These Vegetable Side A-Listers Are Stars of the Thanksgiving Table

We know that dishes like buttery mashed potatoes, creamy gravy and rich stuffing are what Thanksgiving’s all about. But if you ask us, the true sleeper hits of the meal are the vegetable sides: the little bit of nutrient-rich greenery on the table that manage to make us feel okay about the rest of the day’s indulgences. Here are 16 vegetable side dishes that will add both flavor and wholesomeness to your turkey day dinner.

Autumn Vegetables with Miso Brown Butter Here, root vegetables and winter squash are roasted until nicely caramelized, then tossed with brown butter flavored with white miso.

Brussels Sprouts with Pickled Carrots, Cilantro and Citrus Vinaigrette Chef Joshua McFadden suggests serving this gorgeous Thanksgiving side dish warm or at room temperature, but not cold. If you make it ahead, pull it out of the fridge 20 minutes before you serve it.

Curried Cauliflower with Pickled Onions and Pomegranate Pickled red onions, pomegranate seeds and cilantro lend color and flavor to this cauliflower dish, which gets its intense flavor from curry butter.

Green Bean Bundles with Bacon and Brown Sugar Wrapped with a strip of bacon, these green bean bundles add an elegant touch to the holiday table. To get a head start, you can trim and blanch the beans a day in advance, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Charred Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Orange Combining just five ingredients, this fall dish packs a powerhouse of contrasting flavors—slightly bitter brussels sprouts, salty bacon and sweet oranges, plus the warmth of ground cumin.

Joshua McFadden’s Kale Salad “I created this kale salad in rebellion against those miserable greens, having no idea it would take the world by storm,” Chef Joshua McFadden says. “But once it got written up in the New York Times, the world seemed to have an unending hunger for kale salads!” Here we add fresh citrus slices and candied walnuts to make it even more festive for a Thanksgiving or winter celebration.

Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Onions Serving a traditional Thanksgiving meal, complete with iconic side dishes like green bean casserole, is easier than ever with our starter kit. Dried porcini and champignon mushrooms in the kit elevate this classic holiday dish into something special.

Mushrooms with Shallots and Sherry Mushrooms and sherry are a classic combo in Spain, where chefs know that a good sherry brings out the best in woodsy mushrooms.

Roasted Fall Vegetables with Apples and Thyme Apples are the surprise ingredient in this medley of roasted fall vegetables.

Roasted Squash with Cranberries and Thyme Maple syrup both complements the natural sweetness of squash and lends a rich accent. For a lighter glaze, substitute honey for the syrup, or use only butter.

Roasted Squash with Yogurt, Walnuts and Spiced Green Sauce In his cookbook Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables, Chef Joshua McFadden describes this dish by saying, “Such a stunning dish, and with so little work.”

Roasted Sunchokes and Carrots Sunchokes, also known as Jerusalem artichokes, are the small tubers of a sunflower plant native to North America and have a sweet, slightly nutty flavor.

Sautéed Broccolini Fresh broccolini is best prepared simply—with elemental adornments like shallots, garlic and red pepper flakes—to allow its sweet flavor and tender texture to shine through.

Mashed Potatoes and Cauliflower with Fried Tarragon In this inventive spin on mashed potatoes, we’ve added cauliflower to the mix, which lends both flavor and moisture. As a result, you can reduce the amount of butter and cream typically needed for mashed potatoes.