21 Thanksgiving side dishes your guests will fight over
Make room on your holiday table, because these Thanksgiving side dishes are showstoppers. This roundup is full of comforting classics, creative upgrades, and easy, flavor-packed recipes that make hosting a whole lot simpler. Your guests won’t know what to reach for first.
Slow Cooker Jalapeño Popper Creamed Corn
Creamed corn is elevated to gourmet level by combining the sweetness of corn with the heat of jalapeño peppers, the richness of cheese, and the savory goodness of bacon. This exquisite side dish is so easy to make. In fact, you just have to add the ingredients to your crock pot and leave it for a couple of hours. You will find this slow cooker jalapeño popper creamed corn is perfect for potlucks or a holiday gathering and pairs beautifully with all kinds of meats such as a strip steak, grilled or fried chicken, or even burgers.
Get the recipe: Slow Cooker Jalapeño Popper Creamed Corn
Sweet Potatoes with Maple Pecans
Thanksgiving is just around the corner and it’s time to think about a holiday sweet potato recipe. Some people like to make their favorite dishes every year while others like to change things up. If you’re looking for a slightly different sweet potato dish for your holiday menu, try this sweet potatoes with maple pecans recipe. Its streusel-like topping makes a change from the classic dish. Maple extract, brown sugar, warm spices, and sea salt really bring out that amazing yam flavor in every bite.
Get the recipe: Sweet Potatoes with Maple Pecans
Slow Cooker Cheesy Ranch Bacon Potatoes
These cheesy Crockpot potatoes are a comforting side dish that’s as easy to make as it is delicious! If you’re looking for something new and fresh to do with potatoes, try this slow cooker cheesy ranch bacon potatoes recipe. It’s the perfect blend of tender potatoes, rich cheese, and savory bacon, all cooked to perfection in your Crockpot. With just a handful of ingredients, you can whip up a creamy, flavorful side dish that will have your family asking for seconds (and thirds). Ideal for busy weeknights or weekend gatherings, this recipe is sure to become a go-to favorite at your dinner table!
Get the recipe: Slow Cooker Cheesy Ranch Bacon Potatoes
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon, pecans and cranberries make a delicious side dish for turkey, chicken or just about any kind of meat you are serving. You only need six different ingredients to make it, and the roasted Brussels sprouts are packed with nutrients as well as rich flavors. Change your plain roasted halved Brussels sprouts for this sweet, savory and crunchy dish to elevate dinnertime.
Get the recipe: Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Smoked Gouda Scalloped Potatoes
If you’re in the mood for creamy, cheesy comfort food, these smoked gouda scalloped potatoes are the perfect side dish. Layers of thinly sliced red potatoes are tucked between rich cream, smoky Gouda, sharp cheddar, and Parmesan, then baked until tender and golden. The result is a bubbling, cheesy masterpiece with just a hint of spice and a whisper of nutmeg. Whether you’re hosting guests or just treating yourself, this dish takes classic scalloped potatoes to the next level.
Get the recipe: Smoked Gouda Scalloped Potatoes
Maple Roasted Rainbow Carrots
This maple roasted rainbow carrots recipe shows how to make something elegant and mouthwatering with the humble carrot. This recipe is ideal for the holidays or a special occasion when you want a side dish everyone is going to love. Topped with goat cheese and pomegranate, these colorful carrots look beautiful and taste incredible. While maple syrup adds sweetness, a touch of cayenne pepper adds spice. And then you have the delicious thyme for that aromatic touch on these multi-color carrots.
Get the recipe: Maple Roasted Rainbow Carrots
Cheesy Vegetable Casserole
Imagine a dish where vibrant vegetables are enveloped in a rich, creamy cheese sauce, topped with a golden, crispy crust—sounds irresistible, right? This cheesy vegetable casserole brings together the goodness of broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots, all baked to bubbly perfection. It’s the ultimate comfort food that pairs beautifully with any main course, from roasted chicken to hearty meatloaf. Plus, using frozen veggies and canned soup means minimal prep time, making it a go-to recipe for both busy weeknights and festive gatherings. Ready to dig into this cheesy delight?
Get the recipe: Cheesy Vegetable Casserole
Gouda and Cream Cheese Corn
This one-pot gouda and cream cheese corn is a rich, cozy side dish that brings something special to the holiday table. Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas or any hearty meal you’re cooking up, it pairs beautifully with roasted meats or poultry. With sweet corn folded into a creamy blend of gouda, cream cheese and a splash of heavy cream, this dish delivers comfort in every bite. It’s an easy-to-make crowd-pleaser that’s bound to become a new family favorite year after year.
Get the recipe: Gouda and Cream Cheese Corn
Roasted Beet Salad
A roasted beet salad recipe is ideal if you want to serve a light lunch or a light appetizer before your main meal. Expect a riot of bright colors and fresh, delicious flavors in every mouthful. Roasted beet tangerine salad is a visually gorgeous dish and it’s easy to make from scratch. Although salads might be associated with the warmer months, this one is also perfect for fall and winter when beets are in season.
Get the recipe: Roasted Beet Salad
Slow Cooker Apple Pie Baked Beans
Get ready for a flavor-packed twist on classic baked beans with my slow cooker apple pie baked beans recipe! Perfect for BBQs, family gatherings, or any meal, these beans combine the sweet tang of apple pie filling with hearty baked beans, spicy jalapeno, and crispy bacon. With just a handful of ingredients, this dish is a breeze to make and will be the star of any picnic or potluck. Whether you’re hosting a 4th of July bash or simply craving a delicious side dish, these slow cooker apple pie baked beans are sure to be a hit.
Get the recipe: Slow Cooker Apple Pie Baked Beans
Air Fryer Stuffing
This air fryer stuffing with whiskey, sausage and cranberries is so delicious. And baking stuffing in an air fryer means you can fit other dishes in the oven or on the stove. It’s the perfect stuffing for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Did you know you could make a bourbon or whiskey stuffing with pork sausage recipe in your air fryer? Well, you can, and it’s so good! This is going to be one of the most popular dishes of all on your holiday table. Everyone will love it for sure.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Stuffing
Garlic Parmesan Roasted Carrots
Sheet pan garlic parmesan roasted carrots make a delicious side dish for all kinds of entrees. The natural sweetness of carrots is showcased by the creamy, salty parmesan cheese and buttery, as well as hints of garlic, rosemary and fresh parsley. Everyone at the dinner table will love crispy parmesan carrots. Their sweetness appeals to the younger members of the family and it’s a great way to get them to eat cooked carrots.
Get the recipe: Garlic Parmesan Roasted Carrots
Sweet Skillet Cornbread
Grab your cast iron skillet and get ready for the most delicious cornbread you ever tasted. Not only is this sweet skillet cornbread recipe a fantastic side dish for homemade chili but it’s also a tasty snack in its own right. With tasty ingredients like honey, butter, cornmeal, and eggs, it’s a sweet honey cornbread you can really savor and enjoy. It’s sweet but not overly so and the texture is soft with a little graininess. The buttery, crisp edges are perhaps the best part of all!
Get the recipe: Sweet Skillet Cornbread
Air Fryer Corn Casserole
Bring a little comfort to your dinner table with this creamy, savory air fryer corn casserole. Combining fresh corn, crispy bacon and fluffy cornbread mix, this easy side dish is full of bold flavor and texture. Using an air fryer keeps things quick, efficient, and perfectly golden on top. Goat cheese and chives give it a tasty twist, while the French onion dip adds unexpected richness. This recipe is a great way to elevate a weeknight meal or wow guests at a potluck.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Corn Casserole
Garlic Green Beans
These garlic green beans make a simple yet delicious side dish (that garlic fans will love). With just a few ingredients you can make this easy side that that’s ready in just 15 minutes. The green beans are sautéed in lots of garlic until perfectly tender on the inside, and crunchy on the outside. It’s your choice whether to cook garlicky beans to crisp-tender or tender. Whether you’re cooking a meat, seafood, poultry, or vegetarian dish, garlic green beans always pair well. They are perfect as a holiday side dish or for any night of the week!
Get the recipe: Garlic Green Beans
Cranberry Jello Salad
This cranberry jello salad is fantastically fruity. It makes a great jello salad for Thanksgiving dinner or for Christmas dinner (or both!) It’s made with juicy fresh cranberries with their sweet-tart taste, along with mandarin oranges, pineapple, jello, and more. Although you could serve cranberry orange jello salad as a dessert option, it also makes a nice replacement for canned cranberry sauce, and certainly offers a fresher flavor. This salad is perfect for potlucks and holiday parties with even non-cranberry lover will enjoy it.
Get the recipe: Cranberry Jello Salad
Potato Galette
Golden potato layers bake into a crisp, tender dish in this potato galette from xoxoBella. Each bite offers a perfect mix of buttery richness, fragrant herbs and golden edges. It’s elegant yet cozy, making it perfect for dinner parties or casual meals. Thin-sliced potatoes are brushed with butter and olive oil, seasoned with garlic and thyme then baked until the top is crisp and the inside is melt-in-your-mouth tender. It looks like you spent hours on it but this French side dish is simple to prepare.
Get the recipe: Potato Galette
Stick of Butter Rice
Say goodbye to boring rice and hello to stick of butter rice, the ultimate side dish from xoxoBella that’s as easy to make as it is tasty! It’s the most delicious side dish, richly flavored and outrageously comforting. This recipe is a delightful throwback that combines just four simple ingredients to create a dish that’s both creamy and comforting. The magic happens when the butter melts into the rice, infusing it with rich flavor that pairs beautifully with any main course. It’s a surefire hit at family dinners or potlucks, and I promise your loved ones will beg for the recipe after just a bite.
Get the recipe: Stick of Butter Rice
Red Skin Mashed Potatoes
Mashed red potatoes with skin from xoxoBella make a delicious side dish for pretty much any recipe you can think of! Try red skin mashed potatoes with steak, chicken or any other meat, poultry or fish. It’s so easy to make and the kind of side dish everyone will want a second helping of. Expect a creamy, fluffy result and feel free to make extra because leftover mashed potatoes can be transformed into potato pancakes and other tasty sides.
Get the recipe: Red Skin Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Nothing quite rivals a creamy, silky roasted cauliflower soup when fall rolls in. If there’s a head of cauliflower glaring at you from your fridge, take it as your cue roast those florets until they’re golden and caramelized, then blend them into a luxuriously smooth, nutty soup that warms you from the inside out. With every velvety spoonful, you’ll feel wrapped in cozy comfort and seasonal goodness.
Get the recipe: Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Easy Stuffing
Nothing quite compares to a warm, moist stuffing that’s bursting with flavor and skipping meat doesn’t mean sacrificing comfort. This easy stuffing recipe is not only simple to make but truly irresistible. Cubed bread mingles with sautéed onions, celery, and fragrant herbs like sage and thyme, while beaten egg ties everything together into a rich and tender mixture. Every bite feels cozy, herby, and deeply satisfying perfect for enjoying all that holiday magic.
Get the recipe: Easy Stuffing
