26 Easy Thanksgiving Sides for a Stress-Free Feast

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Welcome to my collection of easy Thanksgiving sides to make hosting stress-free and enjoyable for you! Thanksgiving is about sharing great food with family and friends. These beginner-friendly recipes are reader-approved favorites with step-by-step instructions to ensure your holiday meal is effortlessly successful and utterly delicious!

Check out my simple roast turkey breast recipe or this air fryer turkey breast for your main course!

Want to Save This Recipe?

Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Email *

SEND IT!

By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from The Kitchen Girl.

A Variety of Flavors for Everyone

Thanksgiving sides are the heart of the meal, offering something for everyone. This collection has all the classics—like creamy potatoes, savory stuffing, and rich casseroles—along with fresh, vibrant salads and roasted vegetables to round out your spread. Whether you’re hosting for the first time or just looking for reliable recipes, you’ll find plenty to choose from here.

Easy to Mix and Match

The beauty of these recipes is their flexibility. Pair hearty dishes like stuffing or casseroles with lighter options like salads or roasted vegetables. Add a breadbasket for that homemade touch, or kick off your meal with a comforting soup. These mix-and-match options ensure your menu is perfectly tailored to your table.

Perfect for Beginners

Each recipe includes step-by-step guidance, making it approachable even for first-time Thanksgiving cooks. No need to worry about complicated techniques—these tried-and-true favorites are as straightforward as they are delicious. With these recipes, you’ll enjoy stress-free cooking and a table full of happy guests.

Fresh Green Bean Casserole

Delicious green bean casserole with fresh green beans, creamy mushroom soup, and the beloved French fried onions. It's the irresistible version of a Thanksgiving classic!

Get the Recipe

Easy Turkey Gravy from Drippings

Save those pan drippings! They’re liquid gold for this homemade turkey gravy recipe. Here’s how to make an easy turkey gravy from even a tiny amount of pan drippings, flour, and broth. It's rich, silky, and ready in minutes.

Get the Recipe

Cranberry Sauce with Orange Juice

Cranberry orange sauce is a mouthwatering holiday cranberry sauce with subtle citrus flavor from orange juice and orange zest. Quick and easy!

Get the Recipe

Easy Yeast Dinner Rolls

These easy yeast rolls are soft, pillowy, golden quick rolls made with one rise and simple ingredients. They're perfect for beginner bakers–and anyone who wants fluffy dinner rolls in under 2 hours.

Get the Recipe

Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes Recipe

Sour cream mashed potatoes are fluffy, rich, and creamy potatoes, making the ultimate side dish for holidays and family meals. Classic and simple!

Get the Recipe

Best Ever Bread Stuffing Recipe

The best bread stuffing has perfectly moist bread cubes with savory herbs, onions, and celery under a buttery-crisp golden topping. This old-fashioned Thanksgiving dressing disappears fast!

Get the Recipe

Easy Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes Recipe

The best Instant Pot mashed potatoes are creamy, buttery, and perfectly cooked every time. No draining or chopping needed for these IP mashed potatoes!

Get the Recipe

Cranberry Walnut Bread Recipe

This beginner-friendly cranberry walnut bread is a plump, chewy, lightly sweet yeast bread made from start to finish in just a few hours. Perfect for holiday gatherings, family breakfasts, and easy snacking.

Get the Recipe

Baked Smashed Potatoes Recipe

Baked smashed potatoes are made with baby potatoes that are cooked, smashed and roasted. The crispy outside and fluffy inside make them fun, irresistible, and primed for toppings!

Get the Recipe

Easy Cream of Mushroom Soup

This mushroom soup recipe is so rich and creamy, even using milk instead of heavy cream. Button mushrooms simmered in a silky, creamy broth make homemade mushroom soup a delicious substitute for canned soup!

Get the Recipe

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad Recipe

This shaved Brussels sprout salad is a crunchy, fresh salad with raw shaved Brussels sprouts, apples, cranberries, and a simple apple cider vinaigrette. It’s versatile enough for weeknight dinners or elegant gatherings!

Get the Recipe

Lemon Kale Salad Recipe

This mouthwatering kale salad recipe is made with lemon dressing, chickpeas, avocado, Parmesan, and nuts. It's sweet, savory, tender, and crunchy!

Get the Recipe

How to Make Gravy without Drippings

Here's how to make gravy without drippings with five ingredients. Use this easy gravy recipe for any dinner or make turkey gravy without drippings at the last minute!

Get the Recipe

Apple Sausage Stuffing

This apple sausage stuffing recipe is a variation of a classic Thanksgiving dressing recipe with sausage, apples, cranberries, and nutty topping. It's savory, sweet, easy to make, and a must-have holiday side.

Get the Recipe

Garlicky Oven Roasted Mushrooms

Roasted mushrooms are a juicy, delectable side dish that goes with everything! 5-minute prep and 10-minute cook time get baked mushrooms on the table fast. They're approved for most diets, making them pretty much 'miracle food'.

Get the Recipe

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese Recipe

Butternut squash mac and cheese is tender macaroni in a velvety, creamy, butternut squash cheese sauce baked with crispy Panko topping. It's the perfect side or entree for cool-weather dinners.

Get the Recipe

Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

Instant Pot mac and cheese is cozy, cheesy perfection in minutes! Perfectly cooked macaroni in a comforting cheese sauce is the family dinner everyone will agree on every time!

Get the Recipe

Cranberry Pomegranate Sauce

This mouthwatering 3-ingredient cranberry pomegranate sauce makes a delicious side dish or spread for your favorite holiday recipes.

Get the Recipe

The Best Vegan Green Bean Casserole

A super creamy vegan green bean casserole with fresh green beans, easy homemade vegan cream of mushroom soup, savory browned onions, and crispy Panko topping. Even non-vegans love this scrumptious holiday side. Includes make-ahead instructions!

Get the Recipe

Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup

This vegan cream of mushroom soup is dairy-free but tastes rich and decadent. Chickpea flour adds protein and makes it gluten-free, with an easy swap for all-purpose flour. Great soup base for other casseroles!

Get the Recipe

Air Fryer Asparagus (with Parmesan option)

Here's how to cook asparagus in the air fryer perfectly tender and crispy in minutes with minimal oil. Try it with Parmesan and other seasonings!

Get the Recipe

Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts

Air fryer Brussels sprouts are perfectly crispy outside and tender inside with minimal oil. This air fried side or snack is ready in minutes!

Get the Recipe

Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes

How to cook Instant Pot sweet potatoes tender, fluffy, and perfect. No peeling or chopping makes pressure cooker sweet potatoes even faster!

Get the Recipe

Easy French Bread Recipe

This easy French bread recipe uses only 4 ingredients and makes the best homemade oven-baked loaf. Learn how to make bakery French bread that's crispy right out of the oven and becomes soft and chewy as it cools.

Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Maple Roasted Brussel Sprouts are savory, sweet, and easy to love! Brussels sprouts are tossed in maple syrup, roasted with fennel and onion, then topped with pomegranate and pepitas for texture and flavor galore. Elegant and simple for any occasion.

Get the Recipe

Citrus Salad Recipe

This refreshing citrus salad is loaded with juicy oranges and grapefruit, peppery arugula, and the perfect honey Dijon dressing. Citrus is at peak freshness during the winter season!

Get the Recipe

Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe

This easy pumpkin cheesecake features a creamy pumpkin filling and a buttery graham cracker crust. It’s beginner-friendly, requires no water bath, and is perfect for the holidays!

Get the Recipe

Easy Pumpkin Bars Recipe

These pumpkin bars are fluffy, moist, and decadent, topped with a rich cream cheese frosting for the ultimate pumpkin season indulgence!

Get the Recipe

I hope some of these Thanksgiving sides make their way to your holiday table and become just as cherished as they’ve been in my home. Each recipe is made with love and care, and I hope they help you create the same special moments with your family as I have with mine. Leave me a comment below if you have a new or old favorite side! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!