What to Serve With Turkey

When I plan what to serve with turkey, the dressing comes first. If I’m being honest, I’d be happy with just a big scoop of it on my holiday plate!

The turkey only gets you halfway to a holiday meal. That’s why the best side dishes for turkey bring something buttery, something sweet and something green to the plate.

My top picks are Old Fashioned Thanksgiving Dressing, Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes, French’s Green Bean Casserole and Jiffy Corn Casserole. That’s a full plate right there!

I grouped all 20 sides the way I plan my own Thanksgiving menu: dressing and casseroles first, then potatoes, vegetables, breads and cold salads. Pick one or two from each group, and the whole meal comes together.

Dressing and Casseroles for Turkey Dinner

Dressing soaks up turkey gravy like nothing else, so it always gets the biggest spot on my Thanksgiving table. My dressing recipe is the old-fashioned kind, baked in its own pan instead of stuffed inside the bird.

The casseroles fill in the rest of the table, from creamy green beans to cheesy cauliflower.

Mashed Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes

Creamy mashed potatoes and gravy are a must at our house. My daughter is my comfort-food eater, and they’re her favorite part of the whole meal!

I always add one sweet potato dish, too. My Yam Casserole has sat right next to our turkey for as long as I can remember! It’s my casserole with marshmallows, and if you’d rather have a classic sweet potato casserole with a pecan topping, my Sweet Potato Casserole with Canned Yams is the one.

Vegetable Sides to Serve With Turkey

A bright vegetable side makes the plate look pretty and balances out all the rich casseroles. Each of these uses simple grocery store ingredients. For example, two of them start with canned or bagged veggies. If you like roasted vegetables, the broccoli and sweet potatoes get tossed in olive oil with a little smoked paprika.

Rolls and Cornbread

Of course, you need something to mop up the gravy. Homemade dinner rolls need time to rise, so start them early in the day.

Meanwhile, both cornbreads are quick to stir together and bake in a square pan.

Cold Salads and Make-Ahead Sides

I always add a cold side or two. That way, they wait in the fridge until dinner, and they taste so fresh next to the warm, heavy dishes. Each salad recipe here is creamy and needs no oven at all.

How to Plan What to Serve With Turkey

Share the oven. Most of my casseroles bake at 350°F, so two of them can bake side by side while the roast turkey rests.

Use the stovetop and Crock Pot. The mashed potatoes and Cinnamon Glazed Carrots cook on the stovetop. Crock Pot Green Bean Casserole cooks in the slow cooker, so it never needs the oven at all.

Cooking a turkey breast? For a smaller dinner, I’d pick three side dishes for turkey breast: mashed potatoes, one vegetable and a pan of rolls. That works for a turkey dinner any time of year, not only on Thanksgiving.

What to Serve With Turkey FAQs

What are the most popular sides for turkey?

Dressing or stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, rolls and cranberry sauce are the classic Thanksgiving sides. At our house, Jiffy Corn Casserole is on that list, too. It’s made with creamed corn and corn muffin mix, so it lands somewhere between cornbread and corn pudding.

What vegetables should I serve with turkey?

For example, green beans, carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes and cauliflower all go well with turkey. I like at least one with a little sweetness, like brown sugar glazed carrots, because sweet and savory go so well together on a turkey plate.

How many side dishes should I make for Thanksgiving?

For a family dinner, I plan four or five sides: dressing, a potato, a vegetable, rolls and one cold salad. For a big crowd, on the other hand, add a second casserole and a second sweet potato dish, or double your favorites.

What sides can I make ahead for Thanksgiving?

Cold sides like Broccoli Salad, Christmas Salad and Ambrosia Salad are easy to make ahead. Yam Casserole can be put together a day early and kept in the fridge. Then add the marshmallows near the end of baking.

For dressing, you can cube and dry the bread up to a week early. Just keep it in an airtight container.

What can I serve with turkey besides stuffing?

Mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green beans and rolls are the big ones. For something a little different, try Pineapple Casserole. Even though pineapple and cheddar sound odd together, they’re wonderful with turkey.

Whatever ends up on your holiday table, I hope this list takes some of the guesswork out of what to serve with turkey. Above all, save room for seconds of the dressing. Trust me on that one!

Find even more ideas in my side dish recipes, and save this list to Pinterest so it’s ready when it’s time to plan your menu.

Desserts for Thanksgiving Dinner

• Pumpkin Crunch Cake
• Chewy Pecan Pie Bars
• Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with Streusel Topping
• Apple Dump Cake
• Pumpkin Sheet Cake