With all the moving parts, Thanksgiving dinner can easily become pure chaos. One of my absolute musts is to use only easy and delicious recipes. I’m a bit of a purist, so I like the traditional Thanksgiving meal and side dishes, but my rule of thumb is no more than 10 ingredients, mostly hands-off cooking, and bonus points if the item can be cooked ahead of time. To help minimize the madness of your holiday dinner, I’ve gathered my favorite 8 easy & delicious Thanksgiving side dishes for you.
Brown Sugar Bacon Roasted Sweet Potatoes | Tinselbox
This sweet potato recipe only calls for 5 ingredients, is easy to double, and we promise you’ll never want to eat sweet potatoes any other way. My kids are iffy on sweet potatoes, but they will devour these–there’s a little magic in adding brown sugar and bacon!
Corn Bread Stuffing | Six Sisters Stuff
Stuffing is by far my favorite Thanksgiving side dish, and this recipe is simple yet satisfying. By using a cornbread mix for the base, you get a semi-homemade version that is miles and away better than boxed stuffing. Don’t get me wrong, boxed stuffing has a place in my heart, but this recipe is just a little more thoughtful for a Thanksgiving gathering with family and friends.
Million Dollar Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes | The Country Cook
Crock pot + potatoes + butter + chicken stock + cream cheese = heaven on earth. The only question left is, do you like your mashed potatoes creamy or a little lumpy? We’re #TeamLumpy! This hands-off mashed potato recipe will help free up stovetop space and eliminate the annoying boilover I seem to get every time I make mashed potatoes on the stove.
Oven Roasted Brown Sugar Bacon Brussels Sprouts | Tinselbox
Brussels sprouts can be a divisive dish–people either love them or hate them. I’m willing to bet those who say they hate them have only had them steamed with minimal flavor because once you have them roasted, and with bacon and brown sugar to boot, there is nothing to hate and everything to love. Roasting gives the sprouts delicious crispiness, and the sugar helps balance out their inherent bitterness. Give this recipe a try–we know it will be a hit on your Thanksgiving table.
Corn Casserole | High Heels and Grills
I had to include this side dish in our roundup. I simply love the crisp, sweet flavor of corn, and this is a wonderful recipe to feed a crowd. With only 5 basic ingredients, this recipe will provide you with a side dish everyone is sure to love and is great for weeknight dinners too!
Cranberry Orange Sauce | Dinner at the Zoo
Hit the road gelatinous, can-shaped cranberry sauce! Ok, ok, I know many people, including myself, have a soft-spot for the canned stuff. But, like boxed stuffing vs. homemade, I am cooking for Thanksgiving, and when I can cook from scratch, I will. Especially if the recipe is THIS easy–5 ingredients and you can make it ahead of time. It’s a Thanksgiving side dish slam dunk.
Honey Garlic Butter Roasted Carrots | Diethood
Roasting is probably my favorite way to cook carrots. The roasting brings out the delicious sweetness and adds a lovely bit of char for that perfect bite. This easy and delicious recipe uses ingredients you likely already have on hand, and it can be made ahead of time too. This recipe is also a great side dish for weeknight dinners as well.
Pumpkin Pie Squares | A Magical Mess
Unless you’re at my house, pumpkin pie isn’t a side dish, ha! But I couldn’t leave this perennial Thanksgiving dessert off our easy and delicious recipe round up, because it’s simply genius. When the whole family is together, there are over 20 of us. Don’t let the shape fool you, just because it’s not the traditional pie shape, this is a pumpkin pie through and through, and it is divine!
8 Easy & Delicious Thanksgiving Side Dishes
We hope this roundup is helpful to you as you start to plan your Thanksgiving menu. Choose quality ingredients when you can as quality is always better than quantity!
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