If you love comfort food, these Thanksgiving sides are everything. Buttery mashed potatoes, Mac and cheese with a crispy top, and roasted veggies that look straight out of a cookbook.
Let’s be honest…no one’s talking about the turkey at Thanksgiving. It’s fine and all, but the real magic is in the sides. The creamy mashed potatoes, the mac and cheese that disappears in five seconds, the stuffing you swear you’ll only take one scoop of (and then go back for thirds).
So if you’re hosting this year…or just trying to bring the dish everyone won’t stop talking about. I’ve got you covered. These are the best Thanksgiving side dishes that always steal the show.
They’re cozy, crowd-pleasing, and most of them can be prepped ahead of time (because last thing you need is to be stress-cooking while your family’s already digging in).
10 Thanksgiving Sides Everyone Will Be Talking About This Year
1. Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes
If you want your mashed potatoes to taste like something straight out of a fancy restaurant, make them with brown butter. It gives this nutty, rich flavor that regular butter just doesn’t hit.
2. Baked Mac and Cheese
This one’s always the first to go. Seriously, I make a double batch now because it disappears before anyone even touches the turkey.
3. Honey Butter Roasted Carrots
If you’re trying to add something colorful to your table that isn’t just….beige, these are your answer.
4. Southern-Style Cornbread Dressing
This is the side that makes it feel like Thanksgiving. Cornbread dressing (not stuffing-big difference) is moist, savory, and so flavorful.
5. Green Bean Almondine
If you want to skip the heavy casseroles this year, try this instead. It’s basically green beans tossed in browned butter with sliced almonds and a little squeeze of lemon.
6. Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Crumble
This is one of those “is it a side or is it a dessert?” situations…and honestly, I’m not mad about it either way.
7. Homemade Cranberry Orange Sauce
I know it’s tempting to grab the can…we’ve all done it…but once you make it from scratch, there’s no going back.
8. Maple Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
If you ever said, “I dont like Brussels sprouts,” just wait until you try these.
9. Cheddar Chive Biscuits
If you want to feel like you have your life together, bake biscuits from scratch this year. These are buttery, flaky, and loaded with cheddar and chives.
10. Garlic Herb Butter Corn
So simple but so good. It’s light, fresh and adds a little brightness to your Thanksgiving spread.
