40 Easy Thanksgiving Side Dishes (Southern Favorites).

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The turkey gets all the attention, but let's be honest: the sides are what everybody's really there for. These 40 easy Thanksgiving side dishes are my tried-and-true favorites, from creamy mashed potatoes and classic casseroles to Southern cornbread dressing and warm homemade rolls.

A photo of mac and cheese, turkey gravy, scalloped potatoes and green bean casserole.

I've grouped them so you can plan your whole table in one place: potatoes, casseroles, stuffing and dressing, mac and cheese, vegetables, salads, and breads and rolls. A few are made in the slow cooker, which is a big help when the oven is full of turkey.

Table of Contents

Why You'll Love These Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Classic comfort food. These are the familiar, homestyle sides your family looks forward to every year.

Simple, everyday ingredients. Nothing fancy and no hard-to-find ingredients, just good holiday cooking.

Oven-friendly planning. Slow cooker sides like scalloped potatoes, baby potatoes and Southern green beans free up the oven for everything else.

Thanksgiving Potato Side Dishes

Garlic Roasted Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Creamy mashed potatoes with roasted garlic flavor. No Thanksgiving plate is complete without a big scoop.

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A white bowl with creamy mashed potatoes.

Boursin Mashed Potatoes

Boursin makes these mashed potatoes extra creamy and full of garlic and herb flavor with almost no extra work.

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A bowl of mashed potatoes with boursin cheese.

Garlic Red Mashed Potatoes

Red potatoes and roasted garlic make a rustic, homestyle mash that's perfect with turkey and gravy.

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A wooden spoon scooping up a bite of mashed potatoes.

Crockpot Scalloped Potatoes

Creamy, cheesy scalloped potatoes made in the crockpot, so they don't take up any oven space on the big day.

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Scalloped potatoes being served into a bowl.

Potatoes Au Gratin

Layers of tender potatoes in a rich, cheesy sauce. It's a holiday side that always gets scraped clean.

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A wooden spoon scooping up some au gratin potatoes.

Slow Cooker Baby Potatoes

Tender, buttery baby potatoes from the slow cooker. They're one of the most popular recipes on the site and an easy hands-off side.

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Garlic Herb Hasselback Potatoes

Thinly sliced potatoes with garlic and herbs that look impressive on the table but are easy to make.

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Golden brown hasselback potatoes on a white serving dish with a dollop of sour cream.

Honey Garlic Roasted Potatoes

Roasted potatoes with a sweet and savory honey garlic glaze, a nice change from the usual mashed potatoes.

Sweet Potato Crunch

A sweet potato side with a crunchy topping that's sweet enough to almost pass for dessert.

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Sweet potato crunch in a casserole dish with a serving missing.

Chipotle Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Creamy mashed sweet potatoes with a little smoky chipotle and sweet maple, for a twist on the classic.

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Classic Thanksgiving Casseroles

Homemade Green Bean Casserole

The classic green bean casserole made from scratch. It's creamy, comforting and always on the holiday table.

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Corn Pudding Casserole

A sweet, creamy corn pudding that's a Southern holiday favorite and goes with everything on the plate.

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A baking dish with corn casserole in it and a serving missing.

Cheesy Creamed Corn Casserole

Creamy, cheesy corn baked into a casserole. It's an easy side the kids will actually eat.

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Corn casserole in a skillet with 1/4 miccing and a wooden serving spoon.

Cheesy Squash Casserole

A cheesy, comforting squash casserole that's a Southern holiday classic.

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Taking a scoop of cheesy squash casserole from a baking dish.

Broccoli Cheese Bake

Broccoli baked in a cheesy sauce, an easy way to get something green on the table that everyone will eat.

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Close up view of a casserole dish with broccoli cheese bake.

Cauliflower Au Gratin

Tender cauliflower baked in a rich, cheesy sauce. It's a lighter swap for potatoes that still feels like a holiday side.

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Cauliflower au gratin on a skillet with a spoon.

Thanksgiving Stuffing, Dressing and More

Southern Cornbread Dressing with Sausage

Southern-style cornbread dressing with savory sausage. For a lot of families, it isn't Thanksgiving without it.

Check out this recipe

Cornbread dressing in a casserole dish with a spoon taking some out.

Semi Homemade Box Stuffing

Boxed stuffing dressed up to taste homemade, a great shortcut when you're juggling a dozen dishes.

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Close up of a wooden spoon taking a scoop of semi homemade box stuffing.

Deep Fried Stuffing Balls

Stuffing rolled into balls and fried until crispy. They're a fun side or appetizer, and a great use for leftovers.

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Deep fried stuffing balls on a plate with a bite out of one.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Homemade cranberry sauce is easy to make and tastes so much better than the can.

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Homemade cranberry sauce in a white bowl with orange peel shavings on top and a sprig of mint.

Make Ahead Turkey Gravy

Turkey gravy you can make ahead of time, so there's one less thing to rush right before dinner.

Check out this recipe

Turkey gravy poured on top of turkey on a white plate with mashed potatoes.

Thanksgiving Mac and Cheese

Five Cheese Mac and Cheese

Five cheeses make this mac and cheese extra rich and creamy. It's a must for a Southern Thanksgiving table.

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Scooping up 5 cheese mac and cheese from a baking dish.

Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

Creamy mac and cheese made in the crockpot, so you can keep the oven free for the turkey and casseroles.

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Mac and cheese in a slow cooker with a serving spoon.

Easy Thanksgiving Vegetable Sides

Honey Garlic Roasted Carrots

Tender carrots roasted in a sweet honey garlic glaze. It's one of the most popular recipes on the site and an easy, colorful side.

Check out this recipe

Garlic roasted carrots being in a pan and a fork picking up two.

Slow Cooker Southern Green Beans

Slow-simmered Southern-style green beans that taste like they came from Grandma's kitchen, and they free up a burner too.

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Green Beans with Bacon

Green beans and bacon is a simple side that always disappears fast.

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Green beans and bacon all in a skillet with a wooden spoon on the side.

Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Shredded Brussels sprouts with bacon, a quick side that comes together fast on a busy cooking day.

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A bowl of parmesan roasted brussels sprouts.

Roasted Butternut Squash

Simple roasted butternut squash that's tender, a little sweet and perfect for the fall table.

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Garlic-Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

Cauliflower roasted with garlic and parmesan, an easy veggie side with lots of flavor.

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Parmesan Roasted Broccoli

Broccoli roasted with parmesan, a simple green side that goes with everything.

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Broccoli floret being picked up with a fork.

Oven Roasted Asparagus

Easy oven roasted asparagus, a light, fresh side to balance out all the rich holiday dishes.

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Roasted asparagus on a baking sheet with lemon slices.

Thanksgiving Salads

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad

A fresh, crunchy Brussels sprouts salad that brings some brightness to a heavy holiday plate.

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Broccoli Salad with Bacon

A classic broccoli salad with bacon, and it's a great make-ahead option for potlucks and Friendsgiving.

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Thanksgiving Breads and Rolls

Garlic Parmesan Dinner Rolls

Soft dinner rolls with garlic and parmesan, perfect for mopping up gravy.

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Garlic parmesan dinner rolls in muffins tins.

7-Up Biscuits

Fluffy 7-Up biscuits are a Southern favorite and easier to make than you'd think.

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Using a spatula to lift a 7-up biscuit from a cast iron skillet.

Buttermilk Biscuits with Honey Butter

Tender buttermilk biscuits with sweet honey butter. Make extra, because they go fast.

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buttermilk biscuits with on sliced and honey butter

Homemade Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Cheesy, garlicky cheddar bay biscuits that everyone reaches for first.

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Sweet Honey Cornbread

Sweet honey cornbread is a Southern Thanksgiving staple that's great alongside turkey and greens.

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piece of sweet honey cornbread on a black plate

Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread

Cornbread with cheddar and a little jalapeño kick, for anyone who likes their cornbread with some heat.

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A plate with a slice of cheddar cheese jalapeno cornbread.

Recipe FAQ's

What are some traditional Southern side dishes for Thanksgiving?

Cornbread dressing, green bean casserole, mac and cheese, squash casserole, sweet potatoes and a basket of biscuits or cornbread show up on a lot of Southern Thanksgiving tables. You'll find all of them in this list, including Southern Cornbread Dressing with Sausage, Cheesy Squash Casserole and 7-Up Biscuits.

How can I free up oven space on Thanksgiving?

Let the slow cooker handle a few sides. Crockpot Scalloped Potatoes, Slow Cooker Baby Potatoes, Slow Cooker Southern Green Beans and Creamy Crockpot Mac and Cheese all cook outside the oven, which leaves it free for the turkey and casseroles.

What Thanksgiving sides can I make ahead?

Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy is made to be done early, so there's one less thing to rush right before dinner. Broccoli Salad with Bacon is a good make-ahead pick too.