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The turkey gets the spotlight, but let us be honest, the side dishes are the reason everybody comes back for a second plate. These 32 Thanksgiving side dishes are the ones we cook for our own table every November: creamy garlic mashed potatoes, savory mashed sweet potatoes, buttery classic stuffing and slow cooker cornbread dressing, homemade dinner rolls, bacon roasted Brussels sprouts, candied carrots, from scratch baked mac and cheese, creamed corn, and a bright apple cranberry sauce that makes the canned stuff look sad. Nearly everything is from scratch, a good chunk of it can be made ahead or cooks in the slow cooker so your oven stays free, and every one of them has earned a permanent spot in our holiday rotation. Pick five or six, because nobody has ever complained about too many sides.
Mashed Potatoes and Whipped Sweet Potatoes
Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Whipped silky smooth with cream cheese, butter, and a whole head of garlic boiled right in the pot. I make a big batch every holiday and they disappear faster than anything else on the table. Get the recipe →
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
A whole head of sweet roasted garlic mashed into the creamiest, most comforting potatoes you will ever put next to a turkey. Maddie and Lizzie ask for these with everything from holiday ham to weeknight chicken. Get the recipe →
Garlic Mashed Potatoes (20 Minutes!)
Buttery, fluffy, and packed with mellow garlic flavor, and they come together in just 20 minutes. When the oven is full and the clock is ticking, these are the mashed potatoes that save Thanksgiving dinner. Get the recipe →
Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes
The holiday saving side that cooks completely hands off in the slow cooker, so your stovetop stays free for the gravy. I started making them this way to stop babysitting a pot of boiling water, and I never went back. Get the recipe →
Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Buttery, herby, and garlicky, these finally let sweet potatoes shine without a single marshmallow. Maddie declared the sweet versions too much like dessert, and this is the bowl that won her over. Get the recipe →
Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Maple Butter
Silky whipped sweet potatoes with maple, mascarpone, and warm spices, from my friend Irena over at Cooked and Loved. It is an easy make ahead side that frees up the oven on the big day. Get the recipe →
Sweet Potatoes Royale (Million Dollar Sweet Potatoes)
Sweet potatoes royale, also called million dollar sweet potatoes, from my friend Donya over at A Southern Soul. Apple butter and brown sugar in the sweet potatoes, then pecans, coconut, and toasted marshmallows on top. This is the one for the marshmallow crowd at your table. Get the recipe →
Roasted, Crispy and Loaded Potatoes
Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes
Fluffy baked potato scooped out, mixed with butter, sour cream, cheese, and bacon, then piled back into crispy skins and baked until melty. I make a big tray every holiday and they vanish before the main course even lands. Get the recipe →
Fully Loaded Hasselback Potatoes
A crispy fanned russet baked until golden, then stuffed with melty cheddar, crunchy bacon, sour cream, and scallions. They look fancy on the holiday table and the girls fight over the crispiest edges. Get the recipe →
Crispy Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
Crispy on the outside, creamy inside, and made with just a handful of pantry staples. A big sheet pan of these goes with absolutely everything we put on the Thanksgiving table. Get the recipe →
Parmesan Smashed Potatoes
Creamy and fluffy inside with shatteringly crisp, golden edges, all showered in salty parmesan. The kids fight over the crispiest ones every single time, so I always make a double tray. Get the recipe →
Copycat Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole Recipe
Creamy, cheesy hashbrowns crowned with a buttery Ritz cracker crust, with ten minutes of hands on work and one pan. It tastes just like the restaurant version and disappears just as fast at a holiday dinner. Get the recipe →
Stuffing, Dressing and Dinner Rolls
Classic Stuffing
Buttery toasted bread, tender celery and onion, and enough sage and thyme to make the whole house smell like the holidays. This is the one side my family actually fights over, and Maddie went back for thirds last year. Get the recipe →
Italian Sausage Stuffing
Golden toasted brioche, savory homemade Italian sausage, fresh herbs, and just enough butter to make it irresistible. I make a double batch every Thanksgiving because it quietly steals the whole table. Get the recipe →
Best Slow Cooker Cornbread Dressing
Moist, savory, buttery Southern dressing, and the crockpot does all the work so your oven stays free for the turkey. I started making it this way when I ran out of oven space and now it is the only way I make it. Get the recipe →
Dinner Roll Recipe
Soft, buttery, and so pillowy they practically melt, and they are far easier than you think. Lizzie ate two straight off the pan before they even cooled, which is the best review I could ask for. Get the recipe →
Texas Roadhouse Rolls
The soft, fluffy, slightly sweet rolls you cannot stop eating at the steakhouse, even better warm from your own oven with honey cinnamon butter. They vanish before dinner is even served. Get the recipe →
Brussels Sprouts, Carrots and Other Veggie Sides
Glazed Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacon
Roasted crisp and tossed in a sweet and tangy honey dijon glaze with crumbled bacon in every bite. This turns the one vegetable everyone claims to hate into the dish they reach for first. Get the recipe →
Brown Sugar Candied Carrots
Tender baby carrots coated in a buttery, sweet cinnamon glaze, made in one pan with a handful of ingredients. They are the easy holiday side that disappears first off the table. Get the recipe →
Maple Glazed Carrots (Slow Cooker)
Tender carrots coated in a caramelized maple and brown sugar glaze, and the slow cooker does all the work while you focus on the rest of dinner. Sweet, buttery, and completely hands off. Get the recipe →
Roasted Mushrooms in Garlic Butter Sauce
Tender, golden, and tossed in a rich garlic butter sauce loaded with fresh herbs. Roasting at high heat gives them beautifully browned edges, and they come together in about 30 minutes. Get the recipe →
Best Creamed Spinach Recipe
Tender spinach folded into a rich, garlicky parmesan cream sauce, the steakhouse side that makes any dinner feel special. It belongs right next to the turkey and a big spoonful of mashed potatoes. Get the recipe →
Mac and Cheese, Creamed Corn and Cheesy Bakes
Classic Baked Mac and Cheese
Tender elbow macaroni in a rich, creamy homemade cheese sauce under a crispy buttery panko crust. It is the from scratch classic my family fights over, and it earns a spot on our Thanksgiving table every year. Get the recipe →
Baked Mac and Cheese with Cornbread Crust
A Southern, soul food style casserole with a buttery cornbread crust that disappears faster than anything else on the table. Maddie called the crunchy top the best part, and I have to agree. Get the recipe →
Slow Cooker Creamed Corn with Green Chiles
Sweet corn swimming in a velvety cream cheese sauce with a little green chile kick, and it is a dump and go side that frees up your stovetop. It vanished fastest at our last holiday dinner. Get the recipe →
Ultra Creamy Cheesy Grits
Slow simmered in cream and stock, then loaded with sharp cheddar and cream cheese until they are impossibly rich and luscious. A pot of these next to the turkey is pure Southern comfort. Get the recipe →
Creamy Butternut Squash Risotto
Creamy, cozy, and full of sweet roasted butternut squash, this is the side that makes a holiday spread feel like a restaurant night in. The whole family hovers by the stove while I stir. Get the recipe →
Cranberry Sauce, Gravy and Holiday Classics
Apple Cranberry Sauce
So much brighter and fresher than the canned stuff, simmered with sweet apple, orange, and a whisper of cinnamon and rosemary. I make a batch every Thanksgiving morning and it fills the whole kitchen with holiday smells. Get the recipe →
Easy Mushroom Gravy (Ready in 20 Minutes)
Sliced mushrooms sauteed in butter, a quick roux, a splash of red wine, and savory au jus come together in 20 minutes. Rich enough for the turkey and the mashed potatoes, and a lifesaver if the drippings run short. Get the recipe →
Wild Rice Pilaf with Pecans and Cranberries
Chewy toasted wild rice tossed with buttery onions, carrots, tart fresh cranberries, and pecans. It earned its spot at last Thanksgiving’s table and it makes the whole spread look intentional. Get the recipe →
Ambrosia Salad
Juicy pineapple, sweet mandarin oranges, cherries, coconut, and marshmallows folded into a light, creamy cloud. My grandma always made it, and now my kids beg for it at every holiday table. Get the recipe →
Cracker Barrel Fried Apples
My copycat of the buttery, cinnamon spiced Cracker Barrel classic, made in one skillet in about 30 minutes. They belong next to the turkey just as much as they belong on a Sunday breakfast plate. Get the recipe →
Save This Thanksgiving Side Dish Lineup
Pin this roundup so every side dish is one tap away when you start planning Thanksgiving week, and if you make one of these, leave a comment on the recipe and tell us which one disappeared first. From our kitchen to your table!
