet Potato Biscuits

These buttery sweet potato biscuits are soft, fluffy, and lightly sweet, with a beautiful golden color. The recipe comes from Paula Deen, and they're a delicious twist on traditional biscuits for your Thanksgiving bread basket.

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Drop Biscuits

No rolling, cutting, or fussing required! These tender, buttery drop biscuits come together quickly and are a great choice when you want homemade bread without spending too much time in the kitchen.

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