Find simple and tasty Thanksgiving side dish recipes that everyone will love, from classic favorites to easy new ideas.
Looking for easy Thanksgiving side dish recipes to complete your holiday meal? These simple and delicious sides pair perfectly with turkey and all your favorite dishes. From creamy mashed potatoes to flavorful stuffing, these recipes make your Thanksgiving table tasty, comforting, and easy to prepare.
Easy Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes
1. Rosemary Garlic Pull-Apart Bread
This beautiful loaf starts with an easy rosemary-flavored dough and is filled with butter, garlic, herbs, and cheese. You’ll shape it into a fun pull-apart style that everyone will love. Bake it until golden brown, and enjoy the amazing smell as it cooks. The soft, flaky texture and rich flavor make it a favorite you’ll want to bake again and again.
2. Sausage & Herb Stuffing with Apples
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A tasty and filling stuffing is a must for any Thanksgiving meal. Everyone enjoys its mix of flavors and textures. This version combines herbs, sausage, mushrooms, apples, and bread for a warm and comforting dish that’s full of delicious variety.
3. Cranberry Brie Puff Pastry Tarts
These mini tartlets are great for snacking before the big meal or serving with the turkey. They’re sweet, salty, buttery, and flaky all at once. Creamy brie cheese tastes amazing with the sweet cranberry sauce and a touch of orange. Add some coarse sugar, sea salt, and fresh thyme for extra flavor — or toss in a few pecans for a nutty twist.
4. Juicy Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe
A juicy turkey is the highlight of every Thanksgiving meal. With fresh herbs, citrus, and broth, you can make a tender and tasty turkey with golden skin. This easy recipe helps you cook a moist and flavorful bird that’s perfect for sharing with family and friends.
5. Creamy Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Extra creamy butternut squash mac and cheese is the perfect meal for a cozy fall or winter evening. This meat-free dinner is full of flavor and makes great leftovers, too. The sauce is rich, cheesy, and garlicky with a light sweetness that tastes amazing. You’ll use pureed butternut squash instead of lots of cheese, butter, and cream — it’s simple, healthy, and it just works!
6. Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls
Fluffy, soft, and tall sweet potato dinner rolls are a perfect side for any big meal. You can top them with flaky sea salt and serve with homemade cinnamon butter. The sweet potato adds natural softness, and when you mix it with butter, eggs, and milk, you get rich, pillowy rolls every time.
7. Homemade Cheddar Biscuits
Instead of serving regular biscuits or rolls, impress your Thanksgiving guests with warm, homemade cheddar biscuits!
To get those flaky layers, always use cold butter. This is very important. When the small bits of butter melt in the oven, they create steam, which makes the biscuits light and flaky inside and crisp outside. If the butter melts before baking, there’s no steam—and without steam, you won’t get those perfect flaky layers.
8. Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball
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You’ll be glad you made this easy make-ahead snack to enjoy while cooking your Thanksgiving meal. It’s covered in a tasty mix of chopped dried cranberries and pecans.
Start by beating room-temperature cream cheese until it’s smooth and creamy. A stand mixer works best, but you can use a hand mixer if you don’t mind the thick texture.
Next, mix in the other ingredients, keeping half of the chives, cranberries, and pecans for the coating. Use a spatula to scrape the bowl and shape the mixture into a ball. You can use your hands—it will only be a little sticky.
Roll the ball in the coating, wrap it tightly in plastic, and chill it in the fridge for at least an hour or up to five days before serving.
9. Strawberry Bacon Salad
Your strawberry bacon salad is a favorite any time of the year, so why not serve it for one of the biggest meals of the year? It’s quick to make and comes with a tasty homemade honey balsamic dressing. This salad is perfect for holidays, parties, or any time you want an easy and delicious dish that everyone will love.
10. Pumpkin Banana Bread
Pumpkin Banana Bread is soft, moist, and full of flavor. It mixes the sweetness of ripe bananas with the rich taste of pumpkin. You can enjoy it for breakfast, a snack, or dessert. With its warm spices and tender texture, it brings cozy fall flavors to your kitchen any time of the year.
