15 Thanksgiving Side Dishes Everyone Will Love

It’s almost Thanksgiving, and you haven’t even thought about side dishes! Sure, you’ve got the main dish, you’ve got the usual side dishes like raspberry jelly, but it’s getting boring. How can you change up the Thanksgiving side dishes?

Well, here are a few Thanksgiving side dishes that you can bring to the table!

1. Stuffing

Ah, a classic. Truly a staple in Thanksgiving dinner; you can’t have Thanksgiving without it. Here are the ingredients that you need to make it!

Follow the links to see how to actually make it! 

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter plus more for baking dish
• 1 pound good-quality day-old white bread, torn into 1″ pieces (about 10 cups)
• 2 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
• 1 1/2 cups 1/4″ slices celery
• 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
• 2 large eggs

2. Twice Baked Potato Casserole

This is a whole new way of using potatoes for your Thanksgiving side dishes. It’s a casserole! This looks so good; you’ve got the bacon, the chives, the everything! 

Oops, sorry for drooling. Here’s the ingredients list!

• 4 pounds russet potatoes, mostly peeled and chopped into cubes
• 4 cloves garlic, mashed
• 5 Tbls butter
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 – 1 cup heavy cream or milk, (amount depends on how creamy you like it)
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 package Jones Dairy Cherrywood Smoked Bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 Tbls salt, (approximately, adjust to taste)
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cup green onions, finely chopped

3. Cheesy Baked Green Beans

You always need a little bit of green in your life. Why not cover your green in cheese? It’s perfect! 

Let’s get to the chase. Here’s the list!

• 2 lb. green beans, cleaned with ends removed
• 1/2 c. heavy cream
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp. lemon zest
• 1 c. mozzarella
• 2/3 c. freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
• kosher salt
• pinch red pepper flakes

4. Simple Roasted Butternut Squash

Butternut squash is a staple of Thanksgiving side dishes, so roast those bad boys and scoop them up! These look soooooooo good! 

You know the drill – ingredients list! 

• 1 Butternut Squash – peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• salt and black pepper to taste

5. Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Instead of mashed potatoes, go for a way different option that you probably didn’t think of for Thanksgiving side dishes: sweet potatoes! Sweet potatoes is really sweet, and can be used in a variety of Thanksgiving side dishes. 

On to the ingredients list! 

• 6 small sweet potatoes (around 5 in.), peeled and cubed
• 3/4 cup of milk
• 1/2 cup of butter
• 3/4 cup of maple syrup

6. Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Ooh, brussel sprouts. Brussel sprouts aren’t usually thought of when thinking about Thanksgiving side dishes, but they can really bring on the flavor. 

Ingredient list time!

• 1 lb. Brussel sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• kosher salt
• Ground black pepper
• Flaky sea salt for serving (optional)

7. Garlic Bread

Garlic bread is quite literally the best side dish ever, regardless of the list of Thanksgiving side dishes. Unless your allergic or a vampire, but if you’re not either of those things, just consider making garlic bread as part of your other Thanksgiving side dishes. Your stomach will thanks us later.

Take a gander at the ingredients list!

• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 loaf crusty bread, split
• 3 tablespoons grated cheese, Parmigiano or Romano, optional
• Chopped fresh parsley

8. Wild Rice and Basmati Dressing with Sausage and Sage

Okay, so this side dish is amazing. Many sites recommended making a dish with wild rice, as it adds variety to your Thanksgiving dishes. Wild rice isn’t used much for these holidays, so it’s nice to give it a little love every once in a while. 

Here’s the ingredients list!

• 1 lb. bulk pork sausage
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 large Spanish onion
• 1/4 lb. small mushrooms (such as white button)
• c. wild rice
• 4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh sage
• 2 bay leaves
• c. basmati rice
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
• salt
• Freshly ground pepper

9. Ambrosia Salad Recipe

Ambrosia Salad is notoriously really, really easy to make, which makes it one of the coolest Thanksgiving side dishes out there. Just you, your coconut shavings, and your cherries. 

Here’s the ingredient list!

• 1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 2 1/2 cups of shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
• 1 (8 oz) can of fruit cocktail, drained
• 1 (11 oz) can of mandarin oranges, drained
• 3 cups of mini marshmallows
• 1 (10 oz) jar of maraschino cherries
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

10. Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and cheese are perfect for the kids coming over to your humble abode! Though, it doesn’t just have to be for kids. You can be a whole adult and still make this. Go ahead, break the societal rules a little bit. Why not? 

Ingredients List:

• 8 oz of uncooked elbow macaroni
• 2 cups of shredded cheddar
• 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
• 3 cups of milk
• 2 1/2 tbsp of all-purpose flour
• 6 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup of bread crumbs
• 1 pinch of paprika

11. Tamales

Tamales are generally not a side dish for Thanksgiving. But usually, Mexican and Latinx families will eat tamales on the daily and during holidays. It’s the perfect meal! 

You know what time it is! Ingredients List!

Tamale Filling:

• 1 ¼ pounds pork loin
• 1 large onion, halved
• 1 clove garlic
• 4 peppers dried California chile pods
• 2 cups of water
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt

Tamale Dough:

• 2 cups masa harina
• 1 (10.5 ounces) can beef broth
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ⅔ cup lard
• 1 (8 ounces) package dried corn husks
• 1 cup sour cream

See Also

Go Bold Or Go Home: Why You Shouldn’t Dull Strong Flavors

12. Green Bean, Potato, and Sausage Sheet Pan

We’d like to think that this one is one of the easier Thanksgiving side dishes to prepare! Throw in some potatoes, green beans, sausage, a bit of olive oil, and you’re good to go. 

As a suggestion, you should totally add paprika into this sheet pan bake. Again, your stomach will thank us later for the tip. 

Here’s the ingredients list!

• 4 fully cooked sausages, sliced into circles 1/4 inch thick
• 12 oz fresh green beans, trimmed
• 1 lb potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks, I prefer yellow or gold potatoes.
• 3 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano

13. Buttermilk Biscuits

Biscuits are one of the most fantastic staples of Thanksgiving side dishes. It’s the peak of Thanksgiving side dishes because they complement almost any food group you pair with. 

So here’s the ingredient so you can make it too!

Buttermilk Biscuits 

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 6 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• Pulse in
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp icy vegetable shortening cut in small cubes (I store mine in the freezer)
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp very cold salted butter cut in small cubes
• 2 cups buttermilk

Honey Butter

• 1 cup butter, not margarine or other horrible butter substitutes
• 1/2 cup honey

14. Honey Roasted Balsamic Beets

Beets are pretty different. It’s another side dish that you wouldn’t think to put as a side dish. Plus, if its something you’ve never tried, now would be a good time to try it! 

Here’s what you need to make it!

• 3 beets peeled & diced (about 3 cups)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey (you can totally use pure maple syrup as a vegan substitute)

15. Roasted Cauliflower with Toasted Panko and Raisins

Cauliflower is perfect. It’s versatile, great, and cooked with Panko and raisins, it’ll be amazing. 

Here’s the list so you can make it too!

• 2 lb head of cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets
• 3 tbsp of olive oil
• 2 tsp of salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup of pine nuts
• 1/2 cup of Panko bread crumbs
• 3 tbsp of butter
• 1/2 cup of chicken broth
• 2/3 cup of golden raisins
• 2 tbsp of white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp of chopped flat-leaf parsley

All of these Thanksgiving side dishes are really great and unique. We tried to get some dishes that you may not have thought of before, i.e., some dishes that aren’t typically considered “Thanksgiving side dishes.” Maybe after reading this, you’ll incorporate them into your Thanksgiving dinner! Happy cooking!

What side dishes are you thinking of making? Comment down below and let us know!

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