15 Thanksgiving Sides That Don
Turkey Day is upon us, and the menu planning is in full swing. Whether you’re in charge of making all the food or are doing Thanksgiving dinner potluck style, chances are you know one thing for certain: the oven will be occupado. Yep, whether you’re heading to a relative’s house and need to reheat your scalloped potatoes or you’re hosting and trying to reheat a bunch of sides close to meal time, leaning on Thanksgiving sides that don’t require an oven is the move. Because when there’s a turkey for 10 people in there — especially in one of those flimsy disposable turkey pans — it’s best not to disturb it, even to make way for the mac and cheese.
Once you slide the turkey into the oven on a low and slow temp, it’s hard to then figure out how to roast veggies and bake casseroles around it. But even some casseroles can be made in the slow cooker (dinner rolls, too!), and many classic, must-eat sides are just as delicious when you prepare them on the stovetop (looking at you, macaroni and cheese). So, whichever sides you’re hoping to serve, scroll on to see if there’s a way to make them that doesn’t require a high-stakes game of Tetris at 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
01Slow Cooker Garlic Mashed Potatoes
You legally can’t call it Thanksgiving dinner if there are no mashed potatoes on the table. Maybe that’s a little dramatic, but once you taste these slow cooker garlic mashed potatoes from All The Healthy Things, you’ll see where I’m coming from. Throw your ingredients (there are only six, plus salt and pepper) into the slow cooker Thanksgiving morning and in four hours, you’ll have homemade taters ready to go.
02Glazed Carrots
Want to win the prize for most photogenic side at the potluck? Make this vibrant glazed carrot dish from Foodie Crush. In about 35 minutes start to finish, you’ll have tender carrots topped with a sweet and zesty orange brown sugar glaze. Pass ‘em down, please.
03Slow Cooker Dinner Rolls
If you’re worried about getting the rolls done in time, oven space feels like a requirement — we’re talking about baking bread here. But actually, you can make dinner rolls in your slow cooker. Averie Cooks’ recipe yields rolls with a thin crust and a soft, aromatic center perfect for slathering in butter or gravy.
04Pear Salad With Gorgonzola
This salad from Foodie Crush is the perfect crisp, fresh side to throw on the table, or to have sitting out as an app while everyone waits on the turkey to finish cooking. It’s got crunchy pear slices, peppery greens candied pecans, and pungent gorgonzola (which you could sub out for something less stinky, if you’re not a fan). The quick, homemade Dijon vinaigrette will have everyone asking where you bought your dressing.
05Spicy Macaroni & Cheese
No matter how well you make a turkey, at the end of the day, it’s still just turkey. That means it’s kind of on the sides to bring a little zip to the meal. A spicy mac & cheese might be a nice switch-up, and A Cookie Named Desire’s recipe only calls for a little cayenne to make it come together on the stovetop. Of course if you have kids, maybe opt out of the cayenne for their sake — the rest of the recipe will still give you delicious, creamy, cheesy mac to enjoy.
06Green Beans Almondine
You could hand me sautéed shallots on a plate and I’d be happy as can be, but as this recipe from A Beautiful Plate suggests, they’re best served atop green beans. This recipe yields a big batch of crispy, lemony green beans to cut through all the butter and cheese in the rest of the sides (don’t worry, plenty of those to come).
07Stovetop Creamed Corn
Roasted corn is out since we’re avoiding the oven, but skillet creamed corn will do quite nicely instead. Budget Bytes’ recipe calls for fresh or frozen corn, parmesan cheese, half-and-half, and a handful of pantry staples. The return on investment is huge: a sweet, buttery, cheesy side that will disappear right off the table.
08Homemade Cranberry Sauce
It’s OK if you prefer the canned kind, but for those of us homemade cranberry sauce people, it’s nice to have a simple go-to recipe to churn it out quickly. All The Healthy Things’ recipe is tart, delicious, and easy to make — what more could you want?
09Slow Cooker Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
Making scalloped potatoes is a labor of love no matter how you do it, but at least with Damn Delicioius’ slow cooker method, they’re not going to be clogging up an entire oven rack for hours. These little babies boast a combo of Gruyere and parmesan cheeses, fresh thyme, and a pinch of nutmeg to really set it off.
10Stovetop Stuffing
No, not the brand name one — homemade stuffing you make on the stovetop. Cubed bread meets buttery sautéed onions, carrots, celery, and herbs in Averie Cooks’ super fast and easy recipe that’s sure to become a new holiday staple in your household.
11Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole
Damn Delicious’s recipe for slow cooker sweet potato casserole makes this classic Thanksgiving dish so freaking simple to make. Now, you will need to stick the ceramic part of the slow cooker under the broiler for a few minutes to get the browning on the top of the marshmallows (or if you have a blowtorch, that’ll do the trick, but how many of us actually do?). But otherwise, this is a set-it-and-forget-it side.
12Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
You could totally still roast your Brussels in an air fryer, but if you’ve never had them in shaved salad form, it’s a must-try. All The Healthy Things’ recipe is perfect for a big dinner, because the sprouts can stand up to the creamy dressing without getting soggy while sitting on the table. Add in the crunch of pecans, red onion, and smoky bacon and you have a crowd-pleaser on your hands.
13Honey Butter Skillet Corn
Plain old buttered corn is delicious, but if you want to jazz it up a bit for Thanksgiving, Princess Pinky Girl’s take is a nice change. You simply heat a little honey butter, cream cheese spread, and fresh corn in a skillet for five to seven minutes until it’s warm. Add some salt, pepper, and serve.
14Quick & Easy Mushroom Gravy
Personally, I think gravy belongs on top of every food on my plate, and that means the turkey drippings usually aren’t enough on their own to meet the demand. This easy peasy mushroom gravy recipe from Averie Cooks would be a flavorful way to supplement your turkey gravy, no roast meat drippings required.
15Ambrosia Salad
Whether it’s Southern or Midwestern, side or dessert, all of that is up to you. In my family, ambrosia and Watergate salads were always served on the table alongside the potatoes and green beans, so it’s a side to me. Princess Pinky Girl’s recipe is the classic version: fruit cocktail, mandarin oranges, pineapple, maraschino cherries, shredded coconut, and mini marshmallows all covered in whipped topping. Don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it.
So, what’ll be on your Turkey Day menu this year?
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