Holidays & Occasions Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Recipes Last-Minute Thanksgiving Sides You Can Make In Under 30 Minutes By Mary Shannon Wells Mary Shannon Wells Mary Shannon is a Digital Associate Editor and has been on the Southern Living team since 2017. She helps run the brand's social media accounts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and TikTok, where she's happily behind the scenes. When she's not ruffling feathers with an etiquette poll via Instagram Stories, she's writing content for the website and assisting in various print projects like gift guides and home stories.She grew up in Mobile, Alabama, which she insists is home to the country's first Mardi Gras (not New Orleans) and now lives in Birmingham with her husband and rescue pup Rocky, whose name is unrelated to The University of Tennessee (Roll Tide). Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on August 11, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Photographer: Isaac Nunn, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn If you're hosting Thanksgiving dinner at your house, it's likely you'll be stressed about what china pattern to put out, how to cook the turkey, and most of all, if Mama will approve of your Thanksgiving hosting skills. That's a lot to think about (plus more), and it's easy for some things to slip through the cracks. If Thanksgiving day comes and you find a blank box glaring at you from your to-do checklist, no need to break out into a nervous sweat. We've gathered 15 quick Thanksgiving side dishes to help you out on Thanksgiving Day. All of these easy Thanksgiving side dishes come together from start to finish (including prep time) in 30 minutes or less—really. We've found the quickest Thanksgiving sides recipes that include vegetables, casseroles, and even cornbread. These quick Thanksgiving side dishes are exactly what every busy hostess needs. So, sit back, relax, and give thanks for these fast and easy recipes. These Are The 84 Best Cyber Monday Deals You Can Score On Amazon For Under $100 01 of 20 Southern Pimiento Mac and Cheese Hector Sanchez Recipe: Southern Pimiento Mac and Cheese Mouths will water when you bring this deliciously creamy macaroni and cheese to the Thanksgiving table. Also perfect for a quick dinner on weeknights, this recipe combines extra-sharp cheddar, cavatappi, bacon, hot sauce, pimientos, and panko. Southern Pimiento Mac and Cheese will please guests of all ages, and is a warm, filling entree for cool nights. 02 of 20 Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes Southern Living Recipe: Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes This amazing mashed potato recipe combines tangy goat cheese with sweet, heavy cream for a fluffy, flavorful side dish. Chopped fresh chives seal the deal on an over-the-top potato side that's ready at nearly a moment's notice. 03 of 20 Oven-Roasted Asparagus Recipe: Oven-Roasted Asparagus This delicious veggie side dish has a short ingredient list and only takes 10 minutes in the oven. When it comes to asparagus, keeping it simple means keeping it special. Preparing them is as easy as it gets, but the outcome is refined with ingredients like garlic, slivered almonds, and freshly ground black pepper. 04 of 20 Sheet Pan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Sheet Pan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese This mac and cheese will be a hit at the kids' table, and it only takes 30 minutes to get it there. Cheesy and savory, this dish sneaks in the veggies to add seasonal flair. 05 of 20 Whipped-Cream Corn Salad Southern Living Recipe: Whipped-Cream Corn Salad This no-cook recipe is the easiest way to add corn to your Thanksgiving menu. You only need four ingredients and 25 minutes to whip up your family's new favorite holiday corn recipe. 06 of 20 Creamy Kale and Pasta Bake Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Creamy Kale and Pasta Bake Marry mac and cheese with greens in this comforting, cheesy pasta. Use bagged kale and cheese to eliminate unnecessary food prep and save time—no one will notice. 07 of 20 Roasted Tomato Macaroni and Cheese Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Roasted Tomato Macaroni and Cheese Forget your go-to tomato pie when you can whip up a delicious macaroni topped with flavorful tomatoes in just 30 minutes. This dressed-up Southern comfort food won't sit pretty on your dinner table for long before it gets gobbled up by your Thanksgiving crew. 08 of 20 Skillet-Toasted Gnocchi with Peas Recipe Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling Torie Cox Recipe: Skillet-Toasted Gnocchi with Peas Take your peas with a side of pillowy potato or sweet potato gnocchi. This pairing will be a welcome alternative to the other pasta dishes on the table. 09 of 20 Wild Rice with Mushrooms Iain Bagwell Recipe: Wild Rice with Mushrooms Perfectly savory to complement the other sides in your Thanksgiving spread, this mushroom and Marsala dish comes together in a pinch. Your holiday guests can dig in after just 30 minutes and seven ingredients. 10 of 20 Brussels Sprout Slaw with Apples and Pecans Greg DuPree Recipe: Brussels Sprout Slaw with Apples and Pecans Shaved Brussels sprouts, Honeycrisp apples, Parmesan cheese, and toasted pecans are an all-star combination with a touch of sweetness and a whole lot of crunch. Use a mandoline or very sharp knife for the thinnest Brussels in just 25 minutes. 11 of 20 Garlic Parmesan Green Beans Photographer: Isaac Nunn, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn Recipe: Garlic Parmesan Green Beans Sprinkled Parmesan, fatty bacon, and garlic pack in lots of flavor with hardly any effort needed. This green bean casserole-alternative keeps the veggies tender with just the right amount of snap—that's how fast this dish comes together too. 12 of 20 Creamed Spinach Antonis Achilleos Recipe: Creamed Spinach Spinach is made rich with butter, cream, and Parmesan that transform a hard-sell veggie into a tempting side. Whip up Creamed Spinach in half an hour then sprinkle on pine nuts before serving. 13 of 20 Balsamic Green Beans with Pearl Onions Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: William Smith Recipe: Balsamic Green Beans with Pearl Onions Green bean casserole is a holiday classic, but these quick beans make a strong case for themselves. This elegant side dish is tender, fragrant, and the caramelized pearl onions will be a very welcome addition to the Thanksgiving feast. 14 of 20 Crusty Broiled Tomatoes Southern Living Recipe: Crusty Broiled Tomatoes The Thanksgiving table is a smorgasbord of veggies cooked to perfection in tasty sides. This year, don't leave tomatoes out of the festivities. The tomatoes are made simply with a brush of Dijon mustard and a cheese and breadcrumb crust that comes together in delicious effect in under 20 minutes. 15 of 20 Collard Greens with Garlic and Sippets Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Collard Greens with Garlic and Sippets Give your holiday greens a makeover with garlic and sippets of sourdough. Rather than heavily boiling them down, these collards are only on the stove for about 10 minutes and have a touch of red wine vinegar for tasty acidity. 16 of 20 Buttermilk Cornbread Photographer: Isaac Nunn, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn Recipe: Buttermilk Cornbread This cornbread does contain a little sugar (brown sugar to be exact), but we won't tell if you don't. 17 of 20 Brussels Sprouts and Sautéed Cabbage Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham Recipe: Brussels Sprouts and Sautéed Cabbage It doesn't get any faster than this 15-minute side. Plus, the purple cabbage adds a beautiful pop of color to the Thanksgiving table. 18 of 20 Oyster Casserole Greg DuPree Recipe: Oyster Casserole Depending on where you grew up, you might know this dish as oyster dressing, oyster pie, or even scalloped oysters. Whatever you call it, it's a quick and easy classic that you can pull off on short notice. 19 of 20 Skillet-Roasted Carrots Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Christina Daley Recipe: Skillet-Roasted Carrots These carrots cook in just 10 minutes, then get coated in a shiny sauce of apple cider vinegar and honey. To make this side dish extra impressive-looking, make sure to use rainbow carrots. 20 of 20 Ann Taylor Pittman's Kale-Citrus Salad with Bacony Pecans Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Margaret Monroe Dickey; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Ann Taylor Pittman's Kale-Citrus Salad with Bacony Pecans Add a bright and fresh note to your Thanksgiving dinner with this colorful salad. All of its many components come together in 30-minutes, for a hearty salad that is easier to quickly pull-off than it looks. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit