We’re just going to come out and say it: the sides are the best part of the Thanksgiving feast. We love a turkey as much as anyone else but there’s nothing quite as satisfying as piling your plate high with an assortment of flavors. On Turkey Day that means tried-and-true classics (like green bean casserole, Thanksgiving stuffing and sweet-tart cranberry sauce), a cornucopia of vegetable side dishes like corn, carrots and green beans—and, of course, all the oh-so-hearty-and-satisfying side dishes starring potatoes and sweet potatoes. And, while we fully support making as many sides as possible for your Thanksgiving dinner, there’s one that’s an absolute must: this crowd-pleasing sweet potato casserole, sprinkled with a crunchy pecan topping!

They may not be in your grandmother’s Thanksgiving recipe box, but slow-roasted potatoes in spiced cowboy butter is a delicious, festive side dish perfectly matched to the holiday’s flavors. If you’re not familiar with cowboy butter you’re in for a treat: It’s a compound butter — butter that’s been softened, mixed with seasonings and then chilled — that’s famous for its bold herby, garlicky, spicy flavor. It’s ideal paired with roasted Yukon gold potatoes and likely to become a favorite. You might want to make a double batch of the butter and save some for melting over steaks, chicken, vegetables or anything that needs a flavor kick.

Nancy Fuller’s homemade green bean casserole upgrades the classic with fresh ingredients and a creamy, crunchy finish that’s perfect for Thanksgiving.

Alex Guarnaschelli’s Parker House rolls are soft, buttery and golden brown—an irresistible Thanksgiving side that’s perfect for soaking up gravy.

This veggie-forward pasta salad has everything you would expect in a Thanksgiving meal, except the turkey! We took tender rotini and added plenty of seasonal roasted vegetables like Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes and kale. Sweet-tart cranberries and crunchy pistachios are laced throughout for texture and brightness, then it’s tossed with a nutty tahini dressing with fresh sage, thyme and a hint of maple syrup. The result is a vegetarian dish that’s bound to please everyone at the table, and one that can be vegan if you ensure your Dijon and pasta are vegan-friendly.

Somewhere between oven-roasted potatoes and crispy hash, these little creamer potatoes are boiled in water with baking soda before being smashed. The alkaline in the baking soda helps the skins crisp up quickly. Smashing increases their surface area and contact with the pan. The result is the crunchiest-ever crust.

Ellie Krieger’s honey-roasted sweet potatoes are tender, caramelized and lightly sweetened for a wholesome twist on a classic Thanksgiving side.

You don’t have to be a millionaire to make this mac and cheese, but after just one bite you might feel like one. Sharp aged Cheddar, creamy fontina and melty Gouda blend to make it irresistibly rich and gooey, and a topping of truffled brioche breadcrumbs make it a golden masterpiece.

Meet your new favorite one-pan side dish for Thanksgiving and beyond, thanks to the perfect, melt-in-your-mouth texture and overall ease of this sweet potato creation. Simply brown thick slices in a skillet with butter, then finish in the oven to create a syrupy glaze flavored with maple and thyme. Top with toasty marshmallows for a nod to the holiday classic.

Before the kale craze, there were collard greens, a go-to veggie in American Black households. The process of cleaning and prepping the greens is key for making them deliciously tender and tasty. Cut the leaves from the tough center rib before slicing—the thinner, the better. Collards are traditionally cooked with smoked meat like ham hocks or turkey wings, adding an extra dimension of flavor to the bitter greens.

Take all the flavors of a classic sweet potato casserole and cross them with the elegance of a hasselback potato; you'll have one showstopping holiday side dish.

This rich and decadent baked pasta is a Southern Black staple for holidays and special occasions. Steering away from the standard stovetop mac, this version includes three kinds of cheese and bakes up like a casserole with a crispy, golden top. The addition of eggs makes it similar to a cheesy, savory custard. Warning: this is not diet food!

Our favorite fall vegetable takes the place of traditional apples in this gorgeous tarte tatin that has savory accents of fresh herbs and Parmesan.

If you've been looking for a secret ingredient for your Thanksgiving stuffing or dressing, we promise you, this is it: oysters. When finely chopped, they practically melt into the other ingredients, adding a nice saltiness—and no seafood aftertaste.

You can't go wrong with these creamy, classic scalloped potatoes.

Traditional creamed corn gets its luscious richness not from cream or milk, but from the milky juice of the corn kernels and cob. Here, frozen corn steps in during the off-season and holiday months. It's simmered until tender, partially pureed and then thickened with a slurry of flour and water. You'll be surprised at the velvety soft texture and we'll be surprised if this isn't your new go-to creamed corn recipe.

Cook mashed sweet potatoes from start to finish in an Instant Pot, then top with crunchy pecans and an optional — but deliciously decadent — marshmallow swirl.

This casserole combines all the irresistible features of a loaded spud, but it is cooked and served family style for an extra-hearty side.

The natural umami of these mushrooms paired with a savory red wine sauce makes this dish a very steak-like experience with zero meat. King trumpet mushrooms get their name for a reason: They’re the largest in the oyster mushroom family, making them hefty enough for knife-and-fork eating. Scoring them with a crosshatch pattern before cooking helps the marinade penetrate and gives them a steakhouse appearance. Serve this dish as a main course or as a new side dish for your Thanksgiving table.

Despite its elegance, this delicious side dish is simple and quick to prepare. With its crispy edges, herby butter and easy portioning, this will surely become your new autumn staple.

Get crispy, blistered green beans with very little oil, thanks to your air fryer! We added a simple gremolata topping of fragrant lemon zest, chopped parsley and garlic that's easy to make while the vegetables are cooking.

Alton says a piping-hot cast-iron skillet is a must to make this creamed corn cornbread. Serve right out of the skillet for a rustic presentation or invert onto a platter.

The secret to getting crispy, caramelized acorn squash with very little added oil? Your trusty air fryer! We topped the whole dish with a sprinkle of Parmesan and a drizzle of brown butter, for a comforting and easy fall side dish.

Sweet potato casserole gets a tricky makeover. What looks like a plate of poutine (french fries topped with gravy and cheese curds), is actually a familiar sweet trio: sweet potatoes, brown sugar and toasted marshmallows.

When you layer creamy and cheesy spuds in a Bundt pan, you get impressive potatoes no one can resist.

Ina's roasted butternut squash is hardly a recipe; it's more a method, one applicable to all fall root vegetables. All you need is some oil, salt, pepper and a hot oven.

These super creamy mashed potatoes could not be any easier — no dicing and no draining. Make the potatoes earlier in the day, then just set them on the warm setting in your Instant Pot so they are nice and hot when you're ready to sit down.

Giada's surprisingly easy homemade gnocchi is an irresistible Italian twist on the classic sweet potato side dish.

The holidays are the perfect time to splurge on these homemade buttermilk biscuits. Ree bakes hers in a cast-iron skillet and brushes the tops with melted butter for a golden-brown effect.

For his Throwdown take on this comfort food classic, Bobby adds sweet roasted garlic and spoonfuls of rich, creamy mascarpone cheese.

This Thanksgiving side dish couldn't be easier. Part cornbread, part corn pudding, it is moist and decadent. Perfect for when you're hosting, but also travels well for when you're bringing a dish as a guest.

All of turkey's favorite sidekicks are baked in one sheet pan. The result is minimal prep and very little cleanup — perfect for a small Thanksgiving gathering!

This roasted cauliflower is sure to please the vegetarians, but we've got a good feeling the turkey eaters are going to want some too. It's filled with classic stuffing and makes for a holiday-worthy main.

Get Alex's cinnamon-spiced cranberry sauce on the table in just 17 minutes. Your guests won't believe you made a side so filled with flavor in so little time.

Baking sweet potatoes at a super high temperature caramelizes the outsides, and finishing them in chicken broth makes the insides creamy.

Save yourself the hassle of stuffing individual mushrooms and make this casserole instead. You get all the flavors of the classic dish with a fraction of the prep time.

This battered and fried green bean casserole comes together quickly, thanks to the use of prepared pancake mix. Drizzle an addictively creamy gravy over the crispy vegetables after they come out of the fryer for unmatched results.

Freshly baked corn muffins and pimento cheese are hallmarks of the South. But instead of slathering our muffins with the creamy-sharp spread, we decided to stuff them with it.

We added Cheddar and chives to this classic and quick side that goes from mixing bowl to oven in less than 10 minutes. It bakes up golden brown and puffy -- perfect for a potluck or holiday gathering.

Sunny folds charred marshmallows into the mashed sweet potatoes until combined. No need to oversweeten the potatoes, as the topping does the work.

Giada adds an Italian twist to Brussels sprouts, cooking them with pancetta.

Smashing Brussels sprouts before you roast them results in extra surface area, which translates to more crispy cheesy bits. If you have a meat mallet, it makes the smashing particularly easy and fun, but you can also use a cast-iron skillet or heavy drinking glass or mug.

Tender roasted potatoes get an extra boost of flavor and crunch, thanks to a crispy layer of golden Parmesan. We added a simple stir-together paprika aioli for dipping, but these flavorful little nuggets are equally delicious on their own. Serve them as a fun appetizer or as a side dish.

Seasonal fall fruits marinated in a bright citrus, herb and spice syrup make the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving dinner. The longer the fruits marinate, the deeper the flavors of the dish.

This dish is inspired by traditional Lebanese hashweh—which is the Arabic word for stuffing. Hashweh is generally made with onions, ground beef, spices and sometimes rice. It’s used for stuffing peppers, squash, grape leaves, potatoes, cabbage and chicken. It is also ideal for turkey. The fat from the ground beef lends delicious flavor to the bird, while the onions and spices provide a warm aroma perfect for the holidays.

Move over, Bacon. Roasted Brussels sprouts have a sweet companion in this easy side: red grapes. As the Brussels sprouts roast in the oven, cook the grapes in butter on the stovetop till they're literally bursting with flavor. The grapes' natural juices will turn into a delicious glaze to complement the savory sprouts.

It will be hard to go back to buying premade buns after trying these homemade rolls from Food Network Kitchen.

Win over even the die-hard stuff-from-a-can fans with this recipe. The cranberry sauce boasts a smooth texture and a sweet-tart flavor that everyone will love, and — even better! — you can make it a day before the big feast.

Sage is a well-known player in the Thanksgiving lineup, but it's usually used to flavor the stuffing or season the bird. This year, cook sage leaves in brown butter, then pour the over creamy mashed potatoes to add a welcome touch of warm flavor.

Kick your roasted root vegetable game up a notch by including parsnips, turnips and celery root. Toasted pumpkin seeds provide a nice crunch sprinkled atop the tender veggies.

Heavy cream sweetened with maple syrup lends decidedly fall flavor to this sweet potato side. One bite of the gingersnap-breadcrumb topping will have you thinking that waiting till dessert for cookies is just plain silly.

Follow Rachael's lead to whip up a company-worthy, 8-minute veggie with a flavorful citrus punch.