51 Thanksgiving Side Dishes

These Thanksgiving sides include classics like stuffing, mashed potatoes, and green bean casserole, plus seasonal veggies and salad recipes. They'll be the highlight of your holiday menu!

vegetarian / side dishes

These Thanksgiving side dishes feature everything you need to plan a crowd-pleasing holiday dinner! Of course, you’ll find traditional Thanksgiving recipes like sweet potato casserole, dinner rolls, and cranberry sauce, but I’ve got plenty of fresh, seasonal menu inspiration in here too. Wow your guests with roasted root vegetables with crispy sage or a lemony shaved Brussels sprout salad. At the end of the meal, everyone will still be talking about the sides—not the pumpkin pie or roast turkey. I hope this collection of side dishes helps you create a Thanksgiving menu you love! Our Best Classic Thanksgiving Sides Best…

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15 Best Thanksgiving Cocktails

Our best Thanksgiving cocktails! Find simple classics like an Old Fashioned as well as fun, festive fall drinks. You and your guests will love them!

I love adding a few Thanksgiving cocktails to my holiday menu each year. Sometimes, I stick with the classics, serving up warming mulled wine or dry martinis. Other years, I lean into the season, making signature Thanksgiving drinks that are packed with fall flavors—think cranberry margaritas or apple cider sangria. Either way, they put the perfect festive finishing touch on the meal. I’ve rounded up my best Thanksgiving cocktail recipes below. Check them out if you’re looking for drink ideas for your celebration. I hope you find some you (and your guests) love! Our Best Thanksgiving Cocktails Apple Cider Sangria This…

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Green Bean Casserole

This green bean casserole is a from-scratch take on the classic Campbell's recipe. It features fresh green beans in a creamy mushroom sauce with crispy french-fried onions on top.

thanksgiving / side dishes

In this green bean casserole recipe, tender green beans are tossed in a creamy homemade mushroom sauce, then baked with french-fried onions on top. It has the same basic components as the Campbell’s casserole I ate at Thanksgiving growing up—green beans, creamy sauce, crispy onions—but it’s fresher and more flavorful by far. My whole family went back for seconds the first time I served it to them. I hope yours does too! Green Bean Casserole Ingredients Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe: Green beans, of course! I like this recipe best with fresh green beans, especially haricots verts,…

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20 Best Thanksgiving Desserts

Our best Thanksgiving desserts! Ranging from classic pies to non-pie ideas like cakes and bars, these delicious recipes will wow your holiday guests.

Have you chosen your Thanksgiving desserts yet? I’m still deciding. I might go the classic pie route, or I might go pie-free, creating a Thanksgiving dessert table with fall crisps, festive cakes, or even a show-stopping pumpkin tiramisu. In case you’re on the fence too, I’ve rounded up our best Thanksgiving dessert ideas below. You’ll find recipes for traditional holiday pies like pumpkin and apple, plus plenty of non-pie Thanksgiving desserts. Pick one direction, or make a mix of both. No matter which you choose, these Thanksgiving desserts will be a hit! Classic Thanksgiving Desserts Best Pumpkin Pie Pumpkin pie has…

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Cranberry Orange Bread

This cranberry bread recipe is packed with fresh cranberries and topped with a zesty orange glaze. It's a perfect easy treat for the holiday season!

I love keeping this cranberry orange bread around the house during the holidays. Packed with tart, juicy cranberries, this loaf is perfectly moist and tender. Orange juice and zest give it a lovely bright flavor, and a simple orange glaze takes it over the top. This cranberry orange bread is sweet enough to pass as dessert, but it’s not so sweet that you can’t enjoy it with an afternoon coffee or for breakfast with holiday guests. Easy to make with 10 basic ingredients, this recipe will be on repeat in my kitchen this season. I hope it will be in yours…

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Best Stuffing Recipe

This homemade stuffing recipe is easy and delicious, made with bread cubes, broth, herbs, and a buttery mixture of onions and celery. It's perfect for Thanksgiving or any holiday meal!

side dishes / thanksgiving

This stuffing recipe is my favorite Thanksgiving side dish. Based on my grandma’s homemade stuffing, it’s buttery and flavorful, made with dried bread cubes, celery, onions, and fresh herbs like sage and thyme. As it bakes, it gets crisp and golden on top but stays moist and gooey in the middle. This year, I’ve re-tested and updated the recipe to make a larger quantity because it always disappears too quickly from my family’s Thanksgiving table. Simple, classic, and delicious, it’s hands down the best stuffing recipe I’ve tried. If you’re looking for a traditional stuffing to complete your Thanksgiving menu, I…

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Cranberry Margarita

This cranberry margarita is the perfect festive cocktail for the holiday season! Sweet, tart, and delicious, it's easy to make with 4 ingredients.

Cranberry margarita, anyone?! This 4-ingredient cocktail is a holiday twist on my classic margarita recipe. I keep the tequila, orange liqueur, and lime, but I replace the simple syrup with cranberry juice. It’s sweet and tart, fruity and refreshing, and a gorgeous ruby red. Garnished with fresh cranberries and a rosemary sprig, it’s so darn fun and festive! I developed this recipe with Thanksgiving in mind—we’re celebrating in Austin this year, so serving margaritas just felt right. But honestly, I think this cranberry margarita would be perfect for the rest of the holiday season too. With its bold color and seasonal…

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Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

These roasted fingerling potatoes are an easy, delicious side dish! Lightly crisp and seasoned with garlic and herbs, they're perfect for the holidays.

Have you ever cooked fingerling potatoes? These oblong, finger-shaped potatoes are small and waxy. They have thin skins and firm, buttery flesh that almost reminds me of chestnuts. I love to make roasted fingerling potatoes for special occasions. With their unique shape and earthy, nutty taste, they feel a touch fancier than humble Yukon Golds or russets. With the holidays coming up, I thought it would be the perfect time to share my roasted fingerling potatoes recipe. It’s easy to make with 8 ingredients, but it’s still elegant and flavorful enough for a celebration. I hope you love it as much…

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35 Best Friendsgiving Food Ideas

Our best Friendsgiving food ideas! Find easy recipes for a festive fall gathering—crowd-pleasing appetizers, fun drinks, desserts, and more.

If you’re celebrating Friendsgiving this year, you’re in the right place! Below, I’ve rounded up my best Friendsgiving food ideas—bite-size appetizers, batch cocktails, classic side dishes, and easy desserts. Whether you’re hosting or just bringing a dish to pass, you’ll find Friendsgiving recipes to try. Back in the day, Jack and I celebrated Friendsgiving on Thanksgiving, because we lived far from our families and didn’t always travel for the holiday. Now, it’s more common to do both—a Friendsgiving earlier in November and a traditional Thanksgiving feast with family later on. I’m all for this, because it turns Friendsgiving into an opportunity to…

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Puff Pastry Brie Bites

These brie bites are one of my favorite holiday appetizers! I love how the crisp puff pastry and rich, creamy cheese play off the sweet fig jam on top.

This post is in partnership with DeLallo. I’ll be making these brie bites for every party this holiday season! Easy to make with 5 ingredients (and easy to eat with your fingers), they’re the perfect festive appetizer. A delicate shell of puff pastry surrounds the melty brie cheese, and a spoonful of DeLallo Fig Spread creates a sweet, glossy glaze on top. I finish them with a sprig of rosemary and toasted pecans for crunch. I often see brie and cranberry sauce paired around the holidays, but if you’ve never tried brie and fig spread together, you have to make this recipe. The…

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Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

These cauliflower mashed potatoes are just as smooth and creamy as classic ones! Ready in 20 minutes, they're a delicious, easy low carb side dish.

fall / thanksgiving

Don’t tell Jack, but we probably won’t have classic mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving this year. I’m planning to make these cauliflower mashed potatoes instead! That’s because we’re celebrating with his parents, who eat a low carb diet. I wanted to create a rich, creamy alternative to mashed potatoes that everyone at the table would enjoy, and after testing and tweaking this recipe, I think it’s going to be perfect. These cauliflower mashed potatoes are smooth, creamy, and flavorful, made with Parmesan cheese, butter, garlic, and sour cream. I won’t tell you that they taste exactly like potatoes (they do have a…

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Jeanine Donofrio in her kitchen

I'm Jeanine, a New York Times bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and founder of Love & Lemons, a trusted recipe resource for millions of home cooks. I create fresh, easy, and delicious vegetarian recipes that celebrate seasonal ingredients and flavors.

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