55 Must-Have Thanksgiving Casseroles for Your Holiday Feast

Classic Cornbread Dressing
Photo: Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Who doesn't love a good Thanksgiving casserole? More than any other time of year, Thanksgiving is a holiday that skillfully celebrates the art of the homemade casseroles. We're not just talking about the classic green-bean casserole or the famous homemade mac and cheese, either. These are the homemade recipes that Mama guards with her life and are only learned through an illegible scribble on an old receipt or by graciously helping out in the kitchen. Hold these coveted recipes tightly because everyone will want your delicious secrets. Made with everyone's favorite seasonal vegetables and flavors, these dishes are guaranteed to be an instant hit at Thanksgiving dinner. However, the best ingredient found in all of these sought-after Thanksgiving casseroles is the hard work and love put into each one, because the way to the heart is definitely through the stomach. This Thanksgiving, make some memories in the kitchen by cooking these delectable casseroles then enjoying them with your loved ones. You better leave plenty of room on the table for these classic Southern recipes.

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Old-School Green Bean Casserole

Old-School Green Bean Casserole
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Old-School Green Bean Casserole

This classic green bean casserole is ready in under an hour. Guests will be thrilled to see this traditional side as part of the spread and even more delighted once they try it. The secret? We nixed classically used cream of mushroom soup in favor of homemade mushroom cream sauce.

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Macaroni Pudding

Macaroni Pudding
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck; Food Styling: Erin Merhar

Recipe: Macaroni Pudding

We know that mac and cheese is an automatic must-have on the Thanksgiving table, but allow us to tempt you with this Macaroni Pudding recipe. Classic mac and cheese's creamier, richer cousin, this pudding is packed with a delicious abundance of cheese—3 cups of sharp cheddar per batch.

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Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows, Pecans, and Cornflakes

Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows, Pecans, and Cornflakes
Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows, Pecans, and Cornflakes

A classic casserole that is topped with a delicious combination of cornflakes, pecans, and marshmallows. With all of these sweet ingredients, this dish is the perfect combination of smooth, creamy, and crunchy textures.

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Broccoli-Cheese Casserole

Broccoli Cheese Casserole
Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Broccoli Cheese Casserole

Top this classic broccoli casserole with club crackers for a buttery finish. Even the most ardent broccoli-haters won't be able to resist this decadent side.

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Classic Cornbread Dressing

Classic Cornbread Dressing
Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Classic Cornbread Dressing

This old-school cornbread dressing recipe starts with your favorite skillet cornbread. Make this dressing up to a month in advance and store it frozen to avoid those pre-Thanksgiving preparation jitters.

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Hasselback Sweet Potato Casserole

Hasselback Sweet Potato Casserole
Photo: Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Hasselback Sweet Potato Casserole

Switch up your traditional sweet potato casserole by adding thinly sliced potatoes for a crispy texture. This dish is smothered in a creamy brown sugar sauce that makes it perfectly tender and sweet.

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Corn Pudding Casserole

Broccoli Cheese Casserole
Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Corn Pudding Casserole

This savory dish is a cheesy delight on the Thanksgiving table. Use fresh or frozen corn to complement fontina or Swiss cheese—the choices are yours, and the results will be delicious.

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Savory Sweet Potato Casserole

Savory Sweet Potato Casserole
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Savory Sweet Potato Casserole

The best of both worlds, this sweet potato casserole is topped with a Parmesan-herb streusel to give it a savory flavor. Day-old sourdough bread is the trick to a tasty topping with pecans.

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Cheesy Potato Casserole

Cheesy Potato Casserole
Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Cheesy Potato Casserole

This cheesy potato casserole pairs delightfully well with homemade gravy. It's decadent enough to impress holiday guests, but also easy enough to whip up on a weeknight.

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Old-School Squash Casserole

Old-School Squash Casserole
Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Old-School Squash Casserole

Even if you're not a squash lover, you will be coming back for seconds with this tasty buttery dish. It's a staple for a reason—creamy sauce and crunchy cracker topping will prove why.

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Aunt Grace's Best Cornbread Dressing

Aunt Grace's Famous Cornbread Dressing
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Aunt Grace's Best Cornbread Dressing

Travel editor Valerie Luesse shares her Aunt Grace's Best Cornbread Dressing recipe—which Luesse calls "silky smooth and ultra-moist." To make the deal even sweeter: This recipe serves best when made in advance.

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Homemade Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Leeks

Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Leeks
Linda Puglies; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Homemade Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Leeks

This fresh green bean casserole is topped with crunchy leeks. They're loads more elegant than canned fried onions on top of this classic Thanksgiving side dish.

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Hashbrown Casserole

Hashbrown Casserole
Southern Living

Recipe: Hashbrown Casserole

Potato casserole just got a whole lot better with diced hash brown potatoes. Although this dish is sometimes called a "Funeral Casserole," we think it deserves a spot at Thanksgiving too.

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Squash and Green Chile Casserole

Squash and Green Chile Casserole
Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Squash and Green Chile Casserole

This creamy Tex-Mex squash casserole has a subtle Southern kick from the green chiles. Using both yellow squash and green zucchini guarantees that this colorful dish looks as bright as its flavors.

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Buttermilk Spoon Bread

Buttermilk Spoon Bread
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Buttermilk Spoon Bread

This old-school recipe combines the flavors and textures of a skillet of hot cornbread, a cornmeal soufflé, and a cornbread dressing. If that doesn't sound delicious to you, we don't know what will.

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Bacon-Brussels Sprout-Green Bean Casserole

Old-School Green Bean Casserole
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Bacon-Brussels Sprout-Green Bean Casserole

We added crispy bacon and Brussels sprouts to this casserole for a spin on a Thanksgiving classic. Make this casserole up to three days in advance to make Thanksgiving preparations all too easy.

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Creamy Whipped Potato Casserole

Creamy Whipped Potato Casserole
Atonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Creamy Whipped Potato Casserole

Our Test Kitchen said this two-potato recipe makes the "fluffiest mashed potato casserole of all time." We owe this to two types of starchy potatoes, browned butter, and white cheddar.

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Baked Mac and Cheese with Bacon

Baked Mac and Cheese with Bacon
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Baked Mac and Cheese with Bacon

Bacon is the cherry on top of the ideal comfort food on Thanksgiving. Kids and adults alike will eat up this new mac and cheese recipe.

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Spicy Cornbread Dressing with Chorizo

Spicy Cornbread Dressing with Chorizo
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Spicy Cornbread Dressing with Chorizo

Add a kick to your Thanksgiving feast with jalapeños and chorizo. Make your cornbread from scratch or buy it pre-made—either way, this surprising twist on classic cornbread dressing will be a hit.

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Fluffy Corn Pudding

Fluffy Corn Pudding
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Fluffy Corn Pudding

Our fluffiest corn pudding recipe yet, this version is like a delicious hybrid between a custard and a soufflé. Pureeing a portion of the corn kernels lends to the light and airy texture of this corn pudding.

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Scalloped Oysters

Scalloped Oysters
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Scalloped Oysters

This classic oyster casserole only required a handful of simple ingredients. Briny oysters are the star of this dish with little backup needed.

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Herby Pecan-Cornbread Dressing

Herby Pecan-Cornbread Dressing
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Herby Pecan-Cornbread Dressing

You won't find a cornbread dressing more wholesome than this one—toasted pecans, whole-grain flour, and medium-grind cornmeal guarantee it. To get ahead on your prep, make the cornbread up to three days in advance.

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Mashed Potato Casserole

Mashed Potato Casserole
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Kay E. Clarke; Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey

Recipe: Mashed Potato Casserole

The family will love the breadcrumb and crispy fried onion topping on this dreamy mashed potato casserole. Underneath the topping though, Yukon potatoes and Swiss cheese offer a delightfully tangy take on mashed potatoes.

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Pumpkin-and-Winter Squash Gratin

Pumpkin-and-Winter Squash Gratin
Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Pumpkin-and-Winter Squash Gratin

Shake up your feast with pumpkins on the dinner table—not just the dessert spread. This hearty casserole is a fun way to use pumpkin in your Thanksgiving meal aside from the pie.

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Herbed Breadcrumb-Topped Macaroni and Cheese

herbed breadcrumb topped macaroni and cheese
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Herbed Breadcrumb-Topped Macaroni and Cheese

There's no doubt that macaroni and cheese derives a shining spot on every Southern Thanksgiving table. Spooned onto a heaping plate with seasonal flavors, comforting, cheesy noodles are a must. This Turkey Day, elevate your go-to recipe with cubes of cheddar cheese and panko breadcrumbs flavored with sage, thyme, and rosemary.

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Savory Corn Pudding

Savory Corn Pudding
Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Savory Corn Pudding

Some Southern cooks are diehard for sweet corn pudding recipes, but this recipe makes a strong case for going savory. Don't worry, we haven't nixed that classic corn pudding texture—so creamy and rich that it could still be a dessert.

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Cornbread Dressing with Sausage

Cornbread Dressing with Sausage
Southern Living

Recipe: Cornbread Dressing with Sausage

You can make this classic cornbread dressing in three simple steps. Pork sausage adds a welcome meatiness to simple, staple ingredients including cornbread, sandwich bread, broth, butter, celery, and onions.

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Loaded Cauliflower Casserole

Loaded Cauliflower Casserole
Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Recipe: Loaded Cauliflower Casserole

Cauliflower is the chameleon veggie that we can't get enough of and definitely need on the Thanksgiving table this year. For a low-carb casserole that has everything you love about a loaded mashed potato casserole, try this recipe.

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Creamed Greens Casserole

Creamed Greens Casserole
Atonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Creamed Greens Casserole

Even the pickiest eaters will eat their greens with this cheesy casserole recipe. Two power flavor duos collide in this recipe: kale and collards, plus cream cheese and fontina. You'll love it.

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Baked Corn Casserole

Baked Corn Casserole
Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Emily Neighbors Hall; Prop Stylist: Audrey Davis

Recipe: Baked Corn Casserole

This cornbread-corn pudding hybrid will make a fun addition to the sideboard. Pureed corn, plus sour cream and Monterey jack cheese, make sure that this casserole is far from lacking in both flavor and texture.

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Slow-Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole

Slow-Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole
Southern Living

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole

The oven is already packed on Thanksgiving, so use the slow cooker to make this holiday staple. Think of it as a deconstructed version of a classic sweet potato casserole.

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Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Twice Baked Potato Casserole
Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland; Food Styling: Melissa Gray

Recipe: Twice Baked Potato Casserole

What makes a creamy potato casserole better? Bacon, cheese, scallions, and sour cream of course.

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Slow-Cooker Cornbread Dressing

Slow-Cooker Cornbread Turkey Dressing
Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Cornbread Dressing

The slow cooker can do it all at Thanksgiving, including making this staple casserole. This hands-off version is infinitely comforting, both to your guests' taste buds and your preparation schedule.

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Macaroni Au Gratin

Macaroni Au Gratin
Southern Living

Recipe: Macaroni Au Gratin

If you thought macaroni and cheese couldn't get more decadent, think again. Our Test Kitchen has all the tips and tricks for this dish to reach its cheesiest, tastiest potential.

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Easy Cauliflower Casserole

Easy Cauliflower Casserole
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Easy Cauliflower Casserole

The kids just might confuse this veggie casserole with their favorite mac and cheese recipe. We can't blame them—it's just as creamy and cheesy as Southern comfort food should be.

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Make-Ahead Sweet Potato Casserole

Make-Ahead Sweet Potato Casserole
Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Emily Neighbors Hall; Prop Stylist: Audrey Davis

Recipe: Make-Ahead Sweet Potato Casserole

With the busy holidays, we'll take any recipe with the words "make-ahead" in the name. Bring this dish together up to three days early and rejoice in the brown sugar and rolled oats topping come Thanksgiving dinner.

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Cornbread 'n' Squash Dressing

Cornbread-'n'-Squash-Dressing

Recipe: Cornbread 'n' Squash Dressing

Crumbled cornbread, yellow squash, red bell peppers, and onions make up this Southern-style dressing. Fans of both squash casseroles and old-school cornbread dressings won't be able to get enough of this killer combo.

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Two-Potato Gratin

Two-Potato Gratin
Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Two-Potato Gratin

Yukon gold potatoes and sweet potatoes join forces in this cheesy and creamy casserole. As far as we're concerned, twice the potatoes means twice as tasty.

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Mimi's Cornbread Dressing

Mimi's Cornbread Dressing
Southern Living

Recipe: Mimi's Cornbread Dressing

This dressing is deliciously moist and perfectly seasoned with fresh sage, parsley, and thyme. Put down the boxed cornbread and try this simple buttermilk skillet version. That little bit of extra effort will shine through.

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Sweet Potato, Cauliflower, and Greens Casserole

Sweet Potato, Cauliflower, and Greens Casserole
Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Sweet Potato, Cauliflower, and Greens Casserole

A vegetarian's dream, this casserole is jam-packed with veggies and very filling. It's jam packed with vegetables and definitely doesn't skimp on the cheese or hearty flavor.

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Wild Rice-and-Greens Casserole

Wild Rice-and-Greens Casserole
Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Wild Rice-and-Greens Casserole

A flavorful dish that calls for wild rice, spices, and greens. Swap out kale for collard greens or another hearty green of your choice.

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Cheese Cracker-Topped Squash Casserole

Cheese Cracker-Topped Squash Casserole Recipe
Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Cheese Cracker-Topped Squash Casserole

We topped this savory squash casserole with the our favorite crispy snack that smiles back. Kids will be delighted to dig into their veggies when they're topped with swimming snacks.

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Zucchini, Squash, and Corn Casserole

Zucchini, Squash, and Corn Casserole
Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Zucchini, Squash, and Corn Casserole

Combine these Southern vegetables all together in this flavor-bursting casserole. Breadcrumbs are the glue that literally holds this dish together in delicious effect.

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Fennel-and-Potato Gratin

Fennel-and-Potato Gratin
Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Fennel-and-Potato Gratin

This cheesy potato gratin gets a punch of flavor from nutmeg and fennel. It's impressive enough for a holiday party, but easy enough to put together on a busy weeknight.

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Pimiento Cheese Creamed Spinach

Pimiento Cheese Creamed Spinach
Hector Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

Recipe: Pimiento Cheese Creamed Spinach

Creamed spinach is a safe bet, but our version infused with extra Southern flavors will be a knockout. Pimiento cheese made with diced (never sliced!) jarred peppers make this casserole side dish uniquely delicious for Thanksgiving.

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Tasty Tex-Mex Mashed Potato Bake

Caramelized Onion Mashed Potato Bake
Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Tasty Tex-Mex Mashed Potato Bake

Tasty Tex-Mex Mashed Potato Bake gets a spicy kick with the addition of chorizo sausage, green chiles, and pepper Jack cheese. Mashed potatoes will never be boring again!

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Green Bean Lasagna

Balsamic Green Beans
Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Green Bean Lasagna

Lasagna may not be the first thing you think of when you imagine classic Thanksgiving sides, but our take on this classic holiday dish will have you loving this new twist. It mixes the smooth taste of perfectly cooked pasta noodles with the crunch of just-right green beans, the creaminess of ricotta and shredded Italian cheese, and the sweetness of onions and mushrooms. Top this casserole with crushed buttery crackers and French fried onions and you will wonder how you ever enjoyed your green bean casserole any other way.

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Two-Cheese Squash Casserole

Two-Cheese Squash Casserole
Photo: Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Two-Cheese Squash Casserole

For a tasty and colorful twist, substitute sliced zucchini for half of the yellow squash. This will be the simple update that will become your go-to family classic casserole for years to come.

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Butternut Squash Gratin

Butternut Squash Gratin
Photo: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Butternut Squash Gratin

Slice the potatoes as you use them in each layer (rather than all at once), to help prevent oxidation. Thinly sliced potatoes reminiscent of a classic gratin are delicious with seasonal stars like butternut and spaghetti squash.

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Chipotle Scalloped Potatoes

Chipotle Scalloped Potatoes
Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Chipotle Scalloped Potatoes

Cheesy, smoky, and savory—all of our favorite flavors come to play in this winner of a potato casserole. Deep flavors are just what you need to (literally) spice up your Thanksgiving spread.

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Grated Sweet Potato Pudding

Grated Sweet Potato Pudding
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Grated Sweet Potato Pudding

Try a new twist on your classic sweet potato casserole this year with this grated version that's topped with chopped pecans. To spike up the seasonal flavors, supplement this recipe with add a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg.

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Sweet Potato-Carrot Casserole

Sweet Potato-Carrot Casserole
Photo: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Sweet Potato-Carrot Casserole

Cooked carrots add smooth texture and extra flavor to this comfort food favorite. Serve this classic holiday casserole any time of year and expect rave reviews. Top with marshmallows and spicy-sweet pecans.

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Roasted Tomato Macaroni and Cheese

Roasted Tomato Macaroni and Cheese
Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Roasted Tomato Macaroni and Cheese

Juicy, deep red tomatoes add an elegant look to everyone's favorite comfort food on the Thanksgiving table. This gourmet casserole is as rich and tasty as classic mac and cheese, but with fresh and bright flavor aided by just a touch of oregano and dry mustard.

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Creamy Spinach Mashed Potato Bake

Caramelized Onion Mashed Potato Bake
Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Creamy Spinach Mashed Potato Bake

A hearty, leafy take on buttery mashed potatoes, we love to eat this dish as a side served with all of the other must-have comforting Thanksgiving vegetables. Baby spinach and herb-garlic cheese give this casserole its color and flavor that's almost a hybrid between creamed spinach and classic mashed potatoes.

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Sweet Potato Soufflé

Sweet Potato Soufflé
Micah Leal

Recipe: Sweet Potato Soufflé

Super sweet, but hardy enough to narrowly miss the dessert table, this delicious baked sweet potato dish is filled with warm cinnamon-sugar flavors. A buttery brown sugar-pecan topping completes the perfect spoonful.

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