Thanksgiving Sides Roundup

I saw a t-shirt the other day that said, “I’m just here for the sides” and I felt like it should be mine! Thanksgiving is all about the sides for me. I could honestly do without the turkey…shhhhhhhh don’t tell anyone, but it’s true. Give me allllllll the potatoes, rolls, stuffing, veggies, sweet potatoes, salads and gravy!! And the pie…always save room for a slice (or 5) of pie! But that’s a whole different post! So here’s a roundup of all our favorite Thanksgiving sides…

Potatoes

Let’s start with the potatoes. Are you a classic mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving person? Or do you like to mix it up? We have recipes for roasted potatoes, baked potatoes, and several cheesy potato casseroles. No matter which way you want to potato, we have you covered!

Mashed Potatoes

This is your classic, creamy mashed potato recipe that is buttery and totally irresistible! Topped with some turkey gravy and you’ve entered turkey day euphoria!

Steakhouse Smashed Potatoes

These masked potatoes have a little texture to them so we call them “smashed potatoes”. We leave the skins on and leave the potatoes a little more chunky.

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Toasted pearl couscous with pistachios and pine nuts, chewy raisins, a hint of cinnamon, and a squeeze of lemon combine in this incredibly flavorful Israeli Couscous dish.

Perfect as a side dish or an easy lunch all on its own, this is one couscous recipe you need to try straight away.

Israeli Couscous

Over a year ago, my sister, Jenny, told me that she had a dish she wanted to make for me and described this Israeli Couscous. I’ve looked forward to trying it ever since the first time she mentioned it.

This past month, we finally had the chance to make this recipe together. Served with Pan Fried Chicken Thighs, this is a meal that is as perfect as it can possibly be.

Savory pine nuts and pistachios coupled with sweet raisins and flavorful mediterranean herbs and spices make Israeli Couscous recipe stand out. It’s so much better than just about any other couscous recipe I’ve tried.

I loved this couscous so much, I hid the leftovers in the back of the fridge and helped myself to them frequently over the next couple days.

This is a wonderfully easy side dish that is substantial enough to stand alone for a meal. Israeli Couscous keeps fabulously in the refrigerator and I can see myself making future batches to eat for my lunches all week long.

What is Couscous?

Couscous looks and cooks very similar to grains like rice and barley but it’s actually pasta! If you’ve only ever had traditional couscous, the itty bitty pieces that have a powdery texture, you might be surprised by Pearl Couscous.

This type of couscous (also called Israeli Couscous) is little round balls of pasta. Pearl Couscous are slightly chewy, a little bit nutty, have a satisfying bite, and taste absolutely nothing like traditional couscous.

Couscous is popular in mediterranean cooking but it’s also a way to shake things up if you’re tired of the usual rice and pasta side dishes. It goes so well in salads and stir-fries and is super easy to cook.

I am head over heels in love with this dish and I can’t encourage you enough to try it for yourself.

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Sweet bites of oranges are tossed with crisp lettuce and parsley and then topped with caramelized almonds to create a refreshing salad.

I can not thank my sister enough for telling me about this salad so many years ago. Jenny called to tell me about this parsley salad with oranges one night after a party with her book club.

I made this salad every single day for weeks after that call. And no, I’m not exaggerating at all. Years later and this salad still makes a regular appearance on our table.

I first shared this recipe on the site more than five years ago. I shot new photos for this recipe a few years ago while my friend Rebecca was visiting.

Knowing it have been over seven years since I created this version. It is definitely time to re-share it on the site for those of you who might have missed it initially, you now have a second chance to fall in love with it.

The odds are good that once you’ve tasted it, you will be making this salad on repeat as well, or at least until the very last of the clementines disappear from the stores.

Parsley Salad

My friends, I am begging you not to let the name of this salad turn you away. If you haven’t tried a salad with an abundance of fresh parsley in it, you are truly missing out.

The fresh parsley brightens the savory flavors similar to the way that lemon will brighten a dish and simply make it taste better.

This is one of my all-time favorite salad side dishes and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

This parsley salad is dressed with a simple White Balsamic Vinaigrette. I love that dressing so much; I gave it a full post of its own.

I keep the vinaigrette in my pantry now and use it on almost every salad I make with fruit or a sweet note to the salad.

Light,

Boiled Baby Red Potatoes are beyond easy and simple to make. Served with an easy slow cooker roast beef and these roasted green beans, this is a company-worthy meal that only requires a few minutes hands-on effort.

Little round red potatoes are a side dish that’ll never steer you wrong. This delicious and easy side dish can complete a meal any night of the week; we rarely get tired of potatoes!

I love potatoes in just about all their forms. From Crispy Cheese and Bacon Potatoes to fancy tasting Vanilla Bean Whipped Sweet Potatoes, there are potatoes on my dinner menu more often than not.

Typically, I find myself veering toward roasted or baked potato recipes like  Rosemary Roasted Potatoes and BBQ Chicken Stuffed Baked Potatoes. When boiled potatoes aren’t done right they can be grainy and flavorless.

These potatoes, I’m happy to report, are neither of the above. Each baby red potato is tender, salty and melts in your mouth.

For a real treat, put a smear of butter on your plate and use your fork to break each potato in half as your eat them. Dip the halves in the butter as you devour them.

What are baby red potatoes?

Baby red potatoes are small round potatoes with pinkish-red or brownish-red skin. They have a light and creamy flavor that makes them perfect for roasting and boiling. Red potatoes can also be mashed like in this Garlic Parmesan Mashed Red Potatoes recipe from Big Bear’s Wife.

Red potato skins are thinner and milder flavored than Russets so they’re typically eaten with the skin on. As a bonus, the skin is full of lots of beneficial nutrients! My favorite thing, though, is that cooking with red potatoes saves me the extra step of peeling.

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Sourdough stuffing filled with sweetly tart apples, chewy sweet cranberries, savory sausage, plenty of herbs, and cubes of toasted sourdough is a sure win for your holiday dinner.

Sausage Apple Cranberry Stuffing

Sage sausage, dried cranberries, fresh herbs, tart apples, and cubes of sourdough add up to create the best stuffing I have ever tasted.

For as long as I can remember, I steered clear of stuffing and dressing. People would tell me that it tasted amazing, I’d take the “polite bite” but it never was something I enjoyed. Stuffing was always the one thing on the Thanksgiving table that I avoided at all costs.

So, when I tell you this is fantastic stuffing? You should probably trust me on that. It is a far cry from the flavorless bread mush I have always thought of stuffing as.

About ten years ago, I decided to try stuffing once again and I started looking around for something different.

I found the original recipe for this stuffing on Allrecipes. Could 1,628 5-star reviews be wrong?! No, they were not.

I’ve adapted the original recipe a bit over time, according to our tastes, and it has become a favorite of our friends and family.

Filled with sweetly tart apples, chewy sweet cranberries, rich savory sausage, plenty of herbs, and perfect cubes of toasted sourdough. This is truly awesome stuffing.

Sourdough Stuffing

One or two days before baking the stuffing: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spread the bread cubes across a large baking sheet.

Toast the bread for 10-15 minutes or until crispy on the outside. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before storing in a bowl or container with a loose cover.

Let the bread dry out for a day or so before making the rest of the stuffing. The bread cubes will seem rock hard when it is