On the Thanksgiving table, the turkey always takes center stage, but everyone agrees that the sides and desserts really make the meal. These traditional Thanksgiving side dishes, which include cornbread stuffing and creamy mashed potatoes, have you covered. Bonus: a lot of these recipes can be prepared ahead of time, allowing you to enjoy your friends and family on the big day and spend less time in the kitchen.
The centerpiece of any Thanksgiving feast, the succulent turkey, deserves a supporting cast of side dishes that elevate the meal to a symphony of flavors From savory stuffing to vibrant vegetables, the perfect accompaniments enhance the turkey’s richness and create a harmonious culinary experience
A Journey Through Flavorful Sides:
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Melting Potatoes: Creamy and comforting melting potatoes offer a delightful contrast to the turkey’s savory notes. Their buttery richness and melt-in-your-mouth texture create an irresistible indulgence.
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Roasted Butternut Squash with Onions, Spinach, and Cranberries: This vibrant medley of roasted vegetables adds a touch of sweetness and acidity to the plate. The caramelized butternut squash, tender onions, earthy spinach, and tart cranberries create a symphony of flavors that complement the turkey beautifully.
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Buttermilk Cornbread: A Thanksgiving staple, buttermilk cornbread offers a warm and comforting accompaniment to the turkey. Its crumbly texture and slightly sweet flavor provide a delightful contrast to the savory main course.
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Parmesan Roasted Green Beans: Elevating the humble green bean, this dish adds a touch of sophistication to the meal. The crispy, roasted green beans coated in a Parmesan cheese crust offer a satisfying crunch and a burst of savory flavor.
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Candied Sweet Potatoes: A sweet and savory treat, candied sweet potatoes add a touch of indulgence to the Thanksgiving table. The caramelized sugar coating and tender sweet potato flesh create a delightful combination that complements the turkey’s richness.
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Lemon-Pomegranate Cranberry Sauce: This tangy and vibrant sauce adds a touch of acidity and sweetness to the plate. The bright lemon flavor, tart cranberries, and juicy pomegranate seeds create a refreshing counterpoint to the savory turkey.
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Shredded Brussels Sprouts: Often overlooked, shredded Brussels sprouts offer a delightful surprise with their nutty flavor and tender texture. Sautéed with garlic and bacon, they add a savory depth to the meal.
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Really Easy Bread Stuffing: This classic Thanksgiving side dish provides a comforting and flavorful accompaniment to the turkey. The combination of soft bread, savory herbs, and aromatic vegetables creates a hearty and satisfying stuffing that complements the main course perfectly.
Beyond the Plate: Pairing Principles for a Harmonious Meal
When selecting side dishes for your Thanksgiving turkey, consider these pairing principles to create a harmonious meal:
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Contrast: Choose side dishes that offer contrasting flavors and textures to the turkey. For example, pair creamy mashed potatoes with crispy roasted vegetables or sweet candied yams with tangy cranberry sauce.
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Complement: Select side dishes that complement the turkey’s flavor profile. For example, pair savory stuffing with a rich gravy or sweet potato casserole with a spicy cranberry sauce.
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Balance: Aim for a balance of flavors and textures throughout the meal. Include a variety of side dishes that offer a range of sweet, savory, and spicy notes.
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Seasonality: Embrace the flavors of the season by incorporating fresh, seasonal ingredients into your side dishes. Roasted root vegetables, autumnal squashes, and cranberries are all perfect choices for a Thanksgiving feast.
By carefully selecting and preparing side dishes that complement the turkey and each other, you can create a Thanksgiving feast that is both visually appealing and palate-pleasing. Each element on the plate should contribute to a harmonious symphony of flavors, textures, and aromas, making your Thanksgiving meal an unforgettable culinary experience.
24 Best Thanksgiving Side Dishes
Not only are these mashed potatoes incredibly creamy and comforting, but they can be made up to two days ahead of time and reheated in the microwave, which is a great advantage during the holidays when oven and stovetop space is limited. These mashed potatoes are a Thanksgiving staple! Get the recipe.
Without stuffing, Thanksgiving wouldn’t be the same, and this is my all-time most popular version. Because store-bought stuffing cubes are used, the recipe is very easy to prepare, and the sausage adds a great flavor that reduces the need for a lot of additional seasoning. Get the recipe.
Vegetables can be deliciously transformed into a comforting meal with a gratin. The dish is ideal for the hectic holidays because the sauce is kept simple by using heavy cream instead of béchamel. Get the recipe.
A homemade cranberry sauce tastes far better than one from a can, and it’s the ideal side dish for roast turkey. This version is slightly more festive for the holidays thanks to the addition of orange zest and juice. Get the recipe.
Potato au gratin is a dish that deserves a special occasion if there ever was one. Made with layers of potatoes, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and heavy cream, it is incredibly rich and calorie-dense. Get the recipe.
This simple creamed spinach recipe, reminiscent of a steakhouse, makes a rich accompaniment to a lean roast turkey. Made with frozen spinach, it is quick, easy, and make-ahead. Get the recipe.
Challah cubes enhanced with eggs provide a delectably rich foundation for stuffing. This version has a crispy top and is loaded with earthy, buttery wild mushrooms. Get the recipe.
Get the recipe here. If you’re used to sweet potatoes with marshmallows on Thanksgiving, give this version a try with a crispy brown sugar-pecan streusel and you won’t go back!
Brussels sprouts are excellent on their own, but they become even better when you toss them with a little honey and balsamic vinegar right out of the oven. Get the recipe here. Be advised that these are difficult to stop eating right out of the pan!
These buttermilk biscuits have a gorgeous golden exterior and are rich, buttery, and flaky. Bonus: You can bake them right before serving if you prepare them ahead of time. Get the recipe.
French green beans, or haricots verts, are typically available during the holidays, trimmed and prepared for cooking. These sophisticated beans go well with roast turkey, seared salmon, or grilled steak when sautéed with shallots. Get the recipe.
Spoon bread is a close relative of cornbread that is rich, creamy, and yes, served with a spoon. While made with fresh corn and delicious in the summer, frozen corn works just as well as fresh corn as a side dish for Thanksgiving. Get the recipe.
Carrots cooked the regular way aren’t very interesting, but when they’re roasted, things get really interesting. They acquire a delightful caramelized flavor, are incredibly easy to prepare, and look beautiful on your Thanksgiving table. Get the recipe.
Twice-baked potatoes, rich and creamy mashed potatoes baked in crispy, salty potato skins, turn any meal into a festive occasion. Bonus: You can prepare them largely in advance and freeze them. Get the recipe.
This tart-sweet relish made with cranberries, orange zest, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, and pecans is perfect if you enjoy traditional cranberry sauce. Get the recipe.
This nutritious cauliflower purée is the perfect substitute for mashed potatoes if you’re looking for something lower in carbohydrates. Get the recipe here. It’s so creamy and comforting that you won’t even miss the potatoes!
An annual tradition is to include warm cornbread muffins in the Thanksgiving bread basket. These muffins bake in just 20 minutes, and the batter comes together quickly. Get the recipe.
This sweet and savory Brussels sprout salad is ideal served room temperature at a holiday buffet because it is best prepared in advance. And leftovers pair perfectly with turkey sandwiches! Get the recipe.
This classic cornbread and sausage stuffing is golden and crispy on top and has the consistency of spoon bread. The cornbread is homemade, which means it requires a little more time than traditional stuffing. However, the recipe is simple to follow and well worth the extra effort. Get the recipe.
The epitome of comfort food, this mac and cheese is extra creamy topped with crispy herb-flecked panko. The recipe is inspired by the macaroni and cheese served at Maple Ave, a restaurant in Vienna, VA. Get the recipe.
This dish, which features caramelized and blistered string beans, mellow garlic chunks, nutty Parmesan cheese, and crunchy pine nuts, is a great vegetable dish to bring to a holiday gathering. It even tastes better than the classic green bean casserole. Get the recipe.
These dense, healthy cornbread muffins are made with pumpkin purée and taste just as good as regular cornbread. The muffins’ gorgeous golden-brown color and delicious, earthy flavor are attributed to the pumpkin. Get the recipe.
This salad is a hit at the Thanksgiving potluck! It’s portable and makes a refreshing alternative to heavier, more carb-filled side dishes. It also makes excellent leftovers; simply stir in some chopped roast turkey. Get the recipe.