The Best Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes (2024)

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It's no secret that turkey is the shining emblem of Thanksgiving. But what would turkey day be without its comforting side dishes? From every potato recipe you could ever need to decadent casseroles, soups, vegetables, small bites and everything in between, here is a collection of our essential Thanksgiving side dishes.

Jacqui Wedewer/The Daily Meal

Don't stick to just the classics this Thanksgiving, soups are a great way to make your Thanksgiving dinner feel like a restaurant experience. This roasted squash soup is packed with autumnal notes, from the carrots to the coriander seeds.

For the Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup recipe, click here.

Courtesy of McCormick

Show off your cooking skills this Thanksgiving with these chipotle beef tamales. Made with three pounds of brisket, this recipe gives the Southern staple a new look.

For the Chipotle Beef Tamales recipe, click here.

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Whether served as a side dish or as an appetizer, there's no denying that these sausage balls are reminiscent of grandma's favorite Southern recipes.

For the Southern Sausage Balls recipe, click here.

Aniela Straszewska/Shutterstock

There are endless possibilities when it comes to what you can cook in an Instant Pot, but this pumpkin soup has to be one of the best — it's packed with the heart of the fall season.

For the Instant Pot Pumpkin Soup recipe, click here.

Courtesy of Idaho Potato Commission

Potato skins are one of those dishes Midwesterners always have on their table. After loading them up with melted cheese, bacon bits and sour cream, serve the delicious snack as an appetizer or side dish.

For the Idaho Potato Skins recipe, click here.

Courtesy of the Idaho Potato Commission and recipe author Elizabeth Lindemann

These scalloped potatoes are one of the best things you can make in a slow cooker. This recipe is a rich and creamy side dish that everyone will want a bite of.

For the Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes recipe, click here.

Courtesy of Karen Kelly/Seasonal Cravings

Adding color to your Thanksgiving table is easy with these roasted maple sweet potatoes. Served with cranberries and seasoned to perfection, this easy recipe takes less than one hour to make.

For the Roasted Maple Sweet Potatoes and Cranberries recipe, click here.

Courtesy of McCormick

There are plenty of dishes you can make in a Crock-Pot, but mashed potatoes is one of the unexpected ones. This is the perfect way to save room on your stovetop this Thanksgiving — just let your slow cooker do the work for you.

For the Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes recipe, click here.

Courtesy of McCormick

It's not hard to make mashed potatoes amazing — usually, all it takes are the ingredients already in your pantry. For this recipe, a little garlic will help you get perfectly creamy and flavorful mashed potatoes in just 30 minutes.

For the Garlic Mashed Potatoes recipe, click here.

Courtesy of McCormick

Having mashed potatoes on your Thanksgiving table is a must. But getting creative with your potato sides is also important. Use sage to enhance a classic potato gratin recipe. Its comforting flavors will remind you of grandma's cooking.

For the Sage and Cheddar Potato Gratin recipe, click here.

Courtesy of McCormick

This recipe for twice-baked sweet potatoes is reminiscent of an iconic dessert. Pumpkin pie spice, Greek yogurt and brown sugar help to create a side dish that satisfies your sweet tooth.

For the Twice-Baked Pumpkin Pie Sweet Potatoes recipe, click here.

Courtesy of Ready Set Eat

This slow cooker stuffing recipe will have your dinner guests begging to bring leftovers home with them. Just make sure they know that stuffing lasts in the fridge for only about four days.

For the Slow Cooker Saus'age Stuffing recipe, click here.

Courtesy of McCormick

Everyone has an internally ranked list of their favorite Thanksgiving side dishes, and stuffing is usually up there as No. 1. Made with the usual suspects of celery, bread cubes, thyme and poultry seasoning, this recipe keeps things classic.

For the Classic Herb Stuffing recipe, click here.

Courtesy of Julie Gransee of Lovely Little Kitchen, provided by McCormick

There are plenty of regional dishes you need to try, and during Thanksgiving, oyster stuffing is definitely one of them. This classic New England dish is made with shucked oysters, nutmeg, sage and French bread.

For the Oyster Stuffing recipe, click here.

Courtesy of Nourished by Nutrition

If you're trying to serve a few vegetarian-friendly recipes this Thanksgiving, stuffing is a great way to go. Simply use veggie stock instead of chicken stock.

For the Vegetarian Apple Cranberry Stuffing recipe, click here.

Courtesy of Karen Kelly, Seasonal Cravings

In the midst of hearty casseroles, it's always nice to have a lighter option during Thanksgiving. Packed with apples and kale — an immune-boosting food — this flavorful salad is finished off with a homemade mustard dressing.

For the Kale and Apple Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing recipe, click here.

Courtesy of Karen Kelly, Seasonal Cravings

For this colorful salad, you'll need arugula, orange and pomegranate. If it's a last-minute dish and your arugula looks a little frail, put it in an ice bath to make it last longer.

For the Arugula, Orange and Pomegranate Salad recipe, click here.

Ronda Kimbrow Photography via Getty Images

Texans have plenty of beloved recipes, but cornbread is a crowd favorite. In this recipe, the classic side dish is amped up with the addition of cheddar cheese, green onions and jalapenos.

For the Jalapeno Cornbread recipe, click here.

Courtesy of Pete and Gerry's Organic Eggs

There are easily 101 ways to cook eggs, and serving them with Brussels sprouts is a great way to do so during the holiday season. The soft boiled yolk coats the crispy vegetable and complements the fennel-spiced toasted breadcrumbs.

For the Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Jammy Eggs recipe, click here.

Courtesy of McCormick

Like cornbread and tamales, collard greens are a necessity on Thanksgiving tables in the South. For this recipe, the traditional dish is served with crispy bacon, which you get by rendering out the fat.

For the Collard Greens recipe, click here.

iStock.com/bhofack2

One way to save money when grocery shopping for Thanksgiving is to choose dishes that use frozen vegetables. This creamed corn dish can be made using canned or frozen corn, making for a budget-friendly side.

For the Creamed Corn recipe, click here.

Courtesy of McCormick

Nothing screams Thanksgiving and fall quite like roasted harvest vegetables. This hearty recipe is a combination of colorful veggies like red potatoes, carrots and red onions. But don't open the oven to see whether your potatoes have turned golden brown too early — not being patient is one bad cooking habit you need to stop.

For the Roasted Harvest Vegetables recipe, click here.

Carolyn Menyes/The Daily Meal

There are plenty of delicious macaroni and cheese recipes you should try, but during Thanksgiving, this one will be the talk of the town. With cream cheese as its secret ingredient, this recipe elevates your typical baked macaroni dish.

For the Cheese and Macaroni Pie recipe, click here.

Courtesy of McCormick

Southerners are known for having amazing food on their tables, but whoever first combined sweet potatoes, candied pecans and marshmallows is a genius.

For the Candied Sweet Potato Casserole recipe, click here.

Courtesy of French's

The best way to work America's favorite vegetable into your turkey day feast? Broccoli casserole, of course. Topped with crispy fried onions, melted cheese and cream of mushroom soup, this dish will make an appearance on your Thanksgiving table for years to come.

For the Broccoli Cheese Casserole with Crispy Fried Onions recipe, click here.

Courtesy of McCormick

If you've never served corn pudding during Thanksgiving, now is the time to start. This hearty recipe can easily be made out of cans.

For the Chipotle Corn Pudding recipe, click here.

Courtesy of Julie Gransee from Lovely Little Kitchen, provided by McCormick

You know casseroles as a dependable weeknight dinner, but they're also holiday classics. In this dish, crispy tater tots are baked on top of cheesy broccoli and rice.

For the Cheesy Broccoli Tater-Topped Casserole recipe, click here.

The Washington Post via Getty Images

Thanksgiving regularly features the best casserole recipes, and this one is unexpected. This recipe combines biscuits — an iconic breakfast food — with gravy, cheddar cheese and sausage. Are you hungry yet?

For the Cheesy Biscuits and Gravy Casserole recipe, click here.

Courtesy of McCormick

There are a bunch of vintage casseroles that no one makes anymore, but loaded potato casserole is not one of them. Layers of mashed potatoes are piled with bacon and melted cheese.

For the Loaded Potato Casserole recipe, click here.

Courtesy of McCormick

No turkey day feast would be complete without a green vegetable. This light green bean side dish is flavored with rosemary and thyme. And now that you know all of the side dishes that you need on your holiday table, check out the rest of our 101 favorite Thanksgiving recipes.

For the Rosemary and Thyme Green Beans recipe, click here.

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