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These 17+ Thanksgiving Side Dishes will be the talk of your holiday dinner! Your guests will love filling their plates with this crowd-pleasing mix of healthy, indulgent, vegan, gluten-free, and classic recipes.
The Best Thanksgiving Side Dishes
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, and not just because I get to soak up so much time with my family. I obviously love the food, too! The main dishes, like my braised boneless short ribs and this rosemary chicken, are great. But I want—no, NEED—the menu to be at least 80% side dishes.
Whether you’re hosting the big dinner yourself or need something simple to bring to your Friendsgiving dinner, this list of 17+ Thanksgiving Side Dishes has something for everyone, from vegan and gluten-free guests to picky eaters. You can bet that I’ll be filling my plate with some, if not most, of these recipes at my own dinner.
Looking for even more menu inspiration? Scroll through the rest of my easy Thanksgiving recipes while you’re here.
Crowd-Pleasing Thanksgiving Side Dishes
1
Creamed Kale
Creamed Kale is an easy side dish that smothers sautéed kale in a cheesy cream sauce and tops it with buttery toasted breadcrumbs. It’s ready in 30 minutes, made with less than 10 ingredients, and the best way to eat your greens!
These easy Scalloped Sweet Potatoes are a must-try with dinner! Sweet potatoes and a rich cheese sauce are baked together to leave you with the best creamy and comforting holiday side dish.
Meet your new favorite side dish: Honey Butter Roasted Carrots. Tender roasted carrots are drenched in a glistening honey butter glaze, served over creamy yogurt, and topped with pistachios. Easy, delicious, and festive!
Enjoy these Southern-style Gluten Free Corn Muffins with a big bowl of chili or for the holidays! They’re soft, moist, and tender, and easy to make from scratch with only 10 ingredients.
This Apple Pecan Salad is an easy lunch recipe or side dish that you'll want to make all fall long! Featuring your choice of lettuce, cooked chicken, apples, pecans, and feta, it's a little salty, a little sweet and incredibly quick to prepare.
This Potato Leek Gratin is a creamy and cozy side dish you’ll want at every weeknight dinner. With layers of buttery potatoes, tender leeks, and a ridiculously delicious cheese sauce in every bite, it’s completely irresistible!
Learn how to make Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms the easy way. Stuffed with an herbaceous nut-breadcrumb filling, these easy bite-sized appetizers are always a hit at holiday and cocktail parties.
Serve this Kale, Apple, and Brussels Sprouts Salad as an easy and elegant winter side dish. Dressed in a homemade dijon dressing, this vegan and gluten free recipe is completely foolproof and perfectly balanced between savory and sweet.
This is the best Vegan Garlic Bread! An irresistible and savory garlic butter is spread onto sliced bread, then baked in the oven until golden brown. It’s the perfect side to any meal, especially vegan pasta.
Enjoy this Gluten Free Apple Stuffing for the holidays! Made with tart apples, chicken broth-soaked gluten free bread, and warm herbs, it’s a crowd-pleasing side dish that’s just as satisfying as the classic.
Impress your guests this holiday season with this loaded Pear Salad. It’s a decadent appetizer packed with fresh pears, pomegranate seeds, walnuts, and gorgonzola cheese.
Say hello to warm and comforting Braised Greens. Bound to be your new favorite side dish, the greens are ready to eat in less than 15 minutes and are flavored with garlic, butter, and lemon juice.
Gluten Free Sweet Potato Casserole is made with a warm sweet potato mash and topped with an oat and pecan crumble topping. Baked together in one dish, you end up with a sweet and comforting side dish for the holidays!
This brown butter brussels sprouts salad is made with cooked brussels sprouts, bacon and arugula and drizzled with the most delicious balsamic brown butter dressing.
No peeler? No problem! These easy, creamy, and fluffy Mashed Red Potatoes are a delectable and rustic side that are perfect for weeknight dinners and as a holiday side dish.
Dressed in a sweet and buttery maple syrup glaze, these Maple Roasted Carrots are so easy to make and a simple holiday side dish. Top them with crushed pistachios for flavor and crunch!
This Winter Kale Salad will quickly become your favorite wintertime side dish. It features kale, apple, pecans, and pomegranate seeds and is drizzled in a simple yet flavorful red wine vinegar dressing.
