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20 Great Thanksgiving Vegetable Dishes That Don’t Have Marshmallows

Bring color and fresh flavor to the Thanksgiving table with your picks from these fall vegetables. (And if you want to add marshmallows, we won't judge.)

Sunset Staff

Look, if sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top are what make your Thanksgiving dinner complete, do not let us stop you! Some dishes are classic for a reason, and we don’t want to stand in the way of a family tradition.

But if you’d like to try something a little more sophisticated, we’ve got some options below for holiday side dishes and veggies that have a little more than just plain sweet going on.

In the realm of the traditional, there’s green beans with crisp bread crumbs that hit many of the same notes that those canned fried onions do. Or roasted squash, jazzed up with pumpkin seeds.

For something a little different, try cauliflower cooked with the Egyptian nut and spice blend called dukkah. Or turnips with maple-miso butter, which are earthy, rich, and a little sweet, just like you’ve always wished turnips could be.

We’ve even got a selection of Brussels sprout recipes that might change the mind of guests who think they don’t like this polarizing vegetable. Whether you go traditional or adventurous this year, we wish you a happy feast!

1 /20 Erin Kunkel

Green Beans with Chanterelles and Cipollini

Chanterelle mushrooms and cipollini onions are worth the splurge, but you can substitute halved cremini mushrooms and frozen pearl onions and the results will still be very tasty.

2 /20 Leigh Beisch

Roasted Long Beans with Herb Butter

You can make this dish with regular green beans, but long beans look more handsome.

3 /20 Annabelle Breakey

Garlic and Thyme Green Beans

Sometimes the simplest of recipes are the most delicious. Plenty of garlic, some thyme, and really fresh green beans add up to more than the sum of their parts.

4 /20 Leigh Beisch

Green Beans with Crisp Meyer Lemon Bread Crumbs

For an easy upgrade on steamed green beans, flavor fresh bread crumbs with a touch of Meyer lemon zest and create a quick dressing with the citrus juice.

5 /20 Yunhee Kim

Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts and Bacon

Chestnuts are the quintessential holiday ingredient. Serving them with this popular vegetable and everyone’s favorite meat is a sure way to win devoted fans.

6 /20 James Baigrie

Spicy Brussels Sprouts with Fried Capers

This quick recipe for piquant brussels will save precious time this Thanksgiving, without sacrificing on taste.

7 /20 Annabelle Breakey

Warm Brussels Sprout Leaves with Toasted Garlic and Lemon

These brussels sprouts are just 34 calories per serving, making them a healthy addition to your Thanksgiving meal. You need only a splash of oil on the leaves because you cook them quickly, like a warm salad, and they stay crisp.

8 /20 Annabelle Breakey

Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan and Pine Nuts

Parmesan cheese and crunchy pine nuts will make a Brussels sprouts lover even out of those self-professed haters.

9 /20 Ray Kachatorian

Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta

Tender, thinly shaved Brussels sprouts are sautéed with salty, crispy pancetta in this simple, crowd-pleasing side dish.

10 /20 Romulo Yanes

Roasted Broccolini with Almond Parsley Pesto

Broccolini is glorious roasted, and even more delicious with this hearty, unusual pesto. You can sub in roasted regular broccoli if you’d like.

11 /20 Shelly Strazis

Roasted Chile-Lime Broccolini

Ancho chile powder and lime coat roasted broccolini, and stays crisp even if made a day ahead.

12 /20 Romulo Yanes

Roasted Broccoli

Roasting, as opposed to steaming, deepens the flavor and color of broccoli, and makes it a nice change from familiar steamed broccoli.

13 /20 Aya Brackett

Broccoli Romanesco with Green Herb Sauce

Whorled broccoli romanesco is an exotic treat, yet it’s very easy to prepare—just steam until tender. If you can’t find small heads, just break a full-grown head into florets (cauliflower works too). This recipe is adapted from one in Vegetable Literacy, by Deborah Madison.

14 /20 Alex Farnum

Roasted Cauliflower and Shallots with Chard and Dukkah

The secret ingredient in this dish, inspired by one served by chef Matthew Dillon at the Corson Building in Seattle, is an easy-to-make Egyptian nut-and-spice blend called dukkah. Add protein-rich chickpeas for a more filling version.

15 /20 Annabelle Breakey

Roasted Cauliflower with Capers

Instead of baking cauliflower in a classic cream sauce, we’ve sliced it thinly and roasted it (with very little fat) to get a nicely toasted flavor–and keep it just shy of 40 calories per serving.

16 /20 Yunhee Kim

Roasted Delicata Squash with Honey, Pomegranate Seeds, and Pepitas

The skin of delicata squash is tender when roasted and very flavorful, so try it along with the flesh.

17 /20 James Baigrie

Glazed Carrots with Pecans

Tender carrots and crunchy pecans get tossed in a sweet brown sugar and ginger glaze for a quick side dish that’s easy and delicious.

18 /20 Aya Brackett

Wilted Red Cabbage with Mint

Wilting the cabbage briefly brings out its color and flavor, and softens it. This recipe is based on one in Deborah Madison’s book Vegetable Literacy. She likes to add small mint leaves right before serving—they’re aromatic and cheerful.

19 /20 Aya Brackett

Jumble of Sweet-and-Sour Onions

Like cranberries, this colorful medley of small onions adds a sweet-tart note to a Thanksgiving dinner. Deborah Madison created this recipe for us based on one in her book Vegetable Literacy, and she vastly prefers small, regular shallots (about the size of a walnut in its shell) to the supersize ones. The small type are firmer and blend better with the other onions.

20 /20 Thomas J. Story

Japanese Turnips with Maple-Miso Butter

Mild white Japanese turnips are cooked with their greens along with white miso and butter for savory richness; maple syrup adds a touch of sweetness. If you can’t find Japanese turnips, use a mix of small radishes and mustard greens—regular turnips are too strong for this dish.

1 /7 Courtesy of Made In Cookware

Made In Cookware’s Blue Carbon Steel Roasting Pan

Cheaper than the competition and induction-burner-compatible.

Made In Cookware's Blue Carbon Steel Roasting Pan, $139
2 /7 Courtesy of Willams Sonoma

Shun Classic Blonde 8-Inch Chef’s Knife

Don’t bother with the single-purpose carving knife. Buy this chic, blonde, Pakawood-handled, Japanese-made chef’s knife that’s got all the ceremonial swagger but year-round usefulness.

Shun Classic Blonde 8-Inch Chef's Knife, $180
3 /7 Courtesy of Sur la Table

John Boos Cutting Board

You’re going need that little juice groove. Made of antimicrobial maple, it’s handsome enough to use as a rustic serving platter.

John Boos Cutting Board, $110
4 /7 Courtesy of Filson

Filson Tin Cloth Apron

Sturdy and large enough to protect you from errant cranberry juice, spattering turkey fat, and spilled Pinot Noir.

Filson Tin Cloth Apron, $125
5 /7 Courtesy of OXO

OXO 9-Inch Pie Plate with Lid

Slightly deeper than competition, this updated version of the classic glass pie plate also comes with a handy domed lid that’ll protect even the loftiest cream pies.

OXO 9-Inch Pie Plate with Lid, $15
6 /7 Courtesy of Amazon

OXO Good Grips 4-Cup Fat Separator

Gotta love a fat separator for easily discarding the lipids while tidily reserving the drippings (which have about 10 times the flavor of the turkey itself). Plus it doubles as a measuring pitcher you can use the rest of the year.

OXO Good Grips 4-Cup Fat Separator, $33
7 /7 Courtesy of Anthropologie

How to Style Your Thanksgiving Table

The finishing touch your Thanksgiving feast needs might not be another pie—it might be one of these stylish and functional accessories.


Essential Thanksgiving Tools

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