The holiday table may revolve around turkey, but let’s be honest—the supporting cast often steals the spotlight. Memorable side dish recipes for Thanksgiving include scalloped corn, sweet potatoes, glazed carrots, dressing, and salads. Whether you’re planning a full spread or just looking for that one crowd-pleaser, these dishes will bring comfort, color, and plenty of cheer to your holiday meal.
Brown Butter Carrots with Brioche Breadcrumbs
Brown Butter Carrots with Brioche Breadcrumbs.
Carson Downing
Imagine if you took the glazed carrots of your childhood and made them just a little extra. Or maybe a lot extra—with pools of nutty brown butter and honey, and a heap of brioche breadcrumbs. The dish comes from Jason Qureshi, executive chef at River Roast in Chicago.
Pickled Cranberry Arugula Salad
Pickled Cranberry Arugula Salad.
Kelsey Hansen
This simple holiday side salad hits in all the right ways with just a few ingredients—peppery arugula, tangy cranberries, crunchy walnuts, and creamy goat cheese. Add leftover turkey to make it a main meal.
Candied Yams
Candied Yams.
Adam Albright
A use-what-you-have cook, Gerard Klass’s mom always put SunnyD in her yams. So, the chef and co-owner of Soul Bowl in Minneapolis does, too—along with plenty of butter, brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon.
Mac and Cheese
Mac and Cheese.
Carson Downing
This side is a staple at Chicago restaurant River Roast, and executive chef Jason Qureshi keeps the recipe basic—aside from one little twist. “Hot sauce is my secret ingredient,” he says.
Roasted Squash Salad with Vanilla-Orange Vinaigrette
Roasted Squash Salad with Vanilla-Orange Vinaigrette.
Carson Downing
Jason Qureshi, executive chef of River Roast, grew up seeing spices like cinnamon used in savory dishes. He thinks that’s where he got the idea for this harvest salad, dressed in a vinaigrette of orange juice and vanilla bean paste. “Real vanilla has a delicate warmth that plays well with the squash, cherries, pepitas and goat cheese,” he says. Try it along with Qureshi’s other holiday recipes.
Pickled Cranberries
Quick-Pickled Cranberries.
Kelsey Hansen
These easy, juicy berries are flavored with lemon, orange, star anise, and cinnamon. Add them to a charcuterie board, a salad, a cocktail, or your Thanksgiving table.
Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Orange and Mascarpone
Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Orange and Mascarpone.
Blaine Moats
A pat of butter and a sprinkle of black pepper is all it takes to crown this rich and creamy sweet mash, a sweet potato recipe your family (and guests) will love.
Old-Fashioned Scalloped Corn
Old-Fashioned Scalloped Corn.
Rachel Marek / Kelsey Moylan
Fresh or frozen whole-kernel corn blends with canned cream-style corn for a delicious take on this favorite side dish. Toasted and buttered crushed crackers add more texture to the top of the casserole.
Lemony Green Beans
Lemony Green Beans.
Blaine Moats
Garlic, shallots and lemon brighten crisp-tender beans. Save time by parboiling the green beans a day early.
Cauliflower Gratin
Cauliflower Gratin.
Tossing cauliflower with bread crumbs, Dijon, cheddar, herbs and almonds makes this humble veg holiday-special.
Lemon-Garlic Brussels Sprouts
Lemon-Garlic Brussels Sprouts.
Carson Downing
With a heavy meal like a holiday dinner, Chicago chef Jason Qureshi says you want tang somewhere to give your palate a break. Dousing a vegetable like these skillet-browned sprouts in lemon juice wakes them up like a ray of winter-morning sunshine.
Carrot and Swede Puree
Carrot and Swede Puree.
Carson Downing
Thyme and garlic flavor this puree of carrot and swede, the British word for rutabaga. Michigan chef Kieron Hales, who grew up in England, makes this humble root vegetable the star of his holiday table by blending it with lots of butter (which earns raves even from his picky younger son).
Roast Potatoes
Roast Potatoes.
Carson Downing
Crispy outside and floury inside, English roast potatoes are typically cooked very simply—water, salt, hot oil. The fat-crisped nuggets have a light, floury interior. But Michigan Chef Kieron Hales, who grew up in England, dresses his up with herbs, garlic and Worcestershire sauce.
No-Bake Harvest Stuffing
No-Bake Harvest Stuffing.
Blaine Moats
We added walnuts, cranberries and seedy bread to classic sage-and-onion turkey dressing—and we did it in a slow cooker. The lidded appliance keeps the stuffing perfectly moist and, of course, frees up the oven for another pie.
Can-Don’t Green Bean Casserole
Can-Don’t Green Bean Casserole.
Blaine Moats
Is our all-natural, totally homemade version of the iconic holiday side more work than the one made with canned stuff? Well, yes. But wow, is it good.
Butter-Braised Leeks
Butter-Braised Leeks.
Carson Downing
Butter-braised leeks become meltingly tender when slow-simmered in chicken stock with herbs. Michigan Chef Kieron Hales recomm ends setting aside the cooking liquid to use in a soup.
Mushroom Gravy with Sherry and Thyme
Mushroom Gravy with Sherry and Thyme.
Blaine Moats
This ridiculously flavorful vegetarian gravy will satisfy even the heartiest meat-eaters. Along with sherry and tomato paste, dried porcini mushrooms (available in the produce sections of large supermarkets) replicate the savory flavor of drippings.
J Cole Cauliflower Mash
Adam Albright
These mashed potatoes are a staple on the menu of Soul Bowl in Minneapolis. Chef and co-owner Gerard Klass roasts cauliflower to bring nutrition and nutty sweetness, but powdered ranch seasoning adds the real X factor to this creative cauliflower recipe.
Common Cornbread Dressing
Common Cornbread Dressing.
Adam Albright
Gerard Klass’s dressing, made with his jalapeno-flecked Cornbread, is flavored with fresh sage, rosemary and thyme. This chef and co-owner of Soul Bowl in Minneapolis says he’s still chasing his mom’s holiday dressing. But by our measure, he’s there.
Maple-Butternut Puree
Maple Butternut Puree.
Blaine Moats
Roasting brings out squash’s natural sugars. Blending with maple syrup, butter and nutmeg makes it utterly addictive. Bonus: This dish reheats beautifully.
Popovers
Popovers.
Brie Goldman
Minnesota pastry chef Emily Marks has learned all the tricks to making popovers. Serve them with honey butter or swap chopped fresh herbs, black pepper, or shredded cheese for the honey.
Spicy Scalloped Sweet Potatoes
Spicy Scalloped Sweet Potatoes.
Blaine Moats
For a gloriously orange update to scalloped potatoes, we layered sweet potatoes, sharp cheddar and chipotle peppers. But the luscious creamy goodness? Still the same.
Spiced Cranberry Sauce
Spiced Cranberry Sauce.
Adam Albright
This shortcut recipe from Minneapolis chef Gerard Klass starts with a can of jellied cranberry sauce. It’s a great holiday condiment alone, or use it as a glaze on the chef’s Juicy J Salmon recipe.
Mashed Sweet Potato with Melted Leeks
Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Melted Leeks.
Blaine Moats
Luxuriously silky leeks—slow-cooked in butter and seasoned with lemon juice and thyme—ripple through sweet potatoes.
Cranberry Chutney
Cranberry Chutney.
Blaine Moats
Cranberries and apple simmer with red onion, ginger and mustard seeds for a spiced variation on traditional sauce. Try it on a sandwich with leftover turkey.
Calico Corn Bread Dressing
Calico Corn Bread Stuffing.
Blaine Moats
Homey corn bread meets woodsy sage, thyme and shitake mushrooms. Carrots and apricots add color and sweetness.
Lazy-Braised, Maple-Glazed Carrots
Compared to traditional super sugary glazed carrots, our recipe bridges sweet and savory. Come the holidays, this carrot dish is well worth a spot on the holiday table.
Mustard-Dressed Roasted Vegetables with Cranberries
Mustard-Dressed Roasted Vegetables with Cranberries.
Blaine Moats
This pretty roasted vegetable dish is perfect on a holiday table or alongside any roasted meats.
Cranberry-Apple Sweet Potatoes
Cranberry-Apple Sweet Potatoes.
Kritsada
Mix pantry ingredients—canned apple pie filling, canned sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, apricot preserves, orange marmalade and chopped pecans—for a quick-and-easy side dish with a crunchy nut topping.
Turkey Stuffing with Apples, Pears and Mushrooms
Turkey Stuffing with Apples, Pears, and Mushrooms.
Robert Jacobs
You can serve this hearty, fruit-studded dressing with roasted or grilled pork, poultry or ham. The recipe comes from the historical Story Inn in Nashville, Indiana.
Spicy Collard Greens with Bok Choy
Spicy Collard Greens with Bok Choy.
Adam Albright
These vegetarian collard greens don’t call for the typical ham hock. All the smoky flavor comes from liquid smoke. Adding bok choy lightens the dish up a bit.
Sweet Potatoes with Goat Cheese “Mallows”
Laced with garlic and rosemary and topped with pecans and goat cheese, this easy casserole gives a savory wink to the traditional sweet-on-sweet staple.
Dining and Cooking