34 Thanksgiving Sides You Can Bring to Friendsgiving

updated Nov 1, 2023

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Credit: Joe Lingeman
Smashed Potato Casserole

It’s not a contest, but if you aspire to win Friendsgiving with the best side dish of the night, you’re hardly alone. From an everything bagel stuffing to bacon-studded Brussels sprouts to Thanksgiving slaw, this impressive collection of recipes will help you up your game with a side dish that will keep everyone talking.

Slaws and Salads

Bring something totally fresh to the side dish lineup and you will be the hero of Friendsgiving. Trust me — everyone always appreciates something on the healthy-ish side to balance all the stuffing, mashed potatoes, and pie.

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Cabbage and Apple Slaw with Honey-Lime Dressing

This slaw, full of sweet and crisp apples and dressed with honey and lime, is familiar yet not run-of-the-mill.

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Thanksgiving Slaw

This festive slaw won’t wilt like other green salads and can sit out for a while, making it a great addition to the spread.

3 / 7

This easy slaw features pre-shredded cruciferous vegetables, almonds, and dried cherries in a tangy honey-mustard dressing.

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Crunchy Cabbage Slaw with Farro, Pecorino, and Dates

This make-ahead friendly salad is made with crunchy red cabbage, shredded kale, dates, farro, and Pecorino cheese.

5 / 7

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Apples, Hazelnuts & Brown Butter Dressing

This salad takes a little more time to make than the usual shaved sprouts salad, but the extra work is worth the flavor and texture combination of brown butter vinaigrette, Brussels sprouts, apple, and nuts.

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Shredded Cabbage and Sweet Potato Slaw

The base of this winter slaw is a mix of red cabbage and julienned sweet potato, bejeweled with orange segments and pomegranate.

7 / 7

Thanksgiving Lentil Salad

A hearty recipe for lentil salad with butternut squash, red onion, and kale tossed in a roasted garlic vinaigrette.

Stuffing

This feast is not complete without stuffing. But save the traditional recipes for dinner with your family. Your Friendsgiving lineup deserves a stuffing with a twist. Whether you grill the bread, start with everything bagels, or go with a Syrian-inspired recipe, you can’t go wrong.

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Canadian-Syrian Thanksgiving Stuffing

Here, commonly used celery is replaced by roasted chestnuts, and golden raisins are mixed with cranberries — but the tender pillow of soft bread remains.

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Everything Bagel Stuffing

Why leave bagels just for breakfast? Here they replace the usual suspects like sourdough or challah for a unique Thanksgiving stuffing that’s sure to be the talk of the table.

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Gluten-Free Cornbread and Mushroom Stuffing

Here, cubes of gluten-free cornbread are mixed with a medley of sautéed mushrooms, toasted pecans, and the usual suspects of onion, celery, and fresh herbs for a hearty stuffing fit for anyone’s table.

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Grilled Bread Dressing with Cranberries and Leeks

The mix-ins here are sautéed leeks, apples, and cranberries plumped up in tart vinegar, and there is just enough sage and thyme to make this taste like traditional stuffing.

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Sicilian Meatball Stuffing

The combination of sweet golden raisins and meaty beef and veal is a flavor combo that works really well together, especially with the added saltiness of grated Parmesan cheese and buttery pine nuts.

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Sausage and Apple Stuffing

This sourdough bread stuffing is packed with sausage, apples, fennel, aromatics, and herbs.

Potatoes

When it comes to potatoes, a basic creamy mash is just the beginning. From cheesy puffs to luscious sweet potatoes, there is something here for everyone.

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Smashed Potato Casserole

This make ahead-friendly recipe for creamy mashed potatoes baked in a casserole is topped with lots of Parmesan cheese.

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Mashed Potato Puffs

These individual, cheesy potato puffs are easy to serve and even easier to eat.

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Au Gratin Potatoes

Au gratin potatoes are one of the greatest casseroles of all time. Tender, fluffy potatoes are bathed in a rich and creamy cheese sauce, then baked in a hot oven until bubbly and crisp.

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Sour Cream Smashed Potatoes with Fried Shallots

Inspired by potato stuffed pierogi, these sour cream and onion mashed potatoes deserve a spot at your table.

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Mashed Sweet Potatoes

A easy, step-by-step guide to making creamy mashed sweet potatoes sweetened with maple syrup.

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Classic Thanksgiving Sweet Potatoes

Bake sweet potatoes whole concentrate their flavor and sweetness, resulting in a sweeter casserole without loads of extra added sugar.

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Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes

Cooking sliced potatoes under high pressure tenderizes them in a fraction of the time, meaning you can sit down to homemade scalloped potatoes in just 30 minutes.

Cranberry Sauce and Veggie Sides

You can’t have a Friendsgiving feast without the sides. From a fig-cranberry sauce to mashed cauliflower, these side dishes are guaranteed to be hits.

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Fig Cranberry Sauce

This is a rich, jammy cranberry sauce with dried figs and plenty of spices.

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The Creamiest Mashed Cauliflower

Mashed cauliflower isn't just a replacement for mashed potatoes — try this hearty side with merits all its own.

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Broccoli Steaks with Walnut-Raisin Salsa

When topped with salty cheese, golden raisins, and walnuts, broccoli becomes a star side dish.

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Carrot Soufflé

Puréed carrots, eggs, milk, and cheddar cheese get blended into a soufflé base that puffs beautifully into a light, airy, almost custard-like side dish.

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Roasted Green Beans with Harissa

Harissa paste lends the perfect touch of spice to these simple green beans.

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Stovetop Brussels Sprouts Hash with Crispy Sage and Walnuts

These deluxe Brussels sprouts get dressed up even further with a topping of butter-browned walnuts and crispy fried sage.

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Very Basic Cranberry Sauce

A recipe for simple cranberry sauce made with fresh or frozen cranberries, sugar, and water.

Casseroles

When it comes to serving a crowd, casseroles are always a good idea. These totally comforting sides are easy to pull together, and often make a great addition for any vegetarian or gluten-free friends.

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Baked Polenta with Greens, Artichokes, and Gruyère

Here, a generous mixture of winter greens and tender artichoke hearts is smothered with a crispy topping of thick polenta slices.

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Broccoli Rabe and White Bean Gratin

Consider this the Thanksgiving version of classic beans and greens, which the addition of Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.

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Make-Ahead Creamy Mac & Cheese Casserole

A creamy, dreamy mac and cheese that you can prep days ahead of time and just pop in the oven.

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Cheesy Lentil, Mushroom & Rice Bake

This hearty casserole has enough bulk to it that it can easily be a main dish for vegetarians, too.

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Green Bean Casserole

Learn how to make green bean casserole using the right grocery store shortcuts to rival the classic back-of-the-box recipe.

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Jiffy Corn Casserole

This 1-bowl, 6-ingredient corn casserole comes together in a jiffy (had to).

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