There’s no doubt these 20+ easy Thanksgiving vegetable side dishes will elevate your holiday menu to delicious new heights. You already have an idea for the main course, but what about the sides? So get some inspiration from this tasty list of veggie side dishes.
Here’s the thing: we all know what we want as the centerpiece, whether a golden roasted bird or a glossy ham. But when it comes to the vegetable sides, it’s harder to choose.
So I’ve put together a list of vegetable side dishes we’ve made through the years for friends and family with great success. From colorful carrots to creamy mashed potatoes, these veggies will make your special dinner more memorable! Indeed, I’m sure you’ll find inspiration for your menu.
Popular Vegetable Sides for Thanksgiving
The traditional veggie sides include green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, and sweet potato casserole. But Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and roasted root vegetables are also popular. The nice thing about the sides is the flexibility to adapt to your family’s preferences.
What Makes a Soul-Food Thanksgiving Dinner
Turkey or ham (or both if you have a large gathering), cornbread dressing, homemade gravy, mac and cheese, collard greens, candied yams, and sweet potato pie are must-haves. Green beans and potatoes or green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, and corn pudding also have their place.
Filling Potato Sides
1. Garlic Mashed Red Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are traditional because they’re easy to make and feed a crowd. This recipe uses red potatoes with the skin, along with extra garlic, perfect for special occasions.
Garlic Mashed Red Potatoes
Perfectly creamy, buttery, and easy Garlic Mashed Red Potatoes with roasted garlic, thyme, sour cream, and milk. Makes an easy and comforting side dish for your regular weeknight or holiday meat dish!
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2. Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
If you believe the best mashed potatoes are creamy, then these are for you. Cream cheese adds body and a richer mouthfeel to the traditional side of mashed potatoes. The roasted garlic also brings the whole thing together.
Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
This classic comfort food has even more flavor with roasted garlic and cream cheese. Top them with some chives for the ultimate soul-satisfying food.
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3. Oven Roasted Red Potatoes
Take advantage of having the oven going with these roasted veggies. Creole seasonings and fresh parsley make these potatoes unique, for a lovely complement to any hearty meal.
Oven Roasted Red Potatoes
Oven Roasted Red Potatoes – nicely cut baby red potatoes tossed in olive oil, herbs, garlic, and Creole seasoning. A great and simple side dish for anything grilled or skillet meat. Crispy, garlicky with a kick of heat!
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4. Fondant Potatoes
This elegant recipe puts on a show at Thanksgiving. Toss them with garlic and rosemary, and pan-frying them delivers an easy, yet savory side dish.
Fondant Potatoes
Fondant Potatoes – Indulge yourself and your loved ones with these pillowy-soft, melt-in-your-mouth crispy potatoes roasted with butter, fresh herbs, and stock. So simple yet so divine – elegant enough to serve on a fancy date night!
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5. Roasted Potatoes and Carrots
Potatoes and carrots were meant for each other, and they make a super easy side dish. All you have to do is toss them with butter, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and Italian seasonings and roast. Combining them gives you a colorful side dish with exciting herbal scents.
Roasted Potatoes and Carrots
Roast Potatoes and Carrots – Most favorite, super easy, and a fuss-free side dish of all time! Take a bite on this crunchy goodness and soft melt-in-your-mouth potato and carrot recipe. Simply irresistible and flavorful infused with buttery herbs and spices.
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6. Scalloped Potatoes
Tender potato slices smothered in a creamy, cheesy sauce. It steals the spotlight at Thanksgiving. And it’s also a great make-ahead! Parmesan cheese and a pinch of nutmeg really make this dish something memorable! And you can customize it with crispy bits of ham.
Scalloped Potatoes
A cheesy, creamy, soul-satisfying potato dish baked to perfection with cheese on top. It’s the perfect side dish for any family gathering! Creamy, flavorful, and saucy!
Check out this recipe
Thanksgiving Corn Side Dishes
7. Oven-Roasted Corn on the Cob
Corn on the cob not only adds color to the table, but it’s also deliciously sweet and juicy. A touch of Creole seasoning makes these beautiful ears of corn one of the easiest and most popular sides. Count on at least two for each guest.
Oven-Roasted Corn on the Cob
This fantastic and simple way to enjoy the incredible tastes of summer makes roasting corn a breeze. With almost no prep and personal time, you can have moist, beautifully caramelized corn on the cob oozing with flavor.
Check out this recipe
8. Scalloped Corn
This bubbly corn casserole ticks all the right boxes; it’s beautiful, colorful, and delicious. Oh, and it’s ready in less than an hour. To make this beauty, all you need are corn kernels, cheddar, butter, and a whole bunch of Ritz crackers! This one is as fun as it sounds.
Scalloped Corn
Creamy, cheesy, and surprisingly simple. This hearty casserole with real corn, cheese, and your favorite buttery crackers pairs easily with most main dishes. Hurry up and make some now because this dish flies faster than you can take your first bite.
Check out this recipe
9. Southern Fried Corn
Soul food at its best, this crispy and attractively sweet side dish is a Southern classic. It goes well with turkey, ham, and even seafood dinners. Corn, bacon, butter, onion, and garlic are the base ingredients here, and Creole seasonings with pepper flakes make this fried corn super fun! You only need nine pantry staple ingredients to make this snazzy side.
Southern Fried Corn
Classic corn cut fresh off the cob fried in bacon drippings with garlic, onions, paprika, and Creole seasoning delivers the ultimate Southern comfort food. Then top it with bacon bits for a heavenly side dish! Pair it with grilled or fried meat, roasted veggies, and saucy dishes for a happy family!
Check out this recipe
Carrot Recipes
10. Honey-Glazed Carrots
Aren’t carrots one of the prettiest Thanksgiving side dishes you’ve ever seen? And they’re as tender and sweet as they look. Buttery and sweetened with just a hint of honey, this is the only way you’ll want to make carrots this year. These beauties are all about roasting them at high temperatures, then smothering them in a seasoned butter glaze.
Honey Glazed Carrots
Honey Roast Carrots – incredibly easy, quick, delicious and nutritious whole carrots bathed in honey, garlic and seasonings. A fuss-free side dish that is also elegant enough to serve for company!
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11. Pineapple Ginger Glazed Carrots
Now, for a sweeter side dish, this tropical twist on a Thanksgiving classic is something else. However, I love making these all year-round. And the refreshing taste of ginger gives this side dish an exotic vibe.
Pineapple Ginger-Glazed Carrots
Pineapple Ginger-Glazed Carrots – Sweet, flavorful, and tender, with a tropical twist – nutmeg, coconut oil and topped with almonds…the perfect side dish for your holiday dinner!
Check out this recipe
Other Thanksgiving Vegetable Side Dishes
12. Candied Sweet Potato or Yams
Candied yams or sweet potatoes are a must-have on the Thanksgiving table. You’re gonna need some sweetness to balance that roasted bird and other buttery Thanksgiving sides. Sweet potatoes caramelize nicely, and they’re outstanding when flavored with holiday spices. Even better, this Southern specialty is ready in about an hour.
Candied Yams
Incredibly fork-tender yams bathed in a glossy fragrant buttery brown sugar glaze with a zesty hint of lemon and orange. And sensational flavors from warm spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger- bring holiday goodness in this amazing side dish. And it doubles as a dessert because of its glistening caramel-like finish.
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13. Sweet Potato Casserole
Loading mashed sweet potatoes with pecans and marshmallows delivers a decadent casserole that can double as a dessert.
Sweet Potato Casserole
Sweet Potato Casserole – Southern classic comfort food that is sweet and creamy topped with crunchy buttery pecan, brown sugar, and toasted gooey mini marshmallows. Irresistibly delicious with its heavenly goodness in every bite. A must-have holiday side dish or dessert that will surely bring joy to your loved ones.
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14. Southern Collard Greens
Now, on to the healthier side of sides. These dark leafy greens flavored with smoky ham and bacon are a must-have at any soul-food Thanksgiving celebration.
Collard Greens
Collard Greens – This authentic Southern dish is slowly simmered in a savory and spicy broth loaded with ham hocks and delectable seasonings. It’s a flavor-packed take on your favorite leafy greens. Even better, it pairs well with cornbread for that perfect soul-food meal!
Check out this recipe
15. Roasted Acorn Squash
Whether you have acorn squash, butternut, or pumpkin, this easy recipe for roasting will be tasty. Did you know you can eat the peel of a butternut? Thanks, Jamie Oliver.
Baked Acorn Squash
Baked Acorn Squash – a fuss-free healthy side side dish that can be served on regular or special days. It comes in both savory and sweet versions so you can choose one or make both! Truly one of the easiest and most versatile squash recipes you can prepare for the whole family!
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16. Easy Coleslaw
Coleslaw is fresh and light, the perfect side dish to balance any hearty meal. Besides, it’s super easy. Just use your food processor to shred green and purple cabbage, then throw in a few grated carrots. It’s the dressing, though, that makes it out of this world. Use both mayo and sour cream for the best results.
Easy Coleslaw
Thick, silky, and crunchy, this homemade EASY COLESLAW is more than just a sweet side dish. It’s a bedazzling superstar when we talk about having a full meal as it elevates the flavor and texture of any simple meal. So give your next dish some sweet personality with the best coleslaw recipe in town.
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17. Broccoli Salad
This easy salad recipe lightens up the heartiest Thanksgiving meal. Indeed, bacon, broccoli, a few grapes, cranberries, onion, and sunflower seeds add color, texture, and flavor to this pretty vegetable side dish. Use your favorite dressing, but I like mine sweet and creamy.
Broccoli Salad
Broccoli Salad Recipe – quick and easy summer salad that makes a great potluck dish or a side to your grilled meat. Made with fresh broccoli, bacon bits, onions, grapes, dried cranberries and sunflower seeds tossed in a creamy, slightly sweet and tangy dressing. Everyone will surely rave about this!
Check out this recipe
18. Green Bean Casserole
Learn how to make a mean green bean casserole from scratch, even the cream of mushroom sauce. This over-the-top version of everyone’s favorite green bean casserole has it all. It’s creamy, savory, and rewards your senses with every forkful.
Green Bean Casserole
A classic holiday side dish staple. Made from scratch with homemade cream of mushroom soup and tender-crisp green beans topped with more crispy fried onions. Watch it fly off the table!
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19. Bacon-Wrapped Green Beans
Green beans are fantastic, and a Thanksgiving classic. And bacon makes everything better. Even though they look fancy, they’re easy to make. All you need are green beans, thick bacon, and a few spices to give these already tasty bundles some personality.
Bacon-Wrapped Green Beans
Enjoy soft and tender green beans wrapped in crispy caramelized bacon, then tossed in a garlic tomato sauce with the perfect blend of Cajun flavors. An easy side dish yet fancy enough to serve on special occasions. And an ideal addition to your easy meal prep ideas, too. Absolutely healthy and entertaining!
Check out this recipe
20. Sauteed Brussels Sprouts
These cute little mini cabbages sauteed in butter and garlic add adorability to your meal. A splash of red wine vinegar adds the final touch, and that’s it!
Sauteed Brussel Sprouts
Sauteed Brussel Sprouts – lightly charred and crisp on the outside and deliciously meaty on the inside. Flavored with garlic, butter, red wine vinegar, and a touch of Creole seasoning for a little heat. A fantastic healthy side dish that comes ready in no time!
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Bonus Recipes
21. Pea Salad
Some vegetable side dishes are incredibly comforting. For me, that’s pea salad. Creamy and tangy, this salad adds freshness to your holiday menu. Peas, bacon, cheddar, and red onion. That’s it. A creamy sour cream- and mayo-based dressing gives body and richness to the composition.
Pea Salad
A delicious bowl of PEA SALAD deserves its place on your lunch or dinner table. It’s savory and tangy with a kick of heat from Homemade Creole Seasoning—a simple salad that will surely entertain your palate! This dish is an excellent side on regular weekdays or even the holidays.
Check out this recipe
22. Creamed Spinach
A classic side for the holidays that comes together in less than no time, especially if you take a shortcut and use frozen spinach. The kiddos won’t complain at all.
Creamed Spinach
Leafy greens never tasted so good! 💚 This recipe features tender spinach smothered in a creamy white sauce infused with garlic, onions, Creole seasoning, nutmeg, and melted cheese. It’s an easy holiday side dish for your favorite roasted turkey, grilled steaks, or even baked fish.
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23. Parmesan-Crusted Asparagus
Toss asparagus in olive oil, add a little salt and pepper, and you’re good to go. But when you add Parmesan cheese, you get an umami-rich finger food that is hard to beat.
Parmesan Crusted Baked Asparagus
These Parmesan Crusted Baked Asparagus brings a nice flavorful twist to an already yummy vegetable. They’re tender, cheesy, garlicky wholesome side dish that is a great accompaniment to any meal. Got any leftover? Serve it as a healthy snack or as add-ons to your salad and stir-fry. Now that’s hard to beat!
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24. Sauteed Mushrooms
These meaty, juicy umami bombs have more flavor than you think, especially when tossed with a few special seasonings. Season white mushrooms (or baby Bellas) with Creole spices, onion, thyme, Worcestershire, and chopped parsley leaves for out-of-this-world delicious.
Sauteed Mushrooms
Sauteed Mushrooms – perfectly tender, juicy mushrooms sauteed with garlic, thyme, onion, Creole seasoning and Worcestershire sauce. Best served as an appetizer or side dish to almost anything. Quick, easy and utterly tasty!
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