Hear us out: potatoes just might be the perfect food. They might seem boring at first glance, but there’s an endless number of ways to prepare them, from mashed to baked to french fried. No holiday meal is complete without spuds, so we’ve rounded up some of our favorite potato side dishes. Read on to find your family’s new favorite.
Roasted Garlic and Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes
Because we know a good thing when we taste one, here is the ever-popular mashed potato with a twist. From chef to the stars and founder of the FoodCulture App Chef Ryan Rondeno comes a wonderfully enhanced version of mashed potatoes with roasted garlic and sour cream. Get the recipe here.
Baked Potato Fries
Satisfy your craving for french fries by whipping up a batch of healthier baked fries. They come out deliciously crispy and can be paired with pretty much any meal.
Baked Mashed Potato Casserole
For a fun twist on mashed potatoes, try this delish potato casserole. It adds celery and red peppers to the mix, and it’s topped with melty cheese to lure in the little ones. To get the recipe, click here.
Sweet Potato Crisps Salad
Potato dishes don’t have to be heavy! This salad is topped with crispy sweet potato strips and also has lots of healthy veggies, making it the perfect companion for a heavier meal.
Bourbon Butter Sweet Potato Bites
Sweet potato fans, take note—this genius recipe from The Speckled Palate is a winner. The spuds are tossed in butter and bourbon, then roasted in the oven for a super-indulgent (and easy!) side dish.
Herby Parmesan Smashed Potatoes
Red-skinned potatoes are our new favorite thanks to this genius recipe from Domestic Gothess. The inside of the ‘taters stays soft and creamy, and the outside gets super crispy—aka potato perfection.
Sweet Potato Puff
Knock. Knock. Who's There? Orange. Orange Who? Orange you thankful for sweet potato side dishes that look like cupcakes? Your dainty diners will go crazy for these festive treats, and they're a cinch to put together. Leave it to Weelicious to nail the perfect Thanksgiving side dish.
Not Quite Mashed Potatoes
Let's call it a mockmash! This savory cauliflower puree from The Iron You makes a healthy stand-in for mashed potatoes. It gets its fabulous flavor from the cheese, milk (or almond milk) and a touch of butter, has about one-quarter of the calories of typical mashed potatoes, and best of all, little eaters may not even realize they're getting their daily dose of vegetables.
Pretty Purple Potatoes
Finding perfectly hued purple potatoes is the most challenging part of this simple recipe, but if you do, you've got yourself a side dish that will be the belle of the ball (our apologies to the turkey). Pop over to Smitten Kitchen and follow their simple steps to making this stunning dish.
Au Gratin Potatoes
Pretty as pie! This healthy potato gratin with herbs is creamy without having to actually add cream—and great flavor results from thyme and rosemary. This is a go-to dish if you're going to a potluck-style turkey dinner. Hop over to Food and Wine for the easy-to-follow recipe.
Whipped Sweet Potatoes
These whipped coconut sweet potatoes are made with coconut milk, making them not only creamy and fluffy but also dairy-free. Add a touch of maple syrup, a hint of cinnamon and a sprinkling of coconut "snow" and voilà—they're the perfect alternative to the traditional mashed potato. Visit Weelicious for the full recipe and get whippin'!
Spiralized Potatoes
Looking like spaghetti but tasting like sweet potato, this side dish is not just delicious to eat but is also fun to make. Have your kiddos join in on the action, since spiralizing fruits and veggies feels a lot like creating the coolest Play-Doh hair ever. Susan, the author of The Wimpy Vegetarian, is the mastermind behind this unique holiday side dish. If you don't have a spiralizer in your kitchen already, you can purchase one here.
Perfect Potato Pancakes
These simple potato pancakes, made from pre-shredded frozen potatoes, can be fun for more than just one holiday this season. Switch out the flour for matzo meal and enjoy them at Passover too. Find out how to get lucky with latkes here.
Not Fried Potatoes
Taste Food Blog gives the little's favorite fries a healthy and colorful facelift, just in time for the holidays. Giving the russet potato a well-deserved break, this recipe calls for sliced up parsnips, carrots, rutabagas and sweet potatoes. We think these yummy baked veggies will look mighty fine next to the turkey and cranberry sauce.
— Aimee Della Bitta
RELATED STORIES:
12 Pumpkin Pie Recipes to Cap Off Your Thanksgiving Feast
23 Incredibly Easy Ways to Keep the Kids Busy on Thanksgiving
