10 Sweet Potato Side Dishes to Make for Thanksgiving

published Nov 5, 2021

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Credit: Melissa Ryan
Stovetop Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Maple Pecan Drizzle

I like to think sweet potatoes eagerly await Thanksgiving every year, knowing it’s their time to shine. Whether it’s a tradition to bake them into a pie for dessert or turn them into a casserole with marshmallows as a side dish, sweet potatoes are a holiday classic.

However, there are so many more ways to serve them than these two fan-favorite dishes. They can go the savory route and get roasted with Parmesan, or they can receive the scalloped potato treatment and mingle with cream and melty cheese. These 10 sweet potato side dishes show off just how versatile the tuber can be as a member of your holiday spread. Find a new favorite this year, or reach for something tried-and-true — you won’t be disappointed either way.

1 / 10

Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe

These easy, creamy mashed sweet potatoes are lightly sweetened with maple syrup.

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2 / 10

Cinnamon Butter Bath Sweet Potatoes

Cooking cubed sweet potatoes into a bath of milk, butter, and sweet fragrant cinnamon is a super simple way to enhance the fall veggie.

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3 / 10

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Maple Crème Fraîche

These baked sweet potatoes are layered with flavor and texture, thanks to a sweet and sour dressing, roasted peanuts, sliced scallions, and lots of chili flakes.

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4 / 10

Candied Sweet Potatoes

The knock-out glaze for these sweet potatoes is made with butter, brown sugar, and pineapple juice. The added sugar in the juice helps this sauce to thicken up pretty quickly and lends an extra layer of flavor to this dish.

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5 / 10

Sour Cream Balsamic Sweet Potatoes

Sour cream and balsamic vinegar are a powerful duo that delivers the creamy richness you crave with an added tang that balances the sweetness.

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6 / 10

Scalloped Sweet Potatoes

Expect the same rich experience of thin slices of potatoes gently cooked in a fragrant cream sauce, except this recipe features sweet potatoes, and the cream mixture is scented with garlic, thyme, and nutmeg.

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7 / 10

Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Coconut Milk & Vanilla Bean

With coconut milk for interest and richness, and a swirl of vanilla bean paste, consider adding this to the Thanksgiving table when you want something on the sweeter side that still leaves the marshmallows out of the equation.

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8 / 10

Stovetop Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Maple and Pecans

Mashed sweet potato recipes generally start with roasting your sweet potatoes, but this can be a tricky proposition when oven space is limited. For a stovetop adaptation, simmer those sweet potatoes in a rich cooking liquid that gets blended right in at the end.

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9 / 10

Smashed Sweet Potatoes

Here, thick rounds of sweet potato are seasoned, smashed, and roasted, creating crispy-edged medallions with creamy, tender centers.

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10 / 10

The Absolute Easiest 5-Ingredient Sweet Potato Casserole

You know and love sweet potato casserole. Here's how to make it even easier.

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Ingredient

Potatoes