thanksgiving

40 Delicious Thanksgiving Sides to Bring to Your Friendsgiving

updated Oct 28, 2024
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A spoon is lifted up with a serving of smashed potato casserole
Credit: Joe Lingeman

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 and smashed potato casserole to Thanksgiving slaw, this impressive collection of recipes will help you up your game with a side dish that will keep everyone talking.

Friendsgiving Stuffing

A big Friendsgiving feast is not complete without the stuffing! From classic stuffing to Southern-style cornbread dressing, this is the side that everyone looks forward to.

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Thanksgiving Stuffing (Our Best-Ever)

Roasted turkey gets the magazine covers and the big platters, but stuffing is the real star of the show. It's just like your favorite boxed stuffing mix, but even better.

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2 / 10
My Mother-in-Law’s Legendary Stuffing

This bread stuffing recipe is made with crusty bread and sage sausage and seasoned with poultry seasoning is timeless for good reason.

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3 / 10
Classic Cornbread Dressing

You won't find an ounce of added sugar in this classic cornbread dressing! This cornbread dressing tastes of corn, butter, and a little tang from buttermilk.

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4 / 10
Wild Mushroom Stuffing

This mushroom twist on the classic is guaranteed to please both the stuffing purists and those pulling for something a little more adventurous.

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5 / 10
Classic Sage & Onion Bread Dressing (Stuffing)

Whether you call it dressing or stuffing, this recipe — made with rustic bread, onions, and sage — is the perfect Thanksgiving side.

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6 / 10
Grandma’s Southern-Style Cornbread Dressing

This buttery Southern-style stuffing has been passed down in my family for three generations (and we still fight over who gets seconds!).

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7 / 10
Easy 5-Ingredient Stuffing

Most stuffing recipes begin by having you dry out cubes of bread in the oven, which allows them to soak in more of the flavor-packed broth. This recipe starts with store-bought croutons instead (often sold in the grocery store’s bakery section), so you can skip the step of drying out the bread entirely.

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8 / 10
Sausage and Herb Stuffing

Savory sausage, toasted sourdough bread, and fresh herbs make this stuffing is the best part of the holiday meal.

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9 / 10
Everything Bagel Stuffing

Be the Friendsgiving hero who brings everything bagel stuffing to the table this year. Swap the classic bread cubes for chopped-up everything bagels and you will not regret it.

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10 / 10
Sausage and Apple Stuffing

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

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Friendsgiving Potatoes

When it comes to potatoes, a basic creamy mash is just the beginning. From scalloped potatoes to sweet potato casserole, there is something here for everyone.

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Cheesy Baked Mashed Potatoes

These mashed potatoes are the ideal make-ahead side dish. While classic stovetop mashed potatoes are best made right before serving to keep them from drying out, you can make this casserole a full day in advance without having to worry they’ll see the same fate.

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Scalloped Potatoes

This classic version uses just six ingredients and pairs it with an incredibly easy cooking method. The cozy casserole bakes up with a golden-brown top and super-tender sliced russet potatoes that are suspended in a creamy, thyme-flecked sauce.

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3 / 10
Dauphinoise Potatoes

Extra creamy and cheese, this is the French casserole of our dreams.

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Smashed Potato Casserole

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

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Easy Sweet Potato Casserole

You know and love sweet potato casserole. Here's how to make it even easier. It can be made up to three days in advance - just leave off the marshmallows until right before baking.

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Cheesy Potatoes

An easy homemade version of the classic comforting side dish, in which tender boiled russet potatoes are tossed in a creamy cheese sauce and baked until warm and bubbling.

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Cheesy Skillet Domino Potatoes

Thin slices of Yukon gold potatoes are doused in a cheese-bolstered cream mixture and baked in a skillet until it becomes a crispy and tender gratin-like dish that everyone will love.

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8 / 10
Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Streusel Topping

With a fluffy, just-sweet-enough filling and crackly streusel topping that'll remind you of candied nuts, this sweet potato casserole will become an instant classic on your Thanksgiving table.

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9 / 10
Cacio e Pepe Potato Gratin

Thinly sliced Yukon gold potatoes get tossed with a flavorful cream sauce, layered with plenty of Pecorino Romano, and baked until browned and bubbly.

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Cheesy Potato Casserole

This easy, cheesy potato casserole can be assembled a day in advance.

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Friendsgiving Casseroles

Casseroles are always a good idea for Friendsgiving. These totally comforting sides are easy to pull together, and often make a great addition for any vegetarian friends.

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Classic Green Bean Casserole

Learn how to make the classic Thanksgiving side with fresh or canned green beans. Homemade mushroom cream sauce and those store-bought crispy onions are a must!

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Homemade Mac and Cheese

No comfort food satisfies quite like homemade mac and cheese. This gooey and cozy casserole is an essential part of traditional holiday spreads.

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Broccoli Cheese Casserole

This classic broccoli casserole, made with canned cream of mushroom soup and Ritz crackers, is bound to be a family favorite.

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Jiffy Corn Casserole

Thanks to a box of Jiffy corn muffin mix, this corn casserole comes together quickly and is a perfect side dish for any meal.

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5 / 10
Twice-Baked Potato Casserole

Every bite of this twice-baked potato casserole is warm and comforting while overflowing with melty cheese and crisp bacon.

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6 / 10
Cheesy Baked Broccoli

A comforting broccoli casserole with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

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7 / 10
Baked Corn Pudding Casserole

It's soft and tender on the inside with just a touch of texture from sweet corn and cornmeal, and blanketed with a delicate golden crust.

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8 / 10
Za’atar Green Bean Casserole

Classic green bean casserole gets a new-school twist with lemony za’atar and nutty tahini.

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9 / 10
Pierogi Casserole

If you are seeking out a new and innovative side for Friendsgiving, look no further than a bag of frozen pierogi.

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Green Bean Casserole (with Frozen Green Beans!)

Old-school green bean casserole uses condensed mushroom soup (an ode to the marketing geniuses at Campbell’s and French’s who were responsible for popularizing the dish). Luckily, our homemade mushroom sauce is simple, more flavorful, and affordable.

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Friendsgiving 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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Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Salad

Layer crunchy greens and Tuscan kale, sweet date-pickled onions, and crisp fried shallots up to a full day in advance for the ultimate Thanksgiving salad.

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

The only thing we might like better than Brussels sprouts roasted to a crisp are thinly sliced raw Brussels sprouts dressed with a bright vinaigrette and toasted nuts. 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, crisp apple, and hazelnuts.

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3 / 10
Thanksgiving Slaw

The name says it all: If you're looking for a crunchy, refreshing side that's fits perfectly among everything else on your Thanksgiving table, you can do no better than this hearty salad.

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4 / 10
Cabbage and Apple Slaw with Honey-Lime Dressing

Great slaw can upstage salad whenever it gets a chance. This one, full of sweet and crisp apples and dressed with honey and lime, is familiar yet not run-of-the-mill.

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5 / 10
Kale Slaw with Honey-Mustard Dressing

If you’re in need of a vibrant, crunchy slaw for your Thanksgiving feast, this is it. It’s packed with crunchy smoked almonds and tart dried cherries and tossed in a dressing made entirely from pantry staples. And, best of all, it can hang out on your table for an hour or two without wilting.

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7 / 10
Ginger Cabbage Slaw

Whip up this quick & simple red cabbage slaw for your Thanksgiving feast.

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Apple-Bacon Slaw

Welcome fall with this easy slaw of crispy bacon, crunchy cabbage, and sweet apples.

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Shredded Cabbage and Sweet Potato Slaw

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

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10 / 10
Apple Cabbage Salad with Brown Sugar Cider Vinaigrette

This vibrant combination of sweet apples and cabbage is made for fall comfort classics, which is precisely why it makes a welcome addition to your Thanksgiving spread.

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