Our favorite mashed and sweet potatoes, savory stuffings, rolls, and cranberries.

Turkey Dinner
Thomas J. Story

It’s time to get (some of) the focus off the turkey. It may be the face of the whole holiday, all the way down to the Thanksgiving crafts kids make it school, but it’s not everything. A Thanksgiving meal with just turkey is no meal at all. Sides make the meal.

Sides are also where you can have a little more creativity. Sure there are multiple ways to prepare your turkey, but in reality, turkey variation is limited. So it’s in the sides where you’ll have the most opportunities to throw in some interesting or non-traditional flavors and really show off for your guests. Even if you’re sticking with traditional sides, there’s still plenty of room to change things up.

For the stuffing (or dressing, depending on your preference), the only rules seem to be the base of bread, vegetables, and herbs. But the specifics are all up to you, meaning you can end up with a classic cornbread stuffing, a Southwest-inspired stuffing with chorizo, or even one with basmati rice, coconut, and almonds.

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Sweet potatoes can be mashed, roasted, twice baked, or, for a bit of kick, glazed with chili. And the cranberries … there’s practically no limit to what you can do with them, from incorporating them into other dishes or crafting one to shine a spotlight on them all by themselves.

Thanksgiving is a time to come together with those close to you and enjoy delicious food together. Whether you’re sticking to the classics or experimenting with bringing new ideas and flavors to the holiday meal, it’s still Thanksgiving so long as the food is good and you’re with friends and family.

Mix It up with These Sides


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