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Home » Recipe Roundups

23 BEST THANKSGIVING SIDE DISHES

Updated: Mar 16, 2025 · Published: Sep 3, 2024 by Sana Umer · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

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Thanksgiving side dishes are what make the holiday feast truly special. They complement the main courses and add variety to your meal.

Here are some of the best Thanksgiving side dishes to make your celebration memorable:

Creamy Mashed Potatoes are a classic. Made with butter, cream, and a touch of garlic, they’re fluffy and rich.

These mashed potatoes are the perfect comfort food and pair well with turkey and gravy.

Green Bean Almondine offers a fresh and crisp option. Green beans are sautéed with almonds, butter, and a bit of lemon juice for a light yet flavorful side that adds a nice crunch.

Sweet Potato Casserole is a holiday favorite. This dish features mashed sweet potatoes topped with a pecan and brown sugar crumble.

It’s sweet, comforting, and makes for a delightful addition to your Thanksgiving table.

Stuffing is a must-have. Combine bread cubes with celery, onions, sage, and chicken broth for a savory stuffing that’s perfect for soaking up turkey gravy.

Cranberry Sauce provides a tangy contrast to richer dishes. Homemade cranberry sauce with a hint of orange zest and a touch of sugar offers a burst of flavor that complements the rest of the meal.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts add a healthy and delicious touch. Toss Brussels sprouts with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then roast until crispy. They’re a great way to include veggies in your feast.

These Thanksgiving side dishes are sure to please your guests and make your holiday meal extra special.

Best Thanksgiving Side Dishes to Complete Your Feast

23. Southern Baked Mac and Cheese

Creamy old-fashioned baked mac and cheese with evaporated milk is the best Southern baked mac and cheese recipe. It’s topped with more cheese for extra flavor!

Enjoy a rich, cheesy dish that’s perfect for any occasion and sure to be a hit with everyone!

22. Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Sweet Potatoes

Roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes make a delicious side dish. They’re topped with pomegranate and pecans for extra flavor and texture.

Enjoy this tasty and nutritious side that adds a festive touch to any meal!

21. Chicken and Dressing

Chicken and Dressing is a Southern classic perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other holiday dinners. It’s a tried and true family recipe.

Enjoy this comforting and traditional dish that brings warmth and flavour to any festive meal!

20. Ruth's Chris Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

Enjoy this authentic recipe in your own kitchen. Ruth's Chris Sweet Potato Casserole is quick and easy to make with simple ingredients.

Treat yourself to a delicious and comforting dish that’s perfect for any occasion.

19. Smoked Green Bean Casserole

Smoked Green Bean Casserole is the ultimate side dish for holiday dinners.

Made with fresh green beans and a homemade creamy mushroom sauce, it’s a delicious and flavorful addition to any meal.

Enjoy a comforting dish with a smoky twist that everyone will love!

18. Super Crispy Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes

Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and bursting with garlic flavor. Made with just 5 ingredients, they’re simple and delicious.

Enjoy a quick, flavorful side dish that’s perfect for any meal!

17. Crispy Roasted Frozen Brussels Sprouts

These Crispy Roasted Frozen Brussels Sprouts are an easy side dish for the holidays or your next weeknight dinner. Just 5 ingredients needed!

Enjoy a simple and delicious way to make Brussels sprouts that are crispy and flavorful.

16. Crispy Roasted Frozen Brussels Sprouts

These Crispy Roasted Frozen Brussels Sprouts are an easy side dish for the holidays or your next weeknight dinner. Just 5 ingredients needed!

They offer a quick and tasty way to enjoy Brussels sprouts with a crispy texture and great flavour.

15. Simple Cranberry Sauce from Dried Cranberries (Craisins)

This cranberry sauce made from dried cranberries (Craisins) is an easy holiday side with just 5 ingredients. It’s sweet, tart, and juicy!

Enjoy a simple and delicious sauce that adds a burst of flavor to your holiday meals.

14. Cornbread without Buttermilk (Dairy-free)

This Cornbread without Buttermilk is moist, buttery, and has a perfect golden crust. It's easy to make and is the BEST cornbread you'll try!

Enjoy a deliciously simple cornbread that’s perfect for any meal or occasion.

13. Easy Scalloped Potatoes Recipe

Beautiful, perfectly cooked Scalloped Potatoes are a classic dish you'll fall in love with after just one bite!

They’re rich, creamy, and full of flavor, making them a must-try for any meal.

12. Candied Sweet Potato Casserole

This Candied Sweet Potato Casserole is packed with flavor! Simple to prepare, this dish will have your guests begging for seconds and needing the recipe!

It's a delicious, crowd-pleasing option for any gathering or holiday meal.

11. Southern Style Green Beans

Tender, flavorful, and steeped in tradition, green beans Southern style are a down-home delight that's easy to make!

Enjoy this classic, comforting side dish that's perfect for any meal.

10. Loaded Mashed Potatoes

These Loaded Mashed Potatoes include bacon, cheese, sour cream, and butter throughout. The perfect side dish to complement any meal!

They’re rich, creamy, and packed with flavor, making them a great addition to any plate.

9. Skillet Green Bean Casserole

This easy skillet green bean casserole is made with homemade mushroom sauce (no canned soup!), fresh green beans, and crispy fried onions.

It can be prepared on your stovetop, camp stove, grill, or campfire. This versatile dish is perfect for any cooking setting!

8. Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole

Indulge in the heartwarming comfort of an Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole, crowned with a buttery pecan streusel topping that adds a delightful crunch to every bite.

This classic dish blends the earthy sweetness of sweet potatoes with the rich, nutty flavor of pecans, creating a festive favorite perfect for any gathering.

7. Sweet Potato Cornbread

Savor the holidays and elevate weeknight meals with this Sweet Potato Cornbread recipe, a delicious blend of warm spices and sweet potato.

Perfect for festive gatherings, it's a tasty twist on a classic side that's easy to make and sure to impress!

6. Cottage Cheese Mashed Potatoes

This cottage cheese mashed potatoes recipe adds a hint of protein to a familiar side dish and creates the creamiest consistency. These will be a hit for any holiday meal!

The blend of flavors and smooth texture makes these mashed potatoes a delicious upgrade to a classic favorite.

5. Mandarin Orange Cranberry Sauce Recipe

Make this easy mandarin orange cranberry sauce recipe this holiday season. It’s simple and full of flavor.

You can also enjoy it in different ways throughout the year. Watch the video for more creative ideas!

4. Instant Pot Apple Butter With Cointreau (Orange Liqueur)

This Instant Pot apple butter is so easy to make. You don’t need to peel the apples or do much chopping. Just put everything in the Instant Pot and let it cook.

The result is a delicious apple butter. It’s perfect for spreading on bread or adding to dishes.

3. Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus is a tasty and easy side dish. Asparagus is wrapped in bacon and baked until crispy.

The combination of flavors makes this dish a hit. It’s perfect for a quick snack or as a fancy side for any meal. Enjoy the crunch and flavor in every bite!

2. Creamy Keto Brussel Sprouts Recipe {with bacon}

These keto Brussels sprouts are the best side dish. The cream sauce complements the Brussels sprouts perfectly.

Simple, tasty, and ideal for a keto-friendly meal, this recipe makes enjoying veggies a delight. It’s a great way to add flavor to your meal without extra carbs.

1. The Crispiest Brussels Sprouts Ever

Good morning to the crispest Brussels sprouts ever! And a special good morning to you, the lucky person about to make them!

This quick and easy recipe will turn anyone into a Brussels sprout fan. Trust me, you’ll be amazed at how delicious and irresistible these sprouts can be!

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About Sana Umer

I'm Sana Umer — the home cook behind every recipe on For Foodie Friends. I'm a Pakistani-American mom of two based in the US, and I've been cooking seriously for about a decade now, mostly because feeding a family every day is the fastest way to learn how to actually cook.

I'm completely self-taught. I learned by watching my mother in Pakistan, by burning a lot of food in my early years, and by paying attention to which recipes worked and which ones needed fixing. I don't specialize in just one cuisine — I cook the Pakistani dishes I grew up with, the American desserts my kids request, weeknight dinners, holiday roasts, and everything in between.

Every recipe is personally tested in my own kitchen, every word is written by me, and every photo is taken of food I actually made.

Comments

  1. Young and Older mum says

    December 05, 2024 at 5:15 pm

    Wow - so many great recipes here. The Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Sweet Potatoes and the sweet potato cornbread sound particularly amazing. Thanks for sharing these amazing Thanksgiving side dishes.

    Reply
    • Sana Umer says

      December 08, 2024 at 1:21 pm

      You're welcome! Those Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Sweet Potatoes and sweet potato cornbread are perfect for adding some extra flavor to your Thanksgiving table. I'm glad you liked the recipes!

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Sana Umer — the home cook, recipe tester, and writer behind For Foodie Friends.

I'm a Pakistani-American mom based in the US. I learned to cook in two kitchens — my mother's in Pakistan, where I grew up watching whole spices bloom in oil, and my own kitchen now, where I cook for my husband and kids.

Every recipe on this site has been tested in my own kitchen, often more times than I'd like to admit, before it ever made it here. I cook a little bit of everything: the Pakistani comfort food I grew up with, the American desserts my kids beg for, weeknight dinners that need to come together fast, and the holiday spreads that take all day.

If a recipe is on this site, it earned its place. No ghostwriters, no AI shortcuts, no copy-paste from somewhere else — just real recipes from a real kitchen, written to actually work the first time you make them.

Welcome to my corner of the internet.

— Sana

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