Every time I ask my followers what they want to see in terms of holiday content, I get an overwhelming request for one thing. Easy side dishes to bring to Thanksgiving for the holidays. And you know what? I feel you.
I think we make this way harder than it needs to be though. Personally, I always want to bring something new and different that everyone will ooh and ah over. But it doesn’t have to be like that. And once you get over that misconception you’ll be golden.
I do have several great side dish ideas for you to bring over to friends’ houses and potluck dinners this holiday season. Some are good to go without any additional steps once you arrive, but some have a few tips. And I think that’s fine.
Just make sure to ask the host if you can use their microwave or oven to do whichever step you need to. Likely, if they’re asking everyone to bring side dishes, they probably have a little bit of space. Just don’t request the oven for an hour! But a quick 20-minute heat up, or 10 minutes to brown the marshmallows is all you need, just ask!
Side Dishes For Thanksgiving
Tips
I also wanted to share a few tips to bringing food over to people’s homes so things don’t go awry. These are just a good idea and will ensure your dish arrives safely and gets served properly.
Bring Utensils
Don’t always expect that they have serving utensils for everything. Bring them just in case so you have them available.
Use A Thermal Carrier
And if you’re bringing something hot but don’t want to take up their oven, invest in a $20 thermal carrier. This one from Amazon is perfect! If you have a large lunchbox or even a regular cooler, that can work too. Anything that’s insulated will help keep things warm or hot.
Make A Note For Directions
And lastly, if you do need to heat something up, be sure to write down any information about the dish if need be. Does it need to be heated up for 10 min at 350? Put it on a post-it note and pop it on the top. This way if the host wants to handle warming things so they can manage their kitchen and time, they know what to do!
7 Easy Side Dishes To Bring To Thanksgiving
Maple Bourbon Sweet Potato Pie
I love this simple sweet potato casserole side dish so much and is essential for Thanksgiving meals. It’s easy to whip up ahead of time and can be transported already heated up and ready to go. If you don’t want to fuss with the maple bourbon glaze, just leave it out and up the sugar a tad in the sweet potatoes.
Tip To Transport
If you can use your host’s oven, you can finish this off there with marshmallows on top for about 10-15 minutes. I recommend heating it up at your house first and transporting it so you aren’t taking up a whole 45 minutes of cooking time in the oven. You can also add the glaze to the top before heading out the door and it’ll be just fine!
Simple Green Beans
I’m telling you, you don’t have to go fancy and overthink this. Simple green beans with lemon and shaved cheese will be a perfect side dish. Everyone needs to eat their vegetables and this is a nice light side dish that looks pretty too. Instead of going with the creamy and heavy green bean casserole, this feels lighter and is equally as delicious if you ask me.
Tip To Transport
A quick nuke in the microwave will bring these back to life. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and top with your cheese shavings.
Roasted Beet + Farro Kale Salad
I haven’t made this in years and I’m about to change that. This salad screams fall harvest. With colorful roasted beets and carrots, hearty kale and chewy farro (a favorite grain of mine), this dish is a beauty. It can be served cold too so this is the ideal Thanksgiving side dish if you’re looking to not fuss with anything at all.
Tip To Transport
Bring in a serving dish with serving utensils. The kale can withstand the dressing for a few hours without it getting soggy so feel free to make this the morning of and bring it when you’re ready.
Butternut Squash and Shaved Brussels Salad
One of my favorite salads ever. I make this all year round it’s so good. This is a beauty of a dish and is actually fairly easy to transport!
This fall salad can be served entirely cold if you like. But if you want the mix of hot and cold with the roasted veggies, you can totally transport it that way too.
Tip To Transport
If you want to keep your roasted veggies hot for this, just keep them separate from the salad after you roast them. Arrange the rest of the salad on your platter and cover with plastic wrap.
When you get to your host’s house, pop the Tupperware of roasted veggies into the microwave until heated (won’t take long!). You can pop them in the oven if there’s room, but I like to avoid taking up valuable oven space. Then toss over the salad and drizzle the dressing. It’s really not that complicated and I think worth the extra step.
Baked Brie Mac & Cheese
This Thanksgiving recipe is on my to-make list. I love mac and cheese and I love baked brie. Macaroni and cheese is always a really easy dish to whip up and transport. And who doesn’t love the cheesy goodness? Really, any mac & cheese makes for a great side dish to bring. But why not try a new one?
Tip To Transport
Heat at home and transport in a warmer. You can always add this to the oven to get it back up to temp for a few minutes.
Roasted Sweet Potato With Pecan And Walnut Syrup Recipe
I love a roasted sweet potato, and this is a great way to serve them that feels a little different. Instead of a mashed sweet potato, these are cut and roasted in discs. I top them with a pecan maple syrup for added crunch and texture to the dish.
Tip To Transport
These definitely taste better when heated up, so if you can bring in a warming travel container that’s ideal. They will just take a few minutes in the oven to warm up too if they need a little more heat. Pack the syrup to go with the dish.
Classic Mashed Potatoes
There’s really nothing more classic than mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving. They go perfectly with the gravy, and if you like a bit of sweetness, add a bit of cranberry sauce to them too. I love the buttery goodness and creaminess of mashed potatoes. And if you love garlic, try roasting a head of it and adding it in. This recipe is from Love and Lemons.
Tip to Transport
Transporting mashed potatoes may run the risk of drying out when you continue to reheat them. Depending on your host, you may want to ask if you can pop them over a double boiler to warm up. If you do add them to the oven, you may want to just add in a bit more milk and butter to add some moisture to the potatoes. Make sure the butter and milk are melted and warmed too.
If you’re tasked with bringing Thanksgiving side dishes to Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving this year, try one of these easy and delicious Thanksgiving recipes for the perfect side dish. Cheers to a delicious holiday meal with friends and family!
Featured image from Half Baked Harvest
