53 Thanksgiving Side Dishes That’ll Outshine the Turkey
Thanksgiving side dishes turn a good holiday dinner into an unforgettable one. Roast turkey may be the centerpiece, but family-favorite sides make the feast feel complete.
Classics usually include mashed potatoes, stuffing or dressing, sweet potatoes, green beans and/or brussels sprouts, cranberry sauce, and a basket of warm rolls or biscuits—but there’s plenty of room on the table for something unexpected.
Use this guide to build a balanced spread with a mix of rich and comforting, fresh and green, and bright and tangy dishes. Start with stalwarts like our ultra-creamy BA’s Best Mashed Potatoes and Easiest Cranberry Sauce, then round things out with newer favorites like sweet-and-spicy mixed squash, zingy green bean salad, or Old Bay cheddar biscuits. Short on time or oven space? Plenty of these Thanksgiving sides can be made ahead or cooked on the stovetop. Whatever’s missing from your Thanksgiving menu, you’ll find a recipe to fill the gap here.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Spencer Richards, Prop Styling by Dayna Seman1/53BA’s Best Mashed Potatoes
This is one of our favorite Thanksgiving recipes for good reason. Yukon Golds, heavy cream, garlic, rosemary, and plenty of butter make for an exceptionally silky mash.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Christina Allen2/53Classic Potatoes au Gratin
Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski4/53Burnished Potato Nuggets
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Styling by Molly Baz5/53Crispy Smashed Potatoes With Walnut Dressing
We don’t really need to sell you on smashed potatoes. But this version deserves a hype man: The crisped-up spuds get an umami-packed dressing of walnuts, anchovies, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
Photograph by Joe Lingeman, Food Styling by Liberty Fennell, Prop Styling by Maggie DiMarco6/53Loaded Scalloped Potatoes
Old-fashioned scalloped potatoes are good, full stop. But when they are fully loaded like a baked potato—with scallions, sour cream, cheddar, and bacon—they’re exponentially better.
Photograph by Emma Fishman, Food styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop styling by Sophie Leng7/53Cacio e Pepe Rösti
Cacio e pepe pasta meets Swiss rösti in this sliceable potato showstopper, loaded with black pepper and plenty of savory cheese.
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Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Judy Kim, prop styling by Beth Pakradooni9/53Sausage-and-Herb Stuffing
Breakfast sausage is a cheat code to luscious stuffing packed with classic sage flavor. Fennel seeds, thyme, and parsley add aromatic depth. It doesn’t need turkey gravy, but we wouldn’t stop you from a long pour.
Photograph by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Sophie Strangio10/53Cornbread and Salami Dressing
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Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Pearl Jones12/53Crispy Black Rice and Chinese Sausage Dressing
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Beth Pakradooni13/53Almost-Classic Sweet Potato Casserole
Photograph by Victoria Jane, Food Styling by Mallory Lance, Prop Styling by Alexandra Massillon14/53Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Photograph by Lucia Bell-Epstein, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, and Prop Styling by Erica Lutz16/53Candied Purple Sweet Potatoes
Photograph by Jenny Huang, Food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Martha Bernabe17/53Sweet Potato Tian
Photograph by Lucia Bell-Epstein, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, and Prop Styling by Erica Lutz18/53Sweet-and-Spicy Squash With Scallion Oil
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Sophie Leng19/53Twice-Roasted Squash With Vanilla, Maple, and Chile
Photograph by Lucia Bell-Epstein, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, and Prop Styling by Erica Lutz21/53Green Bean Salad
Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness22/53Green Beans With Tahini Sbagliato
Cookbook author Samin Nosrat’s “mistaken” tahini dressing—sbagliato means “mistaken” in Italian—pairs herbs and tahini with lightly blanched green beans. A happy accident indeed.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Dana Bonagura23/53Maple-Glazed Carrots
You can make classic glazed carrots, and no one will complain. Or you can make these, kicked up with maple syrup and chile flakes, and you’ll be locked into making the Thanksgiving carrots from here on out.
Photograph by Joshua Kissi, food styling by Roscoe Betsill, prop styling by Amy Wilson24/53Roasted Carrots With Ayib and Awaze Vinaigrette
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Carla Gonzalez-Hart25/53Balsamic-Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Cyd McDowell, Prop Styling by Paige Hicks26/53Air Fryer Crispy Brussels Sprouts With Honey Butter
Photograph by Jenny Huang, Food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Martha Bernabe27/53Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Gochujang Brown Butter
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton, Prop Styling by Christine Keely28/53Tandoori-Style Roasted Cauliflower
Photograph by Lucia Bell-Epstein, Food Styling by Drew Aichele, Prop Styling by Linden Elstran30/53Broccoli Rabe With Pecorino Crunch
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Gerri K. Williams33/53Parsnip Purée
Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski34/53Parsnip Confit With Pickled Currants
Photograph by Joe Lingeman, Food Styling by Liberty Fennell, Prop Styling by Maggie DiMarco35/53The Gooiest Baked Mac and Cheese
Skip the roux: American cheese supplies the creaminess here, while sharp cheddar brings the flavor.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Beth Pakradooni36/53Cheesy Corn Pudding
Photograph by Laura Murray, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Sophie Strangio37/53Tahdig With Cranberries and Herbs
Photo by Marcus Nilsson, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski38/53Cheesy Cabbage Gratin
Photograph by Emma Fishman, Food styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop styling by Sophie Leng40/53Kale Salad With Pecan Vinaigrette
Photograph by Andrew B. Myers, Food Styling by Micah Morton, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness42/53Asian Pear Salad With Crispy Shallots
Photograph by Emma Fishman, Food styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop styling by Sophie Leng43/53Bitter Greens With Cranberry Dressing
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Stevie Stewart, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams44/53Parker House Rolls
45/53Pull-Apart Sour Cream and Chive Rolls
Butter and sour cream make these pull-apart rolls impossibly tender. Save a few for tomorrow’s turkey-cranberry sliders.
Photograph by Lucia Bell-Epstein, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, and Prop Styling by Erica Lutz46/53Sweet Potato Rolls
Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Prop Styling by Christina Allen, Food Styling by Micah Morton47/53Cheddar Biscuits With Old Bay
Photograph by Isa Zapata,Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero,Prop Styling by Christine Keely48/53Salt Bread
Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski50/53Cranberry Orange Sauce With Cinnamon
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski51/53Fancy Jellied Cranberry Sauce
We dreamed up a cranberry sauce as sliceable and jiggly-wiggly as the retro canned stuff, but with deeper fruit flavor and more nuance thanks to cardamom and bay leaves.
Photograph by Laura Murray, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Sophie Strangio53/53Citrus-Ginger Raita With Spice Oil
Not a cranberry sauce person? Stir lemon, orange, and ginger into labneh or Greek yogurt, then crown it with fragrant spice oil for a cool, tangy counterpoint to all that richness.
