You spend hours on your Thanksgiving turkey, but who has time to spend hours making multiple side dishes? These vegetable sides, many of which cook on the stovetop, require minimal prep and cook in 30 minutes or less. And while they may indeed be simple, they’re right at home at a holiday meal.
-
RecipeAcorn Squash with Rosemary & Brown Sugar
A quick braise gives this favorite fall dish and Thanksgiving side a sweet and tangy finish. -
RecipeGreen Beans with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette & Parmesan Breadcrumbs
The Meyer lemons and zest in this recipe gives the dish an herbal, even floral, undertone―and it feeds a crowd. -
RecipeKale Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette
The vinaigrette softens the raw kale leaves, so it’s essential to let this salad sit for at least 15 minutes before serving. The longer it sits, the more tender the kale will become. -
RecipeCauliflower with Brown Butter, Pears, Sage & Hazelnuts
This simple yet elegant Thanksgiving side has the advantage of cooking on the stovetop, freeing up valuable oven space for the turkey or other dishes. -
RecipeMaple Pan-Roasted Baby Carrots
This 5-star favorite is a Thanksgiving must-make. The maple adds a sweet element in perfect balance with more savory Thanksgiving sides. -
RecipeRoasted Sweet Potatoes with Apples & Maple-Sage Butter
Roasted sweet potatoes have a lush, tender texture and concentrated flavor. When paired with maple syrup and apples, they make a deliciously sweet side that works especially well with turkey. -
RecipeSpoonbread Dressing
Much faster than classic cornbread dressing, there's no need to first bake up a batch of cornbread. Plus it bakes up in just 25 minutes. And it's got all the flavors of classic bread stuffing: onion, celery, and sage. -
RecipeSautéed Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Fresh Herbs & Crisp Shallots
Brussels sprouts are a classic Thanksgiving side, and roasting them isn’t the only way to go. Here, the sprouts are shredded, making them perfect for a quick, high-heat sauté. -
RecipeSour Cream and Leek Mashed Potatoes
Potatoes and leeks are a classic flavor pairing, and here, they come together in luscious, creamy mashed potatoes. And bonus: the recipe doubles or triples easily, so it’s perfect for a crowd. -
RecipeGreen Beans with Toasted Slivered Almonds
To some, it isn’t Thanksgiving without green beans. This dish, in the spirit of Green Beans Amandine, is a simple and flavorful classic. -
RecipeSmashed Potatoes with Horseradish Crème Fraîche
It doesn’t take much to dress weeknight staples up for the holidays. Here, smashed fingerlings join with tangy crème fraîche and pungent horseradish for a holiday-worthy side. -
RecipeOrange-Maple Cranberry Sauce
This homemade cranberry sauce is a no-brainer. It’s make-ahead, though also so quick that making it on Thanksgiving isn’t a problem, plus you’ll get major points for its rich maple flavor. -
RecipeRoasted Brussels Sprouts with Caramelized Onions
Flavored with thyme and a little cider vinegar, the soft and sweet onions nestle into the tender, roasted sprouts, so you get some with every bite.
-
RecipeBrowned-Butter Mashed Potatoes
Fragrant, nutty browned butter adds extra depth and dimension to your usual mashed potatoes. Try them with Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy.
-
RecipeKale with Burst Grape Tomatoes
This quick side dish is a great way to add color to a winter dinner plate. Pair it with seared or roasted chicken breasts or steak.
-
RecipeRoasted Pears and Parsnips
Roasting pears with earthy parsnips plays up the root vegetable's natural sweetness. This simple side dish is perfect paired with seared pork chops.
-
RecipeHaricots Verts with Spicy Pancetta Dressing
A tasty combination of salty, spicy, and fresh, this flavorful side dish is quick enough to make for a weeknight supper, or you can double it for a festive gathering—just use the same pot to blanch the beans, cook the pancetta, and finish the dish.
-
RecipeSautéed Sweet Potatoes with Orange-Mint Gremolata
Here, sweet potatoes are lightly browned and tossed with a simple gremolata—a garnish of citrus zest, chopped herbs, and garlic—for a bright hit of flavor. Toasted pecans lend crunch and richness.
-
RecipeRoasted Fennel with Asiago and Thyme
Roasting fennel brings out its mellow sweetness; a sprinkling of thyme and grated Asiago dresses it up. If you double this recipe, use two baking sheets so the fennel isn’t too crowded to brown.
-
RecipeQuick Cranberry-Orange Relish
This ginger-tinged relish is more tart than sweet -- a perfect complement to the holiday bird. You can make it the day ahead, if you like.
-
RecipeCinnamon Mashed Sweet Potatoes
These sweet, rich potatoes go well with the Honey-Chipotle Glazed Flank Steak.
-
RecipeCorn Spoonbread Dressing
Skip stuffing baked inside the turkey for this creamier take on cornbread. -
-
RecipeBlack Pepper Acorn Squash
Yes, it is possible to cook winter squash in just 15 minutes. The key is to cut acorn squash into fairly thin wedges, skip any fussy peeling (the skin is sometimes tender enough to eat, or you can scoop out the cooked flesh), and roast at high heat. Serve with pork tenderloins or chops. -
RecipeRoasted Potatoes with Crispy Rosemary and Oregano
Baby potatoes roast super-fast after the turkey comes out of the oven. Hardy herbs like rosemary and oregano crisp up in the high heat of the oven.
