Best New Thanksgiving Sides For An Award-Winning Meal

You’ve probably been to enough Thanksgiving dinners to know that all that glitters is not golden brown turkey — it’s the side dish co-stars that really shine and make the holiday meal’s storyline remarkable. Of course, there are recurring cast members that you don’t want to cut, but that doesn’t mean you can’t rewrite the script to advance your Thanksgiving story. With that in mind, we put together some side dish recipe options so you can create a choose-your-own-adventure Thanksgiving meal with a Hollywood ending.

Mashed Potatoes

Spinach Mashed Potatoes

Spinach Mashed Potatoes by Chef In Training
No dish is safe on the Thanksgiving table — not even the mashed potatoes. To avoid a civil war, they can’t be taken off the table, but they can be elevated with fresh green spinach. To thicken the plot, the greens marry harmoniously with Parmesan cheese to keep your guests coming back for more.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Garlic Mashed Potatoes by Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Garlic sneaks its way onto the Thanksgiving table one dish at a time… and where it starts taking over the plot is with the potatoes. Spoiler alert: These creamy mashed potatoes are killed off in the end.

Stuffing

Tomato Pancetta Cornbread Stuffing

Sundried Tomato Pancetta Cornbread Stuffing by Foodie Girl Chicago
Stuffing is the hero we all cheer for, but even the best heroes are entitled to subplots to give them deeper dimensions. With Tomato Pancetta Cornbread Stuffing, the sundried tomatoes join pancetta and cornbread to update the predictable tale with a new story — while still keeping a nostalgic nod to a Thanksgiving staple.

Cranberry Pecan Wild Rice Stuffing

Cranberry Pecan Wild Rice Stuffing by Onion Rings and Things
Cranberry Pecan Wild Rice Stuffing is Thanksgiving’s antihero. It’s unexpected and, perhaps, your audience is skeptical. But when the pecan texture tangos with the earthy flavor of the wild rice while contrasting with the sweetness of the cranberries, the result is so devilishly divine it’s hard not to root for this holiday side.

Sweet Potatoes

Drunken Sweet Potatoes

Drunken Sweet Potatoes by CDKitchen
Every story needs a Hagrid — a loveable half-giant who’s had a few too many rough nights but is always entertaining. At Thanksgiving, that’s the role of this Drunken Sweet Potato casserole — a joyous addition to the table that doesn't take away from the main course. It’s predictable in its rich, sweet synthesis of brown sugar and sweet potatoes of Southern tradition, yet simultaneously unpredictable with each boozy bite.

Crispy Sweet Potato Roast

Crispy Sweet Potato Roast by Smitten Kitchen
Some of the simplest subplots are the most complex. So it goes for Thanksgiving side dishes like this Crispy Sweet Potato Roast with the aesthetic charm of Hasselback potatoes. With just olive oil, butter, and shallots, these roasted sweet potatoes have subtle charisma.

Brussels Sprouts

Bacon Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Cranberries And Apples

Bacon Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries and Apples by Sweet Somethings
Brussels sprouts are Thanksgiving’s natural antagonist — these roasted vegetables are revered by few and reviled by flocks more. But every villain has, at the very least, frenemies to support them — in this case, it’s the blithe bacon, amiable apples, and cordial cranberries. Together, they make Brussels sprouts palatable to even the most dubious diners without alienating their biggest fans.

Brussels Sprouts Gratin

Brussels Sprouts Gratin by Once Upon A Chef
Brussels sprouts get a surprise redemption when they’re bathed in a warm bath of cream to soften their texture and flavor. Topped with a mixture of breadcrumbs and Gruyere, They evolve into a beloved comfort food. It’s a supporting role worthy of an award when kids rate this dish a ‘G’ for 'good.'

Green Beans

Cheesy Green Bean Casserole

Cheesy Green Bean Casserole by Yummly
On the list of usual suspects: green bean casserole. With the addition of potatoes and cheese, guests may think they’ve lost track of the plot, but that’s just part of the buildup. When they get to the tender green beans under the crunch of fried onions, it will all come together just before dinner’s grand finale.

Carmelized Onion And Bacon Green Bean Casserole

Carmelized Onion and Bacon Green Bean Casserole by Bubbly Nature Creations
Bacon is the ringer in this green bean casserole that will keep your audience wanting more. But this Carmelized Onion and Bacon Green Bean Casserole doubles down on rich ingredients for maximum flavor impact. The plot reveals the sweetness of carmelized onions united with bacon for a happily-ever-after ending on Thanksgiving Day.

Cranberries

Apple and Spice Cranberry Sauce

Apple and Spice Cranberry Sauce by Yummly
This Cranberry Sauce adds color to the vintage table for a delightfully bold, slightly intense cinematic counterpoint to the rich savory dishes, to keep diners on the edge of their seats.

Cranberry Salad

Cranberry Salad by Cooking Channel
Marshmallows wage war on the tart cranberry with this Cranberry Salad. The sweet fluff invades the astringent berries with a blast of sugar until it surrenders for a sweet victory.

Hungry for more?

From butternut squash and roasted vegetables to creamed corn and macaroni and cheese, you can find scene-stealing side dishes to suit your taste.