This post contains affiliate links. When you purchase through our links, we may earn a commission.
What’s the best part of a Thanksgiving dinner? Some might say spending time with family and friends. Others might say the time off work and TV. I say it’s the food!
But coordinating a main course with sides that are both complimentary and crowd-pleasing can be a bit of gastronomical balancing act. Let me help you out with that!
First, I consider my guests:
- How many will be at the table? This informs cooking time and oven space planning.
- Who is at the table? What are their likes and dislikes, dietary requirements or allergies?
- What time are they expecting to eat? You might need Thanksgiving snacks or appetisers on hand!
Then, I plan the menu starting with my centrepiece which could be a traditional, golden-breasted turkey, a succulent joint of roast beef, vegetarian mushroom Wellington, or a delicate salmon en croute.
Finally, I select my sides. I tend to go with at least one potato dish, two vegetable dishes, a sauce, a gravy, and a stuffing.
So, here’s rundown of some of my traditional and non-traditional favourites (yes, I have a lot of favourites!) for you to pick from. Hope this helps take some of the stress out of the Thanksgiving dinner planning this year.
Happy holidays!
Traditional
Sausage, Pear and Sage Stuffing
Made with roughly torn sourdough, herby Italian sausage and juicy pear, this fresh-baked stuffing is both a treat and a tradition at my table. Best with: turkey.
View Recipe
Garlic Butter Dinner Rolls
These enriched dough dinner rolls (think buttery brioche or glossy challah) are golden pillows of perfection. Perfect for sauce swiping. Tip: make ahead and freeze.
View Recipe
Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes
Why settle for your everyday mash when you can have brown butter mash!? Toasty, nutty and hinting at caramel, these mashed potatoes are something to be thankful for. (And take no more time or effort than your go-to recipe.) Tip: use any leftover mash to top a post-Thanksgiving, turkey-free fish pie.
View Recipe
Scalloped Corn
This is some fancy-looking corn! That actually has nothing to do with scallops or escalopes. Scalloping here refers to the creamy, cheesy, gratinated method of cooking. Told you it was fancy. But also, super simple- only 45 mins start to finish dish using frozen or canned corn for convenience. Best with: turkey, roast or mashed potatoes and gravy.
View Recipe
Scalloped Potatoes with Caramelised Shallots
Give your creamy and cheesy scalloped potatoes an instant upgrade by adding a layer of luscious caramelised shallots.
View Recipe
Red Onion Gravy
Whatever you do, don’t forget the gravy! Dark and delicious with caramelized red onion and an acidic edge (owing to a secret ingredient- cider!). What’s more, this silky side essential can mask a multitude of Thanksgiving dinner mishaps!Best with: any roasted meat main and potatoes.
View Recipe
Herb and Garlic Mashed Potatoes
This classic mash recipe is elevated with fresh parsley and dill and infused with a whole sweet and sticky roasted garlic bulb. Best with: with your vegetarian or salmon centrepiece.
View Recipe
Fresh Green Bean Casserole
My from-scratch version of the retro recipe is all fresh ingredients- no tinned soup in sight. The buttery, garlic mushroom sauce is creamy and the Parmesan breadcrumb topping is crunchy. Best with: roast turkey and mashed potatoes, imo!
View Recipe
Rosemary Potatoes au Gratin
A supremely sophisticated side dish. It has fragrant Christmas pine notes thanks to the rosemary, warming garlic, and nutty Comté cheese for a deliciously indulgent Dauphinoise-style dish. Best with: roast lamb, beef, or vegetarian mains.
View Recipe
Maple Glazed Roasted Carrots
Crowd-pleasing carrots glazed in maple and mustard. Add a sprinkle of chilli flakes for an extra pop of colour and heat. You can’t go wrong with a classic carrot. Tip: use your air fryer if you’re tight on oven space!
View Recipe
Homemade Cranberry Sauce with Port
Cranberry and turkey make a divine pair. Juicy and tart cranberries are softened with sweet orange juice and rich ruby Port to make a lipsmacking sauce to smother your turkey breast. It’s especially useful if your roast is not as moist as you would like! Best with: turkey crown and bread sauce.
View Recipe
Easy Homemade Gravy Recipe
Another reminder about gravy! This recipe is deeply complex and rich owing to the multi-layered flavours, but so easy! It makes use of the roast’s vegetable trivet and meat drippings – the old-fashioned way. You’ll need butter, flour, red wine and stock on hand.Tip: make your gravy while your roast is resting.
View Recipe
Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Honey and Bacon
No-one will begrudge a dish of Brussels sprouts if it contains crispy, salty bacony bits and is drizzled with sticky sweet honey. These sprouts are oven-roasted and grilled so they are firm, nutty and golden.Best with: roast potatoes and gravy.
View Recipe
Butternut Squash Casserole (Gratin)
Cheesy, creamy, cozy. Casseroles are synonymous with Thanksgiving and butternut squash is abundant and budget-friendly this time of year. And a single squash equals eight casserole servings!Tip: make a day or two ahead.
View Recipe
Maple Butter Corn Muffin Recipe
These cornbread muffins are an irresistible addition to your Thanksgiving table. Light, fluffy and made with maple syrup rather than refined sugar, make them a guilt-free treat. Best with: turkey, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole.
View Recipe
Non-traditional
Savoury Sweet Potato Casserole
Not comfortable serving a traditional pecan and marshmallow-topped side dish at Thanksgiving dinner? Me neither! My savoury version skips the sweet with a sage leaf, crunchy crumb and hazelnut topping.Best with: turkey, roast chicken.
View Recipe
Honey Garlic Roasted Parsnips
No British roast is complete without a parsnip. Here they are inexpensive and seasonal, so they always feature at our Thanksgiving table. Not familiar? Think a carrot crossed with a potato! Here I’ve roasted my parsnips in a honey and garlic butter.Best with: any roast dinner offerings!
View Recipe
Hasselback Potatoes with Gremolata
This delightful dish is potatoes sliced to resemble little hedgehogs. I love them because they are lighter than mash and come with a fresh tasting herby gremolata (parsley, olive oil, lemon, garlic) sauce that cuts through traditional dinner heaviness.Tip: no peeling involved (that means less labour!).
View Recipe
Brussels Sprouts Gratin with Breadcrumbs
Call off the sprout battle this holiday season! My recipe blankets Brussels under a cheesy white sauce, then sprinkles with crunchy panko breadcrumbs and oven-bakes for 50 minutes of hands-off cooking time. Add an optional double crunch to the topping with chopped and toasted hazelnuts. Best with: all the mains (but especially with mushroom Wellington)!
View Recipe
Mashed Potato Casserole with Mushrooms and Caramelised Onions
A mashed potato upgrade! Not only is the mash made with lashings of creamy butter, whole milk and sour cream for superior smoothness, it also has a secret layer of sweet and jammy caramelised onions and golden, sautéed mushrooms sandwiched inside. Sage and thyme give it a herby uplift too.Tip: Get ahead on your Thanksgiving prep and make this up to two days early.
View Recipe
