21 Traditional Thanksgiving Side Dishes Your Guests Will Love (2024)

Cooking Turkey 101: How to Prep and Cook a Bird for Thanksgiving

Rustic Garlic Mashed Potatoes

It's no surprise that this is one of our Test Kitchen's most popular recipes ever. Mashed potatoes are a staple among traditional Thanksgiving side dishes, and this version is so delicious we could eat enough to make it the main course! Not only is it creamy and full of robust garlic, but our secret ingredient (chicken broth) adds a whole extra level of flavor.

Bacon-Topped Green Bean Casserole

True, traditional green bean casseroles for Thanksgiving often call for canned beans, but we can't resist the crisp-tender fresh veggies in this recipe. When topped with bacon and made with mushrooms mixed right in, this homemade green bean casserole will quickly find a place on your Thanksgiving menu for years to come.

Test Kitchen Tip: Get ahead of the kitchen chaos by making it the day before and refrigerating until bake time.

Buttered Stuffing with Mushrooms

Thanks to its crispy edges and softer center, this traditional Thanksgiving stuffing recipe is ideal for those who prefer both dryer stuffings and moist bread-based stuffings. A full pound and a half of mushrooms pump up the umami factor, while a handful of fresh herbs and splash of white wine brighten the flavors.

Classic Dinner Rolls

These no-knead, light-as-air Thanksgiving rolls are buttery brown on the outside and tender on the inside. The best part about this traditional Thanksgiving side dish recipe is: It's delicious as part of your holiday feast and tastes great split and toasted the next day, too. Just add leftover turkey, cranberry sauce, and stuffing for a post-turkey-day sandwich.

Bacon-Mushroom Twice-Baked Potatoes

These potatoes are even more stuffed than you'll be after dinner! This Thanksgiving side dish is dressed up for the holiday with garlic, mushrooms, sour cream, bacon, and Swiss cheese. Garnish the spuds with fresh chives just before serving for a bit of color and a hint of onion flavor.

Best Four-Cheese Macaroni and Cheese

With a creamy cheese sauce and golden-brown crusty topper, our holiday mac and cheese recipe is so good that you'll want to eat it up yourself. (We're sure tempted!) Our best tip for this baked and bubbly traditional Thanksgiving side dish: Shred your cheeses yourself before melting for the richest, most luscious sauce. Pre-shredded cheeses just don't melt the same. Plus, you can make and serve it all in the same dish!

Bourbon and Cider Pan Gravy

Whether gravy is technically a side dish is up for debate, but it's a must-have for any traditional Thanksgiving dinner. This one is seasoned with drippings from the roast turkey (if you're not serving turkey this year, you can still make it without!) along with bourbon or apple cider.

New England Cranberry-Orange Relish

For all lovers of traditional Thanksgiving cranberry recipes, we've got a side dish just for you! Tangy cranberries and sweet oranges combine to make this classic relish. Spoon it atop your entrée or spread it on rolls. Come Black Friday, try it as a topping for waffles or pancakes.

Roasted Chestnut Stuffing

Add sophistication to your baked stuffing casserole with one quick addition: chestnuts. The subtle flavor and smooth texture of these roasted nuts bring an unexpected richness to every bite of this traditional bread stuffing recipe for Thanksgiving. Of course, all the classic veggies, including celery, carrots, and onions, are still here, so this Thanksgiving vegetable side dish offers every familiar flavor you remember from childhood.

Double-Cheddar Holiday Biscuits

What's a holiday feast without the bread? Incomplete, if you ask us. The southern traditional Thanksgiving side dish gets even better when you add a big dose—two full cups—of cheese. For a hint of tang, try customizing this side dish recipe with buttermilk instead of regular milk.

Glazed Brussels Sprouts

All other side dishes for Thanksgiving will now need to defend their turf on the table—there's competition for a new favorite Thanksgiving vegetable recipe. Just five ingredients turn these sprouts into the perfect complement to the rest of your Thanksgiving menu. First, they're caramelized, bringing out an unexpected sweetness to the entire traditional Thanksgiving vegetable side dish.

Roasted Vegetables and Chickpeas

This recipe proves that veggie side dishes for Thanksgiving don't have to be boring. Roasting the carrots, sweet potatoes, and red potatoes in this hearty recipe boosts their fall flavors. Simply drizzle the traditional Thanksgiving side dish with our homemade rosemary-brown sugar dressing and add the chickpeas before sliding the dish in the oven.

Scalloped Sweet Potatoes with Peanut Streusel

Scalloped potatoes are another traditional Thanksgiving side dish, but this year we're giving you permission to get creative with it. Think outside the box by topping our scalloped sweet potatoes with a delicious peanut streusel and a garnish of fresh parsley. It's a great way to incorporate new flavors while pleasing guests expecting traditional dishes.

Radicchio and Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

The root vegetable recipe uses the best fall flavors, from roasted winter veggies to fennel and nuts. Lightly spiced with oregano and sweetened with honey, this traditional Thanksgiving side dish is a wonderful addition to any buffet of holiday sides.

Goat Cheese Mashed Sweet Potatoes

This sweet potato mash is flavored with goat cheese and topped with crunchy nuts. Half-and-half and butter is our secret to making each bowl rich and creamy.

Cranberry-Marshmallow Sweet Potato Casserole

For many of us, it wouldn't be Thanksgiving dinner without sweet potato casserole. So put a twist on the classic side dish by baking individual sweet potatoes and topping them with brown sugar and dried cranberries.

Party Potatoes

This cheesy potato casserole is always the first to go at our Thanksgiving dinner. And for good reason! It's loaded with cheddar cheese and sour cream and topped with a crunchy corn flake mixture.

Honey-Roasted Air-Fryer Butternut Squash

Butternut squash is our favorite winter squash because of its creamy texture and sweet flavor. Here, we're cooking it in the air fryer with dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, and crumbly gorgonzola cheese.

Parmesan Crusted Potatoes

Crisp golden roasted potatoes are the perfect Thanksgiving side dish for roast turkey or ham. Baking the potatoes with butter and Parmesan cheese ensures they're creamy on the inside and crunchy on the outside.

Broccoli Salad

A classic broccoli salad is a total crowd pleaser. Your Thanksgiving guests will love the combination of crisp bacon, raisins, and sunflower seeds. You can make it up to 24 hours before serving.

Copycat Cracker Barrel Hash Brown Casserole

Bring a taste of your favorite restaurant to Thanksgiving. This copycat casserole includes everything you love about the Cracker Barrel classic including hash brown potatoes, cheddar cheese, and sour cream.