Fives: Best Thanksgiving Sides
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Of course, this holiday is a time to be thankful for the people and things in your life. Whether that’s family, friends, your home, something you’ve achieved, or FOOD, take a moment to reflect on what you love. Perhaps even take a deep breath, or put on some comfortable pants. After all, you’re going to need it with all the gorging we’re about to do. Here are the best Thanksgiving sides.
I do want to make one note: these are sides that I’ve seen served at multiple Thanksgiving celebrations. You may have an amazing rutabaga and tempeh lasagna that you pull out every November, but this best Thanksgiving sides list is praising the more commonplace dishes. Either way, send me that recipe. It sounds great. I’m also not counting pies, since those are desserts, even if you’re like me and sometimes eat them with everything else anyway.
And now, with no further shenanigans, here are the best Thanksgiving sides.
5. Cranberry Sauce
I know some people go CRAZY for cranberry sauce. That’s all well and good, and cranberry sauce is certainly an enjoyable side. But some of the canned stuff is really not tasty. And outside of topping my turkey with it, I’m not going to be chowing down on cranberry sauce by itself. I want my sides to stand alone in addition to complementing my meal, and cranberry sauce doesn’t really do that. So it’s at the bottom of our list (but still ahead of things like regular mashed potatoes).
4. Stuffing and Dressing
Look, I’m aware there’s a difference between these two, and it’s basically if you want to stick your hand up a turkey’s cavity. But to me, stuffing and dressing is like saying “y’all” versus “you all.” I don’t care which way you do it, just make sure the end result is pleasing. Whether you call it stuffing, dressing, or “come get ya some of this good stuff,” if it’s available to eat (and it really should be), I’m going to get a heaping serving. Bonus points for how many additional ingredients you can include.
3. Green Bean Casserole
Of all the vegetables in the land, green beans are certainly not my favorite. Yet when you add fried onion rings, soup, condensed milk, and even cheese to it, it’s like it becomes a whole new vegetable. Funny how that works, isn’t it? Anyway, green bean casserole is a great way to get kids to eat veggies. Sure, it’s got more fat and sodium, but you gotta start somewhere.
2. Creamed Corn
Regular corn is fine, I suppose. But we’re thankful about food here, remember? And the best Thanksgiving sides really leave us feeling FULL, and the best way to achieve that is by creaming things up. You can keep your corn on the cob; I’ll have another serving of this creamy goodness.
1. Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Regular mashed potatoes? Nuh-uh. They’re inconsistent and some people like to leave bits of the skin in there or throw some other nonsense into the mix. To that, I say “nay.” Sweet potatoes are where it’s at. And because I’m basic, I’ll add marshmallows and cinnamon to my mashed sweet potatoes, but that’s about it. We aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel here. Sometimes the best Thanksgiving sides are the simplest, you know?
