Looking for Easy Thanksgiving Side Dishes that are kid-friendly as well? You’ve come to the right place. With six kids, I’ve cooked many a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner and I know what works. I’ve rounded up the best Thanksgiving Side Dishes so that you can take it easier on the big day.
There are so many great options. You make your own Cranberry Sauce or buy the jellied kind in the can. Prep a Thanksgiving Fruit Salad or just a simple Fruit Tray. Don’t forget to make Turkey Cinnamon Rolls, too!
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Having witnessed the pursed lips, the raised eyebrows, and the crossed arms, I know that weeknight dinners and the Thanksgiving feast alike can be a challenge for families. With four younger siblings and six children of my own, I know what it means to plan some kid-friendly Thanksgiving recipes.
There’s a secret ingredient that you can load up on right now to make sure your Turkey Day food is something that the whole family can appreciate.
And that is SIMPLICITY.
Yep, where kids are concerned, keep your special occasions simple. Not only can you focus on affordable, simple ingredients for Thanksgiving Day, but you can also save a lot of time and money by not running yourself ragged.
The best part is that you’ll spend less time hassling your kids to eat and enjoy more family time together!
You don’t need an extensive list of fancy new recipes to keep young children happy this fall season. Quite the opposite. Good food is simple.
Tips for Keeping It Simple and Kid-Friendly
?Consider these tips as you plan your meals this holiday season. These
- Choose the easy recipe over the complicated one. Not only will you save time and money, but it will be more of a crowd-pleaser, especially with the kids. While I love my green bean casserole recipe, I know more people will enjoy the Garlic Green Beans for an easy side dish that takes less effort from me.
- Instead of four side dish vegetables, choose two: one that is plain and universally liked, like buttered carrots or green beans, and a fancier one for the adults like Sweet Potato Casserole.
- Keep things familiar. Kids are generally going to balk at weird-looking food, no matter how much you like it. Creamy mashed potatoes are a yes, so long as that’s what you normally serve. If you regularly serve Mashed Sweet Potatoes, then that might be a better option. In my experience, anything with a creamy sauce or canned soup is a no.
- Consider the textures. Your pickiest eaters may flinch at the texture of pumpkin pie but love the pumpkin flavor in Pumpkin Bread or Pumpkin Bundt Cake. Think about how you can expose them to new foods without sending them freaking over the weird textures of things.
- Include little helpers whenever you can. Kids love to help and if they have a say in the menu or how to set the Thanksgiving table, they will naturally have a buy-in to the big Thanksgiving meal, both in eating it and in helping you make it. Plan some Thanksgiving activities as well.
- Encourage them to take one bite of the roast turkey and traditional sides. I’m a firm believer in early and regular exposure to flavors. All my picky eaters now love mushrooms, sauerkraut, and kale salad. This was not the case once upon a time. Don’t be pushy and be sure to defend your kid against well-meaning family members, but do encourage them to try different foods on your holiday table.
- Think small. Smaller portions and serving sizes are great for little hands and also an easy way to stretch your different dishes among a crowd at a big meal. Baking Thanksgiving stuffing cups in a muffin tin or prepping mini pumpkin pies is a fun way to make your holiday meal a little more kid-friendly.
Easy Thanksgiving Side Dishes
The best Thanksgiving Sides are the ones your kid will eat. Try these easy Thanksgiving recipes and let us know what you think.
Easy, Affordable Relish Tray
A relish tray is a great dish to add to the appetizer or dinner table. It is super simple and totally affordable to make with select veggies, olives, and pickles.
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Easy Vegetable Tray
Purchased vegetable trays are convenient, but they can be costly. Here’s all you need to create a super easy veggie tray and save money.
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Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dip
Enjoy dipping veggies, pizza, or chicken tender into this easy homemade ranch dip. It's delicious and made with all real food ingredients.
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Thanksgiving Fruit Salad
Make a Thanksgiving Fruit Salad with seasonal fresh fruit! This combo is the perfect blend of what’s in season along with a creamy spiced Greek yogurt dip and the added crunch of toasted pecans.
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Fresh Fruit Platter Recipe
Arrange a pretty platter of fruit with this easy fruit tray recipe. Customize it to suit your tastes and what's in season or on sale.
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Winter Fruit Tray
Dessert will be fresh and easy when you serve a Winter Fruit Tray, laden with seasonal fruit. Follow these serving tips to make it simple for your guests.
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Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
This Roasted Sweet Potato Salad is spiced with ginger, cinnamon, and coriander and dotted with dried fruit, roasted onion, and garlic, for a hearty salad packed with flavor.
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Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Garlic
Enjoy this dairy-free alternative to sweet potato casserole. These savory sweet potatoes are mashed and dressed up with olive oil and garlic for a delicious side dish.
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Sweet Potato Fries
These Sweet Potato Fries are super simple make, and they taste great! Bake up a batch in about 30 minutes with no fuss or hassle.
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Mushroom and Onion Gravy
Let bottled and dry mix gravy be relics of the past! This recipe for Mushroom and Onion Gravy stirs up silky and delicious. It's also super freezer-friendly.
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Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes for the freezer is a great recipe to save time, money, and kitchen clean-up. Stir up a few batches for comfort food in the bank!
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Cheesy Mashed Potato Casserole
Need a comfy side dish? Make the Cheesy Mashed Potato Casserole my kids go nuts for. It's very make-ahead and as easy to freeze.
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Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
Thinly sliced potatoes nestle in a bath of cream, half and half, and butter, resulting in the Best Scalloped Potatoes that are also naturally gluten-free.
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Slow Cooker Potatoes
Slow Cooker Potatoes are absolutely delicious! Quick prep and hands-free cooking make for super simple crock pot potatoes you’ll want on repeat.
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Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Shallots
A quick sauté of sprouts with bacon and shallots makes for a quick and flavorful side dish. Learn how to make Brussels sprouts good.
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Homemade Green Bean Casserole
Give green bean casserole an upgrade with homemade cream of celery soup, asiago cheese, and panko bread crumbs.
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Easy Garlic Green Beans
Containing only five ingredients: frozen green beans, oil or butter, salt, pepper, and garlic, they take about ten minutes to pull together.
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Lemon Broccoli and Peas
Seasoning vegetables doesn’t have to be rocket science, but can be the difference between okay side dishes and fabulous feasts. With a combo of salt, lemon, olive oil, and just the right amount of heat, this Lemon Broccoli and Peas is out of this world.
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Broccoli Cranberry Salad
This slightly sweet Broccoli Salad is full of texture, thanks to pecans, cranberries, and red onions. It makes a delicious side salad.
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Corn Salad
Sweet juicy corn, crunchy pepper, and kicky green onion combine in a delicious corn salad you'll want to enjoy all year long. Serve it as a side salad or as a topping for tacos or nachos.
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Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
The easiest Instant Pot Mac and Cheese recipe comes together in just minutes, tastes great, and feeds a crowd easily. With just three main ingredients, you really can't go wrong!
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3-Ingredient Mac and Cheese Recipe
This is the easiest mac and cheese you'll ever make with just three ingredients – plus salt and pepper!
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Carrot Salad with Cilantro and Pepitas
Shredded carrots get oomph from fresh cilantro, a simple dressing of orange juice and spices with pepitas adding some crunch.
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Easy Caesar Salad Recipe
Caesar Salad can be simple, quick, delicious, and economical if you know how to make the right tweaks. I’ll show you how in this easy Caesar Salad recipe.
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Spinach Salad with Oranges & Cranberries Recipe
Spinach Salad marinates in balsamic vinegar before being topped with orange slices, dried cranberries, and sunflower seeds, resulting in a flavorful and sunshiny fresh salad.
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Simple Romaine Salad with Cranberries and Feta
Enjoy a light lunch, side salad, or appetizer with this Simple Romaine Salad with Cranberries and Feta. It’s easy, make-ahead, and absolutely delicious.
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Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Ditch the can this holiday season. Cranberry Sauce is incredibly easy to make yourself and it tastes amazing. It also freezes beautifully!
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Baked Stuffing with Onion and Sage
A classic side dish for roast chicken or turkey is a bread stuffing, or dressing. This Baked Stuffing with Onion and Sage is a major crowd-pleaser and very freezer-friendly.
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Seasoned Corn Off The Cob
Liven up a simple supper with this easy, Seasoned Corn off the Cob. It comes together in minutes and makes for an ideal side dish without the fuss.
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Buttermilk Cornbread
This Buttermilk Cornbread is so easy to make, super delicious — and it even passes muster with my Southern friends — even if it’s sweet cornbread.
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Cranberry Rolls Recipe
Whole grain rolls dotted with sweet cranberries — what's not to love? Bake a batch of Cranberry Rolls to eat now and one to freeze for later.
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Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
Homemade pumpkin dinner rolls for your fall or holiday bread basket!
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