Potato Thanksgiving Side Dishes
20 Potato Side Dishes for Thanksgiving
If there is one side dish that always earns a place on the Thanksgiving table, it has to be potatoes. Whether you prefer them creamy and buttery, crispy and golden, cheesy and bubbling, or packed with herbs and garlic, there is a potato side dish for everyone.
And you don’t have to stick with the same mashed potatoes every year. From impressive Hasselback potatoes and elegant potato tarts to easy air fryer potatoes and comforting casseroles, these Thanksgiving potato recipes give you plenty of ways to make your holiday menu a little more exciting.
1. Parmesan Herb Potato Bites
These crispy Parmesan Herb Potato Bites are a fun alternative to a traditional potato side dish and would make a great addition to a Thanksgiving buffet. Bite-sized potatoes are coated with Parmesan and herbs before being cooked until golden and crisp, giving you plenty of savory flavor and crunchy edges. They’re easy for guests to grab alongside their turkey and other sides, and they’re especially appealing if you have kids at the table who love anything they can eat with their fingers.
2. Fondant Potatoes
If you want a potato side dish that looks a little more elegant for Thanksgiving, these fondant potatoes are a beautiful choice. The potatoes are browned until golden before being cooked until wonderfully tender, giving them crisp, caramelized edges and a soft, buttery center. They look impressive enough for a special holiday dinner but are made with simple ingredients, making them a lovely change from the usual roasted potatoes.
3. Creamy Mashed Potatoes
No Thanksgiving potato roundup would be complete without creamy mashed potatoes. This creamy mashed potato recipe gives you the classic side dish everyone expects to see next to the turkey. Smooth, rich mashed potatoes are practically made for a generous spoonful of gravy, and they’re also one of those dishes that can be easily adapted with extra butter, garlic, herbs, or cheese depending on your family’s favorite flavors.
4. Air Fryer Accordion Potatoes
These Air Fryer Accordion Potatoes are a fun way to make crispy potatoes while saving precious oven space on Thanksgiving. The accordion cuts give the potatoes lots of edges to become beautifully golden and crisp while the inside stays tender. They also have a fun presentation that makes them stand out on the holiday table, and using the air fryer means you don’t have to compete with the turkey and all those casseroles for room in the oven.
5. Mashed Potatoes with Cottage Cheese
For a slightly different take on the traditional Thanksgiving favorite, try these mashed potatoes with cottage cheese. Cottage cheese adds creaminess and gives the potatoes a little extra richness while keeping them familiar enough for even the traditionalists at the table. This is a great recipe to try if your family expects mashed potatoes every Thanksgiving but you want to change things up just enough to make this year’s version feel different.
6. Creamy Potatoes Au Gratin
If your family loves cheesy potato dishes, these creamy potatoes au gratin are an excellent choice for Thanksgiving. Thinly sliced potatoes are layered with a rich, creamy sauce and baked until tender and golden, creating the kind of comforting casserole that feels right at home on a holiday table. It’s a particularly good option when you’re feeding a crowd because you can prepare it in a baking dish and serve generous spoonfuls alongside the turkey.
7. Scalloped Potatoes
Classic scalloped potatoes are another Thanksgiving favorite that never seems to go out of style. Thinly sliced potatoes are baked in a creamy sauce until they are tender and full of comforting flavor, creating a hearty side that pairs beautifully with roast turkey, ham, or beef. If mashed potatoes are already spoken for on your Thanksgiving menu, scalloped potatoes are a delicious way to offer a completely different texture while still giving everyone the potatoes they love.
8. Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes
Take your usual mashed potatoes up a notch with these caramelized onion mashed potatoes with Greek yogurt. The sweet, savory flavor of caramelized onions adds extra depth to creamy potatoes and makes this familiar side feel a little more special for Thanksgiving. It’s a great choice when you want something that still feels traditional but has an extra layer of flavor that guests might not be expecting.
9. Garlic Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes
These Garlic Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes take a classic holiday side and give it even more savory flavor. Tender slices of potato combined with garlic and Parmesan make a rich and comforting dish that’s perfect alongside turkey and all the other traditional Thanksgiving favorites. If your family tends to go straight for the cheesy sides first, this is one you’ll want to make plenty of because it’s unlikely to leave many leftovers.
10. Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
These cheesy mashed potatoes are exactly what they sound like: creamy mashed potatoes made even more comforting with plenty of cheese. They’re an easy way to turn a familiar Thanksgiving staple into something a little more indulgent, and the cheesy flavor works beautifully with turkey and gravy. If you’re cooking for people who believe there is no such thing as too much cheese, this recipe deserves a spot on your holiday menu.
11. Savory Potato Tart
For something a little less traditional, this savory potato tart would make a lovely addition to a Thanksgiving spread. A potato tart gives you the comforting flavors of potatoes in a completely different format, and it can be sliced into portions and served as part of a buffet. It’s a good option when you want your holiday table to include something unexpected without moving too far away from familiar comfort food.
12. Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
Thanksgiving is the perfect time to make use of any kitchen shortcut you can find, and these Instant Pot mashed potatoes can help free up valuable stovetop space. Mashed potatoes are one of those sides that everyone wants, but preparing them while you’re juggling turkey, gravy, vegetables, and other dishes can be a challenge. Using the Instant Pot gives you another way to get creamy mashed potatoes onto the table without adding another pot to your crowded stovetop.
13. Hasselback Potatoes
These Hasselback potatoes are guaranteed to look impressive when they arrive at the Thanksgiving table. The potatoes are sliced into thin sections while keeping the base intact, creating a beautiful fan shape with plenty of crispy edges and a tender center. They’re a great choice when you want something more interesting than ordinary roasted potatoes, and you can dress them up with butter, herbs, garlic, cheese, or your favorite toppings.
14. Muffin Tin Potatoes
These muffin tin potatoes are a clever way to turn potatoes into individual servings for your Thanksgiving guests. Cooking the potatoes in a muffin tin creates neat little portions that are easy to serve and look great arranged on a platter. They’re particularly handy for a buffet-style dinner because guests can simply pick up a portion rather than trying to scoop potatoes from another large casserole.
15. Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole
For a rich and comforting Thanksgiving side, you can’t go wrong with a cheesy hash brown casserole. Hash browns combined with plenty of cheesy goodness make this the kind of dish that’s hearty enough to stand up to a big holiday meal. It’s also a great choice if you’re feeding a crowd and want something that can be prepared in a casserole dish and served alongside all the other Thanksgiving favorites.
16. Lemon Greek Potatoes
These Lemon Greek Potatoes bring something a little brighter to a Thanksgiving menu filled with rich sauces, creamy casseroles, and buttery sides. The combination of potatoes, lemon, and Greek-inspired flavors makes them a flavorful alternative to traditional roasted potatoes, and the fresh citrus notes work particularly well with roast turkey. They’re a great choice when you want one potato dish that feels a little lighter and fresher.
17. Classic Potato Salad
A classic potato salad might not be the first potato dish you think of for Thanksgiving, but it can be a great option for a more casual holiday meal. It’s particularly suited to Thanksgiving celebrations in warmer weather, where a chilled side can be a welcome change from all the hot dishes. It’s also easy to prepare ahead of time, which is always a bonus when you’re cooking a big holiday meal.
18. Sweet Potato Bites
Sweet potatoes deserve a place on any Thanksgiving table, and these Sweet Potato Bites offer a fun alternative to the traditional sweet potato casserole. Their smaller size makes them easy to serve alongside all the other dishes, while the natural sweetness of sweet potatoes brings a different flavor to the meal. They’re also a great way to add some beautiful color to your Thanksgiving spread.
19. Air Fryer Sweet Potato Jackets
These Air Fryer Sweet Potato Jackets are another easy way to add sweet potatoes to your Thanksgiving menu without taking up space in the main oven. Sweet potatoes have a naturally rich and slightly sweet flavor that works beautifully with both savory and sweet toppings, so guests can dress them up however they like. The air fryer makes them particularly useful when your oven is already packed with turkey and other holiday dishes.
20. Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
For a more casual Thanksgiving gathering, these Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries could be a fun addition to the table. Crispy sweet potato fries bring a completely different texture to the usual collection of mashed potatoes and casseroles, and they’re likely to be especially popular with younger guests. They’re also another recipe that makes good use of the air fryer when you need to keep your main oven free for the turkey and other sides.
Choosing the Best Potato Side Dishes for Thanksgiving
With so many delicious options, you certainly don’t need to make all twenty recipes for Thanksgiving! Instead, choose a few that give your menu a nice mix of textures and flavors. A creamy mashed potato alongside something crispy like Parmesan Herb Potato Bites works beautifully, while a cheesy casserole can be balanced with brighter Lemon Greek Potatoes. If you’re serving several traditional sides, adding one of the sweet potato recipes can also bring a little variety to the table.
