Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends, and food. And of course, no Thanksgiving meal would be complete without a variety of delicious side dishes. Here are 50+ delicious Thanksgiving side dishes for the occasion!
From classic favorites like mashed potatoes and green bean casserole to more modern twists like roasted Brussels sprouts with a balsamic glaze, there’s a side dish out there for everyone.
Here are some additional tips for choosing and preparing side dishes for Thanksgiving:
- Consider the main course when choosing side dishes. If you’re serving a traditional turkey dinner, you’ll want to choose side dishes that complement the flavors of the turkey. For example, you might want to serve mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and cranberry sauce.
- If you’re serving a more modern Thanksgiving meal, you might want to choose side dishes that are more adventurous. For example, you might want to serve roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon, butternut squash salad, or smashed brussel sprouts with lemon tahini sauce.
- Don’t forget about the vegetarians and vegans at your table. There are plenty of delicious side dishes that are suitable for vegetarians and vegans, such as roasted vegetables and butternut squash bisque.
- Make sure to have a variety of side dishes to choose from. This will ensure that everyone at your table can find something they enjoy.
- Don’t be afraid to experiment with different side dishes. There are endless possibilities when it comes to Thanksgiving side dishes, so have fun and try something new!
With so many delicious side dishes to choose from, you’re sure to find the perfect ones to complement your Thanksgiving meal. So gather your ingredients, fire up the oven, and start cooking!
50+ BEST Thanksgiving Side Dishes
These Easy Mashed Potatoes with Sour Cream are the most delicious mashed potatoes you will ever have. They’re light, creamy, buttery and tangy and easy to make with the help of your stand mixer – No hand mashing required!
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This is the BEST Mushroom Pecan Stuffing recipe. Featuring pecans, fresh herbs and a splash of white wine, it's a true family favorite recipe for Thanksgiving!
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These Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Reduction & Cranberries make a simple and elegant side dish that both kids and adults love!
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Roasted Delicata Squash is a winter side dish that’s really easy to prepare. There’s no peeling required and the maple flavors and warm spices taste divine!
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Duchess Potatoes are a fancy piped potato side dish that must make an appearance at your next dinner party. Rich, creamy, and cheesy with just a subtle crisp, these elegant baked mashed potatoes are unlike anything else!
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Flavored with orange juice and orange zest, this cranberry sauce is a must on your holiday table.
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Easy-to-make sweet potato casserole made by boiling chopped and peeled sweet potatoes and mixing it with brown sugar, butter, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla then topped with candied pecans and toasted marshmallows. The perfect holiday side dish that you’ll want to enjoy all year long!
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Sunchokes are a knobby root vegetable that can be prepared in more ways than you can imagine! In this recipe, you’ll learn how to roast them with olive oil, garlic, and thyme. It’s an easy side dish you can pair with anything.
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This Arugula Salad recipe with red wine vinaigrette is my go-to green salad. The arugula has a peppery bite to it which pairs wonderfully with the acid in the vinaigrette. It’s the perfect salad for pairing with rich dishes.
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Roasted Sweet Potatoes are a salty, crispy, savory, and slightly sweet side dish you can pair with almost anything! Lightly spiced and so simple, this easy recipe is a total crowd pleaser and a must-have for weeknight dinners.
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Upgrade your Thanksgiving with this easy green bean casserole recipe that’s made almost from scratch! The difference in taste is incredible, and your family will thank you.
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These are the BEST Glazed Carrots – Lightly sweetened, delicately seasoned, and perfectly glazed. These carrots make an amazing side dish that both kids and adults can’t get enough of!
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How to cook perfect asparagus sous vide. Bright green, perfectly cooked spears. With three options for flavoring – garlic, parmesan or lemon.
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Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes cook up quicker than in the oven and they’re deliciously fluffy and creamy every time! Learn how to make the BEST sweet potatoes in the pressure cooker in just about 30 minutes!
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These Smashed Brussel Sprouts are flattened so that they become extra crispy when roasted in the oven. Drizzled with the most amazing Lemon Tahini Sauce.
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This grilled broccolini is topped with a tangy apple cider vinaigrette and marcona almonds for a delicious crunch. It’s a perfect side dish for autumnal menus or Thanksgiving.
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This always rich and warming Butternut Squash Risotto is the perfect meal for fall. Roasted squash, creamy and tender rice, and fresh sage come together to form dreamy and heavenly flavors in every bite.
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This Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad with Mustard and Parmesan is tossed in a light red wine vinaigrette and makes a delicious, crunchy side dish.
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Pumpkin Mac and Cheese will quickly become your favorite fall meal. This family-friendly, easy recipe is a guaranteed winner!
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Add a healthy boost of nutrients to your dinner with this easy Sauteed Spinach. Baby spinach is added to a skillet along with garlic and olive oil, then sauteed gently to create a simple side dish that pairs with any meal!
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Roasted root vegetables are a tasty and healthy addition to your Thanksgiving dinner lineup.
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Irresistibly Soft Dinner Rolls are easy to make with just 6 ingredients. These fluffy homemade bread rolls are holiday-worthy!
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I’m serving up these Oven Roasted Mexican Carrots elote style. Similar to how you’d dress grilled street corn, these delicious tender carrots are topped with lime, crumbled cheese, jalapenos and cilantro. So crazy good!
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This easy, wild rice pilaf is full of flavorful vegetables. This homemade vegan recipe makes a great, hearty side dish for any meal.
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These Easy Smashed Potatoes with Mojo Sauce are the most delicious side dish! Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.
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This Butternut Squash Bisque with Maple Cream is a deliciously rich & creamy soup that’s perfect for chilly days.
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This Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad with Apples & Pecans is tossed in a light maple vinaigrette and makes a delicious, crunchy side dish.
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Miso Mashed Potatoes make a quick and easy side dish. With roasted garlic and buttery miso paste these potatoes pack a delicious umami flavor.
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This delicious Italian Radicchio Salad is dressed in a creamy lemon-vinaigrette and tossed with buttery calvestrano olives, tasty breadcrumbs and nutty parmesan cheese. And, a special tip ensures that your radicchio won't be bitter!
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This Pumpkin Risotto with Goat Cheese and Cranberries is a perfect fall comfort food. It’s rich and creamy and perfect for an elegant weeknight meal. Or try serving this to your vegetarian guests at Thanksgiving.
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This gourmet Steakhouse Creamed Spinach is a classic dish with a delightful flavor and texture, and it’s super easy to make!
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These Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes with chicken broth are the most delicious mashed potatoes you will ever have. They’re light, creamy, buttery & quick to make with the help of your pressure cooker.
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This Mushroom Pot Pie is the perfect, savory dinner party recipe! Rich, creamy mushrooms bathing in a red wine gravy, then topped with the most-delicious puff pastry crust! This vegetarian friendly meal can be made ahead of time, then popped into a hot oven when you’re ready to serve.
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Toasted almonds, with their delicate crunchy texture, are a perfect foil for these garlicky green beans. The resulting side dish is as elegant as it is simple—which is to say, very.
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Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes with garlic take a classic comfort food dish to a new level! Made with tangy goat cheese, sour cream, and Parmesan cheese, these potatoes are perfectly creamy and flavorful every time.
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Sautéed Sugar Snap Peas is a healthy, quick and delicious side dish to go with any main. Ready in 5 minutes, you’ll love the simplicity!
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Roasted Miso Cauliflower is a buttery, umami-filled delicious and healthy side dish. Cauliflower is tossed in a glaze of miso, soy and red pepper flakes and roasted until perfectly browned and crisp. {Vegan + Gluten Free}
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This Vegan Caesar Salad has all the tanginess and creaminess that you'd expect from a traditional Caesar salad, but it's completely plant based. Topped with fresh avocado, cripsy fried capers and croutons.
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Mashed Cauliflower is a delicious, low carb & keto friendly side dish. With 5 flavor variations and instructions for making Stovetop Mashed Cauliflower or Instant Pot Mashed Cauliflower.
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This Shaved Fennel Salad comes together quickly and has such a delicious light lemon vinaigrette and wonderful crunch. It's the perfect side salad for rich and hearty dishes like pasta or braised short ribs.
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Mashed Sweet Potatoes – Ultra creamy, flavorful and delicious and made with only 3-ingredients! No hand mashing required. Let your stand mixer do all the work for you!
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This Hungarian Mushroom Soup with Fresh Dill is rich, with hints of smokiness and a great umami flavor. It’s the perfect bowl of soup to warm up with this season!
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This Roasted Squash Salad with Creamy Tahini Dressing combines roasted butternut squash & chickpeas with fluffy quinoa and a dreamy, creamy maple tahini dressing. It’s a delicious and fresh salad that can be made ahead of time.
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These roasted red potatoes are coated in garlic, herbs and parmesan cheese, then oven baked to golden brown perfection. An easy and elegant side dish.
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Cheesy, creamy au gratin potatoes made with three types of cheese for an incredible, easy side dish everyone will love!
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Slow Cooker Cauliflower Soup topped with bacon, cheese and chives is the perfect comfort-food, and it’s keto-friendly! Just add all the ingredients to your crockpot and go!
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Learn how to make perfect slow cooker baked potatoes with minimal effort. Just season the potatoes with a bit of olive oil and salt, wrap in foil, and cook in the crockpot. Serve them with your favorite toppings like cheese and sour cream, or chili. Or, host a Baked Potato Bar.
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Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts with Balsamic cook up crispy and delicious with minimal oil with the help of your air fryer! Dressed simply with balsamic vinegar and a sprinkle of salt. You'll love these!
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How to Make Ahead and Store
Many of these Thanksgiving side dish recipes can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for a few days or even in the freezer. Simply check the individual recipes for full storing instructions and details on how to make ahead.
More Side Dish Recipes
Did you Make Any of These Sides for Thanksgiving?
Please leave a comment and rating below, if you loved this round up of sides for Thanksgiving. Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.
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50+ BEST Thanksgiving Side Dishes
Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends, and food. And of course, no Thanksgiving meal would be complete without a variety of delicious side dishes. Here are 50+ delicious sides for Thanksgiving. Try this Mushroom Stuffing. Featuring pecans, fresh herbs and a splash of white wine, it's a true family favorite recipe for Thanksgiving!
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Servings: 12 people
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 pound crimini mushrooms (or a mixture of your favorite mushrooms)
- 2 1/2 cups onion (chopped)
- 2 1/2 cups celery (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh sage (chopped, or 1 1/2 tsp. dried)
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh thyme (chopped, or 1 1/2 tsp. dried)
- 1/4 cup italian parsley (chopped )
- Pinch of grated nutmeg
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pound loaf good-quality white bread (cut into 1/2-inch cubes (10 to 12 cups), stale or lightly toasted)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2/3 cup dry white wine (or vermouth)
- 1 cup vegetable stock (or turkey stock or chicken broth)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add the mushrooms and saute until nicely browned, 6-8 minutes. Set aside in a large bowl.
- Melt another 2 tablespoons of butter in the same skillet. Add the onion, celery, garlic, sage, thyme, nutmeg, and salt. Cook until the onion is soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- In a large bowl, toss the sautéed mushrooms and vegetables with the bread cubes and chopped pecans. Season with a pinch of salt & pepper. Melt the remaining butter. Pour it over the stuffing, along with the wine and broth, and toss to coat. The stuffing should just hold together when mounded on a spoon.
- Bake it covered until heated through, 45 minutes to 1 hour. For a crunchy top, uncover it for the last 15 minutes of baking and increase the temperature to 425 degrees. Top with chopped parsley.
Notes
To stuff a turkey:
If cooking in a turkey, omit the broth (the bird juices will make up for it) and put the stuffing in the bird just before roasting. Pack the stuffing loosely, leaving enough room to fit your whole extended hand into the bird’s cavity. Cook the stuffing in the bird to 160º to 165ºF, checking with an instant-read thermometer.
If the bird is done before the stuffing is, take the bird out of the oven, spoon the stuffing into a casserole dish, and continue to bake it while the turkey rests.
Did you make this recipe?Mention @platingsandpairings or tag #platingsandpairings!
Equipment
Baking Dish
Knife
Large Bowl
Large Skillet
Nutrition
Calories: 232kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 391mg | Potassium: 237mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 274IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 2mg
