25 Thanksgiving Sides Worth Making On Repeat

It feels like the countdown is officially on, and I’ve been daydreaming about all the Thanksgiving sides that end up being worth pulling out again and again. Every time I test a new dish, it somehow lands on my list of recipes worth making because they’re just that comforting. Honestly, I could put these on repeat right up until the big day and still not get tired of them. It’s the kind of lineup that makes the whole holiday feel a little warmer.

Creamy Red Cabbage Slaw for Turkey Day

A bowl of creamy coleslaw with shredded purple cabbage, carrots, and herbs sits on a gray cloth napkin next to vintage silver utensils—perfect as one of your favorite dinner side dishes. — Creamy Red Cabbage Slaw for Turkey Day. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

Add a pop of color to your Thanksgiving spread with this tangy, creamy red cabbage slaw. It’s crunchy, fresh, and pairs perfectly with all the rich mains.
Get the Recipe: Creamy Red Cabbage Slaw for Turkey Day

Crispy Hot Water Cornbread for the Feast

A rack of hot water cornbread with butter and honey. — Crispy Hot Water Cornbread for the Feast. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

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This Southern staple deserves a spot on your Thanksgiving table. Crisp on the outside, soft inside—perfect with gravy or honey butter.
Get the Recipe: Crispy Hot Water Cornbread for the Feast

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pears

Balsamic vinegar being poured over roasted sweet potatoes. — Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pears. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

Sweet, savory, and unexpected—this roasted combo brightens any Thanksgiving spread with golden caramelized flavor in every bite.
Get the Recipe: Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pears

Roasted Cranberry Sauce You’ll Crave

A white bowl of cranberry sauce with grapes. — Roasted Cranberry Sauce You’ll Crave. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

This isn’t your average cranberry sauce—sweet, tart, and roasted to perfection for the most vibrant flavor on your holiday plate.
Get the Recipe: Roasted Cranberry Sauce You’ll Crave

Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes You’ll Repeat

Butter on top of a bowl of mashed potatoes. — Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes You’ll Repeat. Photo Credit: Butter and Baggage.

These creamy Yukon gold potatoes with mascarpone are so silky and rich, you’ll want to make them long before Thanksgiving arrives.
Get the Recipe: Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes You’ll Repeat

Fluffy Mashed Potato Dinner Rolls

mashed potato rolls in a white towel. — Fluffy Mashed Potato Dinner Rolls. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

Soft, pillowy, and irresistibly buttery, these rolls turn leftover mashed potatoes into a side you’ll bake again before Thanksgiving even hits.
Get the Recipe: Fluffy Mashed Potato Dinner Rolls

Southern Baked Mac and Cheese Bliss

A spoon scooping out creamy mac and cheese from a black bowl. — Southern Baked Mac and Cheese Bliss. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

This ultra-creamy baked mac and cheese is pure Southern comfort—bubbly, cheesy, and ideal for those cozy pre-Thanksgiving dinners.
Get the Recipe: Southern Baked Mac and Cheese Bliss

Buttery Brioche Rolls for Thanksgiving

A basket filled with freshly baked golden brown rolls, lined with a light gray cloth. In the background, there is a small dish of butter with a knife on a dark plate. The setting is on a textured blue surface. — Buttery Brioche Rolls for Thanksgiving. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

These golden brioche rolls are soft, buttery perfection—ideal for soaking up every drop of gravy and best made on repeat until the big day.
Get the Recipe: Buttery Brioche Rolls for Thanksgiving

Caramelized Southern Candied Yams

Sweet potatoes cooking in a skillet. — Caramelized Southern Candied Yams. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

Sweet, buttery, and melt-in-your-mouth tender—these candied yams are the side that steals the spotlight before Thanksgiving even starts.
Get the Recipe: Caramelized Southern Candied Yams

Broccoli Cranberry Salad with Honey Yogurt

A bowl of broccoli salad on a serving tray. — Broccoli Cranberry Salad with Honey Yogurt. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

Crunchy broccoli, tart cranberries, and a creamy honey-yogurt dressing make this side light, bright, and perfect for your Thanksgiving lineup.
Get the Recipe: Broccoli Cranberry Salad with Honey Yogurt

Southern Spoon Bread Magic

A cornbread muffin on a plate with a spoon of honey. — Southern Spoon Bread Magic. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

This buttery spoon bread is creamy like pudding yet fluffy like cornbread—a Southern favorite worth practicing before the big meal.
Get the Recipe: Southern Spoon Bread Magic

Butternut Squash Wild Rice Bake

A serving spoon in a baking dish of butternut squash casserole. — Butternut Squash Wild Rice Bake. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

This hearty casserole brings creamy squash, nutty wild rice, and a crispy topping together for a side dish that screams fall comfort.
Get the Recipe: Butternut Squash Wild Rice Bake

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes Supreme

A baking dish of homemade scalloped potatoes. — Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes Supreme. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

Layered with cream, garlic, and Gruyère, these scalloped potatoes are the definition of comfort—practice them now, perfect them by Thanksgiving.
Get the Recipe: Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes Supreme

Sweet Potato Casserole Upgrade

A spoon full of marshmallow topped sweet potato casserole. — Sweet Potato Casserole Upgrade. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

Ditch the bagged marshmallows—this upgraded sweet potato casserole with homemade topping is the showstopper side you’ll remake all season.
Get the Recipe: Sweet Potato Casserole Upgrade

Apple Waldorf Salad Revival

A bowl of apple salad with a serving spoon. — Apple Waldorf Salad Revival. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

This crisp, creamy salad of apples, celery, and walnuts adds a fresh crunch to any Thanksgiving table—classic, light, and endlessly repeatable.
Get the Recipe: Apple Waldorf Salad Revival

Honey Hasselback Sweets for Thanksgiving

Hasselback sweet potatoes on a black platter with honey on the side. — Hasselback Sweet Potatoes with Honey. Photo Credit: Butter and Baggage.

These sliced sweet potatoes bake up tender, caramelized, and perfect for repeating all month long. The warm spices and honey drizzle make them a standout on any Thanksgiving table.
Get the Recipe: Hasselback Sweet Potatoes with Honey

Creamy Cornbread Pudding for the Holiday

A spoonful of cornbread corn pudding. — Cornbread Corn Pudding. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

This cozy cornbread pudding bakes into a soft, custardy holiday side that everyone scoops first. It’s rich, warm, and exactly the kind of dish you’ll want on repeat before Thanksgiving arrives.
Get the Recipe: Cornbread Corn Pudding

Bacon Ranch Potatoes for Fall Feasts

A glass bowl of potato salad with Ranch dressing. — Bacon Ranch Potato Salad. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

This make-ahead potato salad brings bold flavor with smoky bacon and creamy ranch, making it a great pre-Thanksgiving side. It’s hearty, chill-friendly, and easy to serve with anything you’re testing for the big day.
Get the Recipe: Bacon Ranch Potato Salad

Thanksgiving Green Beans with Bacon

A bowl of Green Beans with Bacon and Onions, topped with crispy bacon pieces and caramelized onions, sits on a light cloth napkin with serving utensils. A small dish of extra bacon crumbles is nearby for added flavor. — Savory Green Beans With Bacon. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

These skillet green beans pack savory flavor with bacon and onions, making them a side worth repeating until the holiday. They brighten up every plate and take almost no effort to pull together.
Get the Recipe: Savory Green Beans With Bacon

Green Bean–Potato Salad for Turkey Prep

A platter of green bean and potato salad. — Green Beans And New Potato Salad With Honey Vinaigrette. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

This chilled salad mixes crisp green beans with tender potatoes for a refreshing, make-ahead side. The honey vinaigrette keeps it bright and ideal for testing Thanksgiving flavors ahead of time.
Get the Recipe: Green Beans And New Potato Salad With Honey Vinaigrette

Roasted Carrots Made for Thanksgiving

A platter of roasted carrots. — Oven Roasted Carrots Recipe. Photo Credit: Butter and Baggage.

These oven-roasted carrots turn golden and deeply flavorful, making them a side you’ll keep circling back to. The light vinaigrette adds just enough brightness to fit right into Thanksgiving testing season.
Get the Recipe: Oven Roasted Carrots Recipe

Apple Bourbon Beans for Holiday Tables

Apples Baked Beans. Photo credit: Intentional Hospitality.

These sweet-and-smoky baked beans get depth from apples and bourbon, making them a cozy pre-Thanksgiving side. They pair beautifully with anything you’re testing before the big meal.
Get the Recipe: Apples Baked Beans

Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese for the Holiday

Creamiest, Cheesiest, Slow Cooker Mac And Cheese Recipe. Photo credit: Intentional Hospitality.

This ultra-creamy mac and cheese cooks itself in the slow cooker, perfect for hands-off testing before Thanksgiving. It’s rich, cozy, and the kind of side you’ll want in rotation all month.
Get the Recipe: Creamiest, Cheesiest, Slow Cooker Mac And Cheese Recipe

Air Fryer Baked Potatoes for Turkey Day

A plate of four baked potatoes, each split open and filled with fluffy, seasoned white potato filling. They are garnished with chopped herbs and a sprinkling of ground seasoning. The plate is placed on a yellow cloth. — Perfect Air Fryer Baked Potato Recipe. Photo credit: Intentional Hospitality.

These air fryer baked potatoes come out crisp on the outside and fluffy inside, ideal for testing toppings ahead of Thanksgiving. They’re quick, simple, and great for repeating all season.
Get the Recipe: Perfect Air Fryer Baked Potato Recipe

Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes for Thanksgiving

A spoon full of twice baked mashed potatoes. — Twice Baked Mashed Potato Casserole. Photo credit: Butter and Baggage.

This cheesy, oven-baked mash delivers all the comfort of twice-baked potatoes in an easy casserole. It’s the kind of side you’ll want to perfect before Thanksgiving finally arrives.
Get the Recipe: Twice Baked Mashed Potato Casserole

27 Thanksgiving Dishes Guests Secretly Want More Than Turkey

A collage of four images showcases dishes that smell like Thanksgiving morning: pumpkin pie with whipped cream, a bowl of cranberry sauce, candied sweet potatoes, and a lattice-topped mixed berry pie with a slice removed.

Let’s be honest, when the big feast rolls around, turkey might get all the spotlight, but it’s those irresistible side dishes and desserts that everyone secretly craves. From creamy casseroles to perfectly baked pies, guests often pile their plates high before the bird even makes its way around.
Grab it here: 27 Thanksgiving Dishes Guests Secretly Want More Than Turkey

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