Easy Thanksgiving Side Dishes and Appetizers (16 Recipes for the Big Day)
These Easy Thanksgiving Side Dishes and Appetizers cover everything that goes around the turkey, from deviled eggs and pumpkin soup to sourdough stuffing, garlic mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. There are 16 recipes here, and a lot of them are made ahead or cooked in the slow cooker, so your oven isn’t fighting for space on the day.
Still deciding on the main? My Roast Turkey Recipe needs no brine and gives you golden, crispy skin. For the sweet end of the meal, my Easy Thanksgiving Desserts has pies, bars and no-bake cheesecakes.
Tips for Planning Your Thanksgiving Sides
- Count your oven space first: Pick a mix of oven, stovetop, slow cooker and no-cook dishes so everything isn’t waiting on the oven at the same time.
- Let the slow cooker help: The pumpkin soup, cranberry meatballs and cranberry sauce all cook in the slow cooker, which keeps the oven and stovetop free for the turkey and potatoes.
- Make what you can the day before: The Southern Broccoli Casserole and the Mini Pumpkin Cheese Balls can both be made the day before. Check each recipe for its own make-ahead notes.
- Keep the starters light: A few small bites keep people happy while dinner finishes without filling them up before the turkey comes out.
- Balance rich and fresh: Pair creamy sides like mashed potatoes and broccoli casserole with brighter ones like honey glazed carrots or balsamic Brussels sprouts.
Easy Thanksgiving Appetizers
BLT Deviled Eggs
Classic deviled eggs topped with crispy bacon, lettuce and tomato. They’re easy to prep ahead and don’t need any special ingredients, so they’re a simple thing to set out while the turkey is still cooking.
Smoked Salmon Appetizer
Mini puff pastry shells filled with dill cream cheese and topped with a little roll of smoked salmon. There’s no baking and they take about 10 minutes to put together, which helps when your oven is already full. A light bite before a big dinner.
Sausage Roll Wreath
Sausage filling rolled in puff pastry, snipped and baked into a golden ring with cranberry sauce in the middle for dipping. It looks like a lot of work, but it’s one sheet of pastry and a pound of sausage.
Mini Pumpkin Cheese Balls
Little cream cheese and cheddar bites rolled in crushed cheese crackers, with a pretzel stem and a parsley leaf so they look like tiny pumpkins. No baking, and you can make them the night before.
Slow Cooker Cranberry Meatballs
Meatballs cooked low and slow in a sweet and tangy homemade cranberry sauce. Serve them straight from the slow cooker with toothpicks and let everyone help themselves.
Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup
Canned pumpkin, Parmesan and a splash of cream cooked in the slow cooker, then topped with crispy bacon. Serve it in small cups as a starter, and it never needs a burner or a spot in the oven.
Thanksgiving Potatoes and Stuffing
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Buttery mashed potatoes with garlic all the way through. They go with turkey, ham and gravy, and no Thanksgiving plate feels finished without them.
Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes roasted with cinnamon and finished with maple syrup and crunchy pecans. A simpler choice than a full sweet potato casserole when oven time is tight.
Sourdough Stuffing
Sourdough bread cubes baked with sausage and herbs until they’re crisp on top and soft inside. This is my favorite side for both Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.
Thanksgiving Vegetable Side Dishes
Cheesy Green Beans
Green beans cooked in one pan with bacon, butter, garlic and melted cheese. They’re quick enough for a weeknight, which makes them an easy one to add to a busy holiday menu.
Southern Broccoli Casserole
Tender broccoli in a creamy cheddar sauce under a buttery Ritz cracker topping. It takes about 15 minutes to get into the oven, and you can make it the day before so there’s one less job on Thanksgiving.
Honey Glazed Carrots
Carrots cooked in a sweet honey and butter glaze with a little thyme. A bright, simple side that sits well next to all the rich dishes on the table.
Balsamic Bacon Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts roasted until crispy, tossed with pan-fried bacon and drizzled with tangy balsamic glaze. The bacon and balsamic make these a good pick for anyone who is unsure about Brussels sprouts.
Thanksgiving Breads and Cranberry Sauce
Skillet Cornbread
Golden cornbread baked in a cast iron skillet, with crisp edges and a little sweetness. Slice it warm and put out plenty of butter.
Cheddar Biscuits
Buttery biscuits with sharp cheddar baked right in. An easy swap for dinner rolls, and any extras are great with leftover turkey the next day.
Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce
Frozen cranberries, orange zest and a hint of cinnamon cooked down in the slow cooker. It keeps your stovetop free for the gravy and potatoes.
Come cook with us! I share new easy recipes and dinner ideas in my Facebook group, and it’s a friendly spot to see what everyone is making this week. Join the group here.
Thanksgiving Side Dishes and Appetizers FAQ
Planning the whole meal? My Easy Thanksgiving Dinner Menu puts a full menu together with a simple game plan for the day. Love pumpkin? Try my Pumpkin Recipes That Aren’t Dessert for more savory ideas.
