Anyone order Baylor for Thanksgiving? He makes a pretty great turkey.

I wanted to put together some of my favorite and easy Thanksgiving side dishes. If you are the one hosting Thanksgiving, side dishes are a great way for guests to bring a little something of their own to add as their signature dish. I’ve put together some of my all-time favorite Thanksgiving side dishes.

Brussel Sprout Salad

This may not please all of your guests or your kids but the simplicity and color are a great addition to the menu. And not to mention, it’s a nice vegetable option. It is really easy and can be curated to your own taste, but this is what I used:

• 1 Bag of Brussel Sprouts
• 6 Slices of Bacon
• 1 Shallot (you could use 1/2 red onion + 3 cloves of garlic)
• 6 oz of Goat Cheese
• 1/2 C of chopped Walnuts
• 1/2 C of Golden Raisins

You want to shred the Brussels using a food processor or a mandolin into a bowl. Cook bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and let it cool.

Add shallot/onion and garlic to the pan with bacon drippings and cook until translucent.

Crumble bacon into the bowl with shredded Brussel Sprouts, add onions. Add the walnuts, raisins, and goat cheese before serving. I didn’t add any dressing because I think there are enough flavors. This can be served warm or cold.

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Besides stuffing/dressing, mashed potatoes are a staple for our Thanksgiving menu. Don’t skimp on the butter or garlic for this recipe. Trust me!

• 6 Whole Yukon Potatoes – this is the best option because of the high starch
• 1 stick of butter
• 4 Cloves of Garlic
• 1 C Whole Milk (add more if needed as you go)
• Costco Truffle Parmesan Black Garlic Season or you can use 1/2 C of Graded Parmesan cheese if you don’t have the seasoning
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Once the pot is boiling, add some salt to the boiling water and add potatoes. I did not cube the potatoes – I added the whole potatoes to the pot, skin and all. Once the potatoes are tender – probably 20-30 minutes – drain the water and skin the potatoes once they are cool to touch.

Place them back in the pot and begin to mash. Add the stick of butter and whole milk. Once that comes to a smooth consistency, add garlic, seasoning/cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Corn Casserole

I’m not sure why I don’t make this one more often for our family. The kids love it and its a dish the girls can easily help with.

• 1 Package of Jiffy Cornbread Muffin Mix
• 1/2 C (1 Stick) of melted butter
• 1 Can of Corn or you could use 12 ounces of frozen corn
• 1 Can Cream Style Corn
• 1/2 C Sour Cream
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 C of White Sugar

Preheat the oven to 350.

Add the cornbread mix to the melted butter. Add in the corn and creamed corn. Stir in the sour cream, eggs and sugar.

Pour into a greased 9×9 or 9×13 pan. Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes until the center is cooked.

Cut into squares or spoon onto plate.

Cranberry Sauce

You can’t have Thanksgiving without the cranberry sauce. This is so easy to make using fresh cranberries and makes the house smell amazing.

• 12 oz of fresh cranberries
• 1 C White Sugar
• 1/2 C Water
• Pinch of Salt
• Zest of citrus – I used an orange
• Juice from citrus – I used an orange

Bring sugar and water to a boil to make sugar water. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the cranberries and turn the stove to low.

Simmer until the cranberries start to burst – about 10 minutes. Stir. Add in the zest of the citrus and juice from the citrus. Add the pinch of salt.

Remove from heat and allow to cool.

You can add to make this your own. We added some diced apples and allowed to those to cook with the cranberries after they burst. You could also add some cinnamon.

I think this is the prettiest dish on the table.

Easy Green Beans

This is the easiest side dish ever!

• 12 oz of Green Beans
• 1-2 Tablespoons of Everything But the Bagel Seasoning
• 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Once the water boils, add the green beans and allow them to cook for just a few minutes until they turn a brighter green. Once they are done, pour out the water and put the green beans in an ice bath (water and ice) to stop the cooking process.

Add the beans back to the pan. Add the olive oil and add the seasoning. Serve.

I hope you enjoy these dishes. Does your family have a favorite Thanksgiving tradition you eat every year? Sometimes we use all the leftovers have what we call the Kitchen Sink for dinner post-Thanksgiving.