Recipe Roundup

91 Vegetable Sides for Thanksgiving

We all know that Thanksgiving side dishes are the best part of the meal. Here’s an all-star cast of options for your feast.
Green bean casserole in green rectangular dish with handles.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Ali Nardi

Planning your menu really gets exciting when you arrive at the vegetable sides for Thanksgiving: the sweet potatoes, the green beans, the brussels sprouts, the squash. It’s the ideal arena for introducing a new dish alongside old favorites—is this the year you skip the mashed potatoes and make a creamy cauliflower gratin instead? Why not make both? Below, you’ll find 91 Thanksgiving vegetables, including showstopping green bean casseroles, luscious glazed leeks, twice-baked squash, and easy creamy greens. Check out all the recipes—you might even decide to skip the turkey so you have room for more.

  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Pearl Jones
    3/91

    Young Carrots With Spring Onions, Sumac, and Anchovies

    Sometimes Thanksgiving veggies can get a little heavy, with all the cream and butter involved. But these carrots are a pick-me-up, brightened with lemony sumac, funky anchovies, and sweet spring onions.

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  • Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kate Buckens
    4/91

    Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Warm Honey Glaze

    Thanksgiving's not complete without brussels sprouts; and they truly can be a crowd pleaser, depending on your technique. By preheating the baking sheet, you’ll ensure that every sprout in this essential side has that irresistible crispy edge.

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  • Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    5/91

    Green Bean Casserole With Crispy Fried Onions

    Green bean casserole doesn't have to be Grandma's old-style version. In this recipe, a mix of wild mushrooms lends an earthy touch to fresh green beans, and spice-spiked fried onions add superlative crunch and flavor.

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  • Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    6/91

    Parsnip Confit With Pickled Currants

    Maybe potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, squash, and brussels sprouts are the big five of Thanksgiving vegetables, but that doesn't mean you're limited to those options for your holiday table. Parsnips are sweet, earthy, and delicious with turkey, especially when paired with tangy pickled currants. Pair with a kale salad to balance out the richness of the Thanksgiving meal.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Bill Clark
    7/91

    Mississippi Corn Pudding

    This savory pudding is creamy and cheesy, with fresh corn kernels, celery, and onions throughout. A topping of buttery cracker crumbles adds the perfect crunch. Serve it warm on Thanksgiving day—but know that the leftovers are delicious eaten right out of the fridge.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou
    8/91

    Brussels Sprouts With Pistachios and Lime

    These roasted brussels sprouts get amazingly crispy on the outside and deliciously tender within. The date molasses–brown butter glaze makes them even better.

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  • Photo by Marcus Nilsson, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    9/91

    Coconut Creamed Greens

    Pairing earthy, hardy leafy greens with cooling coconut milk, a hot chile, and spices gives this side dish a full range of bitter, sweet, and tingling flavors. This recipe gives you one of those Thanksgiving vegetable side dishes that you'll want to repeat every year.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    10/91

    Butternut Squash and Creamed-Spinach Gratin

    Parmigiano-Reggiano and a generous dose of heavy cream transform butternut squash and spinach into a rich, bubbling gratin.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Ali Nardi
    13/91

    Sweet Potato Casserole With Graham Cracker Streusel

    Embrace sweetness on your Thanksgiving table with this maple-kissed casserole, topped with a playful pecan-graham crumble and toasty marshmallows. It just might be the best Thanksgiving sweet potato dish you've ever tried.

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  • Photo by Marcus Nilsson, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    14/91

    Glazed Leeks With Pine Nut Salsa Verde

    It’s ideal to serve these leeks warm (the smell just out of the oven is amazing), but they can also be made a few hours ahead and served at room temperature.

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  • Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    15/91

    Shingled Sweet Potatoes With Harissa

    Harissa lends both a spiciness and an earthiness to this savory alternative to the usual sweet potato casserole.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou
    16/91

    Squash and Radicchio Salad With Pecans

    If you're looking for a little freshness and crunch in your vegetable dishes for Thanksgiving, consider this combo of sweet and tender honeynut or delicata squash, crisp Asian pear, salty aged cheese, pecan dressing, and hardy radicchio that refuses to wilt.

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  • Photo by Andrew Purcell, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell
    17/91

    Cauliflower Gratin

    Comforting, luxurious Thanksgiving vegetables are the name of the game. Here, cauliflower and cabbage meet up in a soufflelike casserole.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    18/91

    Green Beans Amandine

    This French classic is a favorite holiday side. Toasting the almonds in butter adds a nutty richness to the dish that’s perfectly balanced out by a squeeze of lemon juice added at the end.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    19/91

    Parmesan-Roasted Butternut Squash

    The best qualities of a gratin shine in this incredibly simple side dish: Pieces of sweet butternut squash and a flurry of salty Parmigiano-Reggiano meld with cream to form a warm, cohesive whole.

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  • Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    20/91

    Glazed Shallots with Chile and Thyme

    Don't treat your alliums as an afterthought! They can make a worthy Thanksgiving side dish, too—especially when glazed with butter, sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar, thyme, and a touch of sugar.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Laura Rege
    21/91

    Roasted Cauliflower With Parmesan-Panko Crumble

    A make-ahead Parmesan and panko crumble adds savory crunch to this large-format Thanksgiving vegetable side dish.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Ali Nardi
    22/91

    Cheesy Potato and Kale Gratin With Rye Croutons

    There’s no need to reduce your cream or pre-cook the kale for this cheesy, creamy casserole. Leaving the potatoes unpeeled bumps up nutrients and cuts the prep time, too.

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  • Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    27/91

    Stir-Fried Brussels Sprouts

    The most labor-intensive part of this recipe involves coring and separating the leaves of each brussels sprout—a perfect activity for those lazybones watching the game. Delegate!

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  • Photo by Marcus Nilsson, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    28/91

    Charred Sweet Potatoes With Hot Honey Butter and Lime

    When you mix hot sauce with butter, it turns into a spicy, creamy spread that’s perfect for melting atop burnished sweet potato halves, bringing them to life.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau
    37/91

    Glazed Vegetables

    Take a breather from roasting. Our stovetop method for this glazed vegetables recipe yields glossy, tender results and works on basically any firm Thanksgiving vegetables.

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  • Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Claire Saffitz
    38/91

    Slow-Cooked Winter Squash With Sage and Thyme

    Douse squash in lots of oil and let it slow-roast while you attend to the rest of your Thanksgiving feast.

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  • Photo by Anders Overgaard
    39/91

    Creamed Collard Greens

    Good-quality smoked bacon and fresh collard greens are the keys to this extra-flavorful riff on creamed spinach.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone
    40/91

    Our Favorite Mashed Potatoes

    Our version of perfect mashed potatoes are light and fluffy yet rich and creamy, with just a hint of garlic and thyme.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
    43/91

    Crispy Baby Yukon Gold Potatoes

    Of all of the vegetable dishes for Thanksgiving, perhaps potatoes are the ones you cannot skip without your tablemates protesting. The answer: extra-crispy spuds, scented with a mix of fresh thyme and nutmeg.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau
    44/91

    Lemony Brussels Sprouts With Bacon and Breadcrumbs

    Cooking the brussels sprouts in two stages for this recipe ensures that the cores will be tender and the outer leaves will still have bite.

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  • Photo by Gentl & Hyers
    45/91

    Green Beans With Mushroom XO Sauce

    In Hong Kong, where XO sauce was invented, dried shrimp or scallops and Chinese ham are combined with chiles to create a powerhouse condiment that is salty, spicy, and funky. This recipe uses mushrooms in place of the pork, a cheeky reference to green bean casseroles.

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  • Photo by Bobbi Lin
    46/91

    Duchess Baked Potatoes

    If you’ve ever asked if mashed potatoes can be cooked ahead, the answer is this recipe. The texture is like that of a twice-baked potato.

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  • Photo by Peter Frank Edwards
    53/91

    Sweet Potato Casserole With Sorghum

    Instead of the standard marshmallow topping, this recipe uses sorghum syrup for a rich, deep sweetness, and chopped roasted peanuts for a pleasing crunchy contrast.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau
    54/91

    Mashed Baked Potatoes with Chives

    Baking the potatoes for this recipe is a completely hands-off cooking process that also reduces some of the water content in the spuds, resulting in the easiest and most flavorful mash of all time.

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  • Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott
    57/91

    Turnips With Garlicky Breadcrumbs and Parmesan

    Toss steamed turnips in a double dose of lemon before showering them with Parmesan and garlic-infused panko for a bright and savory Thanksgiving vegetable side dish.

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  • Photo by Christopher Testani
    58/91

    Winter Squash Agrodolce

    A vinegar-and-chile glaze adds heat to sweet squash, spicing up the traditional Thanksgiving flavor profile.

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  • Charles Masters, food styling by Chelsea Zimmer
    63/91

    Green Beans With Shallots, Hazelnuts, and Tarragon

    This simple dish employs the French technique of cooking vegetables in a mixture of water and butter. The water eventually cooks out after steaming the vegetables, leaving them glazed with the butter. This is a dish that can be cooked while the turkey is resting.

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  • Christina Holmes
    64/91

    Spicy Honey-Glazed Parsnips

    This sweet-and-spicy parsnips are just as good at room temperature as they are hot out of the oven.

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  • Photo by Gentl & Hyers
    65/91

    Collard Green Gratin

    Get your greens and your comfort food all at once with this decadent, crispy-crusted casserole.

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  • Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott
    66/91

    Roasted Onions With Vinegar

    Elevating the humble onion: Roasting them in their skins retains their natural sugars, and they get meltingly soft without disintegrating.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova
    71/91

    French's Green Bean Casserole

    Going old-school for the holidays? Then you might be wondering how to make green bean casserole—the quintessential version. In this green bean casserole recipe, creamy mushroom sauce surrounds tender green beans, topped with store-bought fried onions.

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  • Photo by Christopher Testani
    72/91

    Roasted Squash With Mint and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

    Use butternut squash or a small, firm cooking pumpkin such as a sugar pumpkin for the best results.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou
    73/91

    Glazed Hakurei Turnips

    Hakurei turnips are a small, delicately flavored Japanese variety that will win over even the harshest turnip critic. If you can't find them, use another small turnip like the Tokyo, or substitute with red radishes.

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  • Photo by Christopher Testani
    74/91

    Crispy Cauliflower with Capers, Raisins, and Breadcrumbs

    The secret behind this Sicilian-inspired dish: crunchy homemade breadcrumbs. To make your own, let cubes of ciabatta or another white bread dry out, then buzz them into coarse crumbs in a food processor.

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  • Photo by Christopher Testani
    81/91

    Mushrooms with Béarnaise Yogurt

    Save yourself the trouble of hauling out your grill pan for this mushroom side—stick them under the broiler instead.

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  • Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott
    82/91

    Slow-Cooked Garlicky Greens

    When working with a large quantity of greens, it’s much easier to sauté them if they’re blanched first (up to 2 days ahead). Their time in the olive oil is more for flavoring and reaching the ideal texture.

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  • Quentin Bacon
    87/91

    Mushroom And Leek Sauté

    These Thanksgiving vegetables are super-easy. Just be sure to stir the mushrooms and leeks frequently enough so they caramelize without burning. Maybe ask someone to help while you keep an eye on your turkey and stuffing?

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  • Jeremy Liebman
    88/91

    Creamed Peas and Onions

    Peas and onions are a classic holiday duo. Relying on frozen ones, along with a quick béchamel, is a smart move on a busy day of cooking.

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