5 Thanksgiving Sides That Are So Good They’ll Upstage the Turkey

Looking for new dishes to spice up your Thanksgiving table? Look no further, because we have five sides that’ll crank up the heat and bring out the sweetness of your favorite holiday flavors. 

Besides the turkey, stuffing is an iconic Thanksgiving dish. Toss out the boxed stuff and make a big bowl of Cran Quinoa Stuffing. Perfect for everyone, including your gluten-free guests, this stuffing is bursting with flavor. Dried cranberries, sautéed garlic spinach, roasted acorn squash, and fruity avocado oil makes this dish a new holiday favorite.

For your guests that like it hot, Habanero Collards is a simple dish that brings the heat. Slow cooked collards with a habanero pepper and vegetable stock kick your old greens to the curb.

Lime Butter Green Beans takes the citrus tang of lime and joins it with the creamy sweetness of butter that guarantees you won’t have any green beans left over this year.

And what about that sweet potato casserole, with the marshmallows, sugar, and pecans? Forget about it and showcase a Spicy Sweet Potato Casserole instead. Sweetened with agave, spiced with a generous pinch of cayenne, and topped off with a crumbly panela walnut topping, this casserole is pure magic.

Finally, introduce some tang to your table with Balsamic Root Vegetables. A mixture of all those roots and tubers you have on hand, (sweet potatoes, purple potatoes, beets, parsnip, and carrots) are roasted with a bit of balsamic, garlic, and butter. Mix it up and make one, two, or all of these side dishes, and let your friends and family give thanks to you and your amazing cooking this year.

Next, switch up your sides with these delicious recipes…

Cran Quinoa Stuffing 

• 2 cups quinoa, cooked and warm
• 1 acorn squash, roasted and warm
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups packed spinach
• 1 teaspoon minced jalapeño
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper

Get the full recipe.

Habanero Collards 

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspon butter
• 1 cup diced leeks
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 habanero pepper
• 1 large collards bunch, washed
• 3 cups warm vegetable stock
• 1/4 cup diced smoked chorizo

Get the full recipe.

Lime Butter Green Beans 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
• 1 pound fresh green beens
• 1 lime
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, fresh cracked

Get the full recipe.

Next, two more recipes to spice up Thanksgiving dinner…

Spicy Sweet Potato Casserole 

• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 cup agave
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Get the full recipe.

Balsamic Root Vegetables 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 4 parsnips, peeled
• 3 carrots, peeled
• 1 golden beet, peeled
• 1 cup baby purple potatoes
• 3 small yukon gold potatoes
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 4 garlic cloves, skins on

Get the full recipe.