The traditional Thanksgiving menu has included turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce for decades. However, if those are the only dishes you plan to serve at your holiday feast…we need to have a serious talk.
Thanksgiving is about gathering together and celebrating the holiday with a bounteous feast, and there’s no better way to celebrate than by preparing a well-rounded table for your loved ones. Don’t get stuck in a rut with the same old Thanksgiving recipes; let us help with our complete guide to the best side dishes!
Dressing for Thanksgiving
Turkey dressing or stuffing has been a traditional Thanksgiving menu staple for…well, as long as we can remember! The difference between stuffing and dressing is all in the preparation. Turkey stuffing is prepared and cooked inside the turkey, while turkey dressing is prepared in a pan and baked separately. Now that you know the difference, if you’re feeling stuck in a recipe rut, try one of our favorite dressings:
Tasty, comforting Southern-style cornbread is crumbled with fresh celery, onions, buttermilk, eggs and southern spices.
We love this unique stuffing recipe with chopped apples and cinnamon from The Spruce Eats for a twist.
Turn up the flavor with Asiago Turkey Stuffing from Taste and See. We love the creative additions of asiago cheese and artisan bread to take this stuffing recipe over the top!
Savory Sides
Thanksgiving might be “all about that bird,” but if we’re being honest, most of us look forward to the savory sides more than the main entree. We searched the globe and put together our own curated list of side dishes, so you can rest easy knowing you’ve already found the best Thanksgiving recipes.
A mix of fresh white corn, rich Asiago cheese, butter, cream and a dab of maple syrup put this sweet and savory Thanksgiving side at the top of our list!
Creamy, buttery mashed potatoes are a guarantee with this recipe for Best Mashed Potatoes from A Spicy Perspective. Yukon gold potatoes, garlic, butter, half & half, fontina cheese, salt & pepper and chive make this recipe one we know you’ll add to your Thanksgiving tradition.
Our Thanksgiving menu may be packed with holiday comfort foods, but traditional favorites are often heavy and loaded with calories. We love Gimme Some Oven’s take on green bean casserole because it is packed with fresh ingredients and made from scratch.
Creamy, four cheese macaroni is the grown-up version of your old childhood favorite. We love this mouth-watering version for its flavor and easy prep.
Our favorite sweet potato casserole ever includes fresh sweet potatoes, creamed with butter and brown sugar, then topped with a Dutch crust of brown sugar, pecans and walnuts.
Now that you have a slew of new side dishes to try, tell us in the comments below which Thanksgiving dish you look forward to the most every year, then be sure to check out our guide, How to Serve the Best Thanksgiving Dinner Ever!
