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Home » Lifestyle » Rufus Recommends » 14 Easy Thanksgiving Sides Recipes

14 Easy Thanksgiving Sides Recipes

Modified: Sep 17, 2025 · Published: Oct 31, 2024 by Rufus · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

14 Easy Thanksgiving Sides Recipes | Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Can you believe it? I have no idea where time went, but i know very soon I'm gonna need some Easy Thanksgiving Sides for all of the things. Here is a list of my top 14 favorites.

Let's get started!

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Classic Thanksgiving Side Dishes

1. Southern Cornbread Dressing

southern cornbread dressing, a thanksgiving sides recipes

Southern Cornbread Dressing is a true staple for any holiday table and one of the true classic Thanksgiving sides. And, it’s one of my favorite dishes on the planet. My version has a simple, savory cornbread base with sautéed onions and celery with just the right amount of sage to let everyone know that the holidays are here!

2. Green Bean Casserole

easy green bean casserole

Green Bean Casserole is one of my all-time favorite, classic Thanksgiving sides. With minimal prep with the use of frozen green beans and topped with wonderful crispy onions and baked until golden and bubbly, this side dish comes together in no time and will be the hit of your holiday gatherings!

Salad Recipes

3. Classic Wedge Salad

wedge salad with blue cheese, bacon, and tomatoes. also in thanksgiving sides roundup

A Classic Wedge Salad is arguably one of my all-time favorite salads. I will order it almost 100% of the time at a restaurant and I make it on the regular at home. The crunch of the iceberg paired with the crispy, smokey bacon and the creamy blue-cheese dressing just make me a happy, happy girl. Perfect as a salad on its own, but fantastic as one of your Easy Thanksgiving Sides!

4. Roasted Beet Salad

roasted beet salad on a serving platter

Roasted Beet Salad is my favorite simple, and stunning, side dish for the holidays! It features simple roasted beets, crunchy pistachios, salty feta, and juicy orange for that perfect hit of juicy citrus. I finish it off with a light drizzle of my Apple Cider Vinaigrette. The flavor combo is incredible and it will soon be your favorite as well! Easily one of my top choices for 14 Easy Thanksgiving Sides Recipes!

5. Brussels Sprouts Caesar

brussels sprouts salad in a serving bowl

Brussels Sprouts Salad is wonderfully crunchy, simple to make, and has a tangy Caesar dressing that will knock your socks off. And, let’s not forget the bacon. Bacon makes everything better. Amiright?!

6. Fall Harvest Salad

This is a picture of a Fall Harvest Salad on a large serving platter flanked by pomegranate, apple slices, and balsamic vinaigrette.

Fall Harvest Salad is stunning, easy to put together, and tastes amazing. All of the things and it’s super healthy! It’s perfect for the upcoming holiday festivities, but also wonderful for your weekly meal prep salad. Whatever you do, just don’t sleep on this one. It’s a keeper!

Potato and Pasta Sides

7. Twice Baked Potato Casserole

This is a picture of twice baked potato casserole in a baking dish with a small bowl of the casserole on the side.

Twice Baked Potato Casserole is all of the wonderful, decadent flavors of a twice baked potato without the hassle! It’s all of the flavor without the work!

8. Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

These creamy herb and garlic mashed potatoes are luscious and creamy and full of wonderful flavor. The trick? Cook them in a heavy cream concoction and add some Boursin at the end to add phenomenal taste without making it complicated. Try this. I promise you won’t be disappointed. 

9. Crispy Roasted Potatoes

plated potatoes with chive salt

This crispy roasted potato recipe is so simple and so flavorful, that you’ll keep it on heavy rotation when you need that perfect side dish. Everyone, and I mean everyone, will fall in love with it. And, you’ll look like the genius you are. It’s a potato win-win.

10. Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese

This is picture of a close up spoonful of creamy mac and cheese.

Vegetable Side Dishes

11. Roasted Green Beans

This is a serving platter with Roasted Green Beans and Garlic. There is a wedge of lemon and a vintage serving fork to the side.

Roasted Green Beans are a long time favorite vegetable side dish of mine. They’re delicious, incredibly easy to prepare, and are a perfect accompaniment to almost any main dish you’re serving. Just in time for the upcoming holidays, you’ve got to try it. In the history of easy recipes and part of my 14 Easy Thanksgiving Sides Recipes,

12. Whole Roasted Cauliflower

whole roasted cauliflower in a cast iron skillet

Whole Roasted Cauliflower With Cajun Spices is the side dish recipe for any occasion. It’s quick and easy to prepare, it’s simple to cook, and it’s absolutely delicious. And, of course, there is a phenomenal sauce. Make it once and I promise you’ll have it on the table all the time!

13. Mashed Cauliflower

mashed cauliflower garnished with chives, bacon

Mashed Cauliflower With Bacon and Chives is the side dish that checks all the boxes. It’s simple to make, wonderfully creamy, slightly smokey from the bacon, and finished with a healthy dusting of fresh chives to round out the flavor. It’s like the best loaded baked potato you’ve ever had – without the potato!

14. Roasted Brussels Sprouts

roasted brussels sprouts

Parmesan Brussels Sprouts are such a wonderful addition to any meal. This take on these beautiful little green gems is crispy, savory, and salty with the perfect hit of lemon at the end to turn even the biggest critic into a fan. Of my 14 Easy Thanksgiving Sides Recipes, this is one of the easiest by far!

A Few Extra For Good Measure

I know this is a blog post about my 14 Easy Thanksgiving Sides Recipes, but I thought I would throw in a couple more holiday must-haves. If you need a delicious butter to slather over all of the things, look no further than my all-purpose compound butter. And, if you're in charge of that Thanksgiving turkey, you have to give my Turkey Brine a try. It makes all the difference in the world!

extras

ramekin of compound butter

Compound Butter

This is a picture of spices and aromatics for a turkey brine. Part of a thanksgiving sides recipe roundup.

Turkey Brine

Thank you!

I am so incredibly happy that you are here! I hope you try my Easy Thanksgiving Sides Recipes and fall in love with them. If you make any of these recipes, please share and tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok!

And, please leave a comment or star rating in the recipe cards. I absolutely love seeing each and every one of your kitchen masterpieces. And, as always, if you ever have any questions about any of my recipes, please don't hesitate to contact me!

Happy Cooking!

-Rufus

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I’m Ruth aka Rufus, your resident pot stirrer and comfort-food enthusiast.

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