Vegetable Side Dishes For Thanksgiving

Veggie side dishes don’t have to be boring — and for Thanksgiving dinner, they’d BETTER NOT BE! These quick and easy vegetable recipes will balance out the richness of this traditional meal and keep every bite interesting.
Get out of your holiday rut with these 24 jaw-dropping vegetable sides for Thanksgiving. From simple roast vegetables to stunning casseroles and flavorful sautées and purées, elevate your vegetables for Thanksgiving this year.
Thanksgiving isn't just about turkey, stuffing and pie... You must have a vegetable, too, right?
These Thanksgiving vegetable sides are right at home with any menu, and all focus on classic fall veggies and vegetable combinations.
No marshmallows are allowed in these holiday side dish recipes, thank you very much.
Table of Contents
- 1 The Best Oven Roasted Carrots and Parsnips
- 2 Tangy Glazed Stovetop Brussels Sprouts
- 3 Roasted Duck Fat Potatoes
- 4 Creamed Spinach
- 5 Corn Maque Choux
- 6 Rutabaga & Butternut Squash Casserole
- 7 Mixed Vegetable Medley
- 8 Southern Greens and Potlikker
- 9 Classic Colcannon Recipe (Cabbage and Potatoes)
- 10 Stuffed Acorn Squash
- 11 savory oven roasted root vegetables
- 12 Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce
- 13 Creamy Whipped Sweet Potatoes
- 14 Balsamic Dijon Roasted Mushrooms
- 15 Maple Butternut Puree with Crispy Sage
- 16 Blanched Kale with Walnuts & Raisins
- 17 Homemade McIntosh Applesauce
- 18 Lightly Spiced Cranberry Sauce with Apples
- 19 Snappy Moroccan Spiced Sous Vide Carrots
- 20 Buttery Garlic Green Beans
- 21 Mashed Cauliflower with Roasted Garlic
- 22 Basmati Rice Pilaf with Roasted Fall Vegetables
- 23 oven-roasted butternut squash
- 24 Savory Sweet Potato Casserole
The Best Oven Roasted Carrots and Parsnips
Simplicity is king for this simple Thanksgiving veggie side dish. Just toss carrots, parsnips, onions and potatoes on a roasting sheet, sprinkle with olive oil and herbs and roast until they're golden and tender. They're a feast for the eyes and tastebuds.
Tangy Glazed Stovetop Brussels Sprouts
Use a combination of green and purple brussels sprouts (if you can find them) for a truly festive Thanksgiving veggie side dish. Seasoned wtih a little bit o' bacon, these aren't your Mom's brussels sprouts.
Roasted Duck Fat Potatoes
These "smashed potatoes" have a crackly golden crust and creamy, plush interior. The key is DUCK FAT. Put this side dish of tender, crispy spuds next to your Thanksgiving turkey and I can promise you'll have NO LEFTOVERS.
Creamed Spinach
This creamed spinach will be more popular than your Thanksgiving stuffing! It's ultra-rich with a touch of Boursin cheese for the ultimate indulgent side dish.
Corn Maque Choux
Kind of like a cross between a succotash and macque choux, but with a lot more going on, this sauteed corn is flecked with fresh herbs and cooked in rendered bacon fat. Need I say more? It's a delicious fall corn recipe and perfect corn recipe for Thanksgiving.
Rutabaga & Butternut Squash Casserole
Rutabaga and butternut squash in a luscious cheesy casserole is a beautiful side dish to go with a Thanksgiving turkey. You'll love the make-ahead nature of this delicious seasonal dish.
Mixed Vegetable Medley
For a fresh and healthy side dish, this vegetable medley is a winner, using a blend of veggies, sauteed to crisp tender and seasoned with a spicy Italian blend.
Southern Greens and Potlikker
For a Southern flair to your Thanksgiving meal, make a big pot of Southern Collard Greens for a side dish to go with everything from mashed potatoes to mac and cheese. I've honestly never had greens that tasted so good and the pot likker is perfect for cornbread dunking.
Classic Colcannon Recipe (Cabbage and Potatoes)
Colcannon is a classic Irish peasant dish that's a combination of sauteed cabbage and mashed potatoes. It's buttery, rich and delicious with roast turkey.
Stuffed Acorn Squash
Stuffed Acorn Squash makes a festive vegetable side dish for your Thanksgiving table. It's easy to prep in advance and is an eye-popping beauty.
savory oven roasted root vegetables
If you love root vegetables, this simple sheet pan side dish is perfect for you. With a myriad of carrots, delicata squash, potatoes and fennel, the flavors in this thanksgiving veggie dish are warm and homey.
Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce
Technically, it's not a "vegetable," but it's mandatory for your Thanksgiving spread—this holiday. Cranberry sauce is the one that is requested year after year. It's made with Red Zinfandel, whole spices and citrus. This whole-berry cranberry sauce is sweet, tangy, and truly addictive.
Creamy Whipped Sweet Potatoes
Did you know you can make perfectly smooth whipped sweet potatoes in the food processor? It takes about 5 minutes to blend roasted spuds into this luscious side dish.
Balsamic Dijon Roasted Mushrooms
These roasted mushroom caps are seasoned with a zippy balsamic vinegar and dijon dressing. They're meaty and rich, perfect as a thanksgiving vegetable side dish. If you skip the worcestershire sauce this can also be a great vegan side dish.
Maple Butternut Puree with Crispy Sage
Mashed butternut squash with a hint of maple and crispy sage leaves is a Thanksgiving vegetable side dish that could replace mashed potatoes. It's a fluffy, healthy, slightly sweet side that goes really well with your holiday roast turkey breast or any other protein.
Blanched Kale with Walnuts & Raisins
Blanched kale with walnuts, shallots and golden raisins for a hint of sweetness makes a healthy and delicious Thanksgiving side dish. The colors are pure fall, too.
Homemade McIntosh Applesauce
Some folks don't do cranberry sauce (who are you???) So, for those who prefer something a little less tart, how about a homemade applesauce? Though not a "veggie" side dish recipe, let's face it, we love applesauce to go with everything from pork chops and chicken to roast turkey. Find a spot for this side on your Thanksgiving table. It'll get eaten.
Lightly Spiced Cranberry Sauce with Apples
This homemade cranberry sauce recipe uses apples and apple cider, white wine and Calvados (apple brandy) for the cran-apple side dish of your Thanksgiving dreams. It's awesome tucked into your turkey sandwich the next day too.
Snappy Moroccan Spiced Sous Vide Carrots
The spice blend on these carrots takes this veggie side dish in a completely different direction. With golden raisins and pine nuts to add texture sweetness plus multi-colored carrots for that visual wow-factor. This recipe could start a whole new Thanksgiving tradition.
Buttery Garlic Green Beans
This is our standard green bean recipe. I make them all year long for small 2 person dinners and for groups of 15-20. This vegetable side dish always get raves because they're tangy, bright & garlicky and tangy. The lightness of perfectly cooked green beans brings balance to the heavier parts of your Thanksgiving meal.
Mashed Cauliflower with Roasted Garlic
Want the mash without the carbs? This is the ultimate mashed cauliflower recipe. It includes fresh thyme and a whole head of sweet roasted garlic. I'll be honest, we eat this all year round, it's THAT good.
Basmati Rice Pilaf with Roasted Fall Vegetables
Here's a rice and vegetable side dish that's colorful and tasty. With roasted acorn squash and brussels sprouts, I've added golden raisins in this recipe, but you can give this side a more Thanksgiving "vibe" with dried cranberries instead.
oven-roasted butternut squash
Butternut squash is tender, sweet and delicious on its own. Roast it in a hot oven with fresh herbs and it's even better. This healthy veggie recipe is really simple to make, especially if you use pre-cut squash. That color just screams fall too!
Savory Sweet Potato Casserole
If the idea of marshmallows on your sweet potatoes creeps you out (you're not alone), this savory layered sweet potato casserole with cheese and bacon will be your new favorite Thanksgiving side dish.
More holiday collections you’ll love:
- Tempting Thanksgiving Mains & Entrees
- Stuffing Recipes
- Holiday Hors D’oeuvres
- Mouthwatering Holiday Dishes
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The mashed cauliflower recipe is EVERYTHING!! Tastes just like the real thing!