Up your side dish game at this year’s Thanksgiving meal with any of these 40+ Thanksgiving Side Dishes. Keep it classic with flavorful cranberry sauce and creamy green bean casserole, or try something new like texture-filled cornbread stuffing and hearty vegetarian pumpkin chili. As you plan out this year’s menu, you (and your dinner guests!) will be thankful to have this list for inspiration.
I love my Thanksgiving pies—obviously.
But if you really asked me what I look forward to seeing on my Thanksgiving plate, it is, without a doubt, all the side dishes. All those wonderfully warm, hearty, classic side dish recipes that bring back memories of Thanksgivings past.
With so many Thanksgiving side dish recipes out there, it can be hard to find tried-and-true favorites. I’m thrilled to share my family’s 40+ best Thanksgiving side dishes that we—and readers—rely on year after year. (And we certainly don’t limit these to November!)
We always include the classics, like green bean casserole, sausage & herb stuffing, and of course—homemade cranberry sauce. A big bowl of that bright, tart-yet-sweet sauce is always the crown jewel of the table. I make it every single year, no questions asked. (Just made it for a Friendsgiving party last weekend!)
Sweet potatoes always make an appearance—and usually more than one! My sweet potato casserole and candied sweet potatoes always fly off the table, so you won’t regret making both. This year I plan on making a batch of these sweet potato dinner rolls, too. (And if you find yourself with a surplus, make sweet potato pie for dessert.)
Although not side dish recipes, my recipes for honeycrisp apple sangria and apple cider autumn sangria are fun, festive drinks to add to your Thanksgiving menu.
As a reminder, all of my recipes include make-ahead and freezing options. (You can find that information at the bottom of each printable recipe.)
I hope you find a new favorite dish to add to your Thanksgiving table this year. Happy Thanksgiving, dear readers!
More Thanksgiving Baking Resources:
- Breakfast: If you’re hosting guests and need some easy breakfast ideas to feed a crowd, my pumpkin French toast casserole and easy make-ahead breakfast casserole are top choices.
- Thanksgiving Pies: 50+ Thanksgiving pies to deck out your dessert table! From the classics like apple pie and pumpkin pie, to the totally unexpected like cookies & cream pie.
- Pumpkin Desserts: For those who like to have a few non-pie options, here are my 30+ best pumpkin dessert recipes.
- Leftovers: Save those leftovers for turkey pot pie. Customize to your liking and use pre-cut, leftover, or frozen vegetables to save time.
40+ Thanksgiving Side Dishes
Sausage & Herb Stuffing with Apples
A hearty, flavorful, and absolutely essential part of any Thanksgiving meal. Everyone loves the variety of textures and flavors.
Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
Perfect for making ahead! The crunchy sweet brown sugar pecan crumble topping steals the show.
My Favorite Cornbread Recipe
Every slice hits the spot with its lightly-sweetened flavor, impeccably moist crumb, and crispy-crunchy edges.
Cornbread Stuffing Recipe
Using cornbread instead of regular bread makes for the most flavorful stuffing around, trust me!
Creamy Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Use pureed butternut squash for a fun fall twist on classic mac and cheese. Meat-free, full of flavor, and doubles as excellent leftovers.
Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits
Who can say no to homemade buttermilk biscuits with HUNDREDS (!) of flaky layers? Only need 6 simple ingredients needed and about 35 minutes to whip up a batch.
5-Ingredient Cranberry Sauce Recipe
No Thanksgiving spread is complete without cranberry sauce! I’m confident that this recipe will be your family’s new favorite.
Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls
Fluffy, flaky, soft, and extra tall, these are a wonderful accompaniment to any big meal. I love serving with homemade cinnamon butter.
Cranberry Brie Puff Pastry Tarts
Perfect for snacking on before the big meal or serving alongside the turkey at dinner. They’re sweet, savory, salty, buttery, and flaky all in one.
Brown Butter Sage Dinner Rolls
A flavorful and upgraded version of ordinary dinner rolls!
Creamy Green Bean Casserole
Creamy, comforting, and made completely from scratch. There are several ways to make ahead this classic dish in advance, too.
Butternut Squash & Mushroom Tart
A delightful savory unique addition to your Thanksgiving dinner table, or serve it as an appetizer or light lunch.
Candied Sweet Potatoes
One of my all-time favorite side dishes—it’s soft, buttery, saucy, sweet, and salty all in one. Plenty of ways to make this ahead of time, too.
Homemade Cheddar Biscuits
In lieu of classic biscuits or rolls, wow your Thanksgiving guests with a fresh batch biscuits.
Savory Ham & Cheese Scones
A savory favorite for brunch, but they’d also be wonderful as a side dish. They’re positively loaded with satisfying flavor!
Honey Skillet Cornbread
Adapted from my traditional cornbread recipe, this honey skillet version includes corn in the batter. When baked in a cast iron skillet, it has wonderfully crispy cornmeal edges.
Soft Dinner Rolls Recipe
A must on any Thanksgiving table—plus these flaky and butter rolls are especially handy for making leftover turkey sandwiches.
Easy Cornbread Muffins Recipe
Tender and buttery with just the right amount of sweetness. On the table within an hour and no mixer required!
Rosemary Garlic Pull Apart Bread
This impressive pull-apart style adds an extra layer of delicious fun to any Thanksgiving spread.
Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball
An easy make-ahead hors d’oeuvre to snack on while preparing the Thanksgiving meal. Yes, please!
Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad (with Bacon & Apple)
A bounty of flavors and textures comes together in one skillet, and it’s dressed with an easy homemade maple citrus vinaigrette. A new favorite!
Mushroom Puff Pastry Tarts
Mega flaky savory tarts featuring tangy gorgonzola, thyme and rosemary, and a dash of balsamic vinegar. An excellent vegetarian side dish option!
Maple-Roasted Squash Kale Salad
A healthy yet delicious (not to mention beautiful!) side dish for your menu. Full of fall and winter’s best produce, feeds a crowd, and is make-ahead friendly, too.
Favorite Strawberry Bacon Salad
A year-round favorite that deserves a spot at one of the most important meals of the year. Quick to throw together and features a homemade honey balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
Tried & True Honey Butter Rolls
Only 7 ingredients needed to add a batch of fluffy, flaky, soft, lightly-sweetened, and buttery rolls to your Thanksgiving menu.
Ham & Potato Casserole Recipe
A delicious way to use leftover ham, this cozy favorite can do double duty as a brunch recipe or a dinner dish.
Zucchini & Sweet Potato Fritters
Add a platter of hot and crispy zucchini sweet potato fritters to your Thanksgiving table in just about 35 minutes.
Easy Zucchini Casserole Recipe
Easy, flavorful, and ready in 30 minutes, plus no pre-cooking required.
Sea Salt & Herb Skillet Rolls
Another flavorful upgrade to ordinary dinner rolls! You can bake these in an oven-safe skillet or a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Biscuit & Vegetable Pot Pie (Casserole)
So much to love here! Brimming with savory flavor and vegetables that can be customized to your liking. The easy biscuit topping takes just 5 ingredients and a few minutes to prepare.
Vegetarian Pumpkin Chili (GF & Vegan)
Vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike enjoy this cozy dish. It’s super easy to prepare and filled with flavor, texture, and just enough spice.
Company-Worthy Mac and Cheese Recipe
White cheddar, crisp bacon, and garlicky spinach create a fancied-up mac and cheese recipe that everyone will love!
Savory Vegetable Cheese Tart
This savory tart is just as delicious to eat as it is beautiful to look at. Lots of options to customize with your favorite veggies, too.
Honey Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
Made with 100% whole wheat and sweetened with honey. These hold their own against any classic roll!
Easy Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Kick classic mac and cheese up a notch with wonderfully crisp breadcrumbs on top of ultra cheesy pasta.
Easy Corn Fritters
The lively boost of fresh flavors that you didn’t know your Thanksgiving table needed!
4-Ingredient Artisan Bread
A perfect beginner recipe. Only requires 4 ingredients, no special pans or mixer, no kneading or complicated shaping, and 95% of the work is hands-off.
Zucchini Biscuits
Tender yet flaky drop-style biscuits, ready in about 40 minutes without the hassle of a mixer, rolling pin, or biscuit cutter.
Asiago-Crusted Skillet Bread (No Knead)
The no-knead method used here produces a beautiful homemade loaf with minimal hands-on work. So much savory flavor packed into one loaf.
Apple Brie Phyllo Galette
Rustic yet elegant, both sweet and savory, and equally welcome as an appetizer, side dish, or even a cheese-course-style dessert. Your guests will rave over this one!
Finally, if you like to use the Thanksgiving weekend to get a start on your holiday shopping, don’t miss my annual Holiday Gifts for Bakers shopping guide.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I made the pumpkin cheese cake with the Biscoff crust for Thanksgiving. Pumpkin pie has not been a winner in the past so I thought I would try something different. This had to be the best addition to our Thanksgiving dessert table ever!!!! There was not a crumb left! I followed the exact recipe and it came out perfect. I froze it for a week and defrosted it overnight. I decorated it with a fresh whipped cream border with a sprinkle of cinnamon. It was beautiful and so delicious, My grandson who does not eat pumpkin pie but loves cheesecake ate two pieces! Sally’s recipes are always a winner!
Looks delicious and want to try this Thanksgiving!
So many great options! I’ve never had a salad at Thanksgiving but the warm Brussels sprouts salad might change my mind.
VERY GOOD RECIPES I WILL LOVE TO TRY THEM ALL.
I’m in the UK snd love your recipes ❤️
Great Recipes