Spectacular Thanksgiving Sides

By Southern Living
Photo: Jody Horton

Everyone knows that the turkey isn't the real star of the Thanksgiving table—it’s the side dishes. Start a new family tradition this year and try our crowd-pleasing Thanksgiving side dish recipes. Take your pick from more than 100 traditional and modern takes on Southern Thanksgiving sides including mashed potatoes, dressing, green beans, cranberry sauce, rolls, roasted vegetables, casseroles, and more. Many of these Thanksgiving side dishes can even be made ahead or prepared in a slow cooker. When it comes to Thanksgiving, the more side dishes the better, and you can’t go wrong with any of these delicious recipes.

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Round Out Your Thanksgiving Meal With These Perfect Sides

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Best-Ever Macaroni and Cheese

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

Recipe: Best-Ever Macaroni and Cheese

Pack your mac and cheese with cheddar cubes to make sure you get cramy cheese in every bite.

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Classic Cornbread Dressing

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

Recipe: Classic Cornbread Dressing

For this Thanksgiving staple, make the cornbread in a skillet up to two days before making the rest of the dish. You will want it to dry out completely. 

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Classic Cranberry Salad

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

Recipe: Classic Cranberry Salad

Fresh cranberry salad is a crunchy alternative to the canned stuff.

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Mashed Potatoes with Bacon and Crispy Scallions

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

Recipe: Mashed Potatoes with Bacon and Crispy Scallions

What do your mashed potatoes need this Thanksgiving? Bacon.

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Slow-Cooker Collard Greens with Ham Hocks

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

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Collard Greens with Ham Hocks

Spending 9 hours in the slow-cooker allows the tender ham hocks to develop savory, smoky flavors.

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Pecan-Herb Cornbread Dressing

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

Recipe: Pecan-Herb Cornbread Dressing

This cornbread dressing gets an extra crunch from tasty pecans.

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Roasted Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese

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

Recipe: Roasted Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese

Broccoli and cheese is a great combination. Add it to macaroni and you have a side dish the kids can't turn down.

 

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Savory Corn Pudding

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

Recipe: Savory Corn Pudding

Give your creamy, not-too-sweet side dish extra flavor with chopped onion and fresh thyme.

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Classic Candied Yams

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

Recipe: Classic Candied Yams

If you're looking to give sweet potato casserole a break this Thanksgiving, we love these Classic Candied Yams, although, we wouldn't be against having both on the sideboard.

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Bacon-Brussels Sprout-Green Bean Casserole

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

Recipe: Bacon-Brussels Sprout-Green Bean Casserole

How do you make green bean casserole extra Southern? You add bacon and Brussels sprouts.

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Herbed Breadcrumb-Topped Macaroni and Cheese

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

Recipe: Herbed Breadcrumb-Topped Macaroni and Cheese 

If you want to move mac-and-cheese from the kids table to the sideboard, we love this buttery, herbed cornbread topping. The shell pasta helps too.

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Sweet Potato-and-Collard Green Gratin

Photo: Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Mary-Claire Britton

Recipe: Sweet Potato-and-Collard Green Gratin

If you're looking for one dish that does it all, this gratin might be the perfect recipe.

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Classic Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

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

Recipe: Classic Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

These mashed potatoes are extra creamy thanks to buttermilk and crème fraîche.

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Cornbread Dressing with Smoked Sausage and Apples

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

Recipe: Cornbread Dressing with Smoked Sausage and Apples

Give your cornbread dressing a sweet and rustic taste. 

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Vegetarian Slow-Cooker Collard Greens

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

Recipe: Vegetarian Slow-Cooker Collard Greens

The fire-roasted tomatoes and smoked paprika add so much flavor that you won't miss the ham.

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Three-Cheese Corn Pudding

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

Recipe: Three-Cheese Corn Pudding

What's better than one cheese? Three cheese, especially when those cheeses are white cheddar, yellow cheddar, and Parmesan.

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Parmesan-Herb Angel Biscuits

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

Recipe: Parmesan-Herb Angel Biscuits

Give your Thanksgiving bread some extra flavor with the addition of Parmesan, thyme, and rosemary.

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Green Chile-Corn Pudding

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

Recipe: Green Chile-Corn Pudding

We gave this Southern staple a Tex-Mex twist with poblano chiles and Mexican blend cheese.

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Rustic Mashed Red Potatoes with Parmesan

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

Recipe: Rustic Mashed Red Potatoes with Parmesan

Take your mashed potatoes to a new place by using red potatoes, Parmesan cheese, and herbed cream cheese.

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Spicy Candied Yams with Toasted Pecans

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

Recipe: Spicy Candied Yams with Toasted Pecans

Give your candied yams some heat this Thanksgiving with jalapeño chiles.

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Old-School Green Bean Casserole

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

Recipe: Old-School Green Bean Casserole

Skip the can this year and make your own mushroom cream sauce. You will taste the difference.

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Cornmeal Angel Biscuits

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

Recipe: Cornmeal Angel Biscuits

These cornmeal angel biscuits are the perfect nod to cornbread for Thanksgiving.

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Garlicky Collard Greens with Confetti Chowchow

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

Recipe: Garlicky Collard Greens with Confetti Chowchow

Give your collards a pop of color with this tasty confetti chowchow.

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Spiked Cranberry-Orange Salad

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

Recipe: Spiked Cranberry-Orange Salad

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Angel Biscuits

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

Recipe: Angel Biscuits

Want to have fresh biscuits on the table but don't want to waste time on the day of? You can prepare these biscuits one week in advance.

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Candied Yams with Rosemary and Orange Zest

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

Recipe: Candied Yams with Rosemary and Orange Zest

These candied yams get fresh flavors from chopped rosemary and orange zest.

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Lemon-Almond Green Bean Casserole

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

Recipe: Lemon-Almond Green Bean Casserole

This recipe swaps the cream of mushroom soup and fried onions for fresh lemon and sliced onions.

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Cranberry-Apple-Ginger Salad

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

Recipe: Cranberry-Apple-Ginger Salad

Fresh apples and ginger give this cranberry salad extra flavor.

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Classic Bread Dressing

Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Classic Bread Dressing

This easy bread dressing recipe is made-from-scratch with high-quality sourdough bread, fresh parsley and thyme, and celery, leeks, and garlic. 

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Cornbread Dressing with Sausage and Fennel

Recipe: Cornbread Dresing with Sausage and Fennel

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Sweet Potato-Ginger Scones

Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Sweet Potato-Ginger Scones

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Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Recipe: Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes

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Slow-Cooker Green Beans

Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Green Beans

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Brussels Sprouts with Cornbread Croutons

Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Brussels Sprouts with Cornbread Croutons

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Herbed Wild Rice Dressing

Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Herbed Wild Rice Dressing

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Honey-Glazed Spiced Carrots

Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Honey-Glazed Spiced Carrots

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Skillet Squash Blossom

Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Skillet Squash Blossom

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Smashed Baby Red Potatoes

Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Smashed Baby Red Potatoes

Crispy on the outside and tender and creamy on the inside, these are the best baby potatoes around.

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Cornbread Dressing with Kale and Bacon

Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Cornbread Dressing with Kale and Bacon

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Farro Salad with Toasted Pecans, Feta, and Dried Cherries

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling Katelyn Hardwick

Recipe: Farro Salad with Toasted Pecans, Feta, and Dried Cherries

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Root Vegetable Gratin

Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Root Vegetable Gratin

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Sweet Potato and Chorizo Sausage Bites

Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Sweet Poatato an Chorizo Sausage Bites

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Yeast Rolls

Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Yeast Rolls

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 Sweet Potato Casserole

Recipe: Sweet Potato Casserole

Rather than make you choose a single favorite topping for sweet potato casserole, this recipe takes the approach that on Thanksgiving you should get to enjoy whatever topping you want. Savory or sweet, the perfect sweet potato casserole recipe should be an absolute delight. Since we couldn't decide which topping we liked best—crushed cornflakes and pecans, with their candy-sweet flavor, or the puff and fluff of the toasted marshmallows—we decided the only solution was to put them all on. That was definitely the right decision. Now you’ll savor every flavor in every bite.  Grab a serving spoon and dig in. You’ll love this casserole.

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Pear Salad with Raspberry Cream

Recipe: Pear Salad with Raspberry Cream

This salad is a fantastic way to bring fresh, crisp fruits and vegetables to your holiday table. A bed of romaine and Bibb lettuces form a foundation for succulent slices of firm, ripe pears. Sprinkles of freshly grated Parmesam cheese and crumbles of smoky, crunchy bacon, top the salad, while a dressing piquant with red wine vinegar and Dijon mustard complements the various sweet and salty flavors. A delicious complement to turkey, and perfect to serve for Thanksgiving but suitable any time pears are in season, this elegant salad can easily be doubled or tripled when you need to serve a crowd.

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Au Gratin Potato Casserole