The turkey may get the spotlight, but the Thanksgiving side dishes are the reason people return for seconds—and message me about in December. Below you will find potatoes prepared five different ways, plus casseroles, roasted vegetables, breads, two gravies and four starters. I note which sides work on the stovetop, in a slow cooker or in an Instant Pot so you can spread the work and make the whole meal easier.
Spread the load across appliances and the holiday flows much more smoothly.
Potato Sides for Thanksgiving Dinner
Potatoes are non-negotiable at my table. Start with one of these and, if you are feeding a crowd, pick another from this section to round things out.
Mashed Potatoes
Start potatoes in cold water so they cook evenly from edge to center. Warm the cream before you add it to avoid overworking the mash, which is what turns perfectly fluffy potatoes gluey.
Gluten-Free Au Gratin Potatoes
These au gratin potatoes use no flour thickener. Slice them thin so the sauce reduces and sets around each layer for a silky, stable casserole.
Crock Pot Potatoes
Potatoes in the slow cooker free up the oven and stovetop. No boiling, no constant checking—just set them and relax while they finish.
Fried Potatoes
Parboiling first roughs up the surface starch so the edges fry into a loud, satisfying crust. The result is crisp on the outside and tender inside.
Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
Small to medium sweet potatoes take about 15 to 20 minutes at high pressure in the Instant Pot. The sealed environment concentrates their sugars for a richer flavor than boiling.
Easy Thanksgiving Side Dishes You Bake in One Dish
Casseroles are the workhorses of the holiday table. Assemble them a day ahead and bake while the turkey rests to make serving seamless.
Cornbread Casserole
This cornbread-style casserole is made from scratch. Soaking the cornmeal in boiling water softens it and helps the dish bake up spoonable—perfect if you want something to stand in for traditional stuffing.
Turkey Stuffing with Apples
This unstuffed herbed apple stuffing bakes in a dish instead of the bird, coming out golden and easy to make ahead. Use stale bread so the broth absorbs evenly and season before adding eggs so you can taste and adjust.
Cheesy Potato Casserole
This classic “funeral potatoes” style casserole layers hash browns in a creamy, cheesy base topped with buttered cornflakes for crunch. Bake in a 9×13 at 350°F and use a few simple tricks to keep the topping crisp.
Jiffy Corn Casserole
Halfway between cornbread and spoonbread, this five-ingredient, one-bowl casserole is soft and scoopable. It stores well pre-assembled, making it a great make-ahead option when the oven is in constant use.
Cauliflower Casserole
Boil cauliflower florets just until tender, then let them steam dry in a colander. That drying step keeps the finished casserole from becoming watery.
Old Fashioned Baked Macaroni and Cheese
This version starts with a butter-and-flour roux. Careful technique keeps the sauce luxuriously creamy rather than grainy, producing a classic baked mac with a deeply browned top.
Thanksgiving Vegetable Side Dishes
You need something green and something bright to cut through all the butter. These vegetable dishes bring color and balance without adding fuss.
Crispy Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Roast Brussels sprouts cut side down at high heat so the flat face caramelizes against the pan. A finish of maple syrup takes the edges to a candy-like glaze that pairs beautifully with savory mains.
Glazed Carrots
Glazed carrots cook in one pan on the stovetop. Butter and a touch of sugar reduce down and cling to the carrots so nothing pools at the bottom and every bite is glossy and seasoned.
Maple Five-Spice Roasted Butternut Squash
The squash roasts until the edges caramelize, with maple and warm five-spice bringing a sweet-spicy note that complements both turkey and mashed potatoes.
Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Onions
This classic casserole is made from scratch—no canned soup, no store-bought fried onions. Flour-coated onion slices are fried at home for a fresher, crisper topping.
Oven Roasted Radishes
Roasting radishes in garlic brown butter mellows their peppery bite and turns them sweet and nutty—often surprising guests who expect raw crunch and instead get a soft, rich vegetable side.
Breads and Biscuits for the Table
Something has to mop up the gravy. Most of these breads are no-knead; only the pumpkin rolls require more hands-on dough work.
Buttermilk Drop Biscuits
Drop biscuits skip rolling and cutting. The acid in buttermilk reacts with baking soda to give a high, tender rise and a delightfully craggy top.
No Knead Dutch Oven Bread
No-knead bread rises in a couple of hours and the dough keeps in the fridge for days. Baking it covered traps steam and creates a shattering, bakery-style crust.
Homemade Garlic Bread
Stir raw minced garlic into softened butter so the garlic keeps its bright bite instead of mellowing away during baking. The result is vivid and savory after the first slice.
Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
Soft and lightly spiced, pumpkin rolls freeze well and make excellent turkey sandwiches the next day. They’re planned-ahead friendly and add seasonal flavor to the table.
Gravy, Pickles and the Extras
Gravy tends to induce panic, but it’s one of the best things to make ahead—resting actually improves it.
Make-Ahead Herbed Peppercorn Brown Gravy
Build this herbed peppercorn gravy days ahead. It chills well in the fridge and frees you from whisking drippings while guests hover at the counter.
Turkey Giblet Gravy Without Drippings
This gravy builds flavor from simmered giblets and gains body from a butter-and-flour roux. It requires no drippings, so you can make it in advance of roasting the bird.
Easy Pickled Onion
Quick pickled onions take five minutes to prepare and keep in the fridge for weeks. The acid brightens the palate between rich bites and performs the same role cranberry sauce often fills.
Starters to Open the Meal
A small cup of soup or a slice of tart can buy you an hour while the turkey rests and keeps guests satisfied until the main course arrives.
Autumn Squash Soup
Using apple for sweetness instead of sugar gives this squash soup depth and bright acidity, preventing the squash from tasting flat.
Spiced Carrot Ginger Soup
Bright and invigorating, carrot-ginger soup uses fresh ginger to deliver heat without adding fat, so guests don’t fill up before the main course.
Coconut Squash Soup with Turmeric and Ginger
This dairy-free soup uses coconut to carry turmeric and ginger flavors. It’s a good option for guests with different dietary needs while still feeling rich.
Squash, Roasted Garlic and Goat Cheese Tart
Roasted squash and sweet, whole-roasted garlic sit on flaky puff pastry. Roasting garlic whole softens it until it spreads like butter, pairing beautifully with tangy goat cheese.
Planning the Day and Using the Leftovers
These final two sections aren’t side dishes, but they save the day. One outlines a calm, ordered schedule; the other turns leftovers into a beloved next-day meal.
How to Cook Thanksgiving Dinner: No-Stress Schedule
Map out the whole day so you stop guessing oven order. A clear schedule prevents last-minute chaos and keeps everyone relaxed.
Thanksgiving Leftover Casserole
Turn leftover turkey, stuffing and potatoes into one easy baked casserole. This is why I intentionally make extra potatoes—leftovers become a new, crowd-pleasing meal.
Which Thanksgiving Side Dishes Can I Make Ahead?
Almost all of these dishes can be prepared ahead of time, and that is the single biggest stress reducer. Gravy is particularly well-suited to making in advance—resting improves its texture and flavor.
Assemble cornbread, cauliflower and macaroni casseroles the night before and keep them covered in the refrigerator. Add 10 to 15 minutes to the baking time when they go into the oven cold.
Mashed potatoes hold beautifully in a slow cooker on the warm setting; stir in a splash of warm cream before serving for a fresh finish. Quick pickled onions actually benefit from a day in the fridge. Biscuits and most breads are best baked the same morning for peak texture.
If a casserole is fridge-cold, it will brown on top before the center is hot—cover it with foil for the first half of baking, then remove the foil to finish for a nicely browned top without dryness.
If oven space is tight, use the slow cooker and Instant Pot as extra “ovens.” Many hosts run both appliances year after year to keep the oven free for mains.
Reheat covered with foil, then remove the foil for the last 10 minutes to let toppings crisp while keeping the interior moist.
How Many Thanksgiving Sides for a Crowd?
I plan five sides for eight people, and seven sides once the group exceeds a dozen. Build variety by category rather than by sheer count: one potato, one casserole, one vegetable, one bread and one bright, acidic element.
That acidic component—something sharp like pickles or cranberry—keeps the meal from feeling overwhelmingly heavy after a second helping. For portions, estimate roughly a half cup of each side per person; people tend to take small portions of many dishes rather than a full serving of each.
Double the potatoes: they run out first and make excellent leftovers. If guests bring dishes, assign categories (potato, vegetable, bread) so you don’t wind up with duplicates and no balance.
Traditional Thanksgiving Side Dishes, and When to Break the Rules
Mashed potatoes, gravy and some kind of bread are staples you shouldn’t skip—guests notice when they’re missing. Everything else is fair game. I often swap green bean casserole for roasted broccoli or another vegetable that saves oven space, and nobody complains.
Stuffing cravings are common; a spoonable cornbread casserole satisfies the same urge without drying out. Cranberry sauce performs the acid-cleansing role, but quick pickled onions are an equally effective, and sometimes more interesting, alternative.
No one counts the number of dishes on the table—what people remember is whether the potatoes were good and whether there was enough gravy.
More Holiday Recipes to Round Out the Menu
If you are still building your menu, focus on the mains first, then fill in the sides. Collections of recipes for the full holiday, desserts, seasonal fruits and easy slow-cooker dishes can help you complete a cohesive plan and keep the oven available for the turkey.
- Thanksgiving recipes for the whole day, from the turkey and gravy to pies and leftovers.
- Pumpkin dessert ideas to finish the meal.
- Unique apple recipes when you want something beyond pie.
- Easy slow-cooker recipes to keep oven space open.
- Spatchcock turkey for a bird that cooks in far less time.
- Simple holiday appetizers to bridge to the next celebration.
