16 Easy, Last-Minute Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes

If you're looking for a delicious side dish made in an hour or less to serve on Thanksgiving, here are 16 amazing options to choose from.

microwave creamed spinach in a white bowl — Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel

We all know how easily time can get away from us during the holidays. You can go from having a few days to plan and prep to just an afternoon in the blink of an eye, but that doesn't mean you have to show up to Thanksgiving empty-handed or with something store-bought.

These 16 easy, approachable recipes take less than an hour to make and don't require any special ingredients. Each one makes a crowd-pleasing side that any Thanksgiving table will be happy to have, so find your favorite and thank us later.

1. Crispy Parmesan Potato Stacks

"I purposely use a silicone pastry brush for this recipe because I found that a standard pastry brush with bristles added too much oil." —Lisa Lin, Simply Recipes Contributor

2. Microwave Garlicky Creamed Spinach

"This recipe calls for canned coconut cream, but you can use heavy cream instead—the sauce will be thinner but still delicious." —Julie and Amy Luxemberg, Simply Recipes Contributors

3. Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Lemon

A bowl of shaved brussels sprouts — Elise Bauer

"Slicing the Brussels sprouts can be a bit laborious; if you have a food processor with a slicing blade, this would be a good way to make use of it." —Elise Bauer, Simply Recipes Founder

4. Creamed Corn

A close up shot of creamed corn on a serving dish — Sally Vargas

"For a creamed corn casserole, add a little extra liquid (cream or water,) sprinkle a little cheddar or Parmesan on top, and bake in a 375°F oven until brown and bubbly." —Sally Vargas, Simply Recipes Contributor

5. Candied Yams

Close-up photo of candies yams in a bowl — Simply Recipes / Simply Recipes

"Grocery stores in the U.S. tend to use the terms yams and sweet potatoes interchangeably, but they are not. True yams aren't usually found in grocery stores and they're very starchy and white inside—they won't work in this recipe." —Hank Shaw, Simply Recipes Contributor

6. Green Beans with Shallots and Pancetta

"When cooking the beans: test one bean. If it is "chewy" keep the beans cooking a bit longer. If you are using French cut beans, or extra thin beans, they may not need to cook as long as 4 minutes; start testing them at 1 1/2 to 2 minutes." —Elise

7. Butternut Squash with Walnuts and Vanilla

A bowl of squash with vanilla — Elise Bauer

"We're using butternut squash for this dish, but you could easily use kabocha squash instead, or any firm, easy-to-peel, winter squash." —Elise

8. Garlic Roasted Potatoes

Roasted halved potatoes on a baking sheet, sprinkled with flakey salt and parsley — Simply Recipes / Jazzmin Kaita

"There is no need to flip the potatoes during cooking; leaving the potatoes cut side down creates a brown, crispy texture. It also makes this recipe largely hands-off." —Haley Scarpino, Simply Recipes Newsletter Editor

9. Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad

Serving of Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad with Lemony Breadcrumbs in a Bowl with a Fork Next to a Larger Bowl with More, a Bowl with Shredded Parmesan, and a Glass — Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

"If you have a food processor with a slicer attachment, use it! It will save you lots of prep time. Another option: some grocery stores carry shaved Brussel sprouts—find it where you’d find bagged salad kits. You’ll need about 24 ounces of pre-shaved Brussels." —Devan Grimsrud, Simply Recipes Contributor

10. Perfect Mashed Potatoes

A bowl of mashed potatoes with butter melting in the center — Simply Recipes / Photo by Andrew Bui / Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne

"Start cooking the potatoes in cold water: This ensures that the potatoes cook evenly. Otherwise, if you start with hot or boiling water, the outsides of the potatoes cook and soften while the middles are still hard and crunchy." —Elise

11. Butternut Squash with Brown Butter and Thyme

A bowl of butternut squash — Elise Bauer

"This was so easy (used the precut squash found in all grocery stores!) and absolutely delicious. I've taken many recipes off the computer, but this is the first time I have gone back to review. Love that it is done on the stove top rather than the oven. Seems to take much less time and clean up is a snap!" —Jackie, Simply Recipes Reader

12. Easy Sautéed Swiss Chard

A plate of sauteed swiss chard — Elise Bauer

"Choose chard with crisp, deep green leaves and stems that are firm. Don't buy wilted chard or chard with leaves with holes in them. To keep it fresh, store dry chard at home before wrapping in paper towels in an air-tight zipper bag for up to 7 days." —Simply Recipes Editors

13. Butter Swim Biscuits

A butter swim biscuit in the pan on top of a spatula — Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

"If you don’t have buttermilk, you can substitute with plain yogurt. You can also use whole milk instead for a milder flavor." —Cynthia Christensen, Simply Recipes Contributor

14. Classic Glazed Carrots

Overhead view of a serving bowl of glazed carrots. — Michelle Becker

"Use equal amounts brown sugar, honey, or pure maple syrup in place of the sugar." —Simply Recipes Editors

15. Southern “Fried” Cabbage

overhead view of a bowl of Southern “Fried” Cabbage — Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

"A touch of sugar in this recipe helps balance the salty savoriness." —Laurel Randolph, Simply Recipes Senior Editor

16. Cranberry Relish

A bowl of cranberry relish — Elise Bauer

"You can use either a grinder (an old fashioned one or a KitchenAid attachment) or a food processor to grind up the relish. We prefer using a grinder to a food processor because a grinder does a better job smooshing the cranberries, orange, and apples together while it cuts them up. But either way will work." —Elise