The best Thanksgiving side dish ideas are the ones people quietly go back for seconds of, dishes like homemade creamed corn, candied yams, and from-scratch cornbread dressing that end up outshining the turkey itself.
That’s really what a good side dish lineup comes down to, the handful of dishes that get requests for the recipe before dessert even hits the table. I’ve built and rebuilt my own Thanksgiving spread for years, and the nine below are the ones that stuck around because people actually ask for them.
The first time I served candied carrots instead of the usual plain steamed ones, my mother-in-law asked for the recipe before she’d even finished her plate. That’s my real measure for whether a side earns a permanent spot on the table, not whether it looks impressive, but whether someone stops mid-bite to ask what’s in it.
Every dish on this list already has its own full recipe on the site, with exact ingredient amounts and step-by-step instructions. Below I’m walking through why each one earns its spot and what makes it different from the version most people already know, then linking out to the full method for each.
Key Takeaways
- Each of these 9 sides has its own complete recipe linked below, with exact measurements, equipment, and steps
- A few of these (creamed corn, candied carrots, cranberry sauce) come together in under 30 minutes on the stovetop
- Cornbread dressing, the turkey gravy base, and cranberry sauce can all be built a day or two ahead of the actual day
- Candied yams and sweet potato casserole are two genuinely different dishes, not two names for the same thing
- A couple of these, au gratin potatoes and cornbread dressing, really do need one specific tool to turn out the way they’re supposed to
Table of Contents
9 Thanksgiving Sides That Steal the Show
These are the nine I keep coming back to every year, roughly in the order I’d actually cook them if I were building the whole spread myself. Click any heading for the full recipe, ingredient amounts included.
1. Homemade Creamed Corn
I spent years assuming creamed corn only came from a can, the pale, oddly sweet stuff that sits next to the green beans and nobody fights over. Homemade is a completely different dish, real corn kernels in a butter and cream sauce that thickens on its own in about 20 minutes.
It’s the one people ask about first, mostly because they didn’t know creamed corn could taste like actual corn. My full creamed corn recipe covers the frozen-versus-fresh timing and a bacon variation worth trying.
2. Candied Yams
Candied yams are sliced sweet potatoes simmered in a butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon syrup until they’re glazed and tender, marshmallows entirely optional depending on which side of the family you grew up in. The syrup is the whole recipe, and getting it to actually reduce instead of staying watery is the one step worth paying attention to.
This isn’t the same dish as sweet potato casserole further down this list, even though people use the names interchangeably. My candied yams recipe covers both the stovetop and oven methods.
3. Candied Carrots
Carrots are usually the side nobody plans around, parboiled until just tender, then finished in a butter and brown sugar glaze that clings to every piece. Whole carrots cut into even coins caramelize a lot better than the bagged baby ones, which hold too much water to really glaze properly.
This is the recipe that made me stop steaming carrots plain for good. My candied carrots recipe is ready in about 25 minutes, plus an orange-glazed version if you want something brighter.
4. Southern Green Beans
If you grew up on the quick-blanched, still-crisp version of green beans, this recipe looks like a mistake at first. Southern-style beans simmer low and slow with bacon or ham hock for 45 minutes to an hour and a half, until they’re soft enough to fall apart on a fork, and that long simmer is what actually pulls the pork flavor into the beans.
Fresh beans hold up to that simmer in a way canned or frozen just can’t. My Southern green beans recipe walks through the timing and a version with new potatoes added right in the same pot.
5. Cornbread Dressing
Dressing and stuffing get used interchangeably by a lot of people, but they’re not the same thing. Dressing bakes on its own in a separate dish instead of inside the turkey, which is also the method the USDA recommends since stuffing packed in the cavity can stay in an unsafe temperature range longer than the meat around it.
The step people skip is staling the cornbread a day or two ahead, and it’s the difference between a dressing that holds together and one that turns to mush. My cornbread dressing recipe covers that staling step along with a sausage variation.
6. Turkey Gravy
Gravy is the one part of Thanksgiving that has to happen in the last 30 minutes, while everything else is coming off the stove at once, and it doesn’t need to be that stressful. Building a roux from the real pan drippings, then deglazing the roasting pan itself, is where almost all the actual flavor comes from.
Most of the work can happen days ahead if you build a base from roasted turkey wings first. My turkey gravy recipe covers that make-ahead base plus what to do if it turns out lumpy or thin.
7. Sweet Potato Casserole
I used to think candied yams and sweet potato casserole were just two names for the same dish. They’re not. This one is a smooth, mashed sweet potato base baked until set, then finished under a marshmallow or pecan streusel topping, closer to a dessert than a vegetable side.
Roasting the sweet potatoes whole instead of boiling them is what keeps the base from turning watery. My sweet potato casserole recipe covers both toppings and exactly when to add each one.
8. Cranberry Sauce
Canned cranberry sauce is a texture, not really a flavor. The homemade version is just cranberries simmered with sugar and a little water or orange juice for about 15 minutes, no added pectin needed since the berries are naturally full of it and the sauce sets on its own as it cools.
This is one of the easiest things on the whole list to get ahead of, since it needs to chill anyway. My cranberry sauce recipe covers a few variations, including an orange and liqueur version.
9. Au Gratin Potatoes
Au gratin potatoes are thinly sliced potatoes layered with cream and cheese, usually gruyere or sharp cheddar, baked until the top is browned and bubbling. It’s technically a different dish from scalloped potatoes, which traditionally skip the cheese, even though almost nobody enforces that distinction anymore.
Slicing every potato the same thickness is the one thing that actually determines whether this turns out right. My au gratin potatoes recipe covers why a mandoline earns its place here and what causes a broken cream sauce.
Which Ones You Can Make Ahead
A few of these really do need to happen the day of, but more of the list is make-ahead friendly than people usually assume.
| Side Dish | Make-Ahead Friendly? |
| Homemade Creamed Corn | Best made fresh, reheats gently |
| Candied Yams | Reheats well, syrup may need a splash of liquid |
| Candied Carrots | Best made fresh, glaze doesn’t hold well ahead |
| Southern Green Beans | Yes, up to a few days ahead |
| Cornbread Dressing | Yes, assemble unbaked up to 2 days ahead |
| Turkey Gravy | Base yes, finish with real drippings on the day |
| Sweet Potato Casserole | Base yes, add topping fresh before baking |
| Cranberry Sauce | Yes, actually improves after a day or two chilled |
| Au Gratin Potatoes | Best made fresh, cream sauce doesn’t hold well ahead |
Picking What Actually Makes the Table
I don’t make all nine of these in the same year. Four or five sides alongside the turkey and dressing is plenty for most tables, so I pick based on what I haven’t made in a while and what I know a specific guest is going to ask about.
The pattern I’ve noticed after years of hosting is that the side dishes are what people actually remember, not the turkey. Nobody has ever cornered me in the kitchen to ask how I cooked the bird, but I’ve answered the candied carrots question more times than I can count.
If you’re trying to figure out when to start each of these relative to the turkey coming out of the oven, my Thanksgiving hosting timeline lays out the order I actually cook everything in.
FAQ
How many side dishes should I make for Thanksgiving?
For a table of six to eight, four to five sides alongside the turkey and dressing is plenty. Any more than that and half of it just goes home in containers nobody asked for.
Can I make Thanksgiving side dishes ahead of time?
Yes, several of these are actually better made ahead. Cornbread dressing, the turkey gravy base, and cranberry sauce all hold well for a day or two in the fridge before the day itself.
What’s the difference between candied yams and sweet potato casserole?
Candied yams keep the sweet potato in distinct sliced pieces sitting in a syrup glaze. Sweet potato casserole is mashed smooth and baked under a marshmallow or pecan streusel topping.
What’s the difference between cornbread dressing and stuffing?
Dressing bakes on its own in a separate dish, while stuffing cooks inside the turkey cavity. Baking it separately is also the method the USDA recommends for food safety reasons.
What’s the difference between au gratin and scalloped potatoes?
Au gratin traditionally includes cheese in the layers or sauce, while scalloped potatoes traditionally use just a cream sauce. Most people use the two names interchangeably now anyway.
Cynthia Odenu-Odenu is the founder of Cyanne Eats. A registered nurse with a passion for food, she brings the same attention to detail from her professional life into the kitchen. From chain restaurant rankings to grocery finds and easy recipes, Cynthia covers it all and helps everyday food lovers eat better and spend smarter.