Thanksgiving Side Dishes NOT cooked in the oven!

Thanksgiving Side Dishes NOT cooked in the oven!

Oven space is always a premium around the holidays. This blog offers up 40+ great Thanksgiving Side Dishes NOT cooked in the oven. I know you’ll find a (new) favorite here with all of these delicious recipes to choose from! In addition, I’m sharing some tips to make it a stress-free holiday.

Thanksgiving without a doubt is my favorite holiday. I love the family time. Watching sports with my brother, giggling with Alice and Mom and talking cameras with Dad. Hanging out and enjoying family and friends.

How about you? Do you enjoy holiday time?

Thanksgiving Side Dishes NOT cooked in the oven!

My hubby and I were talking about Thanksgiving. We talked about past experiences of stressful holidays and it got me to thinking. What is Thanksgiving really about? For me, it is about family and camaraderie. It’s about reconnecting with those you love and giving thanks. Having extra time to spend with Dan.

• Go out to a great restaurant – pick your favorite, something everyone would enjoy!
• Order take-out, it’s ok! – order enough for dinner and a bit extra. That way when you’re looking for leftovers you’ll still have a great late-night snack in the refrigerator.
• Grocery stores offer a complete Turkey dinner with a 10-12 pound turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy for about fifty bucks! – ham & prime rib are also available. You will need to pre-order so check your local store for availability and prices.

Here’s the bottom line…. don’t stress – make it fun for everyone, including YOU!!!

So… having said if you are cooking a great Thanksgiving meal, there is always so much happening in the kitchen and especially in the oven on T-Day. What about the side dishes? There is never enough room to cook the Thanksgiving Side Dishes. What’s a gal/guy to do when everything needs to be done at the same time?

Don’t use the oven of course!

Today I wanted to share with you some great Thanksgiving Side Dishes that aren’t cooked in the oven! You’re going to find at least one (probably more!!) fabulous new recipes you’ll enjoy. This is the BEST of the BEST as many of my colleagues are sharing their favorites!

Fabulous Thanksgiving Side Dishes NOT Cooked in the Oven!

Garlicky Braised Chard

Garlicky Braised Chard – The combination of greens and garlic is tantalizing. Braising the greens and garlic together and it becomes garlicky sweet goodness!

Starting with all things green – green beans and peas!

• Love your pressure cooker? Me too! This Southern Style Instant Pot Green Bean Recipe is ready in minutes!
• Erica’s Recipes has shared an amazing German Green Bean Salad with Dill – what’s even better here, this delicious side dish is made the night before!
• Just to the side from the LeMoine Family Kitchen is a delicious Peas with Pancetta & Shallots – Angela is used to hosting a crowd and this side is so simple, but is fancy enough for a Holiday meal!
• The Organic Kitchen has shared Grandma Julia’s Green Beans (and you know if it is a recipe from Grandma is will be even more fabulous, right?) don’t these look crunchy and delicious? WOW!!
• Last up is my recipe for 3 Ingredients Steamed Green Beans – I love these, my hubby and I enjoy them all the time – delicious!

Fresh Green Beans and Brussels Sprouts

Here are a few more ideas – Fresh Green Beans with Prosciutto from The Foodie Affair and Brussels Sprouts with Bourbon from Take Two Tapas

Perfectly steamed Brussels sprouts are a healthy delicious side dish.

Steamed Brussels Sprouts are really popular too! They can be cooked on the stove top, in the microwave or in your pressure cooker! Easy-Peasy Thanksgiving Side Dish!

Made on the stove top, this side dish is easy to make!

Need a delicious side dish NOT cooked in the oven? Pan Roasted Vegetables with Sauce are lightly sautéed in butter and olive oil until caramelized and sweet. Adding tomatoes at the end makes a delicate light sauce!

Sautéed Brussel Sprouts – pan-fried in butter and olive oil until caramelized, these are tasty sprouts! Garnished with pomegranate arils they are so pretty for the fall table!

Great tip to keep sides warm? Line your cooler with foil. Wrap the heated side dish(s) in a towel and stack them in the cooler. Close the lid tightly.

• Brandi from Aunt Bee’s Recipes shared her BEST Broccoli salad – she says if you like bacon and cheese…you will love this salad!
• And Lynette from Moore or Less Cooking shared her Broccoli Salad Recipe that offers crunchy apples, chopped nuts, applewood bacon – but there’s no doubt broccoli is the star!

Navy Bean Salad from Healing Tomato

Salads are always great on the buffet – often made ahead they are a super simple side dish that everyone enjoys! Here is a yummy option using creamy navy beans and lots of bright fresh crunch! Navy Bean Salad from Healing Tomato

My Bow Tie Pasta Salad is super popular and served for every holiday meal. It’s pretty and crunchy, with loads of fresh vegetables. Bonus? Better on day two. GREAT make-ahead salad!

This Macaroni Salad is filled with vegetables and so yummy or add this Southern Style Pasta Salad to the buffet – either will be delicious!

Cranberry Sauce can often be made ahead and frozen – take out of the freezer two days before to thaw.

A Thanksgiving table is not complete without Cranberry Sauce (at least in my home!) and a couple of these are even made in the slow cooker! Even better in my book!

• Cranberry Cherry Apple Sauce is from Recipes to Nourish. The addition of apples and cinnamon sounds like such a beautiful combination. I bet it’s really fragrant too, mmm!!
• Next up is Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce by Real Food Real Deals (love that it can be made in the slow cooker) and the recipe sounds so good!
• The next Homemade Cranberry Sauce is from yours truly! 😀 Mom and I made this sauce last year and served it at Christmas too – freezes great also!
• Last, but certainly not least is another Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce from the LeMoine Family Kitchen – putting the slow cooker to work on the holiday? Brilliant!

Set the table the day before – one less thing to do!

Mashed Rutabagas from Fearless Dining

Have you tried Rutabagas before? They are always a favorite in our home! Here is a recipe from Fearless Dining for Mashed Rutabagas – this dish looks spectacular!

Pressure Cooker Baked Potatoes – so easy to make in the Instant Pot, delicious too!

Traditional Mashed Potatoes AND Gravy – all made in the pressure cooker, let me tell you it doesn’t get any either then this!

Potatoes, rice and dumplings – all that yummy goodness!

Now we have more yummy Thanksgiving Side Dishes – all made on the stovetop or an electric skillet!

• First up Sharon’s Special Sticky Rice – pure comfort food! Each bite has tender morsels of glutinous sweet rice and savory nibbles of salty Chinese sausage. Is your mouth watering yet? Mmm…. mine is!
• Culinary Ginger is serving up Sausage Stuffed Potato Dumplings – pillows of goodness I say, YUM! Or, if you don’t make them for Thanksgiving,  they could also be made with leftover mashed potatoes, turkey and stuffing, shape them and fry.

 

• Over to the right are my Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes – my hubby’s favorite, he requests these potatoes every year!
• On the bottom left another delicious Sour Cream and Onion Mashed Potatoes developed from the flavors of your favorite potato chip from A Real Food Journey – you’re going to love the amazing flavor of these mashed taters!
• And for a fun side, try Kid-Friendly Confetti Rice! Only 20 minutes to make and loaded with veggies, these sound just terrific (shhhh! don’t tell the kids, but this is healthy too!)
• Bacon & Garlic Cauliflower Mash – did someone say bacon?!!!

Easy candied yams 

One of our favorites Thanksgiving Side Dishes NOT made in the oven is Candied Sweet Potatoes – another must have on our table and even better when they are made a couple of days in advance – less stress, even better!

Cast Iron Skillet Cranberry Stuffing – perfect for a simple side dish, fancy enough for your holiday meal!

Fire up the grill! That’s a great resource also – make Asparagus wrapped in Bacon! Click here for a great how-to guide. No Bacon? No problem, still grill them – here’s the step-by-step guide, how to grill asparagus.

I have a whole post with 40+ side dishes made in the pressure cooker – click here to find a new favorite recipe!

Homemade Creamed Corn from An Affair from the Heart

This is a super easy side dish and and leftovers….. YUM! Homemade Creamed Corn from An Affair from the Heart

Corn on the Cob for the holidays? Not traditional, but I bet there won’t be any leftovers! This is quick, easy and made in the pressure cooker!

Is the Thanksgiving meal too much work? Make it a potluck! Everyone always brings their best dishes, cook the turkey and let others fill in with great sides.

Mac ‘n Cheese is always a great stovetop side and a great Thanksgiving Side Dish!

• White Cheddar Mac & Cheese from Aunt Bee’s Recipes is a showstopper! The homemade cheese sauce is insanely good and everyone asks for seconds.
• My 30 minute Chili Mac and Cheese is what I’ll be serving up the day after Thanksgiving for a big family party, it is just fabulous, easy too!
• Moore or Less Cooking has my mouth watering with her Beer Mac and Cheese. Yes, you heard it right! Beer Mac & Cheese, this one is definitely on my list!
• Last but not least is my Grandma’s recipe for Homemade Macaroni and Cheese. It’s cheese, butter, half & half and pasta. It ain’t fancy, but it is fabulous!
• Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese – so cheesy and good! Hands off too because it’s made in the pressure cooker!
• My recipe for Lemon Pasta is sooo popular on the blog, it’s light and lemony and would be an amazing dish to plan your meal around!

Want a stress free Thanksgiving – make the gravy a day (or two!) ahead. Just reheat prior to serving!

A Thanksgiving table deserves to have salad – but not any old salad, season it up with something special!

• Fall Harvest Salad – this is a beautiful salad that is easy to make and light. Perfect for serve with a heavy meal!
• Wedge Salad – this make-ahead salad can be made the day before and tucked into the fridge. Garnish it before the meal!
• Steakhouse Salad – Not a boring salad, let me tell you – this one brings all the flavor! BEST EVER green salad, my personal favorite!
• Winter Kale and Wild Rice Salad – full of delicious crunch and topped with a light citrus vinaigrette! From Moore or Less Cooking.
• Honey Glazed Orange Salad with Pistachios – beautiful fall flavors and so bright and fresh!
• Shaved Brussels sprout Salad – perfect for fall and winter!
• Greens with Pomegranates Vinaigrette – perfect during the fall when Pomegranates are in season and pretty enough to be the star of the buffet!

Cinnamon Honey Butter from An Affair from the Heart

Soft pillowy rolls are always on the table, right? Dress them up with some creamy Cinnamon Honey Butter from An Affair from the Heart!

Cowboy Butter – you can top off just about anything with this! Of course it’s delicious on bread and rolls, but steamed or roasted vegetables – delicious!

If you would like to try a great recipe for roast turkey, here’s mine. Your turkey will be the star of the show, moist, delicious and perfectly done every time. This is my go-to recipe for Thanksgiving!

Do you have a wonderful side dish that is NOT cooked in the oven? Email me the link for your original recipe and I will happily add it to this blog to share for next year!

Print Recipe

5 from 15 votes

Thanksgiving Side Dishes and Roasted Turkey

Perfectly roasted, moist and delicious this is my go-to recipe for Thanksgiving!

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time4 hrs

Total Time4 hrs 20 mins

Course: Poultry

Cuisine: American

Servings: 12 Servings

Calories: 830kcal

Author: Souper Chef Deb

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients

• 1 18-20 lb Turkey
• 6 cups root vegetables - I use onion, carrots and butternut squash
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 4 tablespoons softened butter
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees
• Clean & chop the root vegetables into large pieces. Put them into a large roasting pan and put the turkey on top.
• Mix together the butter and spices - salt, pepper, cloves & nutmeg. With clean hands, run the butter spice mixture all over the turkey, inside & out. Separate the skin from the breast meat and get it in there also.
• Mix together the wine and chicken broth and pour it over the turkey. Cover the turkey very tightly with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 500 degree oven as follows;
• First half hour: 500 degrees
• Second half hour: 450 degrees
• Third half hour 400 degrees
• Turn heat down to 350 and continue cooking for one hour. Remove the foil. Baste turkey as it continues to cook. It will take about 1 1/2 hours more for a 20 lb. turkey.
• Allow to rest for at least a half hour, covered with aluminum foil. Remove the root veggies from the pan and you have a delicious side dish! Carve the turkey & enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 830kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 113g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 377mg | Sodium: 1373mg | Potassium: 1380mg | Fiber: 3g | Vitamin A: 5025IU | Vitamin C: 12.2mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 5.4mg

• Are you cooking for Thanksgiving Day?
• Did you find a new Thanksgiving Side Dish to add to your menu?

Happy Thanksgiving Day to you!

Fabulous Thanksgiving Side Dishes that are NOT made in the oven. 30+ recipes shared from the best food bloggers!

Fabulous Thanksgiving Side Dishes that are NOT made in the oven. 30+ recipes shared from the best food bloggers!