Peanut Butter Fingers

November is here and I can hardly believe it. Halloween passed by in a flash and while it can be tempting to mentally fast forward right to Christmas, I’m awfully excited about Thanksgiving this year because we will have a house full people on Turkey Day! We’ll be hosting my parents and my sister’s family and having so many people I love under one roof is a dream! I’m already picturing total kid chaos, a family Turkey Trot complete with strollers and scooters and plates absolutely overflowing with my favorite Thanksgiving foods — and that means my plate will be 100 percent be dominated by my favorite Thanksgiving side dishes! Like most families out there, our Thanksgiving meal always features a handful of our favorite tried and true recipes, but we always seem to make a few new dishes every year as well.

For today’s blog post, I’m focusing on Thanksgiving side dishes because, let’s be honest, that’s where all the fun is on Thanksgiving. Move over turkey, I need more room for stuffing, glazed carrots and sweet potato casserole!

Thanksgiving Side Dishes

If you would like to see a complete Thanksgiving meal plan I’ve got you covered in my Thanksgiving Dinner Meal Plan blog post but if you’re simply on the lookout for Thanksgiving side dish inspiration, keep on scrolling to check out some of our tried and true favorites!

Diane’s Pineapple Soufflé

Ryan talked up this side dish before my first Thanksgiving with his family and I wasn’t sure it could possibly live up to his praise until I took a bite. Oh my goodness. This pineapple souffle is sweet and buttery and quickly claimed a spot on my “Favorite Thanksgiving” dishes! This one could double as a dessert but somehow feels acceptable as a Thanksgiving side dish because who doesn’t love something extra indulgent next to their turkey on Thanksgiving!?

My Mom’s Homemade Stuffing 

 

This dish is not only my all-time favorite Thanksgiving dish, but it’s also one of my favorite foods period. I truly think I could have a plate filled only with this stuffing at Thanksgiving and feel perfectly happy. IT’S THE BEST. It is nostalgia on a plate for me!

Bubbee’s Glazed Carrots

When Ryan and I celebrated our first Thanksgiving together as a couple in college, I remember asking him about his favorite Thanksgiving side dish and he said “carrots.” I thought it was crazy (who like carrots that much!?) but when I had his grandmother’s glazed carrots for the first time, it all made sense. They’re sweet (brown sugar!) and salty (bacon!) and have since become a staple within my family as well!

Arugula Beet Salad

In case you’re wondering what salad we’ll be serving on our Thanksgiving table this year, it’s the same one we served last year: This arugula beet salad! We fell in love with this simple salad in the summer of 2024 and love it so much because it’s a breeze to make (very, very minimal chopping). A lot of it can also  be prepped ahead which I appreciate a lot when we’re the ones hosting! It’s a 10/10 salad!!!

Quinoa Salad with Pecans and Cranberries

Fluffy, fruity, crunchy, and nutritious, this fall salad is an easy side dish that makes for a unique addition to any Thanksgiving table. Ready in 20 minutes and easy to prepare ahead of time, it’s gluten-free and vegan, making it a great option for those who may have certain dietary restrictions. We served this one at Friendsgiving a few years in a row and it went over so well!

Traditional Sweet Potato Casserole

Growing up in Illinois, sweet potato casserole wasn’t really a “thing” on Thanksgiving. It wasn’t until I moved south that I realized southerners looove sweet potato casserole with some intensity! It’s a “must” dish on the menu for Ryan and he’s the one who initially got me to try the marshmallow-topped delight. More than a decade ago, I ripped the above recipe out of Cooking Light magazine and it wow-ed us so much that we’ve made it every year since!

While this dish is slightly lighter than your traditional sweet potato casserole, it doesn’t taste like it all. It’s always a hit with guests as well and I’m not gonna lie, I even like it cold straight out of the fridge the next day. It’s that good. Tip: This is another dish that can be prepped the day before, you’ll just want to wait to reheat it and then top it with marshmallows and heat it up until they’re nice and toasted right before serving.

Winning Cornbread Recipe

Sweet, salty, and deliciously moist, this winning cornbread is simple to make and definitely worthy of your Thanksgiving dinner meal plan! Top it with butter, or use it to scoop up the last drippings from your plate. Just be warned that you may want to make extras because it always disappears fast. Bonus: This is a dish you can easily prepare the day before Thanksgiving to check one dish off your list.

Chopped Broccoli and Brussels Sprouts Salad

This simple salad is the perfect way to add some greens (Brussels sprouts! Broccoli!) to your plate this holiday. Made with vibrant fresh produce, nutrient-dense chopped pecans, and a tangy homemade honey mustard vinaigrette dressing, it’s salad you can prep ahead of time (no wilted lettuce) which is a big-time win in my book.

Greek Yogurt Biscuits

The Greek yogurt in these biscuits bumps up the amount of protein in each biscuit in a way that makes them a lot more filling and satisfying, not to mention absolutely delicious, especially when topped with a smear of butter and jelly. They’re a “good-for-you” biscuit but the flavor makes them absolutely worthy of a Thanksgiving meal, especially if you serve them with homemade honey butter.

Cranberry Sauce

My main requirement for a cranberry sauce recipe is that is be one that incorporates orange juice or orange zest into the mix. The fresh citrus from oranges complement the tartness of the cranberries so well! Sally nails it in this easy 5-ingredient recipe for a simple cranberry sauce!

Sauteed French Green Beans with Toasted Almonds

I am not one for traditional green bean casserole. It’s too mushy and soupy and just not for me. But this recipe? Oh yes!! Sauteed green beans are elevated to Thanksgiving-worthy status with this recipe thanks to sesame oil, garlic, a touch of brown sugar and crisp, toasted almonds. And it’s a 20-minute stovetop recipe so no need to take up coveted oven space!

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

Confession: I hate making mashed potatoes. I find them tedious and less-than-fun to prepare. It’s dish I’ll happily offload to anyone else who offers to make them. (I once served instant mashed potatoes during Friendsgiving and people actually asked me for the recipe so if ya need to take a Thanksgiving shortcut here and there, I say DO IT.) But I will admit Thanksgiving doesn’t feel like Thanksgiving without mashed potatoes and thankfully Instant Pot mashed potato recipes exist out there for people like me who want them to be low-maintenance. The above recipe is a great one and checks all of my boxes: Easy to prepare, simple and delicious! If you’re like me and my dad, make sure you serve them with peas and gravy! Don’t knock that combination ’til ya try it.

Question of the Day

• What is your all-time favorite Thanksgiving dish?

I am all about the stuffing, baby!!!