20+ Easy Thanksgiving Side Dishes (Make-Ahead Friendly)
These easy Thanksgiving side dishes are the tested family favorites we get asked to bring year after year. From creamy Boursin mashed potatoes to Autumn Chopped Salad, most can be made ahead, so you can actually enjoy Thanksgiving Day.
Planning the whole meal? See our Easy Thanksgiving Menu Plan for a full menu and make-ahead timeline.
Our Most Popular Thanksgiving Sides
Pick one or two from each category below and you’ll have a well-rounded Thanksgiving table: something creamy, something green, something fresh, a bread, and a little something tart or sweet.
Need help narrowing it down? If we had to pick from the Thanksgiving side recipes below, these are the ones we’d make every single year.
Thanksgiving Potato Side Dishes
Let’s be honest: the potatoes are the star of the Thanksgiving table. Here are our favorite ways to make them.
Gourmet Boursin Mashed Potatoes
These are THE mashed potatoes you’ll want to make. Decadent, creamy, and filled with flavor, and you can make them up to 3 days ahead or freeze them.
Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
Silky smooth mashed potatoes made in your Instant Pot, which frees up a burner on the busiest cooking day of the year.
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes (Gluten-Free)
Pure comfort food in one baking dish. Assemble them up to 24 hours ahead, then bake right before dinner.
Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole
Made from scratch with no canned soups, and it’s gluten-free. Make it a couple of days ahead and bake when you’re ready.
Bacon and Cheddar Twice Baked Potatoes
A make-ahead holiday favorite that’s a little lighter than most twice baked potatoes but just as flavorful.
Sweet Potato Side Dishes
Sweet potatoes probably weren’t at the first Thanksgiving, but we’re glad they’re a part now.
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Cubes
An easy, healthier way to put sweet potatoes on the table. They’re ready in about 17 minutes and save precious oven space.
Cheesy Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes, cream cheese, and seasonings take mashed sweet potatoes to the next level.
Sweet Potato Biscuits
Moist, tender biscuits with a little sweet potato in every bite. A cozy twist on the bread basket.
Thanksgiving Vegetable Side Dishes
Every Thanksgiving plate needs a little green. These veggie sides are simple enough for the big day and good enough that the kids might actually eat them.
Bacon-Wrapped Green Beans
Who wants a green bean casserole when you can wrap them in bacon? These bundles look beautiful on a platter and turn even green bean haters into veggie lovers.
Garlicky Skillet Green Beans
Want an easier, faster green bean side? These are browned in a skillet and tossed in a buttery garlic sauce, with only 3 main ingredients.
Maple Glazed Carrots
Tender roasted carrots with a hint of sweetness from real maple syrup. Easy, delicious, and a pretty pop of color on the table.
Honey Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
Roasted with bacon and finished with a honey balsamic drizzle. It sounds gourmet, but it’s easy to make at home. Or try our Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon (mmm!)
Thanksgiving Salads
Looking for a healthy Thanksgiving side? (Me too!) A fresh, crunchy salad is the perfect balance to all the rich dishes on the table.
Autumn Chopped Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Our most popular salad, and trust us, it’s a WINNER. Apples, toasted pecans, bacon, feta, and dried cranberries tossed in a homemade apple cider vinaigrette.
Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
Simple ingredients with SO much flavor. A crunchy crowd-pleaser that’s ready in about 20 minutes.
Mandarin Orange Spinach Salad
A light, bright salad with a creamy citrus dressing.
Stuffing, Rolls, and More
What would this holiday be without all the amazing carbs? Eat some salad and then go for it, I say!
Simple Homemade Stuffing
So easy, you’ll never go back to the boxed kind. Make-ahead instructions are included.
Bread Machine Dinner Rolls
Light, fluffy rolls with the bread machine doing most of the work. They freeze well, so you can bake them weeks ahead. Or try our Bread Machine Wheat Rolls for a slightly healthier version using some whole wheat.
6-Ingredient Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
Is mac and cheese a Thanksgiving side dish? Yes, it counts!
Creamy mac and cheese in just 18 minutes, using only one pot. The kids’ table will thank you.
Cheddar Bay Biscuits
Better than Red Lobster’s! They come together fast and can be frozen for later.
Cranberry Sauce and Fruit Sides
Apple Cranberry Sauce
A great option if regular cranberry sauce is a bit too tart for you.
10-Minute Cranberry Orange Sauce
Gorgeous color and amazing flavor in just 10 minutes. Make it ahead and freeze it, or double the batch and save half for Christmas.
Crockpot Cinnamon Applesauce
Just 3 ingredients, and your whole house will smell like apple pie while it slow cooks. It frees up your oven, too.
Crock Pot Baked Apples
Apples filled with a crumble topping and slow cooked until tender. A cozy fall side or an easy dessert.
Make-Ahead Tips for Thanksgiving Sides
To make the actual day-of less stressful, here are a few things we’ve learned over the years to help.
- Freeze early: Cranberry Orange Sauce, Bread Machine Dinner Rolls, Cheddar Bay Biscuits, and Crockpot Cinnamon Applesauce all freeze well, so you can make them weeks ahead.
- 2–3 days ahead: Make the Gourmet Boursin Mashed Potatoes and assemble the Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole, then refrigerate.
- The day before: Assemble the Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes, prep the stuffing using the make-ahead notes in our Simple Homemade Stuffing recipe, and chop your salad ingredients.
- No-oven sides (slow cooker, Instant Pot, air fryer): To free up your oven, make Crockpot Cinnamon Applesauce, Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, or Air Fryer Sweet Potato Cubes.
How Many Side Dishes Do You Need for Thanksgiving?
We like to plan on 5 or 6 sides: a potato dish, a green vegetable, a salad, stuffing, rolls, and cranberry sauce. For a bigger crowd, add a second potato or veggie side. Hosting a small group? Our Easy Thanksgiving Menu Plan includes a scaled-down menu for 4 to 6 people.
Hopefully this round-up sets you up for a relaxing and tasty Thanksgiving meal with friends or family. If you want some fun with the younger kiddos, try some of our Easy Thanksgiving Crafts too.
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