Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Thanksgiving side dishes turn your holiday dinner into a feast! Turkey tends to get most of the attention, but isn’t Thanksgiving dinner really all about the sides? These are the best easy sides from classic mashed potatoes to flavorful vegetables, and so much more!

Table of Contents

Savory Starters
Comforting Potato Recipes
Classic Stuffing Dishes
Roasted Vegetables
Sweet Sides

Savory Starters

Give your guests something delicious to nibble on while they wait for the main meal!

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms – Crab Stuffed Mushrooms are filled with crab meat, cream cheese, and stuffing and topped with crispy panko breadcrumbs. It’s an easy appetizer recipe for parties or holiday meals.

A wooden tray holds several stuffed mushrooms topped with golden breadcrumbs and chopped green onions, arranged neatly with a kitchen setting in the background.

Artichoke & Olive Tapenade – Artichoke and Olive Tapenade is an excellent last-minute appetizer that whips up in less than 10 minutes. It’s super easy to throw together and full of the deliciously briny olive flavor we all love!

A plate of toasted baguette slices surrounds a bowl of olive tapenade, garnished with parsley, on a blue patterned placemat.

Comforting Potato Recipes

Thanksgiving is not completed without potatoes. Whether you prefer mashed or roasted, creamy or crispy, potatoes are a classic comfort food perfect for your turkey dinner.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes – These are the BEST Garlic Mashed Potatoes! They’re rich, cheesy, and flavored with delicious roasted garlic! Mashed potatoes are the perfect side dish for holiday dinners or anytime you’re craving some serious comfort food. Plus, you can skip the hassle of boiling the potatoes – my quick cooking method makes this a super easy recipe to make.

A bowl of mashed potatoes garnished with chopped parsley sits beside a fork, fresh garlic, potatoes, and parsley on a white surface.

Cheese and Bacon Smashed Potatoes – These Easy Smashed Potatoes are an easy side dish recipe similar to mashed potatoes. The potatoes are cooked in the microwave and then smashed to break them down. and covered with bacon and cheese. We love these more than mashed potatoes!

A bowl of mashed potatoes topped with crispy bacon pieces and chopped parsley, placed on a light gray surface with a blue and white striped cloth in the background.

Crockpot Garlic Herb Potatoes – Crockpot Garlic Herb Potatoes are an easy side dish for weeknight meals or holiday dinners. Yukon Gold potatoes are coated in a medley of dried herbs and cooked on low until they are tender and delicious.

A bowl of roasted potato wedges topped with grated cheese and chopped fresh herbs, placed on a table next to a blue and white checkered cloth and fresh cilantro leaves.

Air Fryer Sweet & Spicy Potatoes – This Air Fryer Sweet Potato recipe is an easy side dish. Sweet potatoes are cooked whole in an air fryer and then split open and seasoned with a spicy-sweet spice topping. Pair them with your favorite main dishes like steak, chicken, or pork chops for a delicious dinner.

A baked sweet potato topped with butter sits on a white plate. In the background, two mason jars with lemon water, wooden utensils in a holder, and kitchen containers are visible on a light countertop.

Classic Stuffing Dishes

Stuffing is a turkey’s best friend and these comforting recipes do not disappoint!

Sausage Stuffing – This quick Sausage Stuffing recipe takes just 15 minutes and is the perfect addition to any meal, but especially Thanksgiving. It’s semi-homemade but you’d never know it – it tastes like it’s made from scratch!

A bowl filled with homemade stuffing containing crumbled sausage, celery, onions, and bread cubes, garnished with herbs, with fresh celery stalks and herbs in the background.

Cornbread Stuffing – This Cornbread Stuffing with andouille sausage is the MOST requested recipe by my family every Thanksgiving, and I’ve been making it for more years than I remember. Sausage Cornbread Stuffing is the perfect savory Thanksgiving side dish that will please everyone at the table. This is the only thing at Thanksgiving my picky eater likes!

A close-up of a casserole dish filled with cornbread stuffing, garnished with fresh herbs and pieces of sausage, with a serving spoon resting in the dish.

Roasted Vegetables

These vegetable side dishes are easy to make, with minimal ingredients, and they taste fantastic!

WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?

We'll email a link to this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

Oven Roasted Broccoli – Make my Oven Roasted Broccoli Recipe – this easy side dish is the best way to eat vegetables. Broccoli is so much better roasted with a little heat from the red pepper flakes – this will become a favorite!

A white bowl filled with cooked broccoli florets sits on a light surface, with a striped cloth and a fork in the background.

Roasted Green Beans – These Oven Roasted Green Beans are a quick and easy side dish that’s great for weeknight dinners or holiday meals. You only need five ingredients and a few minutes of prep time to make them.

A white oval plate filled with roasted green beans topped with grated Parmesan cheese, set on a light surface with a striped cloth in the background.

Roasted Butternut Squash – Roasted butternut squash is a delicious and easy side dish recipe that pairs with lots of main dishes like chicken, pork, and beef. Learn how to prep a whole butternut squash and season it so it comes out perfectly every time.

A white bowl filled with roasted butternut squash cubes, seasoned with black pepper and garnished with chopped fresh parsley.

Sweet Sides

A great Thanksgiving meal needs a balance of savory and sweet sides. These fluff recipes are easy, delicious, and perfect for the season.

Cranberry Fluff Salad – This Cranberry Fluff Salad is the easiest recipe to make for the holidays. It is light and fluffy with a delicious cranberry flavor all throughout – the perfect side dish!

A white bowl filled with creamy cranberry fluff salad, topped with three whole cranberries, sits on a light surface with loose cranberries and a striped cloth in the background.

Pumpkin Fluff Dip – This EASY Pumpkin Fluff Dip recipe has just 5 ingredients and is the perfect fluff recipe for fall! If you’re looking for a simple side dish or pumpkin dessert, this is the one you’re looking for!

A blue and white chevron bowl filled with creamy pumpkin dip, with a round cookie dipped in it. A small pumpkin and cookies are blurred in the background.

What are some of your must-have Thanksgiving sides? Which of these recipes will you try this year? Comment and let us know!