Pass the Sides: Top 10 Easy Thanksgiving Dishes Worth Making Room For

I’ve got nothing against turkey, but I’m usually checking out the side dishes before I decide how much room it’s getting on my plate. A good scoop of potatoes, stuffing with those crispy edges, a little turnip, something green, and cranberry sauce tucked in wherever it’ll fit. That’s a Thanksgiving dinner.

The trick is not making every dish a project. You’ve already got enough going on without a vegetable that needs three pans and your undivided attention. A few good ingredients, generous seasoning and a little planning will get you a long way.

These ten sides are easy enough for a home cook, with a few familiar Maritime flavours worked in. The amounts are a starting point for about six people when you’re serving several dishes. And no, you don’t need to make all ten. Pick your favourites and leave yourself enough energy to enjoy dinner.

1. Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are staying on the menu. We’re just giving the butter a little extra attention.

Peel about three pounds of potatoes, cut them into evenly sized chunks and put them in a pot with cold, salted water. Bring to a boil, then simmer until they’re completely tender, usually 15 to 20 minutes once the water is bubbling. Drain well and return them to the pot over low heat for a minute, gently shaking the pot to help get rid of excess moisture.

Meanwhile, melt six tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Keep an eye on it as it foams, then watch for golden-brown flecks on the bottom and a nutty smell. Take it off the heat right away.

Mash the potatoes with the browned butter and about three-quarters of a cup of warm milk, adding more milk as needed. Season with salt and pepper. A handful of chopped chives is a nice finish, but those potatoes will do just fine without them.

2. Maple-Dijon Roasted Carrots

This is a good place to use those lovely local carrots without doing so much to them that you lose what you liked about them in the first place.

Scrub or peel about two pounds of carrots, then halve them lengthwise, cutting any especially thick ones into quarters. Toss with a couple of tablespoons of oil, salt and pepper. Spread them out on a large baking sheet and roast at 425°F for about 20 minutes.

Stir together a tablespoon of melted butter, a tablespoon and a half of maple syrup and a teaspoon of Dijon mustard. Toss the partly roasted carrots with that mixture, then return them to the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes, until tender and starting to colour.

Adding the maple mixture partway through gives you a glaze without leaving the sugar in a hot oven for the entire cooking time. Scrape those buttery pan juices over the carrots when you serve them. That’s not something you leave behind.

3. Apple and Summer Savoury Stuffing

Summer savoury belongs in a Thanksgiving kitchen, as far as I’m concerned. Add a little apple and you’ve got a stuffing that’s right at home beside turkey and gravy.

Start with about eight cups of dry bread cubes. Day-old bread works well; soft bread can be spread on a baking sheet and dried in a 300°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring once.

Soften a chopped onion and two chopped celery stalks in a quarter-cup of butter. Add a diced apple and cook for another couple of minutes. Toss everything with the bread, a teaspoon of dried summer savoury and some black pepper.

Add about one and a half to two cups of broth gradually. You want the bread evenly moistened, not swimming. Taste for salt, especially if your broth is already seasoned.

Transfer to a buttered baking dish, cover and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes. Uncover for another 15 to 20 minutes to crisp the top. Baking it separately gives you plenty of those golden corners everyone seems to want.

4. Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Butter

The important part here isn’t the balsamic. It’s giving the sprouts enough space to roast properly.

Trim about a pound and a half of Brussels sprouts and cut them in half. Dry them well, toss with two tablespoons of oil, salt and pepper, then arrange cut-side down on a large baking sheet. Roast at 425°F for 25 to 30 minutes, checking toward the end. You’re looking for browned bottoms and tender centres.

While they’re hot, toss them with a tablespoon of butter and about a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. The butter melts into the leaves, and the vinegar gives them a little sharpness alongside all the richer dishes.

Don’t pile them into a deep casserole to roast. Spread them out, use a second pan when necessary, and let the oven do its job.

5. Buttery Turnip Mash with Black Pepper

It might not be the fanciest bowl on the table, but I’d miss it if it wasn’t there.

Choose a yellow-fleshed rutabaga for this one, about two to three pounds. Peel it thoroughly, cut it into small, even cubes and simmer in salted water until very tender. Allow about 25 to 35 minutes, but trust your fork rather than the clock. Firm turnip doesn’t make a good mash.

Drain it well, then return it to the pot over low heat for a minute or two, stirring to let the extra moisture evaporate. Mash with three or four tablespoons of butter, salt and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper.

Taste before adding anything else. A teaspoon or two of brown sugar is an option, but it doesn’t need to turn into dessert. Keep it buttery, a little peppery and thick enough that it won’t run across the plate.

6. Lemon-Garlic Green Beans

With potatoes, stuffing and gravy already accounted for, something fresh and a little bright is welcome.

Trim about a pound and a half of green beans and cook them in boiling salted water for three to five minutes. They should be tender enough to eat but still have a bit of bite. Drain well.

In a large skillet, warm a tablespoon each of butter and olive oil. Add two minced garlic cloves and stir for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Add the beans and toss for another couple of minutes until hot.

Finish with the finely grated zest of half a lemon, a squeeze of its juice, salt and pepper. Taste before adding more lemon—you want a lift, not a mouthful of sour beans.

A handful of toasted sliced almonds is lovely on top, but entirely optional. This side earns its place by being simple.

7. Warm Cabbage with Apples and Cider Vinegar

Cabbage deserves a spot at Thanksgiving. It’s easy to work with, and this version brings a welcome tang to a fairly rich meal.

Thinly slice a small onion and soften it in two tablespoons of butter in a large skillet. Add about six cups of thinly sliced cabbage—roughly half a medium head—along with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for eight to ten minutes, stirring regularly.

Add a firm apple cut into thin slices, two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and a teaspoon of brown sugar. Cook for another five minutes or so, until the apple softens and the cabbage is tender but still has some texture. Add a small splash of water if the pan gets dry.

Taste and adjust the vinegar or seasoning at the end. You’re after buttery cabbage with a little sweetness and enough acidity to stand up beside the gravy.

8. Roasted Squash with Sage and Parmesan

Squash doesn’t always need maple syrup or brown sugar. A savoury version gives you something different, especially when there are already glazed carrots on the table.

Peel and seed a butternut squash weighing around three pounds, then cut it into roughly one-inch cubes. Toss with two tablespoons of olive oil, a teaspoon of dried rubbed sage, salt and pepper.

Spread it out on a large baking sheet and roast at 425°F for 30 to 40 minutes, turning once, until tender with browned edges. Don’t pull it out just because a fork goes through it. Give it a chance to get some colour.

Scatter about a third of a cup of finely grated Parmesan over the hot squash before serving. The cheese adds a salty finish without needing a sauce or another pan. Pre-cut squash is a perfectly reasonable shortcut here, too.

9. Creamy Cheddar Corn

This is the easy stovetop dish you’ll be glad you chose when the oven is full.

Melt two tablespoons of butter in a skillet and add about four cups of frozen corn. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the corn is hot and most of the released moisture has evaporated, roughly six to eight minutes.

Pour in a third of a cup of cream and simmer gently for another couple of minutes. Take the pan off the heat and stir in three-quarters of a cup of grated cheddar until melted. Finish with black pepper and chopped chives, then taste before adding salt.

You want corn lightly coated in a creamy cheese sauce, not corn soup. Add a splash more cream if it’s too thick. A good Atlantic Canadian cheddar would be right at home here.

10. Cranberry and Apple Sauce

Cranberry sauce is doing an important job on that plate. A little tartness makes the next forkful of potatoes, stuffing and turkey taste even better.

Put three cups of fresh or frozen cranberries in a saucepan with one peeled, finely diced apple, half a cup of sugar and half a cup of water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries burst and the apple is tender.

Mash lightly with a spoon for a chunky sauce, or leave it as it is. Taste carefully and add another tablespoon or two of sugar while it’s warm if it’s sharper than you like. A little orange zest is a nice addition, too.

It’ll thicken as it cools, so don’t cook it until it looks like jam. Make it the day before and refrigerate it, and there’s one less thing competing for your attention on Thanksgiving morning.

A Little Planning Goes a Long Way

Before you settle on your sides, count your burners and look at your oven space. Three trays of roasted vegetables sound easy until you realise they all need the same rack.

Choose a mix: something roasted, something mashed, a quick skillet vegetable and cranberry sauce made ahead. Add stuffing, and you’ve got a generous spread without making every dish a last-minute job.

And put the butter, salt and pepper where you can reach them. Taste everything before it goes to the table. Sometimes the difference between a decent side dish and the one people go back for is nothing more complicated than getting the seasoning right.