For me, it’s really no contest: Thanksgiving is my FAVORITE holiday of the year. I think it’s because – other than enjoying delicious food with my loved ones and taking a moment to show some gratitude – the holiday requires little else. There’s no pressure of gift giving or even that much decorating to do.
True, there can be a lot of cooking, but I like that part. And my favorite part of my favorite holiday meal is most definitely the Thanksgiving side dishes. Every year I look forward to serving my tried-and-true favorite Thanksgiving side dish recipes, which are creamy corn casserole, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, and of course, mashed potatoes and gravy. And I also always like to try adding a new recipe or two to my menu.
Knowing that I’m not alone and that there are plenty of Thanksgiving side dish lovers out there, I wanted to put together this collection of delicious and healthy Thanksgiving recipes. This round up includes salads, potatoes, veggies, stuffing, and more. And I’ve also included the special diets that each one fits into, in case you have someone at your holiday table with specific dietary needs.
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes with Ham
I created this recipe using shredded hash browns and precooked ham. So it’s a super simple and fast method to make a delicious main-dish casserole for your table or a loaded cheesy scalloped potato side dish. There’s no need to peel, slice, and layer potatoes when you use frozen shredded hash browns.
Egg Free | Gluten Free | Nut Free
Parmesan Herb Roasted Acorn Squash
Jessica developed this recipe more than five years ago, and it has been one of our most popular recipes on the site ever since then. If you thought that acorn squash could only be made with butter and brown sugar, she’s here to tell you otherwise. The herb- and cheese-crusted squash makes for one of the most unexpectedly delicious Thanksgiving side dishes that everyone tends to love.
Egg Free | Gluten Free | Grain Free | Nut Free | Vegetarian
Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Stacie absolutely loves creating recipes with sweet potatoes because they have a naturally sweet flavor and so much good nutrition. So it was easy for her to create this simple sweet potato side dish. Think of them as mashed potatoes, only better. She adds a touch of sweetness from maple syrup, which makes this dish a perfect complement to turkey.
Dairy Free | Egg Free | Gluten Free | Grain Free | Paleo | Vegan
Honey-Sage Roasted Root Vegetables
Jess gave root vegetables, including carrots, beets, and parsnips, a nutritious glow-up thanks to the addition of her buttery, sweet, and herbaceous glaze. This recipe makes one of the best, most beautiful, and delicious simply healthy Thanksgiving sides to make your holiday menu shine.
Egg Free | Dairy Free | Gluten Free | Nut Free | Paleo | Vegan | Whole30
Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans
Growing up in the Midwest, Stacie always had this side dish casserole on her Thanksgiving table. It’s popular in other regions, too, including the South and Southwest. Stacie ditched the overly sweet marshmallow topping in favor of this crunchy maple-cranberry-candied pecan topping with crispy bacon, too.
Dairy Free | Gluten Free | Grain Free | Paleo | Vegetarian | Whole30
Dairy-free Mac and Cheese
If your Thanksgiving table always has macaroni and cheese, give this dairy-free mac and cheese a try. Jess developed a super creamy and innovative dairy-free cheese sauce using butternut squash, cauliflower, garlic, and onion. This plant-based version is so delicious that it might just become your new go-to.
Dairy Free | Egg Free | Gluten Free | Nut Free | Vegan
Cinnamon Sweet Potato Apple Bake
I love this unlikely combination of ingredients because it truly tastes so good together! The thin slices of apple and sweet potato complement each other so nicely. I also really appreciate how quickly this side dish comes together, so it’s always one of the first ones I can check off my list on Thanksgiving morning.
Dairy Free | Gluten Free | Grain Free | Paleo | Vegan
Butternut Squash and Apple Hash with Sausage
When Molly serves this protein-rich side dish, everyone first comments on how vibrant and beautiful the colors are. The dark green of the kale and the orange of the butternut squash just look like a natural fall scene. But the real oohs and ahhs come when her guests dig into this herbaceous sweet and savory veggie mix that includes apple and ground sausage.
Dairy Free | Egg Free | Gluten Free | Grain Free | Nut Free | Paleo | Whole30
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Balsamic
For me, it just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving dinner without a Brussels sprouts recipe on the table. I love these “little cabbages” because they taste so good when roasted and caramelized. The balsamic and bacon in this recipe only complements their flavor even more. In fact, when my Thanksgiving plate is all full, this is always the first bite I go for.
Dairy Free | Egg Free | Gluten Free | Grain Free | Paleo | Vegetarian
Cauliflower Stuffing
Ana makes this stuffing for her Thanksgiving meal every year. Not only does it fit her dietary requirements of needing to be dairy free and gluten free, but it is absolutely bursting with so many textures and savory flavors. Her aunt, who eats grain free, also loves that she can look forward to this stuffing year after year without having to worry about what’s in it.
Dairy Free | Gluten Free | Grain Free | Paleo | Vegan | Whole30
Sweet Kale Salad
The stand-out star of this salad is the shredded Brussels sprouts. Stacie loves to serve this super flavorful Thanksgiving salad because it includes all of her favorite things: goat cheese, dried cranberries, and pumpkin seeds. When she makes the poppyseed dressing ahead of time, this salad comes together so quickly, too!
Gluten Free | Grain Free | Nut Free | Vegetarian
Sweet Potato “Unstuffing”
Molly raves about this non-bread stuffing. She loves that she can serve it to guests who avoid gluten and grains. She also loves that it’s loaded with veggies and other flavor makers, including dried cherries, pecans, and diced apples. Finally, this veggie and herb stuffing smells so good and fills her kitchen with Thanksgiving smells.
Dairy Free | Gluten Free | Grain Free | Paleo | Vegan | Whole30
Harvest Salad with Quinoa
Ever since I discovered how much I love the addition of cooked quinoa to a veggie salad, I’ve been telling everyone about it. And I think this is the perfect quinoa salad to add to a Thanksgiving menu because it’s stunning, colorful, and every bite comes with a mix of sweet, salty, and savory notes.
Egg Free | Gluten Free | Vegetarian
Crispy Roasted Potatoes
Ana tends to use this potato recipe for her Thanksgiving menu more than any other one. If you love the texture of oven roasted potatoes, then you will love this recipe that results in crispy potatoes on the outside but tender fluffy insides. Keep it dairy free by using olive oil instead of the melted butter or ghee.
Egg Free | Gluten Free | Nut Free | Paleo | Vegetarian | Whole30
Fall Lentil Salad with Roasted Vegetables
When Stacie developed this fall salad recipe, she had Thanksgiving on her mind. It turned out to be a total show stopper! This lentil salad has so many flavorful layers and textures that she never has leftovers when she serves it for her family – only an empty bowl.
Egg Free | Gluten free | Grain Free | Vegetarian
Garlic Roasted Radishes
Stacie wanted to add a hearty veggie to her Thanksgiving menu that wasn’t potatoes. She started experimenting with roasting radishes on a sheet pan, and what she discovered was a completely delicious veggie side dish that has now become a favorite holiday addition to menus across America. If you haven’t tried this savory radish dish, then this is your year.
Dairy Free | Egg Free | Gluten Free | Nut Free | Vegan | Whole30
Creamy Mayo-Free Broccoli Salad
Jess can’t eat eggs because of a dietary allergy, so she created a mayo-free broccoli salad that has become one of her family’s favorite additions to Thanksgiving. She developed it with an easy yogurt dressing plus fresh broccoli florets, raisins, sunflower seeds, and bacon. It’s familiar, but she swears it’s even better than the version you remember.
Egg Free | Gluten Free | Grain Free | Nut Free
Butternut Squash Home Fries
Stacie says this butternut squash side dish is so good that even her veggie-adverse husband happily gobbles them up. In fact, he even requested them to be added to the Thanksgiving menu last year. Stacie also loves that she only needs four ingredients to make this quick dish on Thanksgiving morning.
Dairy Free | Egg Free | Gluten Free | Grain Free | Paleo | Whole30
Homemade Cornbread Muffins
I tend to rotate between cornbread stuffing and cornbread muffins for my Thanksgiving menu, depending on what else I’m serving. I love when it’s a “muffin year” because I can make these traditional cornbread muffins ahead of time. I might even dress them up with some chives to make them fancier or serve them with a simple honey butter.
Dairy Free | Gluten Free | Nut Free | Vegetarian
Slow Cooker Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Everyone on our team agrees: Mashed potatoes are one of the best Thanksgiving side dishes of all time. We created this recipe for slow cooker mashed potatoes (and this recipe for Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes) to free up our stovetops space on Thanksgiving. And then we loaded them so they get the flavor of twice-baked potatoes. They’re delicious as is and also with a drizzle of turkey gravy.
Gluten Free | Grain Free | Nut Free | Paleo | Vegetarian
Garlic Cheddar Dinner Rolls
Ana always volunteers to bring the dinner rolls or biscuits to Thanksgiving dinner because she has this recipe in her back pocket. It’s easy to modify them to be gluten free, and they make a wonderful side dish for roast turkey and all the fixins’.
Egg Free | Gluten Free | Nut Free | Vegetarian
Brussels Sprouts Salad with Cranberries
If I only want to make one or two side dishes for Thanksgiving, this is always the first one I choose. It has a little bit of everything that I love about fall flavors. Last year I made it with cooked wild rice in place of the quinoa and pomegranate arils in place of the dried cranberries. It was the first thing to disappear!
Dairy Free Option | Egg Free | Gluten Free | Vegetarian
Broccoli Cauliflower Salad with Apples
Molly says this broccoli-cauliflower salad makes an appearance at almost every special event she hosts, from baptisms to birthday parties to holidays. The fresh produce gets tossed in a simple creamy lemon vinaigrette and topped with roughly chopped almonds and dried cranberries.
Dairy Free | Gluten Free | Grain Free | Nut Free Option | Vegetarian
Warm Kale Salad With Bacon
Jess grew up having warm greens on her Thanksgiving table, like cooked collard greens and warm spinach. This recipe is her nod to that nostalgic favorite, but she dressed it up with diced sweet potatoes (or yams) and tossed it all in a warm lime dressing with crispy bacon.
Dairy Free | Gluten Free | Grain Free | Nut Free | Paleo | Whole30
Asparagus Casserole With Cracker Breadcrumbs
Molly loves au gratin veggie dishes, so she and Stacie collaborated to create this cheesy asparagus casserole that has become such a good addition to Thanksgiving season. Top the asparagus in cream sauce with Swiss cheese and crumbled crackers (or substitute Gruyere cheese and French fried onions for a slightly fancier version).
Egg Free | Nut Free | Vegetarian
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Looks delicious. Thank you for the recipes.