Every year, we plan Thanksgiving around the turkey — and every year, it is the sides that everyone actually talks about. Campbell’s 2026 State of the Sides backs that up: 80% of Americans say they would rather fill their plate with the side dishes than with the turkey itself. I believe it. At my table, the turkey gets a polite slice, and then everyone goes back for seconds of everything around it.
So I stopped guessing and ranked them. These are the five Thanksgiving sides Americans actually want most — the ones that earn their oven space, their serving spoon, and their spot in the plan. Every one of them is tested in my kitchen, every one comes with a make-ahead move, and together they are the whole game: creamy, crisp, sweet, buttery, and classic. I’m Lea Bennett, and this is the list I cook from.
1. Best Baked Mac and Cheese
Prep 20 minutes | Cook 40 minutes | Total 1 hour 5 minutes | Servings: 10 | 350°F (175°C)
The number one side for Gen Z in Campbell’s 2026 ranking — and, honestly, the dish that disappears first at any table I have ever set. Sharp cheddar and Gruyère melt into a sauce that stays creamy inside, while the panko topping bakes into a deep golden crust. It is rich, it is comforting, and it holds its own next to everything else on the plate. Get the full recipe: Best Baked Mac and Cheese.
2. Classic Sage Stuffing
Total 1 hour | Servings: 10 | 350°F (175°C)
The national number one side in Campbell’s ranking, and the one I would never skip. Dried bread cubes soak up a sage-butter vegetable base, so the top bakes crisp and golden while the centre stays soft and savoury. It tastes like Thanksgiving in a way nothing else does — warm, herby, and made for gravy. Get the full recipe: Classic Sage Stuffing.
3. Classic Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Crumble
Total 1 hour 30 minutes | Servings: 10 | 350°F (175°C)
Campbell’s side number three nationally, and the sweet-crunchy counterpoint that balances a savoury plate. Silky mashed sweet potato under a buttery pecan crumble — part side dish, part dessert, all gone by the end of dinner. It is also the prettiest dish on the table, which never hurts. Get the full recipe: Classic Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Crumble.
4. Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Total 40 minutes | Servings: 8
The fastest of the five, and the plate’s peacemaker. Fluffy potatoes mashed with garlic and warm cream, silky enough to catch every drop of gravy and gentle enough to sit next to every other flavour on the table. I make these ahead more than any other side, and they reheat like a dream. Get the full recipe: Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes.
5. Green Bean Casserole, From Scratch
Total 1 hour 25 minutes (including 10 minutes resting) | Servings: 10 | 350°F (175°C)
The classic everyone expects — rebuilt from scratch, with no canned soup anywhere in sight. Tender green beans in a real creamy mushroom sauce, under onions fried crisp the same day. It is familiar enough to satisfy the traditionalists and good enough to convert everyone else. Get the full recipe: Green Bean Casserole, From Scratch.
My Make-Ahead Game Plan
This is how the five sides fit into one calm Thanksgiving. Almost everything happens before the day itself — that is the whole secret.
Two Days Before
- Make the Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes completely; cover the surface directly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
- Cook and mash the sweet potato filling, spread it in its buttered 9×13-inch dish and refrigerate; keep the pecan crumble in a separate sealed container in the fridge — separate is the secret.
- Blanch the green beans and make the mushroom sauce; store them separately in the fridge.
- Prep the stuffing’s bread cubes and vegetable-butter mix, each on its own.
- Shred the cheeses for the mac and cheese and stir together its panko topping; refrigerate each in its own covered container.
One Day Before
- Assemble the Classic Sage Stuffing, cover and refrigerate it unbaked.
- Assemble the mac and cheese completely — pasta, sauce, cheddar layer and panko topping — cover the dish tightly and refrigerate.
- Fry the green bean casserole’s onions crisp; store them airtight at room temperature, never in the fridge — they go soft.
Thanksgiving Day
- Bake the stuffing, the sweet potato casserole and the green bean casserole; add the crumble and the crisp onions at the right moment for each.
- Bake the assembled mac and cheese, letting it stand at room temperature while the oven heats to 350°F (175°C); bake it covered with foil first so the centre warms through, then uncovered until the sauce bubbles at the edges and the top is deep golden — a cold dish needs extra time beyond the freshly made version, so judge it by those signs, not the clock alone.
- Reheat the mashed potatoes gently on the stove with a splash of warm cream, or covered at 325°F (165°C) for 25 to 30 minutes.
- Bring everything to the table hot, and sit down with everyone else.
Build the Rest of the Table
These five sides are the heart of the meal — and if you want the turkey, the desserts and the full order of the day around them, my Best Thanksgiving Recipes (My Complete Menu in One Place) lays out the complete menu in one place. Prefer the week planned for you? The Thanksgiving plan inside my Meal Plans page puts these sides into a ready-made holiday plan (Plan E), shopping logic included.
Thanksgiving Sides FAQ
How many side dishes should I serve for Thanksgiving?
For most tables, four to five sides is the sweet spot — exactly this list. It gives you something creamy, something crisp, something sweet and something classic, without turning the day into a marathon. For a very large crowd, add bread and a salad rather than a sixth hot side; oven space is the real limit.
What can I make ahead for Thanksgiving?
More than you would think — follow the game plan above. The mashed potatoes and the sweet potato filling keep for two days, the stuffing and the mac and cheese assemble a day ahead, and the green beans and their sauce wait separately in the fridge. Thanksgiving Day becomes mostly baking and reheating.
How do I reheat the sides without drying them out?
Use the oven, keep dishes covered with foil so they warm gently, and stir a splash of warm cream or stock into anything creamy before it goes in. Crisp toppings are the exception: add them late, or reheat that dish uncovered for the last few minutes so the top crisps again instead of steaming soft.
The Sides Are the Meal
That is the list — ranked, tested, and planned down to the day. Cook these five and your Thanksgiving table is not missing anything; it is exactly what everyone came for. If you make them, I would love to hear which one disappeared first at your table. Leave me a comment below and please leave a star rating — it helps other home cooks find these recipes, and it truly makes my day.
Come say hello and follow along: find Lea Recipes on Facebook, on Pinterest (@learecipes), and on Instagram (@lea_recipes1), where I share a new recipe every day. Happy Thanksgiving! — Lea Bennett
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