Our Favorite Thanksgiving Vegetable Side Dishes

By Tristin Marshall and Zoe Denenberg
August 05, 2016
Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford
As one of the most important cooking holidays of the year, planning out your Thanksgiving dinner menu takes time and thought. Sure, it’s a time for family and friends and being thankful for all we have, but we’re all secretly thinking about how thankful we are to be able to dig into all our favorite Thanksgiving side dishes when the time finally comes. From the corn pudding cooked to perfection to the classic green bean casserole, we've rounded up some of our favorite Thanksgiving vegetable recipes to help round out your meal.With these Thanksgiving vegetable recipes, you'll see there’s more than one way to cook up a delicious holiday casserole. If you’re looking to save valuable oven space for that gorgeous Thanksgiving turkey, try one of our stovetop or slow-cooker recipes, like Southern Fried Corn or Slow-Cooker Sweet Potatoes with Bacon. You can’t go wrong with a classic Green Bean Casserole—Mama knows that your Thanksgiving table isn’t complete without this time-tested dish.Whether it’s a steamy pot of collards or a tray full of brightly colored roasted veggies, Thanksgiving vegetable dishes are just as important as your heap of mashed potatoes or side of dressing. What more beautiful way to complete your Thanksgiving menu than to add bright, beautiful colors of Thanksgiving vegetable side dishes?
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You Can't Go Wrong With These Vegetable Sides on Thanksgiving

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Bacon-Brussels Sprout-Green Bean Casserole

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

Recipe: Bacon-Brussels Sprout-Green Bean Casserole

Come one, come all and pack those veggies into this casserole. It’s bound to please any hungry audience.

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Slow-Cooker Sweet Potatoes with Bacon

Credit: Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Sweet Potatoes with Bacon

When we’re constructing our Thanksgiving menu, we try to incorporate a few slow-cooker dishes that we can leave to go low and slow all day long. It’s oh-so-easy and saves you so much time!

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Skillet Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

Credit: Antonis Achilleos

Recipe: Skillet Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

Thought mac and cheese can’t be healthy? Think again! This Skillet Cauliflower Mac and Cheese absolutely melts in your mouth.

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Broccoli-Cheese Casserole

Credit: Photo: Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Broccoli Cheese Casserole

Sure, we’ll have some broccoli, but we’ll take it with a whole lot of cheese. This Broccoli-Cheese Casserole is a must-have dish this season.

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Carrot-and-Fennel Salad

Credit: Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling; Tina Bell Stamos

Recipe: Carrot-and-Fennel Salad

Elegant ribbons of shaved carrots and fennel barely need anything else to dress them up.

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Savory Sweet Potato Casserole

Credit: Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Savory Sweet Potato Casserole

We love sweet potatoes for their versatility, and if your family loves savory sides, swap the marshmallow-topped sweet potato casserole for this savory version.

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Clementine-and-Collard Greens Salad

Credit: Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Clementine-and-Collard Greens Salad

Clementine slices add a pop of juicy sweetness to this side-worthy salad.

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Homemade Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Leeks

Credit: Photo: Linda Puglies; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Homemade Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Leeks

You can’t go wrong with a green bean casserole, but the crispy leek topping is the real star of the show in this dish.

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Southern Fried Corn

Credit: Caitlin Bensel

Recipe: Southern Fried Corn

While we love creamed corn, we just can’t resist the pop and texture of this Southern Fried Corn.

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Butternut Squash Gratin

Credit: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Butternut Squash Gratin

It doesn’t get any more seasonal than this. Not only is this bright orange gratin visually appealing, but it’s made with fresh fall produce.

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Classic Sweet Potato Casserole

Credit: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: Classic Sweet Potato Casserole

No Thanksgiving spread is complete without a classic Sweet Potato Casserole! Our version is topped with toasted marshmallows (of course), but we also add pecans and cornflakes for some nice crunch.

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Roasted Baby Turnips with Turnip Green Pesto

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke, Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos

Recipe: Roasted Baby Turnips with Turnip Green Pesto

The humble turnip gets all dressed up in this elegant recipe. Get double the turnip by tossing the roasted turnips in a turnip green pesto.

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Sweet Potato Soufflé

Credit: Micah Leal

Recipe: Sweet Potato Soufflé

A fluffy Sweet Potato Soufflé is the perfect pairing for your Thanksgiving turkey.

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Sautéed Squash and Zucchini

Credit: Photo: Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro

Recipe: Sautéed Squash and Zucchini

When you’re coordinating an elaborate Thanksgiving dinner, there are some things you’ll just want to keep simple, like this Sautéed Squash and Zucchini.

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Cheese Sauce over Cauliflower

Credit: Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling; Tina Bell Stamos

Recipe: Cheese Sauce over Cauliflower

Draped in a robe of cheese sauce, this cauliflower is oh-so-indulgent.

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Pan-Roasted Okra and Sweet Onions with Lemony Masala

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford

Recipe: Pan-Roasted Okra and Sweet Onions with Lemony Masala

No Southern Thanksgiving table is complete without a plate of okra! This easy recipe will be ready in a flash.

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Roasted Carrots with Spiced Pecans and Sorghum

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke, Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos

Recipe: Roasted Carrots with Spiced Pecans and Sorghum

Salty, savory, and slightly sweet, these whole-roasted carrots are fit for any holiday.

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Sweet Potato Fettuccine

Credit: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Sweet Potato Fettuccine

Sweet potato poses as pasta in this spectacularly simple side. Dress these noodles up however you choose!

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Root Vegetable Fritters

Credit: Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Root Vegetable Fritters

Supplement some veggies for all those potatoes. You’ll be pleasantly surprised when you taste these crispy, crunchy Root Vegetable Fritters.

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Hasselback Sweet Potato Casserole

Credit: Photo: Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Hasselback Sweet Potato Casserole

Make this casserole ahead of time and pop it in the oven on Thanksgiving morning to save you prep hassle and leave more time to spend with family.

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Butternut Mash

Credit: Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Butternut Mash

If your family is a fan of mashed potatoes, all the relatives will love this colorful, creative, and healthier version: Mashed Butternut Squash.

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Martina McBride’s Green Beans with Goat Cheese and Warm Bacon Dressing

Credit: Oxmoor House

Recipe: Martina McBride’s Green Beans with Goat Cheese and Warm Bacon Dressing

The classic green bean recipe gets a major upgrade with the addition of sharp, distinct, and tasty goat cheese.

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Smashed Brussels Sprouts

Credit: Trey Ellis

Recipe: Smashed Brussels Sprouts

Boiled, then smashed and roasted, brussels sprouts get a serious makeover in this recipe. We just can’t resist these crispy, crunchy veggies.

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Old-School Squash Casserole

Credit: Greg DuPree

Recipe: Old-School Squash Casserole

Creamy, cheesy, and full of thickly-cut squash, this casserole is an essential part of any holiday feast.

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Grilled Asparagus with Bacon and Mushrooms

Credit: Jen Causey

Recipe: Grilled Asparagus with Bacon and Mushrooms

Bacon and mushrooms add new dimensions to a classic grilled asparagus dish.

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Sweet Potato Cobbler

Credit: Photo: Antonis Achilleos, Food Styling: Gordon Sawyer and Tina Stamos, Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell

Recipe: Sweet Potato Cobbler

This casserole can be adapted as a savory side or a sweet dessert. No matter how you serve it, we can’t resist the biscuit dough topping.

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Reunion Pea Casserole

Credit: Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Reunion Pea Casserole

Packed with lots of veggies and with some surprising ingredients inside (like green chiles), this Reunion Pea Casserole has a little bit of everything.

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Zucchini, Squash, and Corn Casserole

Credit: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Zucchini, Squash, and Corn Casserole

This easy casserole can go from summer to winter in a snap. It’s a great way to bring some bright veggies to your Thanksgiving meal.

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Roasted Broccoli Salad

Credit: Southern Living / Ivy Odom

Recipe: Roasted Broccoli Salad

Your kids may just eat their vegetables if you’re serving this beautifully charred Roasted Broccoli Salad.

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