Thanksgiving dinner is one of those meals where I could quite happily skip the turkey and just load my plate up with all the sides. Give me creamy mashed potatoes, stuffing, something cheesy, a big spoonful of sweet potato casserole and plenty of gravy and I’m happy!
There are 35 Thanksgiving side dishes here to give you plenty of ideas for your holiday table. I’ve included lots of the classics, but there are some different ones mixed in too if you fancy trying something new this year. There are potatoes, veggies, stuffing, mac and cheese, rolls and plenty more to choose from.
1. Sweet Potato Casserole
Image credit: My Money Cottage
This is one of those Thanksgiving sides I always look forward to. Creamy sweet potatoes topped with toasted marshmallows make it feel like you’re getting away with having dessert with dinner.
GET THE RECIPE2. Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Image credit: My Money Cottage
These are so creamy and full of flavor, with plenty of garlic running through them. They’re perfect for piling onto your Thanksgiving plate and covering with plenty of gravy.
GET THE RECIPE3. Fresh Green Bean Casserole
Image credit: The Buttery Fairytale
A creamy homemade sauce and crispy onions make this such a good one for the Thanksgiving table. Using fresh green beans gives it a lovely bit of crunch too, so it doesn’t feel too heavy alongside everything else.
GET THE RECIPE4. Herb and Vegetable Stuffing
varying the first sentence so it’s not repetitive, in my natural chatty friendly personal unpolished voice, without repeating the name of the recipe, write two sentences as a blurb for this recipe as a Thanksgiving side dish:
GET THE RECIPE5. Corn Casserole Without Jiffy Mix
Image credit: The Buttery Fairytale
You don’t need a boxed mix to make this cozy Thanksgiving favorite from scratch. It’s soft, buttery and slightly sweet, and goes really well with all those savory dishes on the table.
GET THE RECIPE6. Mac and Cheese
Image credit: My Money Cottage
There’s always room on my Thanksgiving plate for something cheesy, and this one is proper comfort food. It’s rich, creamy and just the thing to serve alongside turkey and all the usual sides.
GET THE RECIPE7. Honey Glazed Carrots
Image credit: Get Inspired Everyday
A little sweetness works so well with carrots, especially when they’re served alongside all the savory bits on a Thanksgiving plate. They’re really simple, but they add a lovely pop of color to the table too.
GET THE RECIPE8. Apple Stuffing
Image credit: My Money Cottage
The apple gives this a little bit of sweetness without taking away from all those lovely savory flavors. It’s a really nice one to have alongside the turkey, especially with a good spoonful of gravy.
GET THE RECIPE9. Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
Image credit: Cozy Family Kitchen
These are great when you want to free up some oven space on Thanksgiving Day. They’re creamy and cheesy with plenty of ham mixed through, so they’re definitely one of the heartier sides on the table.
GET THE RECIPE10. Honey Butter Skillet Corn
Image credit: Retro Vixen
Sweet, buttery corn is such an easy way to add another veggie to the Thanksgiving table. It only needs a handful of ingredients too, which is always handy when you’ve already got loads of other things to cook.
GET THE RECIPE11. Braised Collard Greens
Image credit: Retro Vixen
These cook down until they’re lovely and tender, with loads of savory flavor in every bite. They’re a great choice for Thanksgiving when you want something green to balance out all the creamy, cheesy sides.
GET THE RECIPE12. Brown Sugar Roasted Root Vegetables
Image credit: My Money Cottage
Roasting these with brown sugar brings out their natural sweetness and makes the edges lovely and caramelized. They add plenty of color to a Thanksgiving plate and go really well with turkey and gravy.
GET THE RECIPE13. Big Soft Fluffy Dinner Rolls
Image credit: Risa’s Family Kitchen
Nothing beats a warm, fluffy roll for mopping up all that extra gravy on your Thanksgiving plate. These are lovely and soft, and I can’t imagine there being many left once dinner is over.
GET THE RECIPE14. Maple Bacon-Wrapped Brussels Sprouts
Image credit: My Money Cottage
Wrapping them in bacon makes Brussels sprouts a lot more tempting, especially with a little maple sweetness added in. They’re a fun one to put on the Thanksgiving table and make a nice change from the usual veggie sides.
GET THE RECIPE15. Mashed Butternut Squash
Image credit: Get Inspired Everyday
This is a nice change from mashed potatoes and still gives you something creamy and comforting for the Thanksgiving table. The slightly sweet flavor goes really well with turkey, stuffing and all the other savory sides.
GET THE RECIPE16. Chicken Bacon Ranch Mac and Cheese
Image credit: My Money Cottage
This is definitely one for anyone who thinks regular mac and cheese needs a bit more going on! With chicken, bacon and ranch in there too, it’s a really hearty side that’ll go down well on the Thanksgiving table.
GET THE RECIPE17. Stuffing Biscuits
Image credit: My Money Cottage
These are such a fun way to get all those stuffing flavors onto the Thanksgiving table without making another casserole. They’re soft, buttery and perfect for pulling apart and eating with plenty of gravy.
GET THE RECIPE18. Baked Brussels Sprouts and Carrots
Image credit: My Money Cottage
I love having a simple roasted veggie dish on the table when there’s already so much other food going on. The edges get nicely browned in the oven, and the mix of sprouts and carrots adds plenty of color to the Thanksgiving spread.
GET THE RECIPE19. Slow Cooker Creamed Corn with Bacon
Image credit: The Benson Street
Anything I can make in the slow cooker on Thanksgiving is a win, especially when oven space is tight. This one is creamy, buttery and made even better with plenty of smoky bacon mixed through.
GET THE RECIPE20. Chicken Bacon Ranch Potato Bake
Image credit: My Money Cottage
Potatoes loaded with chicken, bacon, ranch and plenty of cheese are always going to disappear quickly in our house. It’s a filling one, but that’s hardly a bad thing on Thanksgiving!
GET THE RECIPE21. Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
Image credit: This Jess Cooks
The pumpkin gives these soft little rolls such a lovely fall feel without making them too sweet. They’re just right for tearing apart at the Thanksgiving table and using to mop up whatever gravy is left on your plate.
GET THE RECIPE22. Apple, Walnut and Blue Cheese Salad
Image credit: My Money Cottage
This is a good one for breaking up all the potatoes, stuffing and other heavier sides on the table. You get a bit of sweetness from the apple, crunch from the walnuts and plenty of flavor from the blue cheese.
GET THE RECIPE23. Butternut Squash au Gratin
Image credit: The Sage Apron
All that creamy, cheesy topping makes squash a lot more exciting! It’s a really cozy side for Thanksgiving and one I’d happily pile onto my plate alongside the turkey and stuffing.
GET THE RECIPE24. Red Cabbage Slaw
Image credit: My Money Cottage
The crunch in this is a nice change when the rest of the Thanksgiving plate is mostly soft and creamy. It’s fresh, colorful and really easy to make ahead too.
GET THE RECIPE25. Air Fryer Green Beans
Image credit: Easy Made Dishes
These are handy when the oven is already packed with everything else for Thanksgiving dinner. They cook quickly, stay nicely crisp and give you an easy green veggie to add to the plate.
GET THE RECIPE26. Slow Cooker Swamp Potatoes
Image credit: Retro Vixen
I love a slow cooker side for Thanksgiving because it’s one less thing fighting for space in the oven. These are loaded with sausage, peppers and plenty of flavor, so they’re a bit different from the usual potato dishes.
GET THE RECIPE27. Easy Wild Rice Stuffing
Image credit: Craving Something Healthy
This makes a nice change from the usual bread stuffing and still works really well with all the Thanksgiving classics. It’s an easy one to add to the table if you want to mix things up a little.
GET THE RECIPE28. Air Fryer Summer Squash
Image credit: Retro Vixen
Using the air fryer keeps this one really simple, which is exactly what you need when you’ve got a big Thanksgiving dinner to get on the table. The squash cooks up tender with lightly browned edges and doesn’t need much fussing with.
GET THE RECIPE29. Creamed Onions
Image credit: An Edible Mosaic
These are a bit of an old-fashioned side, but that’s part of what makes them so good for Thanksgiving. The creamy sauce makes them really comforting and they go brilliantly with turkey and gravy.
GET THE RECIPE30. Cranberry Pecan Mini Cheese Balls
Image credit: My Money Cottage
Little cheese balls like these are great for adding something different to the Thanksgiving spread. The cranberries and pecans give them a lovely holiday feel, and they’re easy for everyone to grab from the table.
GET THE RECIPE31. Sweet Potato & Cauliflower Gratin
Image credit: Snacking in Sneakers
This is a good one if you want to do something a little different with sweet potatoes this year. It’s creamy and cheesy with cauliflower mixed in too, and it fits right in with all the cozy Thanksgiving sides.
GET THE RECIPE32. Roasted Parmesan Carrots
Image credit: The Benson Street
A bit of Parmesan makes carrots so much better, especially once it gets golden in the oven. They’re simple enough to make alongside everything else and add a nice savory veggie option to the Thanksgiving table.
GET THE RECIPE33. Cranberry Cream Cheese Bread
Image credit: My Money Cottage
The cranberry running through this makes it feel right at home on the Thanksgiving table. It’s soft, slightly sweet and really good with that creamy layer of cream cheese in every slice.
GET THE RECIPE34. Southern Candied Yams
Image credit: Pink Owl Kitchen
These are sticky, sweet and exactly the sort of thing I want piled onto my Thanksgiving plate. They’re proper comfort food and a lovely alternative to the usual sweet potato casserole.
GET THE RECIPE35. Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Image credit: Thanksgiving Mommy
You can’t really have Thanksgiving dinner without this somewhere on the table! It’s sweet, tangy and so good spooned alongside the turkey, stuffing and all those other savory sides.
GET THE RECIPEThere are so many good Thanksgiving sides here, I’m not sure I’d know where to start! Pick a few family favorites, add something new to try this year, and make sure there’s plenty of gravy to go around.
