I am so excited to share my favorite 19 Thanksgiving sides + everything you need to host a Thanksgiving meal! This is a master list that you can use year after year!

thanksgiving sides collage with text

Thanksgiving is just around the corner! And it just so happens to be the best time of the year, because, let’s face it, it’s a holiday based around food. How is that not the best thing ever?

I’ve shared a killer herb roast thanksgiving turkey that you need to try and here are 19 Thanksgiving sides you can make and every kitchen tool you could need to put this meal together. I know it’s not everyone’s idea of fun to host, and it’s really stressful for most people to plan out a Thanksgiving menu. So if I can make your life easier, I’d love to be able to do that!

Alright, without further ado, lets get right into it!

green bean casserole topped with shoe string onions
cheddar mashed potatoes

19 Thanksgiving sides to make this year!

  1. Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole a warm and cozy casserole loaded with bubbly, melty cheese. It’s keto-friendly and gluten-free.
  2. Garlic Butter Roasted Carrotsgolden roasted carrots tossed in a delicious honey garlic butter sauce.
  3. Crisp Apple Sweet Potato Salada crisp and refreshing salad with crunchy apples, cinnamon roasted sweet potatoes, and sweet and tangy apple cider vinaigrette
  4. Cheddar Mashed Potatoes – the cheesiest, most delicious mashed potatoes you’ll ever have
  5. Garlicky Extra Crispy Roasted Potatoes – garlicky and extra crispy potatoes that will make you want to polish off the whole batch! Ideal for serving at a small get together.
  6. Creamy Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Shoe String Onions – I don’t think I could celebrate thanksgiving without this 😂
  7. Caramelized Onion Croissant Stuffing – This stuffing is sure to become a family favorite as it tastes 1000 times better than the stuff you get in a box! Made with buttery croissants, caramelized onions, and aromatics!
  8. Sweet Potato Casserole with Crunchy Brown Sugar Topping – A delicious and easy casserole with an addicting crumble on top! So good, you’ll want it for dessert too!
  9. Slow Cooker Creamed Corn –  let the slow cooker do all the work for you! Just stir it together and let it cook on its own!
  10. Cheddar Chive Spoonbread (Corn Pudding) – just 5 minutes of prep work for this! Stir it all together and pop it in the oven! It’s so good, drizzled with gravy!
  11. Garlic Butter Roasted Brussels Sprouts – Crispy roasted Brussels sprouts drizzled in a delicious garlic butter sauce. So good, you’ll end up making a meal out of these alone!
  12. Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes – Scalloped potatoes are thinly sliced potatoes cooked in a casserole dish with melty cheesy cream sauce!
  13. Buttermilk Biscuits – Just 8 simple ingredients to make flakey, buttery biscuits from scratch. Or you can try my new caramelized onion gruyere drop biscuits! There are also one-hour garlic herb rolls! But then you can also make my roasted Garlic Rosemary Focaccia Bread – a favorite around the holidays! Can you tell I struggle when it comes to serving just one type of bread 😂
  14. Twice Baked Potato Casserole (Potatoes Romanoff) – every bit as delicious as it sounds! You can prep this in advance 
  15. 5-ingredient Mac and Cheese – just 5 simple ingredients, and you can play around with the types of cheeses you use to make this even more delicious!
  16. Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup – flavorful and delicious, perfect as a starter!
  17. Homemade Cranberry Sauce – totally customizable! Add herbs, citrus, or spices to make it your own!
  18. Cacio E Pepe Brussels Sproutsroasted Brussels sprouts tossed with freshly grated cheese and ground pepper.
  19. Baked Potatoes –  Something a little different, but you could do a build-your-own-baked-potato-bar with this. I’m thinking you’ll want to top it with steamed broccoli and the Mac and cheese I shared above! 
thanksgiving turkey surrounded by herbs, oranges, and cranberries
roasted turkey in roasting pan

Everything you need to roast the turkey and make Thanksgiving sides:

Pans:

  • Roasting PanI invested in this one last year, and it’s super easy to clean afterward. All you need is a little bar, keepers friend. I’ve also used this to roast two chicken or a medium-large turkey! 
  • Baking Sheetthese are my absolute favorite go-to sheet pans. You could do just about anything to them. They are indestructible! 
  • Stock Potthis one is a kitchen workhorse! It comes with a pasta insert and a steamer basket making it so easy to drain!
  • 9 x13 glass dish – great for making scratch dinner rolls (recipe linked above) or my spice cake! The lid makes it super easy to transport!

Essentials:

  • Mixing BowlsThese nesting mixing bowls come in every size you could need! It’s a set of 10, and we all know how many bowls you end up needing when you’re prepping a feast! 
  • One Hand pepper grinder this is seriously my favorite kitchen purchase of 2020! I mean, it’s so fun to use that both Anees and I look for things to grind pepper over 😂
  • Kitchen Twine 
  • Box Grater 
  • Carving KnifeI purchased this knife last year so I could give you my full and honest review. It is SHARP! It slices through the meat like butter!
  • Meat Fork  
  • Whisk  
  • Vegetable PeelerMy all-time favorite vegetable peeler! It’s no surprise that it has a perfect 5-star review.
  • Potato Masher or Potato Ricer If you plan on making homemade mashed potatoes, I highly recommend a potato ricer! It makes the potatoes so fluffy! A masher will also do the job, but a potato ricer does make better mashed potatoes!
  • Turkey InjectorI’ve been using an injector over a baster for as long as I can remember! I love making a melted butter, lemon juice, and herb mix that I inject right into the meatiest parts of the turkey. Trust me, rave reviews every time!
  • Basting Brush  
  • Fat SeparatorIt really comes in handy when you want to separate the juices from the fat for the gravy!
  • Oven Thermometer –  I know I’ve mentioned having one of these if you bake often, and I certainly mean it! You want to make sure your oven is preheating to the correct temperature, and this thermometer double-checks your ovens work. I realized once I popped one of these in that my oven when it says it’s preheated to 350ºF, it actually reads 340ºF! Which believe it or not, makes a huge difference when it comes to baking.
  • Meat ThermometerA digital instant read thermometer that will tell you the exact temperature of your turkey. This is highly recommended to make sure you don’t overcook/undercook the turkey!
  • Microplanegreat for zesting citrus to dressing, marinades, or butter. And ideal for adding fresh nutmeg to sides or pies!
  • Measuring Cups + SpoonsI absolutely love this set! It comes with ⅛, ⅔, and ¾ measuring cups as well as a ⅛ tsp! Measuring is so easy with this set!
  • Rolling Pincomes with measuring rings attached, so it takes the guesswork out of measuring the dough to the perfect thickness!

Serving:

  • Utensils setcomes with everything you’d need to serve an entire feast.
  • PlatterA classic, clean, and modern design that will last you for years. I love using mine to serve a couple of roasted chickens or a large turkey!
  • Gravy BoatIs adorable if you’re serving a handful of people or don’t mind refilling the boat. I’ve also used this carafe in the past to keep my gravy hot for hours. It was perfectly warm when we sat down for the meal hours later!
  • Carving BoardAnd it has juice grooves to keep them from running over!
  • Beverage Dispenser with Spout –  I love serving up a good mocktail like this one in my glass dispenser. It makes for a nicer centerpiece on the drinks table!
  • 2 Piece oval BakersI love these because you can go straight from the oven to the table with these!
  • Large Rectangle Casserole Dish with lidI love using this for my green bean casserole or pumpkin French toast casserole! And the lid makes it super easy to transport.
  • TrivetsA set of 8 trivets, so the serving station looks beautifully uniform!
  • Pot HoldersThese are my absolute favorite! I love the chambray color selection and the faux leather hanging loop!
  • Pie Plate A cute and classic design! Serve pie, crumble, or cobbler straight from the oven to the table in this dish in style. It also makes for a great gift for someone! 
  • Gold Flatware set – The most affordable (and pretty) set for 8! 
plate loaded with thanksgiving food

Also! If you’re looking for something delicious to make for Thanksgiving breakfast/brunch, here are a few ideas!

pumpkin French toast casserole

I think that covers just about everything you need to put together a spectacular Thanksgiving dinner! If I forgot something, feel free to leave it in the comments below and I’ll add it to the list! 😊