17 Mouthwatering Thanksgiving Side Dishes
What are the most popular side dishes to serve at Thanksgiving? Everyone has their favorite. Here are 17 mouthwatering Thanksgiving side dishes to choose from for your holiday meal and celebration.
We are now about weeks away from Thanksgiving. Menu planning should begin.
Do you wonder how many side dishes you should have? Or what are the most traditional side dish recipes you should consider? What can be made ahead?
These questions are at the top of every Thanksgiving hostess’ mind.
Will you be hosting this year? I’m here to help you.
The largest meal of the year requires a lot of early preparation. That’s to keep the hostess from going crazy.
I know what I traditionally like to serve and what my family considers “must-have” dishes. But sometimes, I still like to shake things up a bit.
I have hundreds of cookbooks and thousands of recipes in my files to choose from.
Sometimes, it’s easier to scroll through Pinterest for some new twists on Thanksgiving side dish recipes.
I gathered 17 recipes that I know will appeal to different tastes, abilities, and age groups.
Welcome to Bluesky Browsing #126.
Thanksgiving Side Dishes for the Holiday: 17 Turkey Day Recipes
These Thanksgiving side dish recipe ideas are gathered from my search on Pinterest. You can see more holiday ideas on these Pinterest Boards:
I love the flavors of fall. Some ingredients just lend themselves to a Thanksgiving meal.
What are the most traditional Thanksgiving side dishes?
According to Google, mashed potatoes are the most popular Thanksgiving side dish. I included my recipe for the Perfect Mashed Potatoes. I also shared all the tips and techniques you will need to produce the best mashed potatoes.
What are other side dishes for Thanksgiving?
- dressing – or you may call it stuffing, but in the Southern states, it’s called dressing and it is never cooked inside the turkey.
- cranberry sauce
- butternut squash, acorn squash
- pumpkin
- sweet potatoes
- green bean casserole
- Brussels sprouts
- potatoes
- corn
- carrots
- any casserole
All these ingredients are options to complete your Thanksgiving meal.
Enjoy them all.
Just FYI: I’m picky about my dishes, so I scrolled and scrolled to find these 17 Thanksgiving side dishrecipes. Thanksgiving is such a heavy meal that I tend not to make casseroles, but I know my family loves them.
I looked for fairly easy-to-prepare recipes. I also looked for some lighter versions of traditional dishes.
I may have more than one green bean or cranberry sauce recipe for variety and to appeal to different tastes.
You may notice that there is not a recipe for dressing (that’s what we call it in the South); you may call it stuffing. There are just too many versions – even within one family. I’ve been using my mom’s version (She didn’t have a recipe and neither do I.) since I was old enough to host my own Thanksgiving meal.
What Thanksgiving course do you think will be next week?
Let’s start with an interesting way to make Cranberry Sauce.
A Different Preparation for Cranberry Sauce
Barbara of Butter and Baggage shares a new way to make homemade cranberry sauce. I love that this approach uses the oven to cook the cranberries. That frees up the stovetop. I love the addition of walnuts (which are good for you) for crunch.
Garlic Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts
I always serve Brussels sprouts for Thanksgiving. This version from Eat Well 101 presents one of the prettiest and most delicious versions I’ve seen in a long time. I will be using this rendition this Thanksgiving. The flavors of garlic and the browned parmesan cheese make my mouth water.
Traditional Thanksgiving Green Beans
Green Bean Casserole is such a traditional Thanksgiving side dish. I’m a big believer in using fresh vegetables. That’s why I love this version from Sally of Sally’s Baking Addiction. This recipe is a bit lighter than the usual casserole, which I really like.
Best Roasted Broccoli with Lemon and Garlic
Erren of Erren’s Kitchen says that this is the best broccoli recipe. This method is almost exactly how I make my roasted broccoli. It always tastes delicious. If you read the ingredient list, you’ll see why it’s so good.
Perfect Mashed Potatoes
This is my recipe and I vouch for it. Making light, smooth and fluffy mashed potatoes is really about using the right type of potato and following the correct cooking procedure. Follow all the tips and techniques for the best mashed potatoes.
Twice Baked Potato Casserole
If you absolutely must have a potato casserole on your Thanksgiving menu, then this Thanksgiving side dish from Tania of Cooktoria sounds like a really great option. I love the addition of fresh herbs and how pretty this dish is. And, of course, it can be made ahead.
Nantucket Corn Pudding
Disclosure: Although I love corn (it’s one of the few frozen vegetables that I like.), I’ve never included it on my Thanksgiving menu. This Thanksgiving side dish sounded so good that I had to include it. It is a simple recipe, but one that I think would be a hit. It comes from Martha and Jack of A Family Feast.
Easy Slow Cooker Maple Brown Sugar Carrots
This carrot side dish will free up your oven and stovetop since these delicious Maple and Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots are made in your slow cooker. This perfect Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish from Dolly of Dash for Dinner is vegetarian, gluten-free, and perfect for the whole family. I thought kids especially would like this dish.
BROWN SUGAR PECAN ROASTED SWEET POTATOES
Sweet potatoes and pecans are iconic Thanksgiving ingredients. I like this lighter version. Brown sugar is far less filling than the traditional gooey marshmallow topping. Try this Thanksgiving side dish take on sweet potatoes from MinShien of Joyous Apron.
Cinnamon Roasted Butternut Squash
Did you know that butternut squash is good for you? Here’s another simple Thanksgiving side dish. With only 5-ingredients, this butternut squash recipe is one you can assemble in a short time. Amy of Chew Out Loud used cinnamon for lots of fall flavor.
Keto Mashed Cauliflower Potatoes
Carla of Mom Secrets provides a yummy alternative to traditional mashed potatoes with this side dish of mashed cauliflower made with garlic and topped with cheddar cheese.
Roasted Carrots with Candied Pecans
Michael of Inspired by Charm dives into the flavors of fall with these Roasted Carrots topped with sweet Candied Pecans and tangy goat cheese. A side dish that’s not only bursting with color but also rich in taste. Perfect for holiday gatherings.
Maple Roasted Pumpkin with Hazelnuts
Pumpkin isn’t just for making into a jack-o-lantern. Laura of Six Hungry Feet shares a side dish that is sweet from the natural caramelization that pumpkin goes through when roasted and added maple syrup, It’s packed full of flavor from the different spices, such as nutmeg, ginger powder and sweet paprika, as well as crunchy from the toasted hazelnuts added before serving. Pumpkin
Sweet Potato Casserole
Catalina of Sweet and Savory Meals creates a special version of sweet potatoes seasoned with warm spices, a brown sugar cinnamon filling, and topped with a streusel topping, toasted pecans, and marshmallows. This is a classic and traditional side dish for Thanksgiving
Cheesy Garlic Broccoli
Karo of All Nutrious made this cheesy garlic broccoli with just three ingredients. If you need a gluten-free, high protein, and vegetarian dish, this one is a showcase of broccoli goodness. How can a cheesy and garlic topping ever be wrong? This recipe is quick to cook too!
Crispy Pumpkin Fritters
Rosemary of An Italian in My Kitchen shares these crispy pumpkin fritters are a delightful fall side dish, with a crunchy exterior and soft, flavorful interior. They’re easy to make and perfect for any autumn meal.
Butternut Mac and Cheese
Jennifer of The Rebel Chick
uses panko and parmesan crispy topping to take this butternut squash dish over the top yummy! And, bonus… It’s another way to sneak some veggies in without the kiddos even knowing!
Visit my Pinterest Boards – Thanksgiving Recipes and Holiday Side Dishes and follow for more ideas.
Let me know what you think of these Thanksgiving side dishes? Which ones were your favorites? I hope you PIN this post, will visit each selection, PIN each one.
I’d love to know what subjects you are most curious about. Let me know in the comments and I’ll search browse for them. Be sure to PIN to keep these ideas handy.
