No-Sweat Side Dishes to Make This Thanksgiving

You’ve got your main Thanksgiving dishes down, but maybe you still need to figure out a few sides. Or perhaps you need a last-minute dish to bring to the family potluck. We’ve got you covered! Read on for our favorite holiday side dishes that happen to be super easy to make and totally kid-approved.

photo: courtesy Veggie Inspired

The Best Cranberry Sauce Recipes

This holiday season, we dare you to skip the canned cranberry sauce. It may be a childhood favorite, but once you’ve made it from scratch, you’ll never look back. We gathered our favorite homemade sauces for you to choose from, like this Maple Cinnamon Cranberry Pear Sauce. Click here to see them all.

Instant Pot Honey Butter Carrots

These ain't your average carrots! Covered in a honey butter glaze, these veggies from Salt & Lavender are positively addictive. The whole fam (kids included!) will be asking for seconds. Get the recipe and other Instant Pot Thanksgiving sides here.

photo: Food and Wine

Oh Great 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. We've got other unique potato recipes here.

photo: Secrets of Healthy Cooking

Crunchy Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini

Lighten up your Thanksgiving menu with this healthy quinoa-stuffed zucchini. The zucchini is filled with a mix of crispy pancetta, quinoa and cherry tomatoes, and the end result is delicious. Click here to get the recipe.

photo: Danielle Scott via flickr

Mozzarella and Tomato Salad

You can’t go wrong with a caprese salad! This kid-friendly version is made with fresh mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes and a few other ingredients. To get the recipe, click here.

photo: Meal Makeover Moms via flickr

Sweet Corn Fritters

If your kids are fans of cornbread, chances are they’ll also love sweet corn fritters. The batter is easy to whip up, and frying them gives them a delicious crunch. Snag the recipe by clicking here.

photo: How Sweet Eats

Apple Bacon Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Packed with kid-friendly flavors like bacon and apples, this recipe from How Sweet Eats is a great dish to make ahead of time and reheat in the oven just before serving. These flavorful spuds are perfect if you're planning to be a guest at someone's house for Thanksgiving. We're pretty sure this dish will earn you a repeat invitation next year. Click here to get the recipe.

photo: Arnold Gatilao via flickr

The Best Cornbread

Instead of plain rolls, why not cornbread? This recipe from Bless This Mess is super kid-friendly, and they will love helping make the batter. An added bonus: cornbread is a great tool to soak up the leftover juices on your plate! Get the recipe by clicking here.

photo: Country Spoon

Sweet Corn on the Grill

This corn from Country Spoon is topped with a homemade aioli and cheddar cheese. Grilling only takes about 10 to 15 minutes, and you can make the aioli while the cobs are cooking. Kids will love painting the aioli on the corn and sprinkling the cheese. Using the grill will also free up oven space. Click here to grab the recipe.

photo: Feasting at Home

Roasted Cauliflower

Roasting vegetables is easy and yields great flavor, especially when it comes to cauliflower. Plus cauliflower is very light, so it's a nice addition to a feast with a lot of heavy dishes like stuffing and potatoes. The crispy outside will lure in the kids for sure. Click here to get the recipe from Feasting at Home.

photo: Chef a la Porte

Caramelized Chili Acorn Squash

For this simple recipe from Chef a la Porte, all you need is squash, oil, brown sugar, salt and chili flakes. The great thing about squash is that it doesn't overcook easily, so you are sure to come away with a smashing dish. To get the recipe, click here.

—Parham B

Feature photo by Chelsea Shapouri on Unsplash

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