5 Classic Thanksgiving Side Dishes to Spice Up Your Holiday Menu

We’re big fans of family traditions that everyone eagerly anticipates and enjoys. Whether your traditions involve games, outings, movies, or meals, they’re a wonderful way to create memories unique to your family. But sometimes even the most beloved traditions can benefit from a twist, especially where it comes to holiday meals.

We searched for some new and different ways to enjoy classic Thanksgiving side dish ingredients. The recipes we found look so good, we’re ready to revamp our own Thanksgiving menu. We hope they’ll tempt you too.

Classic Thanksgiving Side Dishes: Sweet Potatoes

We know that sweet potato casserole recipe is a Thanksgiving tradition in many families, but we think you ought to give  this recipe from The Comfort of Cooking a peek. It’s more savory than sweet, and it’s surprisingly simple.

Use a  mandoline to slice a few pounds of sweet potatoes. The thinner you can slice them, the crispier they will be. Then tuck thin slices of shallot among the slices of sweet potato. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast with butter, olive oil, and rosemary. This recipe couldn’t be easier. Our only recommendation is that you double the ingredients, as it’s only intended to serve four people.

Classic Thanksgiving Side Dishes: Green Beans

Another Thanksgiving tradition is green bean casserole. We know the original tastes delicious. However, it’s not much harder to make it from scratch — yes, even the onions.

Try  this recipe from Alton Brown on Food Network. We love how appetizing the onions look, and they aren’t even fried. It’s also simple to make the sauce with fresh mushrooms and a roux. We admit this recipe takes some careful timing and will dirty a lot of dishes. But another selling point for us is that you bake the casserole right in the cast iron pan. That’s a good reason to pick up a new one that will look great on your table. We love the Finex skillets with stay-cool handles.

Classic Thanksgiving Side Dishes: Butternut Squash

Any sort of winter squash can have a place on your Thanksgiving table. Butternut squash is a versatile option since the flavor works with both sweet and savory combinations. We’ve featured many  butternut squash recipes in the past, but this one from Food and Wine is ideal for Thanksgiving.

In this butternut squash bread pudding, season and roast the squash first. Then combine the baguette bread cubes with eggs, half and half, and grated parmesan cheese — from a block, not a can. This dish is one that you can make a day ahead and warm up. The mild, delicate flavors will have a chance to deepen overnight in the refrigerator.

Classic Thanksgiving Side Dishes: Cranberry Sauce

The flavors in  this recipe from Boulder Locavore are neither mild nor delicate. They are bold and bright, and they'll add some zip to your Thanksgiving menu. If your cranberry sauce needs a change -- especially if you’re still opening up cans of jellied cranberries -- check out this recipe.

The sauce includes all the traditional ingredients, such as orange juice, orange zest, sugar and a dash of salt. You’ll also seed and dice a couple fresh jalapeño peppers. Chill the sauce overnight in the refrigerator to let those flavors meld. Toni offers several suggestions for serving this sauce on occasions other than Thanksgiving. We’re already thinking about how good it would taste on top of baked brie.

Classic Thanksgiving Side Dishes: Rolls

Though some might argue there’s no need for rolls with all the bread in stuffing (or the bread pudding above), but we disagree.  Parker House rolls always have a place on the Thanksgiving table. You can buy them frozen, but we recommend baking them from scratch.

While dozens of Parker House roll recipes can be found, we turned to  King Arthur Flour for their recipe. All the steps may seem like a lot of effort just for some rolls, but the results will be worth it. King Arthur Flour even has a Baker’s Hotline, should you run into difficulties.

Bonus Classic Thanksgiving Side Dish: Stuffing

We weren’t even searching for a stuffing recipe. People can be very particular about their stuffing. They tend to find a recipe and stick with it for decades, whether it’s delicious as-is or could use some improvement.

But when we found  this recipe on Food52, we knew we had to include it. Not only is stuffing a classic Thanksgiving side dish, this recipe also incorporates other classic ingredients that aren’t often found in stuffing. In addition to day-old bread — any kind you like — it includes roasted butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, apple, and shallots.

This stuffing is made even better by sautéing onion and celery, along with the bread cubes. Add the roasted vegetables, plus nuts and seasonings, and stir in some broth before baking the entire mixture on a  baking sheet. We’re not sure we can wait until Thanksgiving to give this one a try.